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The Holy Sepulcher

The Traveler from Placentia toured the entire Holy Land
Worshippers inside the tomb, by L. Mayer

From Hagia Zion the Traveler went to the basilica of Saint Mary (the Nea Church, built by Justinian), where he found a large community of monks, hostels for men and women pilgrims, countless dining tables, and more than three thousand beds for the sick. The Traveler from Placentia prayed at the Praetorium, where the Lord was judged and where a basilica to Saint Sophia had been built. In the basilica he saw the seat on which Pilate sat when he judged the Lord, as well as the square stone in the middle of the Praetorium that the accused would stand on so that the people could see and hear him. The Lord had stood on the square stone to be judged both inside Constantine's basilica along with the tomb, were fifty steps. In the basilica was a cubicle containing the wood of the cross and the sign the Romans hung above Jesus' head:
"Jesus Christ King of the Jews." The cross, he notes, was made of walnut wood. When it was removed from the cubicle to the chapel for worship, a star would appear in the sky and move over to the spot where the cross was placed. According to the Traveler, when the cross was being worshipped, the star stood precisely overhead. Oil for blessing was
brought in small flasks. The moment the wood of the cross touched the opening of a small flask, the oil bubbled and shot out, and if the vial wasn't closed, all of the oil immediately spilled out. As the cross was returned to its place, the star also moved back to its place, and by the time the cross was secured in the cubicle, the star had vanished.
In the tomb were also the sponge and the stick read about in the Gospel, the onyx goblet with which Jesus made a blessing at the Last Supper, Mary's belt and scarf, and many other miraculous artifacts: a figure of the blessed Mary rose on high. The seven marble seats of the elders were also kept there.