Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of the archaeological and historical importance of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The paper examines its importance to Christianity and its place in history. The author goes into great detail as to how the church was first built, and who was responsible for its initial construction. The church changed hands several times, and this is covered as well. The Church and its history is intertwined with that of the city where it is located, Jerusalem, a point that is emphasized throughout this paper.
From the Paper "It was there that she identified the place as the crucifixion site of Jesus and the emperor decided to mark the importance of this site by building a shrine there. This shrine became the holiest religious place for Christians and was named the church of the holy Sepulcher. John L. Lyons (1997) writes, ?In the vicinity, directly under the temple of Venus erected by Hadrian, Empress Helena claimed to have found the cross upon which Jesus died. Constantine had the Church of the Holy Sepulcher built over the proposed site of the Crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Various Christian groups, including Greek, Latin, Coptic, Jacobite, Armenian, and Ethiopian ones, have tended to the church over the centuries, and each controls some aspect of its present form.? But this religious site has not been revered by all, as over the period of time, it was destroyed and rebuilt quite a few times as rulers of Jerusalem changed."
