Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Edicule

 The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem 

stands ornately over what would 

have been so obsure in the time of Jesus.

So quiet with only the guards on Holy Saturday

with a full moon.

This visit in January of 2022 was like no other visit. 

There were no crowds and no waiting lines

 because of the recent reopening of Israel in early January.

In the other 6 visits the lines to go into the Edicule 

were usually 5-6 hours long 

and we could never stay for those long lines.

 

The ornate shrine known as the Edicule 

encloses what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

The Shrine has undergone a recent extensive restoration. 

On some of our visits it was totally closed.

The wait to get inside was

 only a few minutes long.

Ornate carvings cover the inside of the edicule.

The original sepulcher had the obvious Jewish burial carved stone monument form. St Helen is said to have discovered this rock and it remained uncovered. Eusevious shared that the Holy Sepulchre was decorated with beautiful pillars but nothing 

was mentioned of it being enclosed.

A Pilgrim stated in 570 AD that the Holy Sepulchre was originally carved from a monolith surrounded by a circular wall. It remained this way until the church was destroyed by Al Hakim (1009-1012 AD) when the rock was leveled 

and the enclosing building was totally destroyed. 

The Church was restored by Constantinos Monomahos 

(1042-1048 AD) and finally enclosed in a new building.

The "anointing slab" sits without anyone around

 it- that would be the normal situation.

A beautiful mural is viewable 

without any crowd interference.

The Holy Sepulchre was closed on March 25, 2020 

and according to the keeper of the Keys ( a Muslim) 

this was the first closure since 1349 during the Black Death. 

Prayer continued inside the building until

 it reopened to visitors on May 24, 2020.

A normal visit is full of the cacophony of sound, bells,

 chanting and so many people. 

The visit this year was much more of a contemplative time,   thinking of the death of Jesus-

and place of Resurrection for our Lord and Savior.

This Holy Saturday-

coming close to this spot

brings this amazing miracle to 

full Easter Light.