“Upon a reexamination of the Garden Tomb in 1974 by Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay, it has been determined that this tomb contains none of the architectural hallmarks of a tomb from the time of Jesus.
“From the flat ceiling of the tomb, to the layout of the tomb and chambers itself, to the marks left by the tool used to chisel out the burial benches, to a closer look at the objects discovered in a small-scale dig in front of the tomb itself in 1904, every piece of evidence indicates the tomb was first used 700 to 800 years before Jesus.”
This is a key piece of evidence, according to Professor Meyer, because the Bible states Christ was buried in a tomb that has not been used before.
The Garden Tomb also bears striking similarities to tombs at the nearby St. Stephens Catholic Church, which have been dated to the Iron Age 2 (1000 to 586 BC).
Professor Meyer said: “The Garden Tomb was likely part of a tomb complex that stretches over into the current property owned by the Catholic Church.