How Was Jesus’ Tomb Sealed?
Examining the tomb of Jesus in light of Second Temple-period Jerusalem tombs
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.”—John 20:1, NRSV
What kind of stone sealed the tomb of Jesus? Was it a round (disk-shaped) stone or a square (cork-shaped) stone? While both kinds of blocking stones are attested in Jerusalem tombs from the time of Jesus, square (cork-shaped) stones are much, much more common than round (disk-shaped) ones.
How was Jesus’ tomb sealed? While some Jerusalem tombs from the late Second Temple period boasted round (disk-shaped) rolling stones, it was more common to seal tombs with cork-shaped stones, such as the one pictured here. The archaeological evidence suggests that the tomb of Jesus—the unused tomb of Joseph of Arimathea—would have been sealed with a cork-shaped stone. Photo: Tom Powers.
In fact, of the more than 900 Second Temple-period burial caves around Jerusalem examined by archaeologist Amos Kloner, only four have been discovered with disk-shaped blocking stones. These four elegant Jerusalem tombs belonged to the wealthiest—even royal—families, such as the tomb of Queen Helena of Adiabene.
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Was the tomb of Jesus among the “top four” Jerusalem tombs from the Second Temple period?
Since disk-shaped blocking stones were so rare and since Jesus’ tomb was built for an ordinary person—because it was actually the borrowed, but unused, tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:60)—it seems highly unlikely that it would have been outfitted with a disk-shaped blocking stone.
Archaeology therefore suggests that the tomb of Jesus would have had a cork-shaped blocking stone. Is this confirmed or contested by the Biblical text? How was Jesus’ tomb sealed according to the New Testament?
In his Biblical Views column “A Rolling Stone That Was Hard to Roll” from the March/April 2015 issue of BAR, Urban C. von Wahlde looks at the Gospel accounts to see how the stone that sealed the tomb of Jesus is portrayed. His careful analysis of the Greek grammar reveals a detail from the Gospel of John that supports the idea that the tomb of Jesus was indeed sealed with a cork-shaped stone.
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In his BAR column, Urban C. von Wahlde explains that the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all use a form of the Greek verb kulio to describe how the stone sealing Jesus’ tomb was moved. Kulio means “to roll.”
Measuring 4.5-feet tall, the disk-shaped stone at the so-called Tomb of Herod’s Family could be rolled to cover the entryway of the tomb or rolled back into a niche to open it, thereby permitting new burials to be added to the family tomb. This is one of four Second Temple-period Jerusalem tombs with a round rolling stone. Photo: Hershel Shanks.
Mark 15:46 reads, “Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb” (NRSV). The Greek verb used in the last sentence of this passage is proskulisas. Von Wahlde says, “This is a combination of pros (meaning ‘toward’) and the past participle of kulio (meaning ‘to roll or roll along’).”
Mark 16:3 describes the scene on Easter Sunday when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome visit Jesus’ tomb: “They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’” The Greek word for “roll away” is apekulisen, which von Wahlde explains is “a combination of ap’ (meaning ‘away’) and … yes, kulio (meaning ‘to roll’).”
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke use similar compounds of the verb kulio. Thus, all of these accounts imply that the stone sealing Jesus’ tomb was rolled.
Can square (cork-shaped) blocking stones be rolled?
In his article “Did a Rolling Stone Close Jesus’ Tomb?” from the September/October 1999 issue of BAR, Amos Kloner added “dislodge” or “move” to the definition of the Greek verb kulio. A square (cork-shaped) blocking stone might more readily be described as being “dislodged” or “moved” than “rolled.” Thus, this definition resolves any incongruity between the Biblical text and the archaeological record. However, von Wahlde disagrees with Kloner’s definition:
In his article on the type of tomb closure used for the tomb of Jesus, Amos Kloner states that the Greek verb kulio means “to roll,” but it can also mean “dislodge” or “move.” I would disagree with this for two reasons: First, I at least cannot find any dictionary articles (including the largest, the Liddle-Scott-Jones) that give this other meaning. Second, as I pointed out above, almost all instances of the verb in the gospel texts are compounds of kulio, either pros-kulio (“roll up to”) or apo-kulio (“to roll away”). These are verbs of motion “toward” or “away from.”
It is not necessary to change the definition of kulio to make sense of the Gospel accounts. Von Wahlde points out: “It may very well be that people rolled the ‘cork-shaped’ stones away from the tomb. Once you see the size of a ‘stopper’ stone, it is easy to see that, however one gets the stone out of the doorway, chances are you are going to roll it the rest of the way.” Although they certainly would not have rolled as easily as round (disk-shaped) stones, cork-shaped stones still could have been rolled.
Many assume that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Seder, the ritual Passover meal. Examine evidence from the Synoptic Gospels with scholar Jonathan Klawans in “Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?“
The Gospel of John presents a slightly different picture than the other Gospel accounts—with a different Greek verb used to describe the stone sealing Jesus’ tomb. John 20:1 reads, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.”
The Greek word for “removed” or “taken away” is hairo, which Von Wahlde defines as “take away.” There is no mention of “rolling” the stone in the Gospel of John. Von Wahlde maintains that this description reflects “the Jewish burial practice much more accurately than any of the other gospels. He [John] has given us a detail none of the other gospels have.”
Thus, both the Gospel of John and archaeology support the interpretation that the tomb of Jesus would have been sealed with a cork-shaped blocking stone. For Urban C. von Wahlde’s full analysis of the type of stone that sealed Jesus’ tomb according to the Gospels, read his Biblical Views column “A Rolling Stone That Was Hard to Roll” in the March/April 2015 issue of BAR.
Later, during the late Roman and Byzantine periods, round (disk-shaped) blocking stones became less rare. Dozens of Jerusalem tombs dating to these periods have been found with disk-shaped stones—but on a smaller scale. Whereas the four disk-shaped blocking stones from the Second Temple period were at least 4 feet in diameter, the ones from later periods usually had a diameter of about 3 feet. The date and style of these tombs, however, disqualifies them as candidates for Jesus’ tomb since the tomb of Jesus belonged to an earlier period—the Second Temple period, which ended in 70 A.D. with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.
BAS Library Subscribers: Read the full Biblical Views column “A Rolling Stone That Was Hard to Roll,” by Urban C. von Wahlde in the March/April 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
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Is it possible to identify the first-century man named Jesus behind the many stories and traditions about him that developed over 2,000 years in the Gospels and church teachings? Visit the Jesus/Historical Jesus study page to read free articles on Jesus in Bible History Daily.
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This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on March 9, 2015.
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I don’t see a comment that recognizes that Joseph of Aramathea was indeed the Blood brother of Jesus Mother Mary. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin as well as a follower of Christ (secretly from the other Jews). Jesus would have made many trips abroad with Joseph as there is no mention of Joseph ( Christ’s Father) after a while. Joseph of AR. was a tin merchant with many mines and properties up and down the coast. Christ would have had opportunity to study very young at some of the finest learning institutions of the day. So my point being This was a new tomb of the very wealthy Joseph so reasonable to assume the newest and finest. Also Jesus Daddy Joseph was not poor. The verse about them sleeing at the stable was not because he could afford nothing else, Have any of you ever traveled with a pregnant woman? By the time they got close for the Feast of Tabernacles they were already getting to sundown and had to bed down quick before sunset. So Christ would have been born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles and circumcised On the Last Great Day.
This proves another scandal by the Romans & the Greeks, this was done to support two beliefs that dispute that Yeshua HaMashiach rose from the dead. One to prove the common belief among Jews even today that the Disciples bought some soldiers to roll away the stones and steal his body lie that Yeshua rose from the dead, how, because the stone could be easily rolled away, as long as it was a round disk stone(representing the sun). The second belief is that the Pagan Religions which have been in existence for over two thousand years, which promotes the worship of sun gods, reduces the death and resurrection of Yeshua to nothing but a daylight robbery, because most of the Roman & Greek gods were buried in this way, by sealing them with round disk stones(representing the sun), to seal their fate as sun gods, who are made to disappear and become some mystic gods, thus they deny the uniqueness of Yeshua’s resurrection as anything different to their Babylonian gods
The prophet Isaiah tells us that Jesus was buried with the rich in His death. Isa 53:9 And He appointed Him His grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death; though He had done no violence, and deceit was not in His mouth
It is plain from the Tanaach that Joseph of Arimithea was a rich person as Mathew also bears witness too in Matthew 27:57. Mark 15:43 tells us that Joseph was a honourable councillor . This man had wealth, and honour and position. He was no ordinary man. The stone over the tomb of Jesus the Christ may well have been a round stone
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To roll a “great stone” into place, it must be either round in some way, or very exactly positioned previously so as to end up fitting just right on the final flip. A plug/square rock must come off its rollers before the final fitting if it ever had such – more likely to have been cut in-situ, and finally pushed into place by manpower sliding it.. A “cork” rock will obviously jam on top if rolled in or out: therefore the 4 gospels unanimous mention of “rolling” gives us no reason at all to doubt some form of “round” “great stone”. The clear Biblical mention in prophecy of “buried with the rich” seals the case conclusively.
Another thing I thought about. I’m no legal scholar, but I would assume that the purpose of Res Judicata would be to save the courts (finite) time. Given that we are supposing an infinite number of universes, wo8d7n&#u21l;t that also presuppose an infinite number of courts, and thus an infinite amount of time to try these cases?
617 ἀνακυλίω, ἀποκυλίω [apokulio /ap·ok·oo·lee·o/] v. From 575 and 2947; GK 375 and 653; Four occurrences; AV translates as “roll away” three times, and “roll back” once. 1 to roll off or away. Additional Information: This word is used in the Gospels to refer to the stone that was in front of the tomb of Jesus. In Palestine, graves were usually in a depression and the stone was rolled down an incline to cover the mouth of the tomb. For a small grave, about twenty men were required to roll a stone down hill to cover the door of the tomb. The Bible tells us that the stone covering the door of the tomb was a large stone. The women would have needed more men than even a full Roman guard of sixteen men to roll away the stone. This was a major task. Joseph of Aramethia was a “rich man” tomb was among the rich, not ordinary people. Irresponsible reporting on your part..Tombs has a track in which the stone could be rolled. The diameter fitted with the stone to roll
Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
In the Tomb with Jesus
by MARK WARD
A tomb made of solid rock wasn’t strong enough to keep Jesus—and neither is your sin.
Somehow the centuries managed to hide this tomb at Akeldama until quite recently. But at one time the tombs here were impossible to hide; this was a burial place for elites, and elites build monuments to their names. The area you see pictured below was directly touched by people who directly touched the life of Jesus.
The tomb of Benei-Hezir on the Mount of Olives. A good example of spectacular monument tombs.
A Tomb in the Rock
It takes real human touch to carve a tomb. The countless swings of a chisel that hewed the Akeldama tomb out of solid limestone left marks which can still be seen today. And every cubit of that rock had to be hauled out of the tomb, too. This means labor, and labor means money. The elites, at least, put real money into their burials. Wealthy people such as Joseph of Arimathea—and whoever owned the Tomb of the Shroud—gave thought and attention (and cash) to their future burials.
What about the rolling stone on mount Nebo?
The tomb Jesus was in was sealed with a large boulder. The boulder was moved to allow people who have blood in them to walk into the tomb. Jesus was transformed back into the body that Jesus had before he was born, even as were are born, when Jesus was resurrected. Jesus moved through the stone.