Christ's tomb in Jerusalem opened for first time in over 450 years

The tomb believed to have housed the body of Jesus Christ for three days has been opened for the first time in more than 450 years.

There has been a lot of debate about whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre really was the site where Jesus was said to have been buried and resurrected.

The marble lid of the tomb, which is kept inside the church, has been sealed shut since 1555 – but now it has been removed, according to the Mirror.

Beneath the lid, researchers found the limestone shelf where it is believed that Christ’s body was laid down.

Another grey marble slab engraved with a cross, which no one previously knew existed, has been unearthed. Experts have dated the carving to the 12th century.

Fredik Hiebert, an archaeologist with the National Geographic, said the discovery of the second marble layer was ‘amazing’.

‘The shrine has been destroyed many times by fire, earthquakes and invasions over the centuries,’ he said. ‘We didn’t really know if they had built it in exactly the same place every time.

‘But this seems to be visible proof that the spot the pilgrims worship today really is the same tomb the Roman Emperor Constantine found in the 4th century adn the Crusaders revered. It’s amazing.

‘When we realised what we had found my knees were shaking a little bit.’