Jerusalem: The Hill of Golgota prior to the Construction of Christian Buildings

Abstract

A study of the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem (2007–2009), begun on the occasion of a survey to assess seismic risk, has highlighted the need to deepen our knowledge of Golgotha in antiquity. A geomorphological study of the area, along with the verification of archaeological data, has led to observations on the evolution of the church from the fourth century, with a focus on aspects of its original forms. This analysis, when compared with data gleaned from previous trial excavations and recent studies, has made it possible to offer hypothetical reconstructions of the site from its earliest period of habitation to the building of the first Christian basilica by Constantine. Several three-dimensional models of the site have also been created, referring to its early use as a stone quarry and later changes made by Hadrian with the building of a pagan temple after the third Jewish-Roman war.