Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old garden beneath Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem, revealing tangible evidence that aligns with Gospel accounts, thrilling believers and historians while deepening understanding of the site’s sacred history.

In a groundbreaking archaeological discovery that has captured international attention, researchers excavating beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem—the site traditionally believed to be where Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and resurrected—have unearthed compelling evidence of an ancient garden dating back nearly 2,000 years, precisely matching the description of the burial site found in the Gospel of John.

This remarkable find was reported during a landmark excavation in early 2025, as part of renovation work under the basilica’s floor that opened up new areas for scientific study deep below the centuries‑old structure.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in Jerusalem’s Old City, has long been the focal point of Christian pilgrimage and devotion, believed by many to encompass both Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion, and the tomb where Jesus was laid to rest.

The site’s traditional identity dates back to at least the fourth century AD, when the Roman Emperor Constantine commissioned a church around what was identified as the burial cave.

Over the centuries, reconstruction, destruction, and restoration—most recently in the 21st century—have reshaped the ancient monument.

During the latest phase of excavation, archaeologists led by Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla identified soil strata and botanical remains beneath the basilica that reveal traces of olive trees and grapevines believed to have grown on the site roughly two millennia ago.

These plant species, confirmed through archaeobotanical analysis and pollen studies, suggest the presence of a garden landscape at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, echoing the Gospel of John’s account that “in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.”

“What we’re seeing beneath the church floor aligns astonishingly well with scriptural texts,” Professor Stasolla told reporters during a press briefing, emphasizing that the archaeological evidence supports the notion that this area was once cultivated land in the early first century CE.

Her team’s work involved careful excavation through layered soil deposits below the basilica’s ancient masonry, combined with microscopic analysis of plant remnants that survived in the sediment.

The discovery does more than enrich the historical understanding of Jerusalem’s landscape during the time of Jesus: it bridges a remarkable connection between ancient text and material culture.

For centuries, scholars have debated the exact location and physical context of Jesus’ burial, with the Gospel of John’s garden description standing out as a potentially verifiable detail.

The newly uncovered botanical evidence lends credence to the idea that a garden may indeed have existed adjacent to what became the early Christian burial site, a feature that supports the longstanding tradition preserved in Christian scripture.

Local officials and religious authorities have greeted the news with a mixture of reverence and excitement.

Father Michael Haddad, a custodian at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, remarked that the discovery offers “a profound confirmation of our sacred narratives,” adding that pilgrims from around the world are already expressing renewed interest in visiting the site.

“To see physical proof that reflects what the Gospel describes—this is a blessing for believers,” he said.

Historians note that the garden imagery in John’s Gospel has been a point of discussion for decades, with alternative sites such as the so‑called “Garden Tomb” outside the Old City proposed by some Protestant traditions.

The current findings, however, strengthen the case for the Holy Sepulchre area itself being a garden setting in the first century, beneath the later layers of ecclesiastical architecture.

Despite the excitement, experts caution that while the evidence supports the presence of ancient vegetation matching the biblical description, it does not conclusively prove that this specific garden is the same one mentioned in the Gospel, nor does it settle all historical debates about the precise location of Jesus’ burial.

As one independent archaeologist noted, “We have a very compelling landscape signature that matches historical texts, but we must remain cautious about conflating archaeological evidence with spiritual certainty.”

Nevertheless, the implications of the find are profound.

The presence of a garden landscape beneath one of Christianity’s holiest sites not only enhances our understanding of Jerusalem’s ancient environment but also deepens the historical context of one of the most pivotal moments in Christian tradition.

Further research is planned to map the full extent of the garden remains and to date the botanical evidence with greater precision using radiocarbon and stratigraphic techniques.

Scholars and theologians alike are anticipating a wave of new studies, conferences, and publications that will explore how this discovery reshapes interpretations of early Christian history—and perhaps even how believers around the world connect with a story that has echoed through two millennia.

In an era where questions about the intersection of faith and history are increasingly prominent, this remarkable discovery beneath Jerusalem’s oldest stones invites both believers and skeptics to reconsider what lies beneath the surface—literally and figuratively—of one of history’s most enduring narratives.