Ancient Road Unearthed at Jerusalem Church May Shed Light on Jesus' Final Journey

Archaeologists excavating beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have uncovered an ancient stone-paved road featuring a broad, shallow step, a discovery that may offer new insights into Jesus' final journey to the cross.

The church, built by Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century over the site believed to be Jesus' tomb, contains this newly reported section of road. The surviving fragment measures approximately 10 by 12 feet and lies beneath a Crusader-era walkway.

Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla, leading the excavation, noted that the road's curve and pronounced slope suggest it ascended toward the southwest. She hypothesized that it could have served as a road leading to the Calvary area, which is described in the Gospel of John as the site of crucifixion. The presence of a step, however, makes it unlikely to have been a route for carts hauling heavy construction materials, as previously considered.

Stasolla stated that execution sites in Roman times were public and accessible, often accommodating spectators. The unique construction of this road suggests it may have been designed to facilitate such public events.

While ancient accounts mention mass crucifixions around Jerusalem, a definitive execution ground has not yet been archaeologically identified. The uncovered road predates Emperor Hadrian's second-century redevelopment of Jerusalem, leaving open the possibility that it was in use during Jesus' lifetime.

The road was ultimately abandoned during the construction of Constantine's church complex in the fourth century. The practice of pilgrimages to sites associated with Jesus' suffering and death was not yet formalized with a defined route.

This discovery follows another significant find in April 2025, when Stasolla's team uncovered remnants of an ancient garden beneath the church's foundation. Analysis of these remnants dated them to the pre-Christian era, around the time of Jesus' crucifixion and burial, which historians generally place around 33 AD. These findings add detail to the ongoing debate about the precise location of Jesus' burial, with some scholars favoring the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and others the Garden Tomb.

The original Church of the Holy Sepulchre was inaugurated in AD 335. Archaeological work has also revealed part of a circular marble base beneath the shrine enclosing the tomb, the age of which is still under analysis.