The reason that motivates the scientific community to open the tomb of Jesus

The tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is in danger of collapse, forcing the congregations to approve the proposal to renovate the building and open the grave for restoration.

The tomb of Jesus needed repairs after decades of the effects of candle smoke, water and moisture, according to Antonia Moropoulou, the scientific coordinator of the renovation project. The work also needs reinforcement to cope with the risk of damage from earthquakes, the International Business Times reported on October 28.

The sacred church built on the grave is "on the verge of collapse". "One of the serious problems in the church is that its condition is not very good , " said Athanasius Macora, a Francis priest.

The tomb of Jesus contains a stone foundation that puts the corpse of the Lord before the Resurrection. (Illustration: American Bazaar).

"We decided that the restoration work should be done and agreed with the proposals of scientists," said Samuel Aghoyan, head of the Armenian church, one of the three congregations managing the Holy Church.

Embellishment began in June, marking the first time that the Holy Church was restored after two centuries. At the heart of the project is Edicule, a shrine built on the tomb of Jesus, where his body is anointed with oil, covered with a shroud and buried in the Bible.

Conservation projects have been delayed due to confrontation between various religious organizations operating the church. Despite repeated warnings about Edicule's degradation, religious leaders in charge of the sacred site still insisted on not accepting the restoration project, opposing any slightest change.

Last year, Israeli police closed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for a short time after receiving warnings about the danger of the building on pilgrims. This event prompted the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, Armenian Church and the Greek Orthodox Church to ignore the conflict and cooperate to start the repair work. The renovation process conducted by Athens National University of Technology will take more than a year.

After flipping marble tiles covering the tomb of Jesus, scientists have 60 hours to study and record the tomb. Next, they will seal the grave before plastering the reinforcement of the Edicule building, so that the materials do not fall inside the grave.