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Over the centuries various alternate sites have been suggested. In 1730 Korte of Altona
suggested one west of the Jaffa Gate; and in 1812 one south of the Zion Gate was suggested by
Clarke, and one east of St. Stephen's Gate by Dr. Barclay. However, these sites are wanting for
hard evidence proving their authenticity; and the sites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and
Jeremiah's Grotto are the only two receiving any consideration today -- until now, that is!

Jeremiah's Grotto and the Garden Tomb

The hill at Jeremiah's Grotto, alongside the present-day bus station, was suggested by Otto
Thenius in 1849. This theory, with the addition of the Garden Tomb nearby, had many supporters,
including the scholarly General Gordon of Khartoum fame.

Known as Gordon's Calvary, this hill was successfully promoted by the British general in
1882; but what about all the centuries before? Does the exposure of this hill, as we know it today,
even reach back to the time of Christ? Rocky hills or bluffs are quite common to the whole area
around Jerusalem. It is not as though this hill has been identified as Calvary for centuries!

It must be admitted that no site lends itself better to a spectacular reconstruction of the last
hours of Christ. The hill itself has natural caves that give the appearance of eyes; and below the
rock wall recently built by the Arabs, another set of gaping holes, representing a nose and mouth,
are apparent. Hence "Golgotha" or the "Place of the Skull." The Garden Tomb, immediately to the
left, adds credence to this being the actual site of our Savior's death.

However, there are some problems! If the skull-like appearance of Jeremiah's Grotto had
these same features back in the early centuries after the crucifixion, why is there no mention of it in
the literature of the time? It seems strange that Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, was not
directed to this spot when she was seeking the site of Christ's death to build her Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. A hill with features such as this would have STOOD OUT as clearly being Golgotha,
or "the Place of the Skull." (John 19:17). Instead the local Jews directed Helena to a site just west
of the Second Wall and north of the Garden Gate. It turns out that the features that were so evident
in this hill by the Damascus Gate during Otto Thenius' time WERE NOT THERE during the time of
Christ! In fact, evidence shows the caves were not there as late as 1610 A.D.

During this particular year a European traveller, by the name of Sandy, drew a picture of
Jerusalem featuring some of the geographical landmarks in and around the Holy City. This draw-
ing, which is still extant, shows the hill just outside the Damascus Gate as having NO FEATURES
or caves representing the human skull. Evidently, erosion SINCE 1610 has created these unique
features which led to Thenius' choice. Even in the last twenty or so years the skull-like features of
Jeremiah's Grotto have eroded to such an extent that they are hardly recognizable anymore!

According to Harper's Bible Dictionary "there is little to substantiate the view of those
who accept the skull-like hillock called 'Gordon's Calvary,' with its eye-socketed caves recog-
nized in 1849 by Otto Thenius." (P. 87).

"O.K.," you might ask, "what about the Garden Tomb close by the Grotto? Surely that's
authentic!" Unfortunately, research in the last twenty years has revealed this tomb, along with

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