- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Sutton Publishing Ltd; illustrated edition edition (18 Feb 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0750919264
- ISBN-13: 978-0750919265
- Product Dimensions: 27.1 x 20.4 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
636,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #82 in Books > History > Archaeology > By Period > Biblical
- #89 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Middle East > Israel
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The Tomb of Christ stands in the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, strapped together by steel girders put there by the British in 1947 to prevent it from collapsing. In 1986 Martin Biddle undertook the recording of the tomb before urgently-needed restoration. This book uses the results of that investigation to make an exploration of the site, its appearance, and the destructions and rebuildings of the tomb throughout its 2000-year history. Throughout its history, the tomb has been drawn, painted, engraved, photographed, shown in mosaics, modelled in wood, stone, glass and precious metals and copied full-size in churches throughout Europe. This study brings together this evidence and the archaeological recording in three dimensions, including photogrammetric survey to reveal the form and appearance of the tobm through its successive changes.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The remarkable tale of the authentication of Christ's tomb,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Tomb of Christ (Hardcover)
Martin Biddle's book is scholarly, accessible and beautifully illustrated. The culmination of ten years of painstaking research into the Tomb of Christ which lies in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, the book raises the very real probability that the inner sanctum of the tomb dates from the first century AD. The esteemed professor of medieval history at Oxford University, Biddle combines archive sources, his observations of full size replicas of the tomb scattered throughout Europe, and the latest techniques of photogrammetry, to build a compelling and rich history of Christ's last resting place. At the close of the millenium the Church authorities are desperate to agree on much needed renovations to the tomb but political infighting between the Armenians, Copts, Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox factions has made this difficult. Now Biddle hope that agreement will allow him to open the rock-cut tomb itself for the first time in at least a thousand years. His book is a wonderful read for biblical archaeologists and interested observers everywhere - I highly recommend it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A deceptively comprehensive study - an easy read,
By pthurst@yahoo.com (Wigan UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tomb of Christ (Hardcover)
Now History and Archeology & Thelogy usually result in hard to understand books which offer little appeal to any casual reader who may have a slight interest in any given subject, but Martin Biddles book seems to break the rules.Although it offeres a very high level of detail it is written in an easily accessible format which is good news for anybody who does not possess a degree in History, Archeology or Theology. The book seems to offer strong evidence for the Tombs location and after reading the book you do actually feel that at long last, beurocracy has (in this case) given way, resulting in a decent amount of evidence being 'dug up' and presented. All too often at the end of 'these books' the plot grows cold and the conclusion offers the classical 'If only' Syndrome. Unlike the words of most dying Pirates which seemed to murmour away after "The Treasure is buried under the...... " Martin Biddle presents a pretty conclusive and satisfying case. I actually felt that I had learned something at the end rather that just having tantalising 'What if's?' Read this book if you want some credible answers.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seventeen centuries of bric-a-brac and prayer,
By Ted Agostino "Thoughtful Christian" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Tomb of Christ (Paperback)
I bought this book after returning from a visit to Jerusalem. The Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) had made a huge impression on me, and I wanted to know more about the actual history and archaeology of the place to go along with the pious legends offered by the tour guides.
This book captures the layers and contradictions of the tomb itself: demolished and rebuilt repeatedly over the last seventeen centuries, currently housed in a tacky 19th century shrine that is held together with wire and good wishes, fiercely guarded by competing ranks of Greek Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Ethiopian and Roman Catholic clergy. Using modern investigative techniques and a remarkable survey of historical representations of the aedicule, Biddle is also able to make a convincing reconstruction of the original tomb from at least Helena's time, and to make plausible conjectures about the simple first-century burial chamber that lies underneath, obscured and hallowed by seventeen centuries of bric-a-brac and prayer. The photographs are remarkable (I can tell you how difficult this space is to capture effectively), and the reconstruction drawings are clear, but this book goes far deeper than a mere travelogue or coffee-table book. It absolutely enriched my experience and understanding of this holy and all-too-human place. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"See the place where they laid him",
By jagtagaste09 - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Tomb of Christ (Paperback)
It would, perhaps, be embarrassing to say that I'm reviewing this book ten years after its original publication and 12 years since my last visit to Jerusalem unless the history of the subject material itself--the tomb of Christ--was something measured not in years but rather in centuries. It is, moreover, exactly 1000 years since the tomb as well as the surrounding Church of the Holy Sepulcher was almost destroyed in a mad act of religious intolerance ordered by the Egyptian caliph al-Hakim. In an age when there are a lot of scholarly and not so scholarly al-Hakims running around trying to smash religious icons, Martin Biddle takes a remarkably objective and professional look at the historical development behind this religious "hot potato." He spins out in text, illustration, computer imagery, and astonishing photography the fascinating story of an edifice that provoked one commentator to say: "Of all sacred buildings it has perhaps been worse treated by man than any other."
Approaching his subject both respectfully and critically, Biddle uses a wide range of sources to document the history of the tomb of Christ, offering much valuable information about the layout of 1st century Jewish tombs and a well thought-out argument about the original form and ongoing evolution of the 4th century Constantinian monument ("aedicule"). It is clear, moreover, that part of Biddle's objective in writing about the tomb of Christ is to comprehensively document its current condition so as to facilitate its future restoration, a goal desired by all those religious groups sharing "ownership" of this holy site, no matter how much they might disagree about the details of restoration. (Will it take another Saladin to reopen that right-hand entrance to the church?!) It is also clear that in the course of his research Biddle developed a positive and even warm relationship with those groups--Greek Orthodox, Latin, Armenian, and a number of others--who bring life and worship as well as theological disagreements to the place which has so long been the destination of pilgrims and tourists alike. Be warned that this book contains much technical information. For a more readable account of the tomb and church, allowing one to see not only the art and architecture but also the liturgical life of the various religious communities using the church, see Biddle's companion volume, "The Church of the Holy Sepulcher". These books are a bit pricy when purchased as new. I was able to get a used copy of "The Tomb of Christ" in excellent condition for a fraction of the original price.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Large book, quick shipping,
By COgirl23 - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Tomb of Christ (Hardcover)
It was a helpful book and went into more detail than the PBS video episode "Secrets of the Dead: Tomb of Christ" and thus, was a real help in my research paper.
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