Archaeological Evidence of Ancient Garden Confirms the Gospel of John

Here’s what the excavation team found:

During the excavations, the team dug beneath the basilica’s floor, uncovering layers dating back to the Iron Age, including pottery, oil lamps, and burial sites. The pre-Christian era garden evidence, found in soil samples, suggests the area transitioned from a quarry to cultivated land before becoming a burial site.

This site has an interesting history. Dr. Tim Chaffey, our content manager, shared this with me:

At the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, this area was outside the city, but approximately a decade later, it was incorporated into the city by King Herod’s grandson, Agrippa I, when he built Jerusalem’s third wall. According to early church historian Eusebius, a temple to the goddess Venus was built on the spot to bury the tomb of Jesus by Emperor Hadrian. He destroyed the city in response to the Bar Kokhba revolt (c. AD 132–135) and then rebuilt it as a pagan city named Aelia Capitolina. That temple was later demolished by Constantine and replaced with the church (c. AD 336).

Now, why are these newly uncovered details significant? Well, John 19:41 says, “Now 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.” So from this verse, we learn the detail that there was a garden in the area where Jesus was crucified and buried.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been the traditionally recognized site of the tomb of Christ since early church history. Of course, we can’t know for sure exactly where Jesus was buried since the Bible doesn’t provide the precise details, but this new find is yet another piece of evidence pointing to that location and is perfectly consistent with the biblical detail regarding a garden.

This new find is just one of countless artifacts found in and around Jerusalem that corroborate biblical accounts.

This new find is just one of countless artifacts found in and around Jerusalem that corroborate biblical accounts. None of them contradict anything in Scripture because, well, God’s Word is true! The Gospel of John is an eyewitness account from one of Jesus’ disciples—but more than that, it is the very Word of God. John wrote what God inspired him to write.

You’ll be able to see what this site (the site where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is now) looked like at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection when our model of first-century Jerusalem opens at the Ark Encounter, hopefully toward the end of 2026. The whole 2,000 sq. foot display will be fascinating, and hundreds of historical reports and archaeological finds that confirm what we read in Scripture will be highlighted. And, of course, the gospel will be powerfully shared.

We’re very excited for this exciting new exhibit to open. Please pray for our design and fabrication teams as they continue the detailed work.

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This item was discussed Monday on Answers News with cohosts Dr. Gabriela Haynes, Bryan Osborne, and Jessica DeFord. Answers News is our weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience here at the Creation Museum, broadcast on our Answers in Genesis YouTube channel, and posted to Answers TV. We also covered the following topics:

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Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.