Researchers close in on site of Jesus' Last Supper

Researchers' searches and evidence indicate that the location of Jesus Christ's "Last Supper" is approaching.

Biblical archaeologists had long ago begun their great historical search to find the room in Jerusalem where Jesus Christ had his "Last Supper" with his disciples. But since their explorations failed to yield evidence that could answer their question, researchers were forced to resort to other methods to find clues because this place holds great meaning and significance for the Christian community and archaeologists.

The event of the Last Supper, after which Jesus Christ was present with his disciples for the last time before his arrest and crucifixion and shared wine and a piece of bread with his disciples, is well known to Christians and the entire world. Therefore, archaeologists and researchers have dedicated their time to searching for this place and believe that they are closer than ever to finding it.

They are focused on an ancient two-story structure located on Mount Zion, outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City. The building, which has been claimed in the past to be both the Tomb of David and the site of the Last Supper, also has a lower level that forms the antechamber and an upper room, known as the Latin "Cenacle," or "dining room."

Many Christians also began visiting this two-story building with limestone walls and a red roof in the fourth century AD, and for some reason became convinced that the upper room, or cenacle, in this building was the place where Jesus Christ spent the Last Supper with his apostles.

According to the descriptions mentioned in the Book of Luke about this place, there are some similarities with the house on Mount Zion; however, the search to prove that the Cenakel on Mount Zion was the place where the Last Supper took place has been hampered by the ban on archaeological excavations at this cultural-historical site.

Excavations at the site could prove whether the deepest foundation of the structure actually dates back to the time of Jesus Christ. Also, despite many limitations, a 2017 analysis by religious scholar David Christian Clausen of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte found evidence linking the Cenakule to the Last Supper.

In his research, Clausen analyzed a map of Jerusalem drawn in 560 AD. The map, discovered in 1884 by Greek Orthodox Christians who were building a new church in Jordan, depicted two holy buildings at the southern end of Jerusalem, outside the walls of Jerusalem, each with a red roof. Clausen researched the map and found that the images on the map matched the location and architectural style of the ancient building, which sits atop Mount Zion and is considered a holy site.

The evidence provided strong evidence that the upper room of the building could be the site of the Last Supper, but more evidence is needed to definitively prove this hypothesis. Two recently discovered pieces of ancient art have provided some support. One of these images is a sixth-century painting found in Italy in 1846 that shows Jesus Christ riding a donkey through the southern gate of Jerusalem, with a building in the background that is thought to be an early version of the Cenacle on top of Mount Zion.

In 2019, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) began a more extensive study of the Mount Zion site, based on archaeologists’ growing interest in the possible connection between the Upper Room and the Last Supper. They used laser scanning technology and photographic imaging techniques to create a 3D model of the Cenakel. The study ignored all the updates and renovations that had been done to the building over the centuries, so no definitive information was obtained from the study. However, the method allowed IAA researchers to create a more accurate map of the ancient version of the building and reveal some interesting and hidden features from the past. These features included symbols on the ceiling that represented the Agnosdi, or “Lamb of God,” and the Lion of Judah. ​​“The lion was a symbol of King David,” Amit Reem, the IAA’s senior archaeologist for the Jerusalem region, explained in a 2019 interview with Fox News. The 3D modeling project conducted by the IAA showed that the current version of the Cenacolo was built in the 12th century by Christian crusaders. It was built on top of a 4th century Byzantine church, and features from the latter have been incorporated into the new church. The structure may have been built on top of another building that existed since the time of Jesus Christ, although the researchers said this could not be proven without traditional excavations at the site. “Whenever we have the time and opportunity, we will continue to document other parts of the sacred complex, and hopefully in the future we will have the opportunity to conduct small-scale classical archaeological research. Even if that never happens, we will continue to search for clues about the true origin of the legend that links the Cenacolo on Mount Zion to the Last Supper of Jesus,” they said.

What archaeologists have already discovered strongly suggests some kind of connection, and further library, archival, museum research, and searches in other places that hold ancient artwork and historical records could well provide more evidence to confirm this connection.