The Resurrection

The tomb in which Christ was buried and from which he resurrected three days later is at the heart of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This monumental relief depicts the defining moment for Christians: Jesus triumphantly emerging from his tomb, as the Roman soldiers guarding it sleep. The tomb at the Holy Sepulcher is a very small space, smaller than this room. This relief may have been intended to be placed inside the tomb, as its size almost matches one of the walls of the structure. However, this would have been impossible because of the very small door into the tomb. The anonymous Neapolitan sculptor who created this relief may have based it on designs by the Italian painter Francesco Solimena (1657–1747).

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