Who Stole the Angel's Stone? |
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"….
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended
from heaven and came and rolled back the stone (of the opening of the sepulchre)"
(Matthew, 28,2). Saint Arculf, a bishop who spent several months in Jerusalem in 670, told that the round stone used to seal Jesus Christ's sepulchre had been split in half. One of the two halves was situated in front of the Holy Sepulchre and the second was used as an altar on the Calvary. You can still see the first half in the Angel's Chapel in front of the Holy Sepulchre. The second half mysteriously disappeared from the Calvary sometime around the 15th century: according to the Franciscan monks it was probably stolen by the Armenians with a stratagem. |
![]() Where is the Precious Relic kept? When you leave the Old City via the Zion Gate, if you turn right you can enter the Armenian compound called Saint Saviour, also the location of the old cemetery of the Armenian Community. The warden will be happy to show you around the place for a little baksheesh. The most interesting thing to see is a small 15th century church called Jesus Christ's Prison. The church is kept closed at all times and the warden hardly ever opens it up. If you manage to convince him and walk into the church, you will see a piece of stone wedged into the altar. According to tradition this is the second half of the tombstone. If you fail to convince the warden, try to peek through the keyhole. |
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