The Truth About Why This Ladder Can Never Be Moved from This Spot

Stacie Marshall

GodTube Author

May 15, 2018

The Truth About Why This Ladder Can Never Be Moved from This Spot

There is an Immovable ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and nobody knows how long it's been there. But it can never be moved! The reason for the bizarre rule about the ladder and its seemingly odd placement outside a window is very complicated, and it goes back many, many years. Below, you can see old drawings and photos where the ladder is visible even back then! credit: YouTube The ladder itself serves no purpose. There's no practical reason why the ladder must be there. But its presence outside that window helps keep the peace in a region known for unrest. The church where the ladder is found is called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church is said to house two things that are very important to many different religious groups, and none of them can agree on who the church belongs to. So the ownership, and maintenance of the church, is undetermined. According to various accounts dating all the way back to the fourth century, the church houses the two holiest sites in Christianity--Calvary, the site where Jesus was crucified, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he was buried and resurrected. In order to keep peace among the different religious groups, they have essentially agreed to a stalemate. Basically, they have all promised that none of them will touch or move anything in the church. And this bizarrely includes the random purposeless ladder outside the window of the church!

The "Immovable" Ladder of the Holy Sepulchre – ordered by Pope Paul VI to remain in place until the Catholic & Orthodox Church reach a state of ecumenism. pic.twitter.com/XajLhGfOCA
— Byzantine Ambassador (@byzantinepower) April 17, 2018

Physically, there is nothing preventing the ladder from being moved. In fact, one time a prankster came and stole the ladder! (You can see it in the video below.) In the end, the thief felt very guilty and secretly returned the ladder to its spot. To this day, visitors to Jerusalem today can see the church and the ladder outside the church's window!

WATCH: Truth about Immovable Ladder on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

YOU MAY LIKE: People Said Terrible Things About This Woman, But The Truth About Her Would Have Silenced Them All

@RealLifeLore1 So in the video of the immovable ladder you show many pictures of it. But one older picture, probably from around 1890's, was of a different ladder, which resembles more those of the old illustrations. Could it be that a new ladder was put in place in early 1900's? pic.twitter.com/b50ryY4nQj
— Jakob Fannar Stefánsson (@JakobStefans) May 6, 2018

h/t: mentalfloss

Most Recent Blog

She Earned Her Degree, Then Gave Her Dad a Second Chance at Life

1 day ago

They Were Told Their Pup Had Been Hit By a Car, 4 Years Later They Found Her Alive

1 day ago

New York Soccer Coach Collapses On the Field, Parents Jump in to Save Him

2 days ago

Community Gathers to Remember 12-Year-Old Girl Who Died in a Scooter Accident

6 days ago

After Surviving Family Tragedies, Stroke, and Coma, Teen Walks in Her Graduation Ceremony

6 days ago

Civilian Stops to Save Woman in a Burning Car, 'It Could Have Been My Mom'

7 days ago

They Adopted a Baby Boy, Then Extended Extraordinary Grace to His Birth Mother

7 days ago

Cancer Survivor Shocks Everyone With His 4th Lottery Win

8 days ago

Brian Wilson, Co-Founder of the Beach Boys, Passes Away at 82

8 days ago

Vietnam Vet Passes Away, His Mailman Rushes to Adopt His Dog

12 days ago

4-Year-Old Called a Hero After Teacher Collapses at Daycare, and She Knows Exactly What to Do

13 days ago

After 100-Mile Journey, Including a Swim, Missing Golden Retriever Mix is Finally Back Home

13 days ago

Life Delayed Her Dream, But Didn’t Deny it. At 88, She Became a Graduate, and Witness to God’s Timing

14 days ago

Gary Sinise Opens Up About His Son’s Death and the Gift of Grandfatherhood

14 days ago

Young Girl is Saved by Good Samaritan After Falling 15 Feet Into a Waterfall

15 days ago

More Blog

Today's Devotional

A Prayer to Celebrate Marriages - Your Daily Prayer - June 25

In a culture obsessed with spectacle, God calls us back to the sacred beauty of marriage—a covenant reflecting Christ and His Church.

Read Today's Devotional

Past Stories

June 2025

May 2025

April 2025

Top Artists

Oak Ridge Boys

Chris Tomlin

Mac Powell

We The Kingdom

Jeremy Camp

toby mac

Christian Podcasts

So Much More: Scripture Meditation (Lectio Divina)

The Crosswalk Devotional: A Daily Devotional Christian Podcast

Blog

At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.