Digitizing the Holy — 3D documentation and analysis of the architectural history of the “room of the Last Supper” — The Cenacle in Jerusalem

The Cenacle in Jerusalem is among the most important places for Christians - apart from being the room that hosted the “Last Supper” (The Easter dinner), it symbolizes the location of many events narrated in the New Testament, such as the meeting place of the Apostles, the Washing of the Feet, resurrection appearances of Jesus or the gathering of the disciples after the Ascension of Jesus. Earliest historical mentions of the building are from the 4th century AD, in the writings of the pilgrim Egeria. The structure underwent several phases of construction, destroy and restoration and shifts of religion (a synagogue, a church, and in the 16th century a mosque). Today it is a visiting place open to all. Its architectural history is very complex, as Wikipedia states: “...remains a frustrating, but intriguing, mystery...”. During April 2013, the “Room” was 3D documented by means of a laser scanner, as part of a pilot research initiated by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), in collaboration with The Cyprus Institute (CyI), aiming to optimize methodologies for documenting architectural heritage for conservation/restoration analysis, research and accurate documentation. Due to the high religious tourism value of the place, the scanning has to be done in a fast way, as accurate as possible given a very limited time limit (two hours at dawn). The aim of the 3D documentation was to record the actual phase of the building and use the 3D data for an accurate description of its architectonic components. The paper presents the documentation methodology of the building (external façade and internal space) and investigation of its architectonic components.