Archaeologists working on the expansion of The Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem may have uncovered the very spot where Jesus was trialed in front of Pontius Pilate.
Archaeologists were stripping away layers of the floor found in an abandoned prison right next to the tower, the Washington Post reported. While many experts including theologians could not say with absolute certainty that discovered was the site of the crucial trial, the location is likely where Jesus' spent His last few hours before His death.
"There is, of course, no inscription stating it happened here, but everything – archaeological, historical and gospel accounts – all falls into place and makes sense," University of North Carolina archaeology professor Shimon Gibson said.
Gibson noted that the trial possibly happened within Herod's residence where the abandoned prison and the Tower of David are to be found.
According to the Gospel of John, the proposed location for the trial fits a description in the Gospels. The Book of John states that the trial occurred on The Pavement, or Gab'batha in Hebrew (John 19:13). The Book of Mark (15:16) further adds that Jesus was taken inside the palace.
This archaeological find occurred over 10 years ago but the location has only been recently opened for public viewing. Millions of religious pilgrims travel to this location annually, the majority of whom walk what's called the "Stations of the Cross" or Via Dolorosa in Latin.
The Tower of David is not included in the walk but employees at the museum hope it will be part of the pilgrimage soon. Either way, the Via Dolorosa will continue to be a very important pilgrimage for Christians from all corners of the globe.
Yisca Harani, an expert on Christianity and pilgrimage to the Holy Land, said, "For those Christians who care about accuracy in regards to historical facts, this is very forceful. For others, however, those who come for the general mental exercise of being in Jerusalem, they don't care as long as [their journey] ends in Golgotha — the site of the Crucifixion."