Tomb of Jesus Reopens to Public After $3 Million Restoration<br />The restorers removed the exterior stones from three sides of the edicule and created a special grout to "bond the masonry to the rock<br />that lies at the core of the structure," according to the World Monuments Fund.<br />It was worn down by centuries of water damage, fire, candle smoke, humidity, bird droppings, human visitors and disputes among feuding denominations, who share control of the church<br />but were previously unable to agree on plans to fix the shrine.<br />Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos said that For the first time in over two centuries, this sacred edicule has been restored,<br />By RUSSELL GOLDMANMARCH 22, 2017<br />Thousands of Christian pilgrims and members of the clergy gathered at a modest shrine in Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday to<br />celebrate the completion of a monthslong effort, hundreds of years in the making: The restoration and repair of Jesus’ tomb.<br />"This is not only a gift to our holy land, but to the whole world." The Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox<br />and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church.<br />The tomb was last restored in 1810 after a fire, but the religious custodians were compelled<br />last year to make repairs after the Israeli authorities deemed the building unsafe.
