Was the stone rolled away?
A closer examination of the tomb of Jesus and the stone.
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Matthew 27:59-60
We’ve all seen the movies, shows, plays, and depictions of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. A powerful film in particular was The Passion of the Christ. As in many depictions, the tomb of Jesus is depicted as one with a burial cave and a giant round rock in front of the tomb. The question becomes, is that accurate?
These are the small details of faith. The ones that don’t make or break faith but are fun to talk about. We’re certain there was a tomb and a large rock to seal it. But here are some things scholars and archeologists have discussed about the tomb.
Two tombs, which was it?
There is a debate between scholars as to which tomb Jesus was buried in. The first is the Garden Tomb. Here’s a video overview of it.
The other tomb is where a church was built during the time of Constantine in the 4th century AD. This site is referred to as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church was named “The Church of the Resurrection.” It’s a bold claim that this site, which has an empty tomb in the middle of it, is where Jesus was buried. Here’s a video overview of the site.
While there has always been much debate among scholars and academics, it seems more likely that the tomb where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located is the actual location.
Archeologist Gabriel Barkay dated the garden tomb to the 8th-7th century B.C.E. and indicated it was not used during Jesus’ time. An examination of Matthew’s Gospel seems to agree with this.
And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb… Matthew 27:59-60
The word for NEW is the Greek word kainos (kαινός), which means “new, as in recent in time.”
Based on this understanding, Jesus was not buried in an old tomb. With Barkay’s dating, the Garden Tomb would then be ruled out, making the Church of the Holy Sepulchre likely the authentic site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
If you want to dig further into why the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, you can check out this article and podcast from the Times of Israel. (This, of course, is a very simplified conclusion).
Was the stone that sealed the tomb round?
If you look at the images of Jewish tombs, particularly the two debated where Jesus was buried, you’ll notice that the cut-out is rectangular rather than round or oval. Yet, the stone that seals a tomb is often regarded as round. Simple geometry leads you to conclude two options: There was either an extra-large round stone to seal the tomb or a rectangular stone that matched the size of the outcut.
In the article, Did a Rolling Stone Close Jesus’ Tomb? Amos Kloner writes,
“Square or rectangular blocking stones sealed the entrance of a cave tomb much like a cork in a bottle: One end of the blocking stone fit snugly into the entrance while the other end, like the top of a cork, was somewhat larger on the outside. Sometimes the locking stone was supported by other stones, called in the Mishnah dofek (the stone closer to the golel) and dofek dofkin (the outer stone).” 1
The understanding of the roundedness of the blockade comes from the Biblical text (particularly Mark 16:4 and Matthew 28:2-3) and the use of the Greek word kulio (kυλίω). The understanding of this word is “wallow or roll.” How can you roll something square or rectangular in shape?
And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back— it was very large. Mark 16:4
Based on the understanding of this text, the stone must have been round, right? To add complexity, round stones have been found for larger tombs with multiple rooms, particularly for people of wealth and status. Herod’s family tomb, for instance, had a round rock guarding it. You can read more about Herod’s tomb and its discovery here.
We are told that Joseph of Arimathea requested Jesus’ body and placed it in the tomb he had purchased.
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Mark 15:43
Joseph’s status was prestigious and very well could’ve meant he could afford an elaborate tomb, one that would be fitting of a round rock in front.
It will continue to be debated if the stone was round or rectangular, but nonetheless, we know a stone of some significance sealed the tomb in which Jesus’ lifeless body was laid.
And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mark 15:46
This is all confusing and complicated, so what’s the point?
Many enjoy debating and discussing the location, size, and logistics of Jesus’ burial place. Some skeptics will try to point to the lack of clarity as a reason for their skepticism. Yet, at the end of the day, the exact location and means of sealing the tomb do not matter. What matters is we know, and history has confirmed, that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified at the hands of Pontius Pilate (and Rome) and buried.
This death and burial of Jesus is essential because it signifies that he did what he sought to do. The cross and death of Jesus are critical to the faith and understanding that followers of him profess. As his follower Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) wrote,
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8
For Jesus to carry the weight of mankind’s sin, he had to be innocently sacrificed. He had to die. His lifeless body had to be laid in a tomb.
But Jesus didn’t remain in the tomb!
Unlike my family members who have gone before me, famous religious leaders such as Muhammad (buried in Medina), and political figures such as Alexander the Great (reburied in Alexandria), Jesus of Nazareth did not have remains that stayed in a tomb. In fact, as hundreds of witnesses have attested, he rose from the tomb three days later!
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
The death of Jesus is what atoned for (reparation for a wrong) man’s sin. Belief in his resurrection gives Jesus’ followers hope in eternal life.
As Jesus himself said…
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
We can debate, discuss, and go back and forth about the tomb, but what matters most is Jesus didn’t stay there. He conquered death for the sake of those who cannot conquer it on his or her own. Now that is great news!
Do you believe this?
Hopefully, you will join me in celebrating Jesus’ resurrection this Easter!
https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/did-a-rolling-stone-close-jesus-tomb/#:~:text=They%20also%20kept%20scavenging%20animals,somewhat%20larger%20on%20the%20outside.