Relics associated with Jesus

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks today the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a day known in Bulgaria as "Krastovden" or the Day of the Cross.

A unique discovery was made by archaeologists at the site believed to be where Jesus was buried, in Jerusalem. Remarkably, it came to light in the most paradoxical way, as it was found by construction workers who simply turned over a giant stone slab covered with graffiti that was leaning against the wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

A 51-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman have been arrested near the town of Grevena in northern Greece for possessing two ancient religious icons, each listed for sale at 3,000 euros.

The arrests were made following an investigation conducted by the Edessa police department, resulting in their apprehension on Tuesday afternoon.

It was 10:30 pm on a Friday when Arthur Brand got the delivery he was nervously expecting. His doorbell rang, and when he opened the door no one was there. Instead, a cardboard box was waiting for him at the door in the dark.

In that box he said was one of the most sacred artefacts ever stolen from the Catholic Church: the "Precious Blood of Christ" relic.

The relic is mentioned in civic documents, but until it was found “no one really believed it”

Christians in the Holy Land are marking Good Friday this year amid signs the coronavirus crisis is winding down, with religious sites open to limited numbers of faithful but none of the mass pilgrimages usually seen in the Holy Week leading up to Easter.

Israel is working with foreign governments and Orthodox Christian leaders in the Holy Land to make sure that one of their most ancient and mysterious rituals - the Holy Fire ceremony - is not extinguished by the coronavirus outbreak, officials said Friday.

As the sun beats down on the barren slopes around Jerusalem, a tree of the kind believed to have provided the crown of thorns in Biblical accounts of Jesus Christ's crucifixion stands unaffected, its fruits ample and foliage green.

A team of scientists and restorers headed by National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) Professor Antonia Moropoulou Monday completed a nine-month project for the reinforcement and restoration of the Tomb of Jesus at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The monument, which is among if not the most important in Christendom, will be opened to the public Wednesday.

IN the innermost chamber of the site said to be the tomb of Jesus, a restoration team has peeled away a marble layer for the first time in centuries in an effort to reach what it believes is the original rock surface where Jesus’ body was laid.