Cracks of Calvary Open site page in a new tab

In his catalog entry for the 33 AD Earthquake (identified as the Jerusalem Quake), Ambraseys (2009) reviews the traditions surrounding the Cracks of Calvary within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Although later legend attributes these fissures to the earthquake(s) associated with the Crucifixion of Jesus, no study has yet succeeded in dating the formation of the cracks or in confirming—or ruling out—a seismic cause. The topic is therefore intriguing but ultimately inconclusive.

By Jefferson Williams