RENOWNED archaeologist Martin Biddle will shed light on one of the holiest shrines in Christendom in a talk on Monday, July 2.

Prof Biddle will speak at the Winchester Catholic History Group meeting at the Pastoral Centre, St Peters Church, Jewry Street.

The Edicule, the ‘little house’, which encloses all that remains of what is believed to be the rock-cut tomb in which the body of Jesus was laid after the Crucifixion, and from which he is believed to have ascended into Heaven, stands today at the centre of the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The present Edicule, built after a fire in 1810, stood untouched until 2015-17 when a major cleaning and restoration of the exterior and interior of the Edicule was undertaken by the conservators of the Greek National Technical University of Athens.

Prof Biddle and his late wife, Birthe Kjølbye-Biddle, made a detailed survey of the Edicule as it was in the 1980s and 1990s, described in his book, The Tomb of Christ, published in 1998.

Prof Biddle took a close interest throughout the recent work of conservation and restoration and was present for its completion.

He will show what has been achieved and will reveal and discuss the discoveries made inside the burial chamber in the period of 60 hours made available for its investigation in October 2016.

The burial slab which has covered the rock-cut burial couch since the eleventh-century was carefully withdrawn to reveal the broken pieces of an older burial slab of black marble. The date of this older slab is discussed on the basis of scientific dating of the mortar on which it was laid and the implications of this work for the understanding of the tomb are considered.

Visitors very welcome £5 at the door, students £2.50 with ID, or further information and reserve a ticket from the Parish Office at 01962 852804, email office@stpeterswinchester.org.uk

  • The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem; Recent Discoveries, New Perspectives, Monday, July 2, 7.30pm.