Yahoo has a photo that shows the alleged sarcophagus of Paul underneath the altar. Something we didn’t see before:
Filippi said the decision to unearth the sarcophagus was made after pilgrims who came to Rome during the Roman Catholic Church’s 2000 Jubilee year expressed disappointment at finding that the saint’s tomb — buried under layers of plaster and further hidden by an iron grate — could not be visited or touched.
All we need now are some pilgrims who want to see inside the sarcophagus and our questions will be answered.
In Jerusalem, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch and others are unhappy with the delay in building a new bridge for non-Muslim access to the Temple Mount. The pile of earth likely is not very important archaeologically, but Muslims claim its removal will damage the Al Aqsa Mosque.
The rabbis want the temporary bridge removed because it is cutting into the women’s prayer area at
the Western Wall.
The removal of the earthen embankment will not only allow more of the Western Wall to be seen, but the large lintel stone of Barclay’s Gate will be visible in its entirety for the first time in modern history. This is the second of four monumental entrances to the Temple Mount on the western side.
We’ve commented on the ramp before here and here, and the sarcophagus here. These posts have photos.