Museum offers 3-D tour of ‘tomb of Christ’

Museum offers 3-D tour of ‘tomb of Christ’

WASHINGTON — You can now tour the “tomb of Christ” located at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem without ever leaving the U.S., thanks to a 3-D virtual experience at the National Geographic Museum in Washington.

The 3-D exhibit, called “Tomb of Christ: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Experience,” offers a glimpse into the site that some believe to be the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid after the Crucifixion.

The church was recently renovated, and during those updates National Geographic explorer Corey Jaskolski created a 3-D record of the tomb using LIDAR scans, high-resolution photos and video, according to The Christian Post.

Also during the renovations, archaeologists found what they believe could be the original limestone bed on which Jesus’ body was laid.

“I’m absolutely amazed. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn’t expecting this,” Fredrik Hiebert of National Geographic said at the time. “We can’t say 100 percent but it appears to be visible proof that the location of the tomb has not shifted through time, something that scientists and historians have wondered for decades.”

The Washington exhibit, which allows visitors to virtually walk through the church and tomb, is open until fall 2018. (TAB)