Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Holy Sepulcher

Holy Sepulcher

1 9.9
The tomb where Christians believe Jesus was placed after his crucifixion and before his resurrection
  • proper noun
  • /ˈhoʊli ˈsɛpəlkər/
translation icon : Santo Sepulcro
  • The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is built on the site of the Roman Temple of Aphrodite.
  • Church of the Holy Sepulcher
  • Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem

Examples

  • It was the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus apparently rose from the dead.

  • The Holy Sepulchre is yet another sacred site discovered by Empress Helena.

    Academic text (2004)

  • In Jerusalem, for example, this can be seen in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Not long after the year 1300, Fra Giacomo returned from Jerusalem, from a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulcher of Jesus Christ.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Anselme modeled his memorial chapel in Bruges on Christ's tomb at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, of which Saint Francis was considered to be the caretaker.

    Academic text (2002)

  • On his trip to Jerusalem, he plans to visit the Holy Sepulcher, the site of Jesus's burial.

  • Many Christians believe that the Holy Sepulcher marks the location where Jesus was laid to rest.

  • Tourists flock to the Holy Sepulcher every year to pay their respects at the tomb of Christ.

Synonyms

burial chamber
vsHoly Sepulcher
4 6.3

A room under the ground that holds a dead body

is the unique tomb tied to Christ rather than a general interment space
anastasis
vsHoly Sepulcher
9.9

A church in Jerusalem that holds the site of Christ's tomb

is the specific tomb where the body was laid after crucifixion

Surface Forms

Holy Sepulcher main
Holy Sepulchre main

Morphology

holy + sepulcher

The meaning 'the sacred tomb of Jesus' is directly and transparently composed from 'holy' (sacred) + 'sepulcher' (burial chamber), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer 'holy sepulcher' = 'sacred tomb'. The construction is compositional and has clear cross-linguistic parallels (e.g., Spanish Santo Sepulcro), so it is predictable rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Holy Sepulcher links holy and sepulcher, meaning the 'tomb'. It refers to the very holy burial place where Christians believe Jesus was laid and then rose, so today the name is used for that tomb and the church built over it.