Researchers Closer to Lost Site of Jesus’ Last Supper

One of the great historical quests of biblical archaeology has been the search for the Jerusalem room where Jesus shared his Last Supper with the apostles. Since traditional archaeological excavations have produced no useful evidence that could clarify this question, scholars have been forced to resort to other means to find clues that might help them find this legendary room, which has so much meaning for the Christian community as a whole (and for ancient historians in general).

Although the exact location of the Room of the Last Supper remains unknown, archaeologists dedicated to the search believe they are closer than ever to finding it. Their research focuses on an ancient two-story structure that sits on Mount Zion, just outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. The building has long been thought to be the site of the tomb of the biblical King David and the place where the Last Supper was served, with the lower story covering the first and the upper room (known as the Cenacle, or “dining room” in ancient Latin) associated with the second.

The Upper Room in Jerusalem, which is said to have been the site of the Last Supper and Pentecost. (See The Holy Land/CC BY-SA 2.0)

In Search of the Last Supper: The Work Tells the Story

The story of the Last Supper, where Jesus shared bread with his apostles one last time before being arrested and crucified, is well known even to casual Christians.

During the fourth century A.D., Christians began visiting the two-story house on Mount Zion with its limestone walls and sloping red roof, convinced for unknown reasons that the upper room or upper room was actually where the Last Supper had taken place.

Interestingly, several works of art from the same period, or perhaps an earlier period, also depicted the Last Supper shared by Jesus and his closest disciples in this room.

At one time, the Upper Room was used as a large prayer room and could accommodate up to 120 worshipers. In Luke 22:11-13, Jesus requested a room matching this description for his Passover meal with the apostles, which probably explains how the house on Mount Zion came to be identified with the Last Supper.

But the search for evidence that the Upper Room on Mount Zion was indeed the site of the Last Supper is complicated by the fact that archaeological excavations are prohibited at this culturally and historically sensitive site. Such excavations could prove whether the deepest foundations of the structure (it has been renovated or rebuilt several times over the centuries) actually date back to the time of Jesus.

Despite this limitation on the research that can be done, a 2017 analysis by religious scholar David Christian Clausen of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte produced evidence linking the Upper Room to the Last Supper.

The masonry of the eastern wall of the Upper Room testifies to its “layered” history, from the Second Temple period through the Byzantine and Crusader periods to the Ottoman period. The Dormition Abbey is visible on the right. (David C. Clausen/Biblical Archaeology)

In his study, he analyzed a map of Jerusalem created in 560 A.D. Discovered in 1884 by Greek Orthodox Christians building a new church in Jordan, the map depicted two sacred structures on the southern edge of Jerusalem, outside the city walls, each with a red roof. Clausen noted that the depictions on the map matched the location and architectural style of the ancient two-story building that now stands atop Mount Zion, suggesting that the original version of the current structure was built long ago and identified as a holy site (as it would have been if the Last Supper had been served there).

These elements constituted strong circumstantial evidence suggesting that the upper room could be the room of the Last Supper. But it was obviously not enough to prove this hypothesis conclusively. However, two recently reexamined ancient works of art provide additional evidence to support this claim.

One such image is a sixth-century drawing discovered in Italy in 1846, which shows Jesus riding through the southern gates of Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. In the background is a building that has been identified as an ancient version of the Upper Room, perched atop Mount Zion. The story behind this drawing is found in the Bible’s book of Matthew, which recounts Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem (the city of Zion) on the back of a donkey that fulfilled an earlier prophecy.

The 6th-century Madaba mosaic appears to show the structure in the right corner of the map, next to Hagia Sion.Biblical Archaeology)

The second work of art reexamined is a fourth-century sculpture, discovered in 1585, which depicts Jesus with Mary Magdalene after his crucifixion and resurrection. Once again, the Upper Room can be seen in the background, identifiable by its location and its sloping red roof. In the Book of John, Jesus is said to have returned to the room where he had celebrated the Last Supper shortly after his resurrection, which explains the presence of the Upper Room in this sculpture.

An old site, but how old? The answer is getting closer

In 2019, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) launched a more in-depth investigation of the Mount Zion site, due to growing interest among archaeologists in the possible connection between the Upper Room and the Last Supper. They used laser scanning technology and photographic imaging techniques to create a three-dimensional model of the Upper Room, but with all the updates and renovations that have been made to it over the centuries.

The study did not allow for any definitive conclusions. But the procedure allowed IAA researchers to create a more detailed map of the building’s ancient version, which revealed interesting and previously hidden features. Among them were symbols on the ceiling that represented the Agnus Dei, or “Lamb of God,” and the Lion of Judah.

“The lion was the symbol of King David,” IAA chief archaeologist for the Jerusalem district, Amit Re’em, explained in a 2019 interview with Fox News.

The IAA’s 3D modelling project showed that the current version of the Cenacle was built in the 12th century by Christian crusaders, but that it was built over a 4th-century Byzantine church, elements of which were incorporated into the new structure. This building may have been built over another building that had existed since the time of Jesus, but without more traditional excavations to explore the site, this cannot be proven.

“From time to time, when we have the opportunity, we continue to document other parts of the sacred complex,” Re’em said. “I hope that, perhaps, in the future we will have the opportunity to conduct a small-scale classical archaeological investigation.”

Even if that never happens, researchers will continue to search for clues to the true origins of the legend linking the Upper Room on Mount Zion to Jesus’ Last Supper. What they have already discovered strongly suggests a connection, and further research in libraries, archives, museums, and other places where ancient art and historical documents are preserved may well produce more evidence to verify the connection.

Top image: Vienna – Copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper mosaic. Source: Renata Sedmakova/Adobe Stock

By Nathan Falde