Jerusalem (Old city) - Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Martyrion / Basilica of Constantine)

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Church Name, type, function

Site Name:

Jerusalem (Old city)

Church name:

Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Martyrion / Basilica of Constantine)

Functional Type:

Memorial

Church type:

Basilical

Location

Coordinates, ITM system:

221.94

631.79

Coordinates, ICS system:

171.94

1,131.79

Location:

Urban

Geographical region:

Jerusalem (Old City)

Distance from nearest settlement:

Inside the settlement.

Provincial affiliation:

Palaestina I

Bishopric:

Jerusalem

Source of knowledge

HideLiterary sources

Text number	Summary
1	Detailed description of the construction of the basilica and court under Emperor Constantine's orders, dedicated September 335.
2	Mention of the basilica built by the order of Constantine, and its cisterns and baptistry, from an itinerary of ca. AD 333.
3	Sunday service at the "Great Church" on Golgotha, from an itinerary of AD 381-384.
4	Epiphany at the "Great Church".
5	Easter season at the "Great Church".
6	Baptism at the "Great Church".
7	Encaenia at the "Great Church".
8	Mention of Cyriacus, priest and abbot of the church of the Holy Resurrection and a Warden of the Cross, AD 490.
9	Mention of Marcianus, priest at the Holy Resurrection and abbot of Holy Sion, ca. AD 510.
10	Description of the basilica of Constantine and of the various relics kept in it, from a pilgrim's guide to Jerusalem from the beginning of the 6th cent.
11	Mention of Golgotha, "where the Cross was discovered", from an itinerary of ca. AD 518-530.
12	Description of the basilica of Constantine and its courtyard, and of the various relics kept in it, from an itinerary of ca. AD 570.
13	Description of the basilica built by Constantine and its court, from an itinerary of ca. AD 681-684, composed ca. 698.
14	Description of a secondary chapel in the Martyrion complex, containing the Holy Grail and Sponge.
15	Description of another secondary chapel in the Martyrion complex, containing the Holy Spear.
16	Description of the Martyrium basilica built by Constantine, its courtyard and relics, largely based on Adamnan, from a geographical work compiled AD 702-703.
17	Detailed description of the various parts of the complex and of the relics kept in them, from an 8th cent. guidebook for pilgrims.
18	Inventory of the clergy and monks employed in the complex of the Holy Sepulchre, from an official report ordered in AD 808.
19	Measurements of the different parts of the complex.

HideEpigraphy

Text number	Summary
1	Latin graffito/dipinto of a pilgrim, time of Constantine (?).
2	Fragment of chancel screen with remains of inscription.

Archaeological remains

Excavated site

Excavators:

Name	Date
Harvey W.	1933 - 1934
Corbo V.	1961, 1963, 1970

General description

State of preservation/which parts were uncovered:

The foundation of the church were found: in the crypt of St. Helena (number 11 in Couasnon plan); the Chapel of St. Vartan; east of the Golgothha; a 15m . long section of the northen wall is preserved in the southern wall of the still in use Coptic monastery; and a section of the apse was uncovered. Based on these remains and Eusebius description a reconstruction were made, by Corbo and Couasnon. Dimensions: 40X58 m. (Corbo) or 40X49 m. (Couasnon)

Description

Illustrative material:

Illustrative_material

Photos

Figures

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Madaba map

Reconstruction of the plan of the Holy Sepulchre at the end of forth century. From: Coüasnon 1974: Pl. VIII.

The plan of the remains from the early byzantine period. From: Zeligman, Avni 2001: p. 122.

Reconstruction of the plan of the Byzantine church complex. From: Gibson, Taylor 1994: Fig. 45.

The structural development of the Holy Sepulchre. From: Biddle 1999: Fig. 63.

Façade and entries:

From Eusebius description in Life Of Constantine, there wer three entrances in the east wall.

Lateral walls:

From Eusebius description in Life Of Constantine, they were covered with marble and colored stones.

Nave:

Approx 15 m. wide. Portions of both flanking stylobates were found, on which according to eusebius were sepreated by pillars. with galleries above with columns of 3.6 m. high. From Eusebius description in Life Of Constantine, it is known that the nave was very high with wodden rafters suppourting a lead roof and a celing made of gold plated coffers.

Aisles:

From Eusebius description in Life Of Constantine, it is known that the nave was flanked by two aisles on each side, separated by rows of columns approx. 4.8 m. high. The two inner aisles were blocked by a western wall while the outer aisles opened toward the Triportico.

Bema, chancel screen and apse:

The axis of the apse, which faces the Sepulchre, runs slightly south of Anastasis apse. From Eusebius description in Life Of Constantine, the apse had twelve pillars corresponding with the twelve apostles.

Small finds

Comments, discussion and summary:

Couasnon believes the highet from floor to nave ceiling is 22 m. and there are 14 columns between each ailse. Corbo believes there are 16.

Detailed description

Structure

Orientation:

Fasing west

Atrium:

Yes

Aisles:

Colonnades / Arcades:

Colonnade

East end:

Internal apse

Central Apse Category:

apsidal

Baptism

Loci:

The font located at present in the area of the Patriarchal apartment to the north of the Anastasis, might have originated in the tripartite baptistery to the south of the parvis.

Font structure:

Monolithic

External shape:

square

Internal shape:

quadrifoil

Ben-Pechat type:

Attached structures

Baptistery:

Tripartite

Baptistery description:

A tripartite unit to the west of the southern courtyard was identified as the Constantinian baptistery (Vincent 1926). There are other proposal for its location. The present font there seems to be late. Another font exist to the north of the Anastasis, suggested by Tinelli (1973) and Wharton (1992) to be the original baptistery. But this monolithic font might had originated elsewhere.

Architectural Evolution

Phase 1
Phase 2
Abandonment

Dating material:

The complex was built by order of Empperor Constantine and his mother Helena. It was inaugurated on Sept. 13, 335.

Phase date

Century:

4th c.

Within century:

First half

Dating material:

Based on historical resources the church was damaged during the Persian conquest of 614 and restored prior to the Arculf's description, dated between 679-688.

Phase date

Century:

7th c.

Within century:

First half

Dating material:

The entire comples was destroyed in 1009 by the Fatimid cahliph al Hakim b'Amr Allah. The Anatasis and the Golgotha were restored, the Basilica was not. The restorations began in 1030 and were completed by 1048.

Phase date

Century:

11th c.

Within century:

Early