It was Queen Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who commissioned Bishop Macarius to build the first basilica over the ruins of the ancient tomb of Jesus. They named the circular part of their grandiose church the Anastasis, or Resurrection.
Following the long established pattern of Roman royal mausoleums, all of the surrounding rock was removed leaving only that part of the stone into which the original tomb had been dug. Then – as now – this stood at the center of the Anastasis as the Tomb of the Redeemer.
Over the many intervening centuries the structures around the tomb has changed, but the inside of the first chamber still celebrates the event that took place there three days after Jesus was buried. This is called the Chapel of the Angel and it is named after the angel (or two angels according to Luke’s Gospel) who sat here and announced Christ’s Resurrection to the women.
*Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and they found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and … they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Luke 24:1-6
This page is part of the book The Holy Land of Jesus
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