Archaeology news: Ancient inscription pinpoints site where Jesus was crucified - claim.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL evidence has come to light to reveal the most likely site upon which Jesus Christ was crucified more than 2,000 years ago, a prominent scripture expert has claimed. The church is believed to encompass the site of Christ's crucifixion and burial, although the latter is contested by some Protestant denominations.
Tom Meyer, a professor of Bible studies at Shasta Bible College and Graduate School in California, US, has now told Express.co.uk how a 1,700-year-old inscription and image of a Roman-era pilgrim ship found within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre could pinpoint the site of the crucifixion.
He said: "In 1975 the late Dr Magen Broshi, a leading archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls expert, was given the rare opportunity to lead a team of archaeologists to supervise clearance work at the eastern extremity of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the probable location of where Jesus was crucified and resurrected.
"Even though the area Dr Broshi was granted access to was extremely limited, about 90 square feet, what he unearthed has underlined the likelihood that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was indeed the actual place of Jesus's crucifixion.
"The greatest discovery made by Dr Broshi was a drawing of a small Roman sailing ship that dates to the very beginning of the Byzantine Empire, around 330 AD."
According to the expert, the date of the inscription was determined by the type of boat that was etched, as well as by the layer in which it was made.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre began its life in the year 335 AD after Helena had ordered the destruction of a pagan shrine built over the site by Emperor Hadrian (132 to 136 AD).
It is, therefore, likely the ancient inscription was made before 335 AD, as the site excavated by Dr Broshi was filled in and would have been inaccessible because of the church's construction.
