Graffiti Reveals Crusaders’ Beautiful Altar In The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - A significant archaeological discovery has been made in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. A team of researchers has accidentally uncovered what is now recognized as the largest known medieval altar.

The front panel of the Crusader High Altar as it appears today. About two-thirds of the original stone panel remains. The altar was decorated with two figures called quincunx. With five circles formed by a single intertwined band, the quincunx is one of the most popular motifs of Cosmatesque masters. This figure is full of spiritual meaning, including the infinity of God's creation. The circles symbolize the five wounds of Christ and allude to the Jerusalem Cross - the coat of arms of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Photographer: Shai Halevi. © Israel Antiquities Authority

The 1149 Crusader high altar's artistry reveals an unexpected link between Rome and the Christian Kingdom of Jerusalem.

This remarkable artifact had been considered lost for several decades before its rediscovery. The find represents a notable contribution to the field of medieval studies and religious history.

On July 15, 1149, Jerusalem celebrated the 50th anniversary of its conquest by European crusaders, who had established the Kingdom of Jerusalem after centuries of Muslim rule. This milestone aimed to strengthen the young kingdom.

The renewed consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a major Christian shrine, was the main event. Inside the newly expanded Romanesque-style church, a new high altar was unveiled as the centerpiece.

Ilya Berkovich, historian at the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Habsburg Monarchy and Balkans Research, reports on 16th-18th century pilgrimage accounts describing a grand marble altar in Jerusalem. Berkovich co-authored a recent study on this historical artwork.

The back of the altarpiece. Photographer Amit Re'em. © Israel Antiquities Authority

However, the altar's impressive impact over centuries abruptly faded from public memory.

Dr. Berkovich explained that "a large fire occurred in 1808, affecting the Romanesque section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Consequently, it was widely believed that the Crusader altar had been absent from that time forward - an assumption that persisted for a considerable duration."

Recently, District archaeologist Amit Re'em and historian Ilya Berkovich made a sensational discovery in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: A neglected stone slab weighing tons leaned against a wall in a public church corridor. Tourists had covered its front with graffiti.

The slab was inverted during the construction works, revealing its previously concealed artistic legacy of considerable antiquity. The exposed surface, adorned with bow ornamentation, was promptly recognized as the once-beautiful facade of a medieval Crusader altar.

This discovery is not just a mere finding, but a significant one that illuminates the historical and cultural context of the region during the Crusader period.

This discovery is remarkable for historians. The slab remained hidden for years in the heavily studied Church of the Holy Sepulchre, despite being visible to thousands of daily visitors.

Preliminary digital reconstruction of the Crusader High Altar. Design Roy Elbag. © Ilya Berkovich/Amit Re'em

"The fact that something so important could lie undetected in this place for so long was completely unexpected for everyone involved," Berkovich confirmed.

The discovery offers new insights into the medieval high altar. Its unique decorations point to the Cosmatesque technique, a specialized marble decoration method practiced exclusively by guild masters in papal Rome and passed down through generations. The technique involved decorating large areas with minimal precious marble, mainly salvaged from ancient Roman buildings. Masters precisely assembled small marble fragments on stone supports, creating intricate geometric patterns and ornaments.

The art was highly valued by its masters and the Pope. Few Cosmatesque works exist outside Rome, with only one known outside Italy: in Westminster Abbey, sent by the Pope himself.

The newly discovered Cosmatesque altar in Jerusalem likely involved papal influence. By sending a Cosmatesque master to create the Crusader altar, the Pope emphasized Christianity's claim to the city. Berkovich notes, "This honored the holiest church in Christendom."

The rediscovered high altar evidences a previously unknown Rome-Jerusalem connection, which is significant for European art history.

"With an original width of more than 3.5 meters, we have discovered the largest medieval altar currently known," said Berkovich.

The researcher hopes that further research in the papal archives can reveal further details about the history of the altar's creation - possibly even the identity of the Cosmatesque Master who created the work of art.

Paper:

Ilya Berkovich, Amit Re'em: Broken, Hidden, Rediscovered: the Story of the Cosmatesque High Altar of the Holy Sepulcher, Eretz-Israel , Volume 35, 2024.

Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer