This rock tomb is about a hundred yards from
Golgotha. The rock formation
visible on the top right corner wraps over the area photographed. The
tomb
's rocky facade had been smoothed to the left of the entrance to allow the
stone door to be rolled into place to close the tom
b as mentioned below:
"Now when evening had come, because it was the
Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a
prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,
coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of
Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the
centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found
out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine
linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a
tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the
door of the tomb." (Mark 15:42-47)