The Tomb Revealed

In this episode of The Backstory on the Shroud of Turin, host Guy R. Powell speaks with historian Massimo Paris for the third session of a remarkable deep dive into the archaeology of Calvary and the Tomb of Christ.

Massimo explains how Constantine and Helena identified the site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection through excavation in the 4th century. He describes the removal of Hadrian’s pagan temple, the discovery of Calvary, and the revealing of the burial cave. He also gives an in-depth overview of Constantine’s massive architectural project, which included the rotunda, basilica, courtyard, and the original edicule.

Listeners learn how archaeological evidence—wooden models, mosaics, ancient maps, and written accountsmatches the descriptions in the Gospels. Massimo shows how the angle of the burial bench, uncovered again in 2016, confirms its authenticity. This is the limestone slab where Jesus Christ was laid, wrapped in the Shroud of Turin.

He also describes the fracture in the rock of Calvary caused by the earthquake at the moment of Jesus’ death—visible today both above and within the chapel structure.

This episode brings together Scripture, archaeology, and history in a way that illuminates the central event of Christianity: the Resurrection.