The Garden Tomb was discovered in 1867, and was soon identified as the burial place of Jesus, mainly because of its location in the area that had been identified as Calvary. Another factor in its favor was the recent discovery of the tombstone of the deacon Nonnus in the nearby Church of St. Stephen, which mentioned the Holy Sepulchre.
The Anglican Church committed itself to the site as the place of Jesus’ burial and “Gordon’s Tomb” became the “Garden Tomb.” The Church has since withdrawn its formal support, but the Garden Tomb continues to be identified by popular Protestant piety.
