Local

Virtually visit the Tomb of Christ

Zoey Maraist | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

To show his power over the fledgling Christians, the Roman Emperor Hadrian built a temple over the place where Christ had been buried. When Emperor Constantine brought Christianity to Rome, he reclaimed the Christian site in 335. Though the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem has suffered damage from war, natural disasters and decay, the enduring edifice still attracts Christians from around the world.

 

Beneath the dome of the church lies the edicule, a small building housing the stone where Jesus’ body lay. In 1959, leaders of the six Christian denominations who care for church agreed that the edicule was in need of repair. In 2016, a team from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, began cleaning and reinforcing the edicule, completing the project in less than a year while keeping the doors open for all but one day. Members of National Geographic, who were there to document the project, created the “Tomb of Christ” exhibit at the Washington museum based on what they witnessed.

 

Visitors are shown stunning 3-D and virtual reality views of Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — in its iterations throughout time and what it looks like today. The exhibit also features the technology used to restore the edicule, including thermography, laser scans and radar imaging.  Through the exhibit, attendees can take a virtual pilgrimage to the site, learn more about the history of the Holy Land and experience the beauty of one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. The ‘Tomb of Christ’ exhibit runs from Nov. 15, 2017 to Aug. 15, 2018. 

 

Topics:

Related Articles