Kevin, our guide, is preaching. The place just looks old and it is. This construction is about a thousand years old. The small TV antennas that can be spotted in this picture are the only modern additions. I'll blame Philo Farnsworth for that one. He invented modern TV.

The original Byzantine church was destroyed by the Persians in 614 A.D. Rebuilt shortly thereafter, the Egyptian caliph al-Hakim destroyed the church in 1009 and had Jesus tomb hacked down to bedrock. The Crusaders rebuilt the church and much of what is standing today is from that time period.