Burial slab Christians believe once held body of Jesus is uncovered for the first time in centuries
Researchers hope to find out more about where the ancient relic comes from and how it became so revered
THE burial slab believed to have once held the body of Jesus Christ has been uncovered for the first time in over 200 years.
Restoration work being carried out at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem revealed the rock surface, which was first encased in marble in 1555.
Archaeologist Fredrik Heibert said the discovery will help provide further clues about Jesus' burial.
"The marble covering of the tomb has been pulled back, and we were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath it", he said.
"It will be a long scientific analysis, but we will finally be able to see the original rock surface on which, according to tradition, the body of Christ was laid."
Christian tradition says that Jesus was laid on a "burial bed" made from a cut of limestone rock after his crucifixion in 33AD.
According to Gospel he was resurrected three days later, and the slab of rock became a holy relic that would be treasured by worshippers for centuries.
It has been enclosed by a structure known as the Edicule -- which translates from the Latin for "little house" -- at the church in Israel.
The Edicule has now been opened for the first time since 1808 when it was repaired after a fire.
A team from the National Technical University of Athens are carrying out restoration work on the sacred site.
With the help of modern science, researchers can now discover more about where the rock comes from, how it was formed and what clues it could give about Jesus' burial.
It is hoped that analysis could enable them to learn more about the limestone cave from which it was first carved nearly 2,000 years ago.
They are also looking at what led to the rock being among the most treasured relics in Christianity since it was first identified by Helena, mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, in 326 AD.
A year later, the Emperor commissioned the construction of the church to house the burial slab.
"We are at the critical moment for rehabilitating the Edicule", Moropoulou said.
"The techniques we're using to document this unique monument will enable the world to study our findings as if they themselves were in the tomb of Christ."
The ornate church sits on the site of where Christ's body was anointed and buried.
It is also just yards from where he was crucified, according to scripture.
It is split between several Christian sects, which has sometimes led to tensions between clergy -- as happened in 2008 when Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks got into a brawl.
Two clergymen from each side were arrested.
But differences were set aside when last year police briefly shut down the holy building after it was deemed unsafe -- prompting the repair effort.
Donations totalling over £3 million have been raised -- including over £1 million from Jordan's King Abdullah II -- to fund the restoration.
Work is expected to be completed next year.
It is the church's unique split between denominations that led to the phrase "status quo", which was first used to describe the set of laws handed down by Ottoman officials in 1852 when its empire governed the Holy Land.
The "status quo" laws help to maintain peace between the different traditions who use the church.
Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368