In the Footprints of Jesus, a Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands

Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 1
Map of the Old City of Jerusalem ...................................................................................................... 3
Grotto of the Nativity ............................................................................................................................ 4
Milk Grotto ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Pool of Bethesda ................................................................................................................................ 11
Ecce Homo .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Via Dolorosa........................................................................................................................................ 15
Church of the Holy Sepulchre .......................................................................................................... 24
Church of St Mary Magdelene ......................................................................................................... 31
Cenacle ................................................................................................................................................ 33
Church of the Dormition .................................................................................................................... 35
Church of St Peter in Gallicantu ....................................................................................................... 38
Mount of Olives ................................................................................................................................... 41
Church of the Ascension ................................................................................................................... 44
Church of Dominus Flevit .................................................................................................................. 46
Gethsemane........................................................................................................................................ 49
Church of All Nations ......................................................................................................................... 51
Ein Karem ............................................................................................................................................ 54
Western Wall ....................................................................................................................................... 58
Bethany ................................................................................................................................................ 60
Mount of Temptation .......................................................................................................................... 62
Jericho.................................................................................................................................................. 64
Dead Sea ............................................................................................................................................. 67
Church of the Annunciation .............................................................................................................. 69
Church of St Joseph .......................................................................................................................... 73
Cana ..................................................................................................................................................... 76
Mount of Beatitudes ........................................................................................................................... 80
Tabgha ................................................................................................................................................. 83
Sea of Galilee ..................................................................................................................................... 86
Capernaum.......................................................................................................................................... 89
Mount Tabor ........................................................................................................................................ 91
Introduction
Between the 17th May and 24th May 2017, a group of 16 of us pilgrims led by Father Dylan James,
organized by All Saints Travel and guided by Sam, journeyed on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The following is basically the itinerary we followed together with a commentary and pictures of the
shrines we visited.
The commentaries and pictures which follow are based the web page seetheholyland.net and cover
the places we visited in accordance with the itinerary we followed.
Following is the itinerary of the shrines we visited, followed by a commentary and pictures of the
shrines:
DAILY ITINERARY 17 - 24 May 2017
LED BY: Fr. Dylan James of Saint Antony’s Parish, West Moors Dorset in the Diocese of Plymouth
Day 1, UK/Bethlehem, 17th May
Depart London Luton on flight to Tel Aviv. Everyone meets at the airport. Upon arrival at
Tel Aviv airport, your guide and coach will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel in
Bethlehem. Evening dinner at the hotel.
Day 2,
Bethlehem/Shepherd's Field, 18th May
A morning walk to Manger Square, only a short distance from our Hotel. We celebrate Mass
in St Joseph's Grotto, the Franciscan Church of the Nativity. Then we visit the Grotto of the
Nativity where Jesus was born, followed by a short walk to the Milk Grotto and the Museum
of the Miracles. Lunch nearby. In the afternoon, we travel by coach to the Shepherds' Field,
visiting the grottos there and the Chapel above. This is where the angels first sang the 'Glor ia
in Excelcis Deo' on the night of the first Christmas. We will have a chance to do some
shopping before we return to our hotel for our evening dinner.
Day 3, Jerusalem, 19th May
Early departure to Jerusalem and the Old City via the Lions' Gate. We walk to St Anne's
Church where Our Lady was born and the Pool of Bethesda. Proceed to the Church of Ecce
Homo, built on the site of the Palace of Pilate then begin the Stations of the Cross along via
Dolorosa following the route Our Lord walked on the first Goo d Friday and ending at the
Holy Sepulchre Basilica (the holiest place on earth). We celebrate Mass in the Chapel of
Apparition. Afterwards we visit Mt Calvary, the Holy Tomb of Jesus, St Mary Magdalene's
Shrine and the Grotto of the True Cross. We then wal k to the Chapel of the Upper Room
(Benediction here if possible). Move on to visit the magnificent Dormition Abbey where Our
Lady was assumed to heaven. Walk to St Peter's in Gallicantu - a truly incredible Shrine —
in which we descend the dungeon where Jesus was imprisoned after His mock trial on
Maundy Thursday night. Return to our hotel in Bethlehem for evening dinner.
Day 4, Jerusalem/Eln Karem, 20th May
Coach to the Mt or Olives in Jerusalem. Visit the Ascension Dome, Pater Noster Grotto
where Jesus taught His Prayer Cur Father. We then walk to Dominus Flevit where Jesus
wept over Jerusalem. We celebrate Mass here and afterwards proceed to Gethsemane
Garden and the beautiful Church of All Nations. We will also visit the Assumption Church
before taking our coach to Ein Karem. Here we tour the Visitation Shrine of Our Lady and
the Birthplace of St John the Baptist. We will take our coach back Gethsemane for Holy
Hour of Eucharistic Adoration around the Rock of the Agony inside the Basilica. This is the
exact place Jesus underwent His Agony. Return to our hotel in Bethlehem for evening
dinner.
Day 5, Jerusalem/Bethany/Dead Sea, 21st May

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Drive to Jerusalem and visit Western Wall (also popularly known as the Wailing Wall) which
is part of the remaining wall around the temple that was destroyed in AD70. We proceed to
Bethany and visit St Lazarus's Church - the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Celebrate
Mass here. Proceed toJericho where we view the Mt of Temptation and Zacchaeus's
Sycamore Tree. We have lunch in Qumran and afterwards proceed to the Dead Sea and
experience the floating in the sea. The minerals in its water are said to have rejuvenating
properties. Return to our hotel in Bethlehem for evening dinner.
Day 6, Nazareth/Cana, 22 nd May
We say good bye to Bethlehem and drive, along the Jordan Valley toward Nazareth and on
to the Annunciation Basilica (a magnificent Basilica that dominates the skyline of Nazareth).
We visit the Grotto where the Annunciation took place and St Joseph's Grott o. We celebrate
Mass here then walk across the road to visit the Synagogue of Jesus and Mary's Well. In
the afternoon, we will take our coach to Cana for the renewal of Marriage Vows. Check in
to our hotel in Nazareth for evening dinner. We are staying her e for the remaining 2 nights.
Day 7, Tiberias/River Jordan Tabgha, 23 rd May
Drive to the River Jordan for the renewal of Baptismal Vows. Proceed to Mt of Beatitudes
where the Sermon on the Mount took place, on to St Peter's Primacy where Christ appeared
to the Apostles after His Resurrection and celebrate Mass here. Proceed to the Church of
the Feeding of the 5,000. We will have lunch nearby along the shore before enjoying a boat
ride on the Sea of Galilee (one of the highlights of your pilgrimage). Proceed to Capernaum
- the town of Jesus — visiting St Peter's Church and viewing the remains of the ancient
Synagogue in which Jesus used to teach. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 8, Mt Tabor/UK, 24th May
We go up to the summit of Mt Tabor in pre -paid mini-vans, touring the Church of
Transfiguration and enjoying the magnificent panoramic view. We celebrate Mass here n
this beautiful Basilica. Lunch in a nearby restaurant before travelling to the airport for our
'flight back to London Luton.

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Map of the Old City of Jerusalem

3
Grotto of the Nativity
West Bank

To come close to our Lord through

the pages of the Holy Gospel, I
always recommend you to try and
get inside each scene and take
part in it like another of the people
there.” (Friends of God, 222)
Recently Benedict XVI recalled
how the Holy Land has sometimes
been called “the fifth Gospel”.
Because Jesus was born at a
definite time and in a real place, in
a strip of land at the edge of the
Roman Empire. In that land our
Lord lived and died for all men.
It has been calculated that
Bethlehem was founded by the
Canaanites around the year 3000
BC. It is mentioned in some letters
sent by the Egyptian governor of
Palestine to the Pharaoh in about
1350 BC. Later it was conquered
by the Philistines. In Sacred
Scripture, the first mention of
Bethlehem (which at that time was
also called Ephrath, “the fertile”)
comes in the Book of Genesis,
when it tells of the death and burial
of Rachel, the second wife of the
Patriarch Jacob. “Rachel died, and
she was buried on the way to
Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” (Gen
35:19)
Later on, when the land was
divided up among the tribes of the Chosen People, Bethlehem was allotted to Judah, and was the
birthplace of David, the shepherd-boy, the youngest son of a large family, who was chosen by God
to be Israel’s second king. From then on, Bethlehem was linked to David’s dynasty, and the prophet
Micah foretold that there, in that little town, the Messiah would be born
But it is St Matthew’s Gospel that explicitly quotes the prophecy of Micah, when Herod gathers the
priests and scribes to ask them where the Messiah was to be born. In Bethlehem of Judea; for so
it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means the least
among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.’(Mt
2:5-6)

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 Far from the Christmas-card
image, the place of Christ’s
birth is a dimly-lit rock cave.
Instead of a star above, a 14-
point silver star on the marble
floor of the Grotto of the
Nativity bears the words “Hic
de Virgine Maria Jesus
Christus natus est” (Here
Jesus Christ was born to the
Virgin Mary).
Entry is from Bethlehem’s
Church of the Nativity. Steps to
the right of the iconostasis (the
carved screen standing in front
of the main altar) lead down to
the subterranean cave.

Grotto of the Nativity (Darko Tepert)

Rectangular in shape, the cave measures about 12 metres by 3 metres. Like the church above, it
is in the possession of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The rough rock of the first Christmas has given way to marble facings and, in the words of biblical
scholar E. M. Blaiklock, the cave is “hung and cluttered with all the tinsel of men’s devotions”.
On feast days, the cave is lit by 48 hanging lamps. Following a serious fire in 1869, three of the
walls are protected by heavy leather drapes backed with asbestos.
Manger covered with marble
At a slightly lower level is the Grotto of
the Manger. The rock shelf has been
covered with marble, but the original
rock may be seen around the manger.
The dimensions match those of
feeding troughs cut into the rock by
Bedouins.
When the original church was built in
the 4th century, the Grotto of the
Nativity was enlarged to make room
for pilgrims and at that time a silver
manger was installed.
St Jerome, whose own cave was
nearby, did not approve: “If I could
only see that manger in which the
Lord lay! Now, as if to honour the
Grotto of the Manger (Seetheholyland.net)

Christ, we have removed the poor one and placed there a silver one; however, for me the one
which was removed is more precious . . . .”

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 A small altar in the Grotto of the Manger is dedicated
to the Adoration of the Magi, the Three Wise Men
described in Matthew’s Gospel as coming from the
East (probably Persia) to worship the newborn
Jesus. This is where the Catholics celebrate Mass

Stone trough from the 9th century before Jesus was born, found at
Megiddo (Seetheholyland.net)

Milk Grotto
West Bank
Inside the Milk Grotto church (© Custodia Terrae
Sanctae)
A short distance south of the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem is a shrine called the Milk Grotto, on a street
of the same name.
An irregular grotto hollowed out of soft white rock, the site
is sacred to Christian and Muslim pilgrims alike. It is
especially frequented by new mothers and women who
are trying to conceive.
By mixing the soft white chalk with their food, and praying
to Our Lady of the Milk, they believe it will increase the
quantity of their milk or enable them to become pregnant.
Rows of framed letters and baby pictures sent from
around the world to the Milk Grotto testify to the
effectiveness of the “milk powder” and prayer. (The
powder is available only at the shrine; it may not be
ordered from overseas.)

Spilt milk turned stone white, tradition says

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According to tradition, while Mary and Joseph were fleeing Herod’s soldiers on their way to Egypt, they
stopped in this cave while Mary nursed the baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell upon the stone and
it turned white.
The grotto has been a site of veneration since the 4th century,
the first structure being built over it around AD 385.
From as early as the 7th century, fragments from the cave
were sent to churches in Europe. The site was recognised by
a proclamation of Pope Gregory XI in 1375.
The Franciscans erected a church around the Milk Grotto in
1872. The people of Bethlehem and local artisans expressed
their love for the site by decorating the shrine with mother-of-
pearl carvings.
In 2007 a modern chapel dedicated to the Mother of God was
opened. It is connected to the Milk Grotto church by a tunnel,
which enabled the addition of a further chapel in the
basement.

Milk Grotto church (Seetheholyland.net)

The Shepherds Fields

West Bank
Caves where shepherds “kept
watch over their flock” still abound
in the area east of Bethlehem.
Here, the Gospel of Luke tells us,
an angel announced the birth of
Jesus.
The angel’s good news was not
given to the noble or pious, but to
workers with a low reputation.
Jewish literature ranked
“shepherd” as among the most
despised occupations of the time
but Christ was to identify himself
with this occupation when he called
himself “the Good Shepherd” (John
10:11).
Shepherd and sheep near Bethlehem (©
Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

The traditional place of the angel’s visit is the town of Beit Sahur. Originally known as the Village of
the Shepherds, it is now an eastern suburb of Bethlehem.
The tradition connected with the Shepherds’ Field is complicated by the fact that archaeologists have
identified more than one possible site.

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Three possible locations
In the eastern part of Beit Sahur is a red-domed Greek
Orthodox church at a site known as Kaniset el-Ruat (Church
of the Shepherds). This site is identified with the biblical Tower
of Edar (Tower of the Flock) where Jacob settled after his wife
Rachel died. Eusebius (AD 265-340) says the tower, 1000
paces from Bethlehem, marked the place where the
shepherds received the angel’s message.
Excavations here have uncovered a series of remains dating
back to a mosaic-floored 4th-century subterranean church,
said to have been built by St Helena, the mother of the
emperor Constantine.
 On the north ridge of Beit Sahur, about 400 metres
north of the Orthodox site, a Catholic site is located in an area
called Siyar el-Ghanam (Place for Keeping Sheep).
 A tent-shaped Chapel of the Angels, designed by Italian
architect Antonio Barluzzi, adjoins the remains of a 4th-
century church and a later agricultural monastery. Paintings in
the chapel depict the angel’s announcement to the shepherds,
the shepherds paying homage to Jesus and the shepherds
celebrating the birth of the Messiah.
Catholic chapel at Shepherds’ Field (Seetheholyland.net

Beyond the chapel is a cave for small group worship. The area is administered by the Franciscans.
Eastwards from the Greek and Catholic churches is the Protestant Shepherd’s Field, a meadow filled
with pine trees. Here a YMCA rehabilitation centre contains large caves with pottery remains.
Field of Boaz is nearby
Beyond Shepherd’s Field to the east is the plain known as the Field of Boaz (or Field of Ruth).
Ruth, a Moabite woman from east of the Dead Sea, is one of the few women to have a book of the Old
Testament named after her. She is celebrated especially for her statement of devotion to her mother-
in-law, Naomi, who came from Bethlehem: “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your
people shall be my people, and your God my God . . . .”
The “Field of Ruth” was really the field of Boaz, a wealthy landowner. She met him while gathering up
the barley left behind by the harvesters. They married and she became the great-grandmother of King
David.

St Anne Church
Jerusalem
The Church of St Anne is the best-
preserved Crusader church in
Jerusalem. It marks the traditional site of
the home of Jesus’ maternal
grandparents, Anne and Joachim, and
the birthplace of the Virgin Mary.
Located just north of the Temple Mount,
about 50 metres inside St Stephen’s or
Lions’ Gate, the church stands in a
courtyard with trees, shrubs and flowers.
Its tranquillity contrasts with the bustling
streets and alleys of the Muslim Quarter.

8
Next to the church is the large excavation area of the Pools of Bethesda, where Christ healed a sick
man (John 5:2-9).
The New Testament says nothing about the birthplace of Mary. However, an ancient tradition, recorded
in the apocryphal Gospel of James which dates from around AD 150, places the house of her parents,
Anne and Joachim, close to the Temple area.
A church built around 450 on the site of St Anne’s was dedicated to “Mary where she was born”.
Strong lines and thick walls give St Anne’s a fortress-like appearance. Its simple dignity offers a space
for prayer and contemplation without distraction. It is also unusually asymmetrical in the detail of its
design: Opposite columns do not match, windows are all different sizes, and buttresses differ in
thickness and height.
The Church of St Anne is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and reverberating echoes. The voices
of even a small choral group can sound like a large congregation in a vast cathedral.

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Church survived Muslim conquest
The present basilica was built by the Crusaders
just before 1140 AD. Its crypt was the cave where
the Crusaders believed Mary had been born.
Shortly after its construction, the Church of St Anne
was enlarged by moving the facade forward by
several metres.
Unlike other churches in Jerusalem, St Anne’s was
not destroyed after the Muslim conquest in 1189.
Instead, it was turned it into an Islamic law school
by the sultan Saladin, whose name appears in the
Arabic inscription still above the main entrance.
After two or three centuries, the building was
abandoned.
At the end of the Crimean War between the
Ottoman Turkish Empire and Russia, the Sultan of
Istanbul in 1856 offered the site to the French
government in gratitude for its help during the war.
By then the building was in ruins and “roof-deep in
refuse”, according to Jerome Murphy-O’Connor,
who now describes it as “certainly the loveliest
church in the city”.

Interior of Church of St Anne (Seetheholyland.net)

France undertook extensive restoration, returning St Anne’s as closely as possible to the original
basilica. A second restoration was necessary after the church was damaged during the Six Day War
in 1967.
Crypt believed to be Mary’s birthplace
Three episodes from the life of the Virgin Mary are depicted at the front of the high altar in the
Church of St Anne: The Annunciation on the right; the Descent of Jesus from the Cross in the centre;
and the Nativity of Jesus on the left.
On the left-hand side of the altar is an illustration of the education of Mary by St Anne. On the right-
hand side is a portrayal of the Presentation of the
Virgin in the Temple.
A flight of stone steps descends from the south
aisle to the crypt. This cave is the supposed
remains of the house of Anne and Joachim, and
the Virgin Mary’s birthplace.
Here, in a tiny chapel with a domed ceiling, an
altar is dedicated to the birth of Mary.
The compound containing the Pools of Bethesda
and St Anne’s Church is administered by the
White Fathers. It also contains a museum and a
Greek-Catholic (Melkite) seminary.

Believed birthplace of Mary, under the Church of St Anne (Seetheholyland.net)

10
Pool of Bethesda
Jerusalem
Archaeology has enabled a pool at
Bethesda in Jerusalem to be identified as
the scene of one of Jesus’ miracles. This
was the healing of the paralysed man who
had waited for 38 years for someone to
help him into the pool “when the water is
stirred” an event believed to have curative
powers.
The Gospel account says Jesus told the
man, “Stand up, take your mat and walk”,
and immediately he was made well (John
5:2-18).
The location of the Pools of Bethesda
actually a series of reservoirs and
medicinal pools is in the Muslim Quarter of
Jerusalem’s Old City, north of the Temple
Mount and about 50 metres inside St
Stephen’s or Lions’ Gate. At that time, the
gate was called the Sheep Gate, because
this was where sheep were brought to the
Temple for sacrifice.

Bethesda pool, showing support structure that suspended the Byzantine basilica over the pools (Seetheholyland.net)

According to an ancient tradition, Bethesda is also where Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and
Joachim, lived and where his mother Mary was born. The Church of St Anne, built around 1140,
stands nearby.
The compound containing the pools and the church is owned by the French government and
administered by the White Fathers. It also contains a museum and a Greek-Catholic (Melkite)
seminary.
Evidence of pagan healing sanctuary
In his Gospel account, John describes the pool as having
five porticoes, in which lay many invalids blind, lame and
paralysed.
Because no such pool had been discovered, the
historicity of the site was long called into question. Some
claimed that John had invented the detail of the five
porticoes to represent the five books of Moses, which
Jesus had come to fulfil.

Close-up of Pools of Bethesda in the Model of Ancient Jerusalem at the Israeli Museum (© Deror Avi

In the 1900s, however, archaeologists at Bethesda unearthed two large water reservoirs separated
by a broad rock dike. They were rectangular in shape, with four colonnaded porticos around the
sides and one across the central dike.
The purpose of the reservoirs was to collect rainwater, principally for Temple use.

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Associated pools and baths at Bethesda (which means house of mercy) were apparently believed
to have healing powers. Evidence of a pagan healing sanctuary has been found east of the pools,
including marble representations of healed organs, such as feet and ears.
Early church was built over pool
The Byzantine empress Eudocia had an
enormous basilica constructed over the Pools
of Bethesda in the 5th century. The church was
called “Mary where she was born”.
Its central aisle covered the central rock wall,
the side aisles extended above the two basins
and the front part covered the site of the ancient
healing sanctuary.
The basilica was destroyed by the Persians in
614 and its masonry ended up in the pool.
The Crusaders built a small chapel, the Church
of the Paralytic, over part of the ruined basilica.
Its façade, main entrance and apse of the
Crusader chapel can be seen standing high
over the pools, giving a clear example of the
practice of

Remains of a pagan temple, Byzantine basilica and Crusader chapel Bethesda (Seetheholyland.net)

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Ecce Homo
Jerusalem
Thousands of pilgrims each year walk under the
Ecce Homo Arch near the beginning of the Via
Dolorosa without realising that extensive
remains of first-century Jerusalem lie beneath
their feet.
For centuries Christians believed the arch was
the place where Pontius Pilate displayed Jesus
beaten, crowned with thorns and clothed in a
purple robe to a hostile Jerusalem crowd with
the words: “Behold the man” (“Ecce Homo” in
Latin).
This belief persists in many publications, though
archaeology has proved the arch did not exist
then.
Archaeologists say the arch stood on a great
plaza constructed by the emperor Hadrian
when he rebuilt the city in AD 135 a century
after Jesus was crucified. Some consider it was
originally a city gate from the time of Herod
Agrippa I (AD 41-44).

Looking westward to Ecce Homo Arch, with Sisters of Zion convent at right (Seetheholyland.net)

Large sections of the plaza remain underneath the Via Dolorosa and adjacent buildings, accessible
through the Ecce Homo convent of the Sisters of Zion.
The Roman flagstones of Hadrian’s plaza were once thought to be the Stone Pavement
(Lithostrotos in Greek, Gabbatha in Aramaic) identified in John’s Gospel as the location where
Jesus was condemned by Pilate. But it is more likely that Pilate judged Jesus at Herod the Great‘s
palace, on the site of the modern Citadel inside the Jaffa Gate.
Arch continues into convent chapel
Built in the style of a triumphal arch, the Ecce Homo Arch is the central span of what was originally
a triple-arched gateway. It supports a small room with barred windows.

Ecce Homo Arch in 1864 (James McDonald, Ordnance Survey of Jerusalem)

13
The arch continues through the wall of the convent chapel, where the smaller northern arch now
frames the tabernacle, under a Byzantine cross on a gilded mosaic backdrop. The southern arch
has been destroyed.
Entry to the convent, and the extensive remains and small museum beneath it, is through a door
near the corner of the Via Dolorosa and a narrow alley called Adabat er-Rahbat, or The Nuns
Ascent.
The convent was built in 1857 by Marie-Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Frenchman who converted to
Catholicism from Judaism and became a priest.
During construction, the pavement of Hadrian’s plaza was uncovered. It also extends under the
Church of the Flagellation and the Church of the Condemnation at the First and Second Stations
of the Via Dolorosa.
Down several steps beneath the plaza is a large cistern hewn out of the rock. It is about 54 metres
long and 14 metres wide, with a depth of around 5 metres.
It was originally an open-air pool, part of a chain of reservoirs providing water for the citizens of
Jerusalem. The historian Josephus says the name of the pool was Struthion (meaning sparrow).
Hadrian installed impressive vaulting over the pool to enable his plaza to cover it.
Soldiers carved games into flagstones
The flagstones of the plaza offer an intriguing insight into the lives of the Roman soldiers garrisoned
at the nearby Antonia fortress, built by Herod the Great to overlook and control the Temple.
Named after Herod’s patron Marc Antony, this
vast fortress was a symbol of the Roman
domination of the city.
In various parts of the pavement, off-duty
soldiers carved the lines and squares of the
games they played in idle moments. Other parts
of the plaza were grooved to prevent horses
from slipping.
One set of marks, with a crude crown and the
initial B in the centre (for basileus, the Greek
word for king), has been identified as the King’s
Game, which soldiers played with dice.
Hadrian’s plaza, called the Lithostrotos, under the Ecce Homo convent (© Stanislao Lee / Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

In the past, the presence of the soldiers’ games added weight to the mistaken assumption that this
was the location where Jesus appeared before Pilate, was flogged, mocked as “King of the Jews”
and crowned with thorns.
Though the Ecce Homo Arch and Hadrian’s
plaza have no proven link with Jesus or Pilate,
the area has a definite connection to St Paul.
After Paul was seized by Jews from Asia while
visiting the Temple, it was from the Antonia
fortress that soldiers ran to rescue him and
prevent a riot. And it was on the steps leading
to the fortress that Paul addressed the crowd
and avoided being flogged by announcing to a
surprised tribune that he was a Roman citizen.

Grooves cut into flagstones to stop horses slipping (© Stanislao Lee / Custodia Terrae Sanctae

14
Via Dolorosa
Jerusalem Chapel of the Flagellation
Chapel of the Condemnation
Ecce Homo Arch
Every Friday afternoon hundreds of Christians
join in a procession through the Old City of
Jerusalem, stopping at 14 Stations of the
Cross as they identify with the suffering of
Jesus on his way to crucifixion.
Their route is called the Via Dolorosa (Way of
Sorrows). This is also the name of the
principal street they follow, a narrow
marketplace abustle with traders and
shoppers, most likely similar to the scene on
the first Good Friday.
It is unlikely that Jesus followed this route on
his way to Calvary. Today’s Via Dolorosa
originated in pious tradition rather than in
certain fact, but it is hallowed by the footsteps
of the faithful over centuries.

First Station: Pilgrims carry a cross through the courtyard of the Al-Omariyyeh College (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Franciscans lead procession

The Friday procession is led by Franciscan friars,
custodians of most of the holy places since the 13th
century.
It starts at 4pm 3pm in winter, from late October till
late March at an Islamic college, Umariyya
School, just inside St Stephen’s or Lions’ Gate.
Pilgrims wind their way westward to the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre, where the last five Stations are
located.
Each procession is accompanied by Muslim
escorts, in Ottoman uniforms of red fez, gold-embroidered waistcoat and baggy blue trousers, who
signify their authority by banging silver-topped staves on the ground.
Many other pilgrims, individually or in groups with guides, follow the same 500-metre route during
the week.

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 For those walking the Via Dolorosa on their own, the
route is not easy to follow.
A simple map is available from the Christian Information
Centre, Omar Ibn el-Khattab Square, Jaffa Gate (closed
on Sundays, Christian holidays and Saturday
afternoons). The Planet Ware travel guide also has a
map.
Number of Stations has varied
While scholars disagree on the path Jesus took on Good
Friday, processions in the 4th and 5th centuries from the
Mount of Olives to Calvary followed more or less along
the route taken by modern pilgrims (but there were no
stops for Stations).
The practice of following the Stations of the Cross
appears to have developed in Europe among Christians
who could not travel to the Holy Land. The number of
Stations varied from 7 to 18 or more.
Today’s Via Dolorosa route was established in the 18th
century, with the present 14 Stations, but some of the
Stations were given their present location only in the 19th
century.

Route of the Via Dolorosa (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Nine of the 14 stations are based on Gospel references.

The other five Jesus’ three falls, his meeting with his
Mother, and Veronica wiping his face are traditional.

Place of judgement unknown

The chief difficulty in determining Jesus’ path to Calvary is
that nobody knows the site of Pontius Pilate’s Praetorium,
where Jesus was condemned to death and given the
crossbeam of his cross to carry through the streets.
Bronze discs mark Stations on the Via
Dolorosa; the crossed arms are a Franciscan
symbol

There are three possible locations:

• Herod the Great’s Palace or Citadel, which dominated the Upper City. The remains of the Citadel
complex, with its Tower of David (erected long after King David’s time), are just inside the present
Jaffa Gate. This is the most likely location.

16
 • The Antonia Fortress, a vast military garrison
built by Herod the Great north of the Temple
compound and with a commanding view of the
Temple environs. The Umariyya School, now
the location of the first Station of the Cross, is
believed to stand on part of its site.
• The Palace of the Hasmoneans, built before
Herod’s time to house the rulers of Judea. It was
probably located midway between Herod’s
Palace and the Temple, in what is today the
Jewish Quarter.
In the immediate area of the Antonia Fortress is
the Ecce Homo Arch, reaching across the Via
Dolorosa. It is named after the famous phrase
(“Behold the Man” in Latin) spoken by Pilate
when he showed the scourged Jesus to the
crowd (John 19:5). But the arch was built after
Jesus stood before Pilate.
Adjacent to the arch is the Ecce Homo Convent
of the Sisters of Our Lady of Zion (the entrance
is near the corner of the Via Dolorosa and a
narrow alley called Adabat el-Rahbat, or The
Nuns Ascent).
Second Station: Ecce Homo Arch over Via Dolorosa, with Sisters of Zion convent at right (Seetheholyland.net)

Underneath the convent, pilgrims can visit stone pavings which

were once claimed to be the Stone Pavement (Lithostrotos) where
Pilate had his judgement seat (John 19:13).
Markings in the paving stones, indicating a dice game known as
the King’s Game, suggested this was where Jesus was mocked by
the soldiers (John 19:2-3). Yet this pavement is also from a later
date.
Chapels worth visiting
Several of the chapels at the various Stations of the Cross are not
often open to the public. Two at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa
are open daily (8-12am, 2-5pm) and are worth visiting before
starting the Way of the Cross.

Second Station: Roman soldiers’

game in Lithostrotos pavement
under Zion Sisters convent (©
Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Across the street from Umariyya School is a Franciscan compound containing the Chapel of the
Flagellation and the Chapel of the Condemnation and Imposition of the Cross.

17
 The Chapel of the Flagellation is notable for its
stained-glass windows behind the altar and on either
side of the sanctuary. They show Pilate washing his
hands; Jesus being scourged; and Barabbas
expressing joy at his release. On the ceiling above
the altar, a mosaic on a golden background depicts
the crown of thorns pierced by stars.
The Flagellation Museum, displaying
archaeological artifacts from several Holy Land sites,
including Nazareth, Capernaum and the Mount of
Olives, is open daily (except Sunday and Monday),
9am-1pm and 2-4pm.
The Chapel of the Condemnation and Imposition
of the Cross is topped by five white domes. Artwork
includes papier-mâché figures enacting some of the
events of Jesus’ Passion.
Paving stones at the back of the chapel are part of
the pavement that extends under the Ecce Homo
Convent.

Second Station: Jesus takes up his cross, in Chapel of the Condemnation (Tom Callinan/Seetheholyland.net)

Opposite the chapel entrance is a model of Jerusalem in

the first century AD, showing how the sites of Calvary
and the Holy Sepulchre were outside the city walls.

Third Station: Relief depicting Jesus’ first fall

(Seetheholyland.net)
Fourth Station: Sculpture depicting Jesus meeting his Mother (Seetheholyland.net)

The 14 Stations
Numbering of the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa
traditionally uses Roman numerals:
I: Jesus is condemned to death
About 300 metres west of St Stephen’s or Lions’ Gate, steps lead
up to the courtyard of Umariyya School (open Monday-Thursday
and Saturday, 2.30-6pm, Friday 2.30-4pm; entry with caretaker’s
permission).

Here the First Station is commemorated. The southern end of the

courtyard offers a view overlooking the Temple Mount.

18
II: Jesus carries his cross
Across the street, near where an arch stretches over the Via Dolorosa, the Second Station is
marked by the words “II Statio” on the wall of the Franciscan Friary.
III: Jesus falls the first time
Down the Via Dolorosa, under the Ecce Homo Arch and about 100 metres along, a sharp left turn
into Al-Wad Road brings pilgrims to a small chapel on the left, belonging to the Armenian Catholic
Patriarchate.
Above the entrance, a stone relief of Jesus
falling with his cross marks the Third Station.
Inside, a similar image is watched by shocked
angels.
IV: Jesus meets his Mother
The Fourth Station is now commemorated
adjacent to the Third Station. Until 2008 this
Station was commemorated a further 25 metres
along Al-Wad Road.

Fifth Station: Pilgrims on the Way of the Cross (Seetheholyland.net)

The stone relief marking the Station is over the doorway to the courtyard of an Armenian Catholic
church. In the crypt are a strikingly attractive adoration chapel and part of a mosaic floor from a
5th-century church. In the centre of the mosaic is depicted a pair of sandals, said to represent the
spot where the suffering Mary was standing.

V: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross

About 25 metres further along Al-Wad Road, the Via
Dolorosa turns right. At the corner, the lintel over a
doorway bears a Latin inscription marking the site
where Simon, a visitor from present-day Libya,
became involved in Jesus’ Passion.
The Franciscan chapel here, dedicated to Simon the
Cyrenian, is on the site of the Franciscans’ first
house in Jerusalem, in 1229.
VI: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
The Via Dolorosa now becomes a narrow, stepped
street as it wends its way uphill. About 100 metres
on the left, a wooden door with studded metal bands
indicates the Greek Catholic (Melkite) Church of St
Veronica.

Sixth Station: Column imbedded in wall recalls tradition that Veronica wiped Jesus’ face here (Seetheholyland.net)

According to tradition, the face of Jesus was imprinted on the cloth she used to wipe it. A cloth
described as Veronica’s veil is reported to have been kept in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome since the
8th century

19
VII: Jesus falls the second time
About 75 metres further uphill, at the junction of
the Via Dolorosa with Souq Khan al-Zeit, two
Franciscan chapels, one above the other, mark
the Seventh Station.
Inside the lower chapel is a large stone column,
part of the colonnaded Cardo Maximus, the
main street of Byzantine Jerusalem, which ran
from north to south.
The position of this Station marks the western
boundary of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time. It is
believed he left the city here, through the
Garden Gate, on his way to Calvary.

Seventh Station: Relief depicting Jesus’ second fall, in one of the

chapels at the Station (Seetheholyland.net)

VIII: Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem

Across Souq Khan al-Zeit and about 20 metres up a narrower
street, the Eighth Station is opposite the Station VIII Souvenir
Bazaar.
On the wall of a Greek Orthodox monastery, beneath the number
marker is a carved stone set at eye level. It is distinguished by a
Latin cross flanked by the Greek letters IC XC NI KA (meaning
“Jesus Christ conquers”).

Eighth Station: Stone in wall,

carved with Latin cross
(Seetheholyland.net)
IX: Jesus falls the third time
Now it is necessary to retrace one’s steps back towards the
Seventh Station, and turn right along Souq Khan al-Zeit.
Less than 100 metres on the right is a flight of 28 wide stone steps.
At the top, a left turn along a winding lane for about 80 metres
leads to the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, where the shaft of a
Roman pillar to the left of the entrance marks Jesus’ third fall.
Nearby is the Coptic Chapel of St Helen.
To the left of the pillar, three steps lead to a terrace that is the roof
of the Chapel of St Helena in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Here, in a cluster of primitive cells, live a community of Ethiopian
Orthodox monks.
Ninth Station: Roman pillar in far corner marks Jesus’ third fall (Seetheholyland.net)

20
X: Jesus is stripped of his garments
The last five Stations of the Cross are situated inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
If the door to the roof of the
church is open, a short cut is
possible.
On the terrace, the second
small door on the right leads
into the Ethiopians’ upper
chapel. Steps at the back
descend to their lower chapel,
where a door gives access to
the courtyard of the Holy
Sepulchre basilica.
The Friday procession,
however, returns along the
winding lane and stone steps to
Souq Khan al-Zeit, turning right
after about 40 metres into Souq
al-Dabbagha.
Tenth Station: Interior of Chapel of the Franks, where the Tenth Station is located (Seetheholyland.net)

After about 80 metres, bearing to the right, a small archway with the words “Holy Sepulchre” leads
into the church courtyard.
To the right inside the main door of the church, 19 steep and curving steps lead up to the chapels
constructed above the rock of Calvary.
The five Stations inside the church are not specifically marked.
After ascending the steps inside the door, immediately on the right is a window looking into a small
worship space called the Chapel of the Franks (a name traditionally given to the Franciscans).
Here, in what was formerly an external entrance to Calvary, the Tenth Station is located.
XI: Jesus is nailed to the cross
The Catholic Chapel of the Nailing to the Cross, in the right
nave on Calvary, is the site of the Eleventh Station.
On its ceiling is a 12th-century medallion of the Ascension of
Jesus the only surviving Crusader mosaic in the church.
XII: Jesus dies on the cross
The much more ornate Greek Orthodox Chapel of the
Crucifixion, in the left nave of Calvary, is the Twelfth Station.
.A silver disc beneath the altar marks the place where it is
believed the cross of Christ stood. The limestone rock of
Calvary may be touched through a round hole in the disc.

Eleventh Station: Catholic chapel on Calvary

floor commemorates the nailing of Jesus to the
cross (Seetheholyland.net)

21
Twelfth Station: Close-up of figure of Christ in Chapel of the Crucifixion (Picturesfree.org)

XIII: Jesus is taken down from the cross

Between the Catholic and Greek chapels, a Catholic altar of Our Lady of Sorrows, depicting Mary
with a sword piercing her heart, commemorates the Thirteenth Station.
XIV: Jesus is laid in the tomb
Another flight of steep stairs at the left rear of the Greek chapel leads back to the ground floor.
Downstairs and to the left, under the centre of the vast dome of the church, is a stone monument
called an edicule (“little house”), its entrance flanked by rows of huge candles.
This is the Tomb of Christ, the Fourteenth Station of the Cross.
This stone monument encloses the tomb (sepulchre) where it is believed Jesus lay buried for three
days and where he rose from the dead-on Easter Sunday morning.

22
Fourteenth Station: Edicule over the Tomb of Jesus (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

23
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Jerusalem

Domes and cropped bell tower of Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Seetheholyland.net)

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem covers what Christians believe is
the site of the most important event in human history: The place where Jesus Christ rose from the
dead.
But the pilgrim who looks for the hill of Calvary and a tomb cut out of rock in a garden nearby will
be disappointed.
At first sight, the church may bring on a sense of anticlimax. Looking across a hemmed-in square,
there is the shabby façade of a dun-coloured, Romanesque basilica with grey domes and a cut-off
belfry.
Inside, there is a bewildering conglomeration of 30-plus chapels and worship spaces. These are
encrusted with the devotional ornamentation of several Christian rites.
This sprawling Church of the Holy Sepulchre displays a mish-mash of architectural styles. It bears
the scars of fires and earthquakes, deliberate destruction and reconstruction down the centuries.
It is often gloomy and usually thronging with noisy visitors.

24
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre from above, huddled in by surrounding buildings (Ilan Arad / Wikimedia)

Yet it remains a living place of worship. Its ancient stones are steeped in prayer, hymns and
liturgies. It bustles daily with fervent rounds of incensing and processions.
This is the pre-eminent shrine for Christians, who consider it the holiest place on earth. And it
attracts pilgrims by the thousand, all drawn to pay homage to their Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Church replaced pagan temple
Early Christians venerated the site. Then the emperor Hadrian covered it with a pagan temple.
Only in AD 326 was the first church begun by the emperor Constantine. He tore down the pagan
temple and had Christ’s tomb
cut away from the original
hillside. Tradition says his
mother, St Helena, found the
cross of Christ in a cistern not
far from the hill of Calvary.
Constantine’s church was
burned by Persians in 614,
restored, destroyed by Muslims
in 1009 and partially rebuilt.
Crusaders completed the
reconstruction in 1149. The
result is essentially the church
that stands today.

Parvis (courtyard) of Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Seetheholyland.net

25
Making sense of the church
Of all the Christian holy places, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is probably the most difficult for
pilgrims to come to terms with.
To help make sense of it, this article deals with the church’s major elements and its authenticity. A
further article, Church of the Holy Sepulchre chapels, deals with its other devotional areas.

1. The main access to the church, on its south side, is from the Souk el-Dabbagha, a street of
shops selling religious souvenirs. Visitors enter the left-hand doorway (the right one was blocked
up by Muslim conquerors in the 12th century).
2. Instead of following tourists into the often-gloomy interior,
immediately turn hard right and ascend a steep and curving
flight of stairs. You are now ascending the “hill” of Calvary (from
the Latin) or Golgotha (from the Aramaic), both words meaning
“place of the skull”. The stairs open on to a floor that is level with
the top of the rocky outcrop on which Christ was crucified. It is
about 4.5 metres above the ground floor.
3. Immediately on the right is a window looking into a small
worship space called the Chapel of the Franks. Here the Tenth
Station of the Cross (Jesus is stripped of his garments) is
located.
On the floor of Calvary are two chapels side by side, Greek
Orthodox on the left, Catholic on the right. They illustrate the
vast differences in liturgical decoration between Eastern and
Western churches. Climbing steps to Calvary (Seetheholyland.net

26
4. The Catholic Chapel of the Nailing to the Cross is the site of the Eleventh Station of the Cross
(Jesus is nailed to the cross). On its ceiling is a 12th-century medallion of the Ascension of Jesus
the only surviving Crusader mosaic in the building.
5. The much more ornate Greek Chapel of the Crucifixion is
the Twelfth Station (Jesus dies on the cross). Standing here,
it is easy to understand a little girl’s remark, quoted by the
novelist Evelyn Waugh in 1951: “I never knew Our Lord was
crucified indoors.”
6. Between the two chapels, a Catholic altar of Our Lady of
Sorrows commemorates the Thirteenth Station (Jesus is
taken down from the cross).
7. A silver disc beneath the Greek altar marks the place
where it is believed the cross stood. The limestone rock of
Calvary may be touched through a round hole in the disc.
On the right, under glass, can be seen a fissure in the rock.
Some believe this was caused by the earthquake at the time
Christ died. Others suggest that the rock of Calvary was left
standing by quarrymen because it was cracked.

Greek Orthodox Chapel of the Crucifixion (Seetheholyland.net)

8. Another flight of steep stairs at the left rear of the Greek chapel leads back to the ground floor.
9. To the left is the Stone of Anointing, a slab of reddish stone flanked by candlesticks and
overhung by a row of eight lamps.
Kneeling pilgrims kiss it with great
reverence, although this is not the
stone on which Christ’s body was
anointed. This devotion is recorded
only since the 12th century. The
present stone dates from 1810.
10. On the wall behind the stone is a
Greek mosaic depicting (from right to
left) Christ being taken down from the
cross, his body being prepared for
burial, and his body being taken to the
tomb.
11. Continuing away from Calvary,
the Rotunda of the church opens up
on the right, surrounded by massive
pillars and surmounted by a huge
Stone of Anointing from above (Seetheholyland.net

dome. Its outer walls date back to the emperor Constantine’s original basilica built in the 4th
century. The dome is decorated with a starburst of tongues of light, with 12 rays representing the
apostles.
12. In the centre is a stone edicule (“little house”), its entrance flanked by rows of huge candles.
This is the Tomb of Christ, the Fourteenth Station of the Cross.
This stone monument encloses the tomb (sepulchre) where it is believed Jesus Christ lay buried
for three days and where he rose from the dead. A high-tech photogrammetric survey late in the
20th century showed that the present edicule contains the remains of three previous structures,
each encasing the previous one, like a set of Russian dolls.

27
 13. At busy times, Greek
Orthodox priests control
admission to the edicule. Inside
there are two chambers. In the
outer one, known as the Chapel
of the Angel, stands a pedestal
containing what is believed to
be a piece of the rolling stone
used to close the tomb.
14. A very low doorway leads to
the tomb chamber, lined with
marble and hung with holy
pictures. On the right, a marble
slab covers the rock bench on
which the body of Jesus lay. It
is this slab which is venerated
The Edicule after restoration in 2017 (Ben Gray / ELCJHL)

by pilgrims, who customarily place religious objects and souvenirs on it.

The slab was deliberately split by order of the Franciscan custos (guardian) of the Holy Land in
1555, lest Ottoman Turks should steal such a fine piece of marble.
An agreement between the major Christian communities at the church enabled work to begin in
May 2016 to reinforce and restore the edicule. The work was undertaken by a team of scientists
from the National Technical University of Athens.
In October 2016, the team removed the marble slab,
exposing a layer of fill material covering another slab of
marble with a small Crusader cross etched on it. Beneath
it was the bench on which the body of Jesus lay.
When the team restored the marble cladding and resealed
the burial bed, they also cut a small window into the
southern interior wall of the shrine to expose one of the
limestone walls of the burial cave.
The multi-million-dollar restoration was completed in
March 2017. The reddish-cream marble of the edicule
emerged cleaned of centuries of grime, dust and soot from
candle smoke, and freed from a grid of iron girders that
had held it together since 1947.
But scientists warned that even more work would be
necessary to shore up the unstable foundations of the
shrine and the surrounding rotunda to avoid the risk of
collapse.
Inside the restored tomb chamber, with the window exposing the rock wall of the burial cave at left (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

Three denominations share ownership

Ownership of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared between the Greek Orthodox, Catholics
(known in the Holy Land as Latins) and Armenian Orthodox.
The Greeks (who call the basilica the Anastasis, or Church of the Resurrection) own its central
worship space, known as the Katholikon or Greek choir. The Armenians own the underground
Chapel of St Helena which they have renamed in honour of St Gregory the Illuminator.

28
 The Catholics own the
Franciscan Chapel of the
Apparition (which
commemorates the tradition
that the risen Christ first
appeared to his Mother) and
the deep underground Chapel
of the Finding of the Cross.
Three minor Orthodox
communities, Coptic, Syriac
and Ethiopian, have rights to
use certain areas. The
Ethiopian monks live in a kind
of African village on the roof,
called Deir es-Sultan.
The rights of possession and
use are spelt out by a decree,
called the Status Quo,
Katholikon (or Greek choir), the central worship space in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Seetheholyland.net)

originally imposed by the Ottoman Turks in 1757. It even gives two Muslim families the sole right
to hold the key and open and close the church a tradition that dates back much further, to 1246.
Ladder symbolises Status Quo
Each religious community guards its rights jealously. The often-uneasy relationship laid down by
the Status Quo is typified by a wooden ladder resting on a cornice above the main entrance and
leaning against a window ledge.
The ladder has been there so
long that nobody knows how it
got there. Various suggestions
have been offered: It was left
behind by a careless mason or
window-cleaner; it had been
used to supply food to
Armenian monks locked in the
church by the Turks; it had
served to let the Armenians
use the cornice as a balcony to
get fresh air and sunshine
rather than leave the church
and pay an Ottoman tax to re-
enter it.
The ladder appears in an
engraving of the church dated
1728, and it was mentioned in
the 1757 edict by Sultan Abdul
Chapel of the Finding of the Cross (Seetheholyland.net

Hamid I that became the basis for the Status Quo.

29
 It would be too much to expect that the ladder
seen today has resisted the elements since
early in the 18th century. In fact the original has
been replaced at least once.
In 1997 the ladder suddenly disappeared for
some weeks, after a Protestant prankster hid it
behind an altar. When it was discovered and
returned, a steel grate was installed over the
lower parts of both windows above the
entrance. And in 2009 the ladder mysteriously
appeared against the left window for a day.
The ladder, window and cornice are all in the
possession of the Armenian Orthodox. And
because the ladder was on the cornice when
the Status Quo began in 1757, it must remain
there.
Archaeology supports authenticity
Visitors may easily be disillusioned by the
church’s contrasting architectural styles, its
pious ornamentation and its competing liturgies.
If these man-made elements could be removed,
as biblical scholar John J. Kilgallen has written,
“we would stand between two places not more
Immovable ladder on ledge over entrance to Church of the Holy
Sepulchre (Seetheholyland.net)

than 30 yards [90 feet] apart, with dirt and rock and grass under our feet and the open air all around
us. Such was the original state of this area before Jesus died and was buried here.”
But is this the place where Christ died and was
buried? “Very probably, Yes,” declares biblical
scholar Jerome Murphy-O’Connor in his Oxford
Archaeological Guide The Holy Land.
Eusebius, the first Church historian (in the 4th
century), says the site was venerated by the
early Christian community. And the Israeli
scholar Dan Bahat, former city archaeologist of
Jerusalem, says: “We may not be absolutely
certain that the site of the Holy Sepulchre
Church is the site of Jesus’ burial, but we have
no other site that can lay a claim nearly as
weighty, and we really have no reason to reject
the authenticity of the site.”
One major objection raised is that the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre is inside the city walls, while
the Gospels say the crucifixion took place
outside. Archaeologists have confirmed that the
site of the church was outside the city until
about 10 years after Christ’s death, when a new
wall was built.
Some favour a competing site, the Garden
Tomb. Though it offers a more serene
environment, the tombs in its area predate the
time of Christ by several centuries.

30
Church of St Mary Magdelene
Jerusalem
Seven gilded onion domes, each topped by a tall
Russian Orthodox cross, make the Church of St Mary
Magdalene one of Jerusalem’s most picturesque sights.
It makes an especially striking spectacle at night, when
its floodlit domes seem to be floating above the dark
trees that surround it.
The church stands on the western slope of the Mount of
Olives, above the Garden of Gethsemane and the
Church of All Nations. It commemorates the enigmatic
Mary from Magdala revered as a saint by the Orthodox,
Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches who was one
of the few persons named in the Gospels as being
present at Christ’s crucifixion and who was the first
recorded witness of his Resurrection.
In its convent live about 30 Russian Orthodox nuns from
several different countries. While particularly known for
the quality of their liturgical singing, they also paint icons,
embroider vestments and items for liturgical use, and
decorate Russian eggs.

Onion domes and ornate frontage of Church of St Mary Magdalene (Seetheholyland.net)

Design reflects Muscovite architecture

The Church of St Mary Magdalene was built in 1888 by Czar Alexander III of Russia, in memory of his
mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, whose patron saint was Mary Magdalene.
Its onion-shaped domes and the general style reflect the
architecture of Moscow during the 16th and 17th
centuries.
Although the intricately decorated façade appears to be
made of marble, it is actually of sculpted white
sandstone.
Above the entrance a circular blue mosaic depicts Mary
Magdalene, the first recorded witness of the
Resurrection, robed in white.
Painting illustrates Mary Magdalene legend
In contrast to the exterior, the interior of the Church of St
Mary Magdalene is rather plain. The walls are covered
with designs, predominantly in shades of brown. The
white marble and bronze iconostasis the partition that
separates the nave from the sanctuary holds icons and
paintings, including depictions of the four Evangelists,
the Virgin Mary and the archangel Gabriel.

Medallion above door of Church of St Mary Magdalene (© Deror Avi)

31
 Above the iconostasis, a large
canvas by Russian artist Sergei
Ivanov illustrates a popular legend
in which Mary Magdalene travels to
Rome to tell the Emperor Tiberius
of Jesus’ unfair trial and unjust
sentence. She is shown presenting
the emperor with a red egg,
symbolising the Resurrection and
eternal life.
To the right side of the iconostasis,
a 16th-century icon of the Virgin
Mary in a hand-carved wooden
case has a place of honour. The
icon is said to have miraculous
powers.

Inside Church of St Mary Magdalene (© Deror Avi

Two Russian saints are buried

On either side of the nave is a marble sarcophagus, each containing the body of a Russian Orthodox
saint.
The better known one is Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. A German princess, she was the wife
of the Czar’s brother Sergei, a sister of the Czar’s wife Alexandra and a granddaughter of Queen
Victoria.
The grand duchess took a deep personal interest in the church and was responsible for commissioning
its art works.
Widowed when an assassin killed her husband in 1905, she founded a convent and became its abbess.
She and her nuns did much to help alleviate the suffering of the poor in Moscow.
After the Russian Revolution, Grand Duchess Elizabeth, her companion Sister Barbara Yakovleva and
other members of the Russian imperial family were thrown down a mine shaft by the Bolsheviks in
1918 and left to die.
The bodies of Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Sister Barbara (whose remains are in the other
sarcophagus) were eventually smuggled out of Russia and brought to Jerusalem. Both women have
been canonised as martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church.
In a crypt below the church is buried Princess Alice of Greece, the mother of Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh. She had expressed a wish to be buried near Grand Duchess Elizabeth, who was her aunt.

32
Cenacle
Jerusalem
The Cenacle room on Mt Zion
in Jerusalem is where two
major events in the early
Christian Church are
commemorated: The Last
Supper and the coming of the
Holy Spirit on the apostles.
The Last Supper was the meal
Jesus shared with his apostles
the night before he died. During
this meal he instituted the
Eucharist.
The coming of the Holy Spirit,
at Pentecost, is recognised as
marking the birth of the
Christian Church.
Cenacle or Upper Room (© Israel Ministry of Tourism)

The Cenacle is on the upper floor of a two-storey building near the Church of the Dormition, south
of the Zion Gate in the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.
Above it is the minaret of a Muslim mosque; immediately beneath it is the Jewish shrine venerated
as the Tomb of King David (though he is not buried there).

Different from da Vinci

The Cenacle is not universally accepted as the site of
the “upper room” mentioned in Mark 14:15 and Luke
22:12.
But archaeological research shows it is constructed
on top of a church-synagogue built by the first-
century Jewish-Christian community of Jerusalem.
Fragments of plaster have been found with Greek
graffiti, one of which has been interpreted as
containing the name of Jesus. This would have been
the first Christian church.
The only competing site is the Syrian Orthodox
Church of St Mark (also on Mt Zion), which also
claims to possess the “upper room”.
Wherever the site, the original place of the Last
Supper would have been a simple dining hall quite
different from those depicted in paintings by
Leonardo da Vinci and other artists.

Pilgrims in the Cenacle (Berthold Werner)

33
Symbol of a pelican’s blood
The present Gothic-arched Cenacle is a
restoration of a Crusader chapel built in the 12th
century as part of the Church of Our Lady of
Mount Zion.
Among the architectural details of the Crusader
period is a slender marble column supporting a
stone canopy in the south-west corner. Carved
into the capital at the top of the column are two
young pelicans feeding on the blood their
mother has drawn from her breast symbolising
Christ giving his blood for the salvation of
humankind.
In the 16th century, after the Turks captured
Jerusalem, the room was transformed into a
mosque in memory of the prophet David. Its
mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of
Mecca) and stained-glass windows with Arabic
inscriptions remain.
Where Peter was left knocking
According to one early Christian tradition, the
“upper room” was in the home of Mary the
mother of John Mark. He was the author of the
Gospel of Mark (and presumably also the young
Pelicans feed on their mother’s blood on a column in the
Cenacle (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

man who fled naked, leaving behind his linen garment, to escape the authorities when Jesus was
arrested in the garden at Gethsemane, an event he recorded in Mark 14:51).
This house was a meeting place for the followers of Jesus. It was inside the city walls of Jerusalem,
in a quarter that was home to its most affluent residents.
It was also the house to which Peter went after an angel of the Lord released him from prison. Acts
12:12-16 says a maid named Rhoda was so overjoyed at recognising his voice that she left him
knocking at the outer gate while she went to tell the gathered disciples.
Obtained at huge cost
The site of the Cenacle was also the first holy place the Franciscans obtained, bought in 1335
through the efforts of King Robert and Queen Sancia of Naples, “after difficult negotiations and
huge expenses”.
The structures around the “upper room” are in fact remnants of the Franciscan medieval friary.
Over the centuries, the buildings the Franciscans constructed were frequently destroyed and friars
were ill-treated and even killed

34
Church of the Dormition
Jerusalem
The hill of Mount Zion, the highest point in
ancient Jerusalem, is dominated by the Church
of the Dormition. The location is identified in
Christian tradition as the place where the Virgin
Mary died or “fell asleep”, as the name
suggests.
The fortress-like building, with a conical roof
and four corner towers, stands south of the Old
City’s Zion Gate. Nearby soars the bell tower of
the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey (formerly the
Abbey of the Dormition), a Benedictine
monastery.
During the Byzantine period, the Church of
Hagia Sion (Holy Zion), one of the three earliest
churches in Jerusalem, stood on this site. Built
by the Emperor Constantine, it was regarded as
the Mother of all Churches. In AD 614 it was
destroyed by the Persians.

Dome of Church of the Dormition (Seetheholyland.net)

Claims made for two cities

Two cities, Jerusalem and Ephesus (in present-day Turkey), claim to be the place where the Virgin
Mary died. The Ephesus claim rests in part on the Gospel account that Christ on his cross entrusted
the care of Mary to St John (who later went to Ephesus).
But the earliest traditions all
locate the end of Mary’s life in
Jerusalem, where the Tomb of
Mary is venerated at the foot of
the Mount of Olives.
Accounts of Mary’s death in
Jerusalem appear in early
sources such as De Orbitu S.
Dominae, Transitus Mariae
and Liber Requiei Mariae.
These books are described as
apocryphal (meaning “hidden”
or “secret”). Their authenticity
is uncertain and they are not
accepted as part of the
Christian canon of Scripture.

Apostles at the death of Mary, in the Church of the Dormition (Seetheholyland.net)

35
But, according to biblical scholar Lino Cignelli, “All of them are traceable back to a single primitive
document, a Judaeo-Christian prototype, clearly written within the mother church of Jerusalem
some time during the second century, and, in all probability, composed for liturgical use right at the
Tomb of Our Lady.
“From the earliest times, tradition has assigned the authorship of the prototype to one Lucius
Carinus, said to have been a disciple and fellow labourer with St John the Evangelist.”
By the reckoning of Transitus Mariae, Mary would have been aged no more than 50 at the time of
her death.
Early writers favour Jerusalem
The early sources are summarised in this way by the Catholic Encyclopedia:
“The apocryphal works of the second to the fourth century are all favourable to the Jerusalem
tradition. According to the Acts of St John by Prochurus, written (160-70) by Lencius, the Evangelist
went to Ephesus accompanied by Prochurus alone and at a very advanced age, i.e. after Mary’s
death.
“The two letters B. Inatii missa S. Joanni, written about 370, show that the Blessed Virgin passed
the remainder of her days at Jerusalem. That of Dionysius the Areopagite to the Bishop Titus (363),
the Joannis liber de Dormitione Mariae (third to fourth century), and the treatise De transitu B.M.
Virginis (fourth century) place her tomb at Gethsemane . . . .
“There was never any tradition connecting Mary’s death and burial with the city of Ephesus.”
Belief in the Assumption

The belief that the Virgin Mary was bodily assumed into heaven is mentioned in the above books
and also in authenticated sermons by Eastern saints such as St Andrew of Crete and St John of
Damascus.
The Assumption of Mary has been a subject of Christian art for centuries (and its feast day was
made a public holiday in England by King Alfred the Great in the 9th century). It was defined as a
doctrine of the Catholic Church by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
St John of Damascus describes the origin of this belief in these words:
“St Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon [AD 451], made known to the
Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary
died in the presence of all the apostles, but that her tomb, when opened, upon the request of St
Thomas [who arrived late], was found empty; wherefrom the apostles concluded that the body was
taken up to heaven.”
The Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God on
August 15, the same day that the Catholic Church and some Protestant churches celebrate the
feast of the Assumption of Mary.

Mary and Jesus mosaic in the Church of the Dormition

(Seetheholyland.net)

36
Land was given by sultan
The land on which the Church of the Dormition stands was given in 1898 by the Turkish Sultan
Abdul Hamid II to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who presented it to the Catholic Church.
Construction was completed in 1910.
Like the Crusader church that preceded it, the basilica is built on two levels with the high altar and
monastic choir on the upper of these, and the crypt with its Marian shrine on the lower.
Light from several large windows pours into the upper level, and colourful wall mosaics depict
events from Christian and Benedictine history.
High above the main altar is a mosaic of Mary and the infant Jesus. The Latin inscription below it
is from Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.”
Life-size statue of Mary in death

If the upper floor of the Church

of the Dormition is luminous,
the circular crypt seems totally
shrouded when first entered.
In the centre, under a rotunda,
is a simple bier on which rests
a life-size statue of Mary, fallen
asleep in death. The statue is
made of cherry wood and ivory.
The dome above the statue is
adorned with mosaic pictures
of six women of the Old
Testament: Eve, Miriam, Jael,
Judith, Ruth and Esther.

Life size image of Mary in death, in the Church of the Dormition (Seetheholyland.net)

In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the church was seriously damaged by military bombardment. During
the 1967 Six Day War, Israeli forces took possession of the building and the Mother and Child
mosaic in the apse received a barrage of machine-gun bullets from the interior of the church.
The Dormition Church has a fine organ, which is often used for concerts.

37
Church of St Peter in Gallicantu
Jerusalem
One of the most striking
churches in Jerusalem
commemorates the apostle
Peter’s triple denial of his
Master, his immediate
repentance and his
reconciliation with Christ after
the Resurrection.
Built on an almost sheer
hillside, the Church of St Peter
in Gallicantu stands on the
eastern slope of Mount Zion.
On its roof rises a golden
rooster atop a black cross
recalling Christ’s prophesy that
Peter would deny him three
times “before the cock crows”.
Gallicantu means cockcrow in
Latin.

Church of St Peter in Gallicantu (Seetheholyland.net)

Peter’s denial of Christ is recorded in all four Gospels (most succinctly in Matthew 26:69-75). Three
of the Gospels also record his bitter tears of remorse.
The scene of Peter’s disgrace was the courtyard of the high priest Caiaphas. The Assumptionist
congregation, which built St Peter in Gallicantu over the ruins of a Byzantine basilica, believes it
stands on the site of the high priest’s house.
Under the church is a dungeon thought to be the cell where Jesus was detained for the night
following his arrest.
Blend of contemporary and ancient art

The Church of St Peter in Gallicantu is built on four different

levels upper church, middle church, guardroom and dungeon.
Its design and art are a colourful blend of contemporary and
ancient works.
In the courtyard, a statue depicts the denial, including the
rooster, the woman who questioned Peter, and a Roman
soldier.
Inside, on the right, are two Byzantine-era mosaics. Uncovered
during excavation, they were most likely part of the floor of the
fifth-century Byzantine church.
The ceiling is a striking feature. It is dominated by a huge cross-
shaped window designed in a radiant variety of colours.
Three large mosaics cover the back wall and two side walls.
Facing the entrance is a bound Jesus being questioned in the
house of Caiaphas; on the right, Jesus and the disciples are
shown at the Last Supper; on the left, Peter is depicted in
ancient papal dress as the first pope.

38
Downstairs, in the middle church, icons above the altars depict St Peter’s denial, his repentance
and his reconciliation with his Master on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection.
Many of the inscriptions in the church are in French, since the Assumptionists are a French
religious order.
Guardroom and prisoner’s cell

The lower levels of the Church

of St Peter in Gallicantu contain
what are believed to have been
a guardroom and a prisoner’s
cell, both hewn out of bedrock.
The guardroom contains wall
fixtures to attach prisoners’
chains. Holes in the stone
pillars would have been used to
fasten a prisoner’s hands and
feet when he was flogged.
Bowls carved in the floor are
believed to have contained salt
and vinegar, either to
aggravate the pain or to
disinfect the wounds.
Pilgrims praying in the Sacred Pit under the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu (Seetheholyland.net)

Jesus, of course, was not flogged by the Jews but by the Romans. But some of his disciples,
probably including Peter, were flogged by order of the Jewish council after the Resurrection for
teaching in the name of Jesus in the Temple (Acts 5:40).
The prisoner’s cell offers a sobering insight into where Christ might have spent the night before he
was crucified. It has become known as “Christ’s Prison”.
The only access to the bottle-necked cell was through a shaft from above, so the prisoner would
have been lowered and raised by means of a rope harness. A mosaic depicting Jesus in such a
harness is outside on the south wall of the church.
A small window from the guardroom served as a peephole for a guard standing on a stone block.
Disagreement over house of Caiaphas
Though pilgrims’ reports back as far as AD 333 attest to this place being the site of the house of
Caiaphas, archaeologists are divided.
Some favour an alternative site for the high priest’s house at the Armenian Orthodox Church of the
House of Caiaphas on the summit of Mount Zion, adjacent to the Dormition Abbey.
Jerome Murphy-O’Connor considers it “much more likely that the house of the high priest was at
the top of the hill”.
Bargil Pixner, a former prior of the Dormition Abbey, disagrees, saying “this late and astonishing
theory originated at the time of the Crusaders and is quite improbable”.
Excavations at St Peter in Gallicantu have revealed a water cistern, corn mill, storage chambers
and servants’ quarters.
Artefacts discovered include a complete set of weights and measures for liquids and solids as used
by the priests in the Temple, and a door lintel with the word “Korban” (sacrificial offering) inscribed
in Hebrew.

39
Steps that Jesus trod
Beside the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu,
excavations have brought to light a stepped
street which in ancient times would have
descended from Mount Zion to the Kidron
Valley.
These stone steps were certainly in use at the
time of Christ. On the evening of his arrest, he
probably descended them with his disciples on
their way from the Last Supper to Gethsemane.
And, even if the House of Caiphas was situated
further up Mount Zion than the present church,
it would have been by this route that Jesus was
brought under guard to the high priest’s house.
The Church of St Peter in Gallicantu illustrates
the tumultuous history of religious sites in the
Holy Land: A major church built here in 457 was
damaged in 529 during the Samaritan Revolt
and destroyed in 614 by the Persians. It was
rebuilt around 628 and destroyed in 1009 by the
mad Caliph Hakim. Rebuilt around 1100 by the
Crusaders, it was destroyed in 1219 by the
Turks. Then a chapel was built, but it was
destroyed around 1300. The present church
was completed in 1932.
Steps leading to the House of Caiphas (Seetheholyland.net

40
Mount of Olives
Jerusalem

Church of St Mary Magdalene (left) and Church of Dominus Flevit on Mount of Olives (Seetheholyland.net)

The Mount of Olives, one of three hills on a long ridge to the east of Jerusalem, is the location of
many biblical events. Rising to more than 800 metres, it offers an unrivalled vista of the Old City
and its environs.
The hill, also called Mount Olivet, takes its name from the fact that it was once covered with olive
trees.
In the Old Testament, King David fled over the Mount of Olives to escape when his son Absalom
rebelled (2 Samuel 15:30).
After King Solomon turned away from God, he built pagan temples there for the gods of his foreign
wives (1 Kings 11:7-8).
Ezekiel had a vision of “the glory of the Lord” ascending from the city and stopping on the Mount
of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23).
Zechariah prophesied that in the final victory of the forces of good over the forces of evil, the Lord
of hosts would “stand on the Mount of Olives” and the mount would be “split in two from east to
west” (Zechariah 14:3-4).
Jesus knew it well
In the New Testament, Jesus often travelled over the Mount of Olives on the 40-minute walk from
the Temple to Bethany. He also went there to pray or to rest.
He went down the mount on his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, on the way weeping
over the city’s future destruction (Luke 19:29-44).

41
In a major address to his disciples on the mount, he foretold his Second Coming (Matthew 24:27-
31).
He prayed there with his disciples the night before he was arrested (Matthew 26:30-56). And he
ascended into heaven from there (Acts 1:1-12).
A place for pilgrims to sleep

Until the destruction of the Temple,

the Mount of Olives was a place
where many Jews would sleep out,
under the olive trees, during times of
pilgrimage.
During the Siege of Jerusalem which
led to the destruction of the city in AD
70, Roman soldiers from the 10th
Legion camped on the mount.
In Jewish tradition, the Messiah will
descend the Mount of Olives on
Judgement Day and enter Jerusalem
through the Golden Gate (the
blocked-up double gate in the centre
of the eastern wall of the Temple
Mount, also known as the Gate of
Mercy, or the Beautiful Gate). Jewish cemetery on Mount of Olives (Seetheholyland.net)
For this reason, Jews have always sought to be buried on the slopes of the mount. The area serves
as one of Jerusalem’s main cemeteries, with an estimated 150,000 graves.
Among them is a complex of catacombs called the Tombs of the Prophets. It is said to contain the
graves of the prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, who lived in the 6th and 5th centuries BC,
but the style of tombs belongs to a later time.
From Byzantine times the mount became a place of church-building. By the 6th century it had 24
churches, surrounded by monasteries containing large numbers of monks and nuns.

Church of All Nations on Mount of Olives (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net)

42
Several major pilgrimage sites
The Mount of Olives is the location of several major sites for pilgrims. They include:
• Church of All Nations (Basilica of the Agony): A sombre church at Gethsemane, built over the
rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night before he was crucified.
• Church of St Mary Magdalene: A Russian Orthodox church whose seven gilded onion domes,
each
topped by a tall cross, make it one of Jerusalem’s most picturesque sights.
• Church of Dominus Flevit: A church in the shape of a teardrop, commemorating the Gospel
incident in which Jesus wept over the future fate of Jerusalem.
• Church of Pater Noster: Recalling Christ’s teaching of the Lord’s Prayer, this church features
translations of the prayer in 140 languages, inscribed on colourful ceramic plaques.
• Dome of the Ascension: A small shrine, now a mosque marking the place where Jesus is believed
to have ascended to heaven.
• The garden and grotto of Gethsemane: The ancient olive grove identified as the place where
Jesus went to pray the night before he was crucified, and the cave where his disciples are believed
to have slept.
• Tomb of Mary: A dimly-lit, below-ground church where a Christian tradition says the Mother of
Jesus was buried.

43
Church of the Ascension
Jerusalem
The 64-metre tower that dominates the Mount of
Olives skyline belongs to the Russian Orthodox
Church of the Ascension. It was built to this height
in the 1870s so that pilgrims unable to walk to the
Jordan River could climb its 214 steps and at least
see the river.
Atop the freestanding square tower is a sharply-
pointed belfry. It contains an eight-ton bell, cast in
Russia and pulled and pushed mainly by women
pilgrims on a circular wagon from the port of Jaffa.
It was the first Christian bell to ring in the Ottoman
city of Jerusalem.
While the church is dedicated to the Ascension of
Jesus an event most Christians believe took place
about 200 metres further west at the Dome of the
Ascension it also claims a connection to St John
the Baptist.
An old tradition says the Baptist’s head was buried
on the Mount of Olives and discovered on the site
of the church by two Syrian monks in the 4th
century.
Since 1907 the church has been in the custody of
a community of Russian Orthodox nuns from a
Tower of the Russian Church of the Ascension (Seetheholyland.net)
variety of nations. They are renowned for their singing and their icon-writing.
Chapel marks finding of John’s head
The Russian complex of the church and associated buildings, including a pilgrims’ hostel, is set
among gardens with a large olive grove.
Access is from Rabi’a al-Adawwiyya Street (which begins directly opposite the entrance to the
Church of Pater Noster) and along a lane on the right called Alley 7. To the left of a big green gate
at the end of the lane is a door with a keypad to request entry.
The cross-shaped church is surmounted by a dome containing a
striking representation of the Ascension. Stains on flagstones from an
earlier Byzantine church are believed to be the blood of nuns slain
during the Persian invasion of 614.
Attached to an outside wall, protected by a grate, is a rock on which
the Orthodox believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, was standing when
her son ascended to heaven.
Behind the church is a chapel built on the site where the head of John
the Baptist is said to have been found.
The tradition holds that a follower of Christ called Joanna saw
Herodias, the wife of Herod Antipas, throw John’s head on a rubbish
heap. Joanna recovered it and buried it in a clay pot on the Mount of
Olives. Hollow in floor where John the Baptist’s head is believed to have been found (Matanya – Wikimedia)
In the 4th century John is said to have appeared in a dream to two Syrian monks who had come
to Jerusalem as pilgrims, showing them where his head was buried.

44
Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine, was in Jerusalem at the time and ordered a chapel
to be built on the spot. The present chapel has a Byzantine mosaic floor with a hollow said to mark
the place where the head was discovered.
Three other Ascension sites

Lutheran Church of the Ascension (Isaac Shweky / Wikimedia)

The Ascension of Jesus is commemorated at three other sites on the Mount of Olives:
* The Dome of the Ascension, a small octagonal structure in a walled compound about 200 metres
west of the Russian church. A church has stood here since around AD 380, but the present building
is now part of a mosque.
* The Lutheran Church of the Ascension, further north towards Mount Scopus. Also known as
Augusta Victoria (after the wife of the Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany who initiated plans for the
church in 1989), its fortress-like compound with a tall bell tower now hosts a hospital for the
Palestinian population of Jerusalem.
* The Greek Orthodox Viri Galilaei Church, between the Russian and Lutheran churches. Its name
means “men of Galilee”, a reference to the question posed to the apostles by two men in white
after the Ascension: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven…?”

45
Church of Dominus Flevit
Jerusalem

Teardrop-shaped Church of Dominus Flevit (Seetheholyland.net)

The little teardrop Church of Dominus Flevit, halfway down the western slope of the Mount of
Olives, recalls the Gospel incident in which Jesus wept over the future fate of Jerusalem.
This poignant incident occurred during Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first Palm
Sunday, when crowds threw their cloaks on the road in front of him and shouted, “Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Looking down on the city, Jesus wept over it as he prophesied its future destruction. Enemies
would “set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side crush you to
the ground and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not
recognise the time of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:37-44)
Within 40 years, in AD 70, Jesus’ prophesy was fulfilled. Roman legions besieged Jerusalem and,
after six months of fighting, burnt the Temple and levelled the city.

46
Teardrop shape recalls Christ’s grief

Window behind the altar in the Church of Dominus Flevit (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae)

The panoramic view from the Church of Dominus Flevit (Latin for “the Lord wept”) makes it easy
to imagine the scene as Christ looked down on the city.
Rising proud behind the city wall, in the place of today’s Dome of the Rock, stood the Temple a
gleaming vision of white marble and gold facings, huge bronze doors and colonnaded porticos.
Beyond rose the grand Hasmonean palace, then serving as the Praetorium, and Herod’s Upper
Palace with its three enormous towers.
And in the houses and the streets were the men, women and children of Jerusalem, unaware of
the fate that was to befall the Holy City.
Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi symbolised Christ’s grief over the city by designing the Dominus
Flevit Church in the shape of a teardrop, with tear phials on the four corners of its dome.
At the foot of the altar, a mosaic of a hen
gathering her chickens under her wings recalls
Christ’s words “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city
that kills the prophets and stones those who are
sent to it! How often have I desired to gather
your children together as a hen gathers her
brood under her wings, and you were not
willing!” (Luke 13:34)
Behind the altar is a much-photographed
picture window overlooking the city. The cross
and chalice in its arch-shaped design focus not
on the Dome of the Rock but on the Church of
the Holy Sepulchre.
Hen and chickens on altar in Church of Dominus Flevit (Seetheholyland.net)

47
Ancient mosaic floor is preserved

The Church of Dominus Flevit was built in 1955, but occupies an ancient site. It stands on the ruins
of a Byzantine church from the 5th century, dedicated to the prophetess St Anna, and in an area
of tombs dating back as far as 1600 BC.
Examples of the two types of tombs discovered by excavators have been left visible.
Also unearthed were the remains of an elaborate mosaic floor from the Byzantine church. It has
been preserved, to the left of the entrance.
The mosaic is richly decorated with intersecting circles and pictures of fruit, leaves and flowers.
An inscription in Greek refers to Simon, a “friend of Christ”, who “decorated this place of prayer
and offered it to Christ our Lord for the forgiveness of his sins and for the repose of his brother.

48
Gethsemane
Jerusalem

Old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net)

The garden of Gethsemane, near the foot of the Mount of Olives, is named in the New Testament
as the place where Jesus went with his disciples to pray the night before he was crucified.
The garden, about 1200 square metres in area, was well known to the disciples as it is close to
the natural route from the Temple to the summit of the Mount of Olives and the ridge leading to
Bethany.
The name in Hebrew means “oil press”. Oil is still pressed from the fruit of eight ancient and gnarled
olive trees that give the garden a timeless character.
Beside the garden is the Church of All Nations, built over the rock on which Jesus is believed to
have prayed in agony before he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested.
About 100 metres north of the church is the Grotto of Gethsemane, where Jesus and his disciples
often camped at night. In this natural grotto, it is believed, the disciples slept while Jesus prayed.
Near the grotto is the Tomb of Mary, where a Christian tradition holds that the Mother of Jesus was
buried after she “fell asleep” in death.
How old are the trees?

In the garden of Gethsemane, behind a fence of iron tracery with Byzantine motifs, stand the
gnarled trunks of eight hoary olive trees. They create a spiritual atmosphere for visitors to the
garden of Gethsemane, although the flower beds and paths around them introduce an artificial
element.

49
 The trees also generate conjecture about
their age. Were they silent witnesses to the
Agony of Jesus the night before he died?
Israel has many ancient olive trees. Two in
the town of Arraba and five in Deir Hanna
have been determined to be over 3000 years
old.
The present Gethsemane trees, however,
were not standing at the time of Christ. The
historian Flavius Josephus reports that all
the trees around Jerusalem were cut down
by the Romans for their siege equipment
before they captured the city in AD 70.
Research reported in 2012 showed that
three of the eight ancient trees (the only ones
on which it was technically possible to carry
out the study) dated from the middle of the
12th century, and all eight originated as
cuttings from a single parent tree. The
Gethsemane olives are possibly
descendants of one that was in the garden
at the time of Christ. This is because when
an olive tree is cut down, shoots will come
back from the roots to create a new tree. In
1982 the University of California carried out
radiocarbon-dating tests on some root
material from Gethsemane. The results
indicated that some of the wood could be
dated at 2300 years old.
Gnarled trunk in the Garden of Gethsemane (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net

What happens to the fruit from the Gethsemane olive trees? When it is harvested each year, the
oil is pressed for Gethsemane’s sanctuary lamps and the pits are used to make rosary beads,
given by the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land to notable pilgrims.
Grotto where the disciples slept
Access to the Grotto of Gethsemane is along a narrow-walled passageway leading to the right
from the open courtyard in front of the Tomb of Mary.
The natural grotto, about 190
square metres in area, is
basically unchanged from the
time of Jesus. It is believed to
be where the disciples slept
while Jesus prayed, and where
Jesus was betrayed by Judas
and arrested. It may also be the
location of Jesus’ night-time
meeting with Nicodemus (John
3:1-21). Over the main altar is
a representation of Jesus
Praying among the Apostles,
while the paintings over the
side altars depict the
Assumption of the Virgin and
the Kiss of Judas.
Grotto of Gethsemane (© Custodia Terrae Sanctae

50
On a more mundane level, bronze figures beneath the main altar depict two of the sleeping
disciples.
The grotto is also known as the Cave of the Olive Press. To the right of the right-hand altar is a
hole in the wall. It is just at the right height to hold one end of a wooden beam which, when weighted
at the other end, pressed crushed olives piled in loosely woven baskets.
In the 4th century the grotto became a chapel. The floor was paved with white mosaic through
which graves were subsequently dug. More than 40 graves, mainly from the 5th to 8th centuries,
have been discovered.
The inscriptions on the wall have been interpreted in various ways. The line around the sanctuary
seems to mean: “Here [in these representations]: The King sweated blood. Christ the Saviour
frequented [this place with his apostles]. My Father, if it is your wish, let this chalice pass from me.”

Church of All Nations

Jerusalem
The Church of All Nations, standing
near the foot of the Mount of Olives in
Jerusalem, is built over the rock on
which Jesus is believed to have
prayed in agony the night before he
was crucified.
The church and the adjacent Garden
of Gethsemane, with its eight ancient
olive trees, provide an evocative
place for meditation, especially when
visited at night.
The church is also known as the
Basilica of the Agony. Completed in
1924, it is the third church on the site.
Facade of Church of All Nations (Seetheholyland.net)

Its design blends the façade of a typically Roman basilica with a roof of 12 small domes that
suggest an Eastern character. The richly-coloured triangular mosaic at the top of the façade makes
it a Jerusalem landmark.

51
Jesus prayed in anguish
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark
and Luke tell that Jesus and his
disciples went to the Mount of
Olives after the Last Supper.
He left eight of the disciples
together in one place and
withdrew further with Peter,
James and John. He asked
them the three who had
witnessed his Transfiguration
to stay awake with him while he
prayed.
Jesus “threw himself on the
ground” (Matthew 26:39) and in
his anguish “his sweat became
like great drops of blood falling
down on the ground” (Luke
22:44). But the three disciples,
Rock of Agony in the Church of All Nations (Seetheholyland.net)
all of them fishermen who were used to working through the night, could not stay awake “because
of grief” (Luke 22:45).
Then a group from the chief priests and elders arrived to arrest Jesus. They were led by Judas,
who betrayed his Master with a kiss.
Sombre atmosphere in church

An atmosphere of sorrowful reverence

pervades the Church of All Nations. The
architect, Antonio Barluzzi, evoked the night-
time of the Agony by leaving the interior in
semi-darkness, relieved only by subdued
natural light filtered through violet-blue
alabaster windows.
The sombre blue of a star-studded night sky
is recreated in the ceiling domes, the stars
being surrounded by olive branches
reminiscent of the Gethsemane garden.
In front of the high altar is a flat outcrop of
rock, which a long Christian tradition
identifies as the Rock of Agony where Jesus
prayed.
There is a large mosaic in each of the three
apses. From left to right, they represent The
Kiss of Judas, Christ in Agony being
Consoled by an Angel, and The Arrest of
Jesus.
Many nations contributed
The basilica is called the Church of All
Nations because many countries contributed
to the cost of construction.

Main altar in Church of All Nations (Seetheholyland.net)

52
National symbols of 12 donors Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, England, France,
Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the United States of America are inside the ceiling domes.
The mosaics in the apses were donated by Hungary, Ireland and Poland. The wrought-iron wreath
around the Rock of Agony was given by Australia.
The wreath is in the form of a crown of thorns with olive branches. A pair of thorn birds in front of
a Communion chalice symbolise souls who wish to share the cup of Christ’s Passion. Two silver
doves are depicted as sacrificial victims caught in agony in the thorns.
Original mosaic floor discovered
During construction, parts of the mosaic floor of the original Byzantine church were discovered.
These were preserved under glass and may be seen in the floor of the south aisle.
The architect then decided to copy this 4th-century mosaic design in the floor of the modern church,
to suggest a spiritual continuity throughout the ages of faith.

Triangular mosaic on facade of Church of All Nations (Seetheholyland.net)

On the façade of the Church of All Nations, the triangular area over the great portal displays a
much-photographed mosaic.
Christ is depicted as the mediator between God and mankind, on whose behalf he gives his very
heart which an angel is shown receiving into his hands.
On Christ’s left, a throng of lowly people, in tears, look to him with confidence. On his right, a group
of the powerful and wise acknowledge the shortcomings of their might and learning.
On the summit of the façade stand two stags on either side of a cross. Below the mosaic, statues
of the four Evangelists are separated by three arches.

53
Ein Karem
Israel
Church of the Nativity of St John the Baptist
Church of the Visitation

Mary meets Elizabeth, at the Church of the Visitation (Seetheholyland.net)

Christian tradition places the birth of John the Baptist who announced the coming of Jesus Christ,
his cousin in the picturesque village of Ein Karem 7.5km south-west of Jerusalem.
Luke’s Gospel tells of the circumstances of John’s birth (1:5-24, 39-66).
The angel Gabriel appeared to the elderly priest Zechariah while he was serving in the Temple
and told him that his wife Elizabeth was to bear a son. Zechariah was sceptical, so he was struck
dumb and remained so until the baby John was born.
In the meantime, Gabriel appeared to the teenage Virgin Mary in Nazareth, telling her that she was
to become the mother of Jesus. As proof, he revealed that Mary’s elderly cousin Elizabeth was
already six months’ pregnant.

54
Mary then “went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country” a distance of around 120km “where
she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the child leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:39-41)
Two sites for two houses
The two main sites in the “Judean town” of Ein Karem are linked to the understanding that
Zechariah and Elizabeth had two houses in Ein Karem (also known as Ain Karim, Ain Karem, ’Ayn
Karim and En Kerem).
Their usual residence was in the valley. But a cooler summer house, high on a hillside, allowed
them to escape the heat and humidity.
The summer house is believed to be where the pregnant Elizabeth “remained in seclusion for five
months” (Luke 1:24) and where Mary visited her.
The house in the valley is where John the Baptist was born. Here, also, old Zechariah finally
regained his power of speech after his son was born, when he obediently wrote on a writing tablet
that the baby’s name was to be John.
Ein Karem is still a tranquil place of trees and vineyards, but the municipality of Jerusalem has
spread to incorporate the former Arab village. It is now a town of Jewish artisans and craftspeople,
but Christian churches and convents abound.

Church of the Nativity of St John the Baptist

Church of St John the Baptist in the centre of Ein Karem (© Israel Ministry of Tourism)

There are two churches of St John the Baptist in the town. Best-known is the Catholic Church of
the Nativity of St John, identifiable by its tall tower topped by a round spire. It is also called “St
John in the mountains”, a reference to the “hill country” of the Scripture.
The church combines remnants of many periods. An early church on this site was used by Muslim
villagers for their livestock before the Franciscans recovered it in the 17th century. The Franciscans
built the present church with the help of the Spanish monarchy.

55
The high altar is dedicated to St John. To the right is Elizabeth’s altar. To the left are steps leading
down to a natural grotto identified as John’s birthplace and believed to be part of his parents’ home.
A chapel beneath the porch contains two tombs. An inscription in a mosaic panel reads, in Greek,
“Hail martyrs of God”. Whom it refers to is unknown.
The other church, built in 1894, is Eastern Orthodox.
Church of the Visitation

Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem (Seetheholyland.net)

The Virgin Mary’s visit to Elizabeth depicted in mosaic on the façade is commemorated in a two-
tiered church, on a slope of the hill south of Ein Karem.
Completed in 1955 to a design by Antonio Barluzzi, the artistically decorated Church of the
Visitation is considered one of the most beautiful of all the Gospel sites in the Holy Land.
This is believed to be the site of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s summer house, where Mary came to
visit her cousin. On the wall opposite the church, ceramic plaques reproduce Mary’s canticle of
praise, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) in some 50 languages.
In the lower chapel, a vaulted passage leads to an old well. An ancient tradition asserts that a
spring joyfully burst out of the rock here when Mary greeted Elizabeth.

56
A huge stone set in a niche is known as the Stone of Hiding. According to an ancient tradition, the
stone opened to provide a hiding place for the baby John during Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents
an event depicted in a painting on the wall.
Mary’s Spring and the Desert of St John
In a valley on the south of the village is a fresh-water spring known as Mary’s Spring or the Fountain
of the Virgin. Tradition has it that Mary quenched her thirst from this spring before ascending the
hill to meet Elizabeth.
The water has become contaminated and is no longer safe to drink.
The spring gives the village its name from the Arabic “ein” (spring) and kerem (vineyard or olive
grove). Built over the spring is a small abandoned mosque, another reminder that this was once
an Arab village.
South-west of Ein Karem, off Route 386, a Greek Melkite monastery and a Franciscan convent
mark the Desert of St John, a site where John the Baptist is believed to have lived in seclusion.

57
Western Wall
Jerusalem

Jews and visitors at the Western Wall in Jerusalem (Seetheholyland.net)

Judaism’s holiest place is the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. Part of the retaining wall
erected by Herod the Great in 20 BC to support the vast plaza on which he rebuilt the Temple, it
is venerated as the sole remnant of the Temple.
The wall and the plaza in front of it form a permanent place of worship, a site of pilgrimage for Jews
and a focus of prayer often petitions written down and placed between the huge stones. The Jewish
name for the wall is the Kotel.
Orthodox Jewish men, fully bearded and garbed in black, bowing their heads as they read and
pray from the Torah, are a common sight.
It is also the place where Jews down the ages have expressed their grief over the destruction of
the Temple, their anguish giving the wall another name the Wailing Wall.
But the wall is also a place for celebrations, especially of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs (coming-of-age
ceremonies for Jewish sons and daughters).
Stones weigh up to eight tons
In the exposed part of the Western Wall today, the seven lowest layers of stones are from Herod’s
construction. Most of these stones weigh between two and eight tons.

58
 Above these are stones placed in later
centuries, replacing those forced out when the
Romans put down a Jewish revolt by sacking
Jerusalem and destroying the Temple in AD 70.
The prayer area in front of the wall is divided
into separate sections for men and women.
Men and married women who approach the wall
are expected to have their heads covered. A
kippah (skullcap) is provided free of charge.
Cameras and electronic devices are forbidden
on Saturdays.

Celebrating bar mitzvah at the Western Wall (Margaret O’Sullivan / Seetheholyland.net)

To the right of the plaza, near the southern end of the Temple Mount, large stones jutting out of
the wall are the remains of what is called Robinson’s Arch. This arch once supported a grand
staircase to the Temple.
Valley was filled in
In the time of Christ, a deep valley, spanned by
bridges, ran beside the Western Wall and eight more
levels of stones were visible. Through the centuries
this valley, the Tyropoeon, has been progressively
filled in with masonry and rubble.
Mark 13:1 recounts that one of Jesus’ disciples
exclaimed to him as they left the Temple: “Look,
Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!”
Jesus replied: “Not one stone will be left here upon
another; all will be thrown down.”
The Western Wall was captured by Jordan during the
1948 Arab-Israeli War and recaptured by Israel
during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Arab housing and mosques near the wall were
immediately razed. In their place, today’s plaza was
created, stretching from the wall to the Jewish
Quarter.
At the left end of the Western Wall is the entrance to
a tunnel which allows visitors to walk along 500
metres of the extended wall, under buildings of the
Old City. Sights include the biggest stone in the wall,
estimated to weigh 570 tons.

Divided prayer areas at the Western Wall (© Israel Ministry of Tourism

59
Bethany
West Bank
The little village of Bethany, on the eastern
slope of the Mount of Olives about 3km from
Jerusalem, was a favourite place of rest and
refuge for Jesus.
Here he knew the intimacy and friendship of his
friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. And here, in
the cemetery just below the village, he raised
Lazarus from the dead.
When Lazarus was dying, as John’s Gospel
(11:1-44) recounts, his sisters sent for Jesus.
But Jesus delayed his arrival until four days after
Lazarus had been buried, “so that the Son of
God may be glorified”.
Arriving at the tomb, Jesus called: “Lazarus,
come out!” To the amazement of mourners who
had witnessed the burial, the dead man walked
out. This miracle confirmed the determination of
the religious leaders in Jerusalem to have Jesus
put to death.
Bethany (not to be confused with Bethany
Beyond the Jordan, where Christ was baptised)
is also associated with two other events:

Entrance to the Tomb of Lazarus (Seetheholyland.net)

• While Christ was visiting his friends’ home, Martha complained that her sister Mary, sitting at the
Lord’s feet and listening to him, had left all the work to her. Christ replied: “Mary has chosen the
better part, which will not be taken away from her”. (Luke 10:38-42)
• At dinner in the house of Simon the Leper, a week before the crucifixion, Mary took a jar of
expensive ointment and poured it over Christ’s feet an act he saw as the anointing of his body for
burial. (John 12:1-8).
Pilgrims since early centuries
The present Arab village, on the south-eastern
slope of the Mount of Olives, is called Al-
Azariyeh, an Arabic version of Lazarus. The
original village was probably higher up the hill to
the west of the tomb of Lazarus.
The Franciscan Albert Storme says the reason
why pilgrims have been drawn to this place is
not based on “some ‘casual’ wonder. In their
eyes, Lazarus’ resurrection prefigured that of
Christ, and heralded their own return from the
grave.”
Christian churches have been built here since
the early centuries. In AD 333, the Anonymous
Pilgrim of Bordeaux reported seeing “the crypt
where Lazarus had been laid to rest”.
View of Bethany, with, from left, the Catholic Church of St
Lazarus, the Al-Ozir Mosque and the Greek Orthodox church
(© Welcometohosanna.com

60
By the 14th century the churches were in ruins and the original entrance to the tomb had been
turned into a mosque. In the 16th century the Franciscans cut through the soft rock to create the
present entrance.
27 steps to burial chamber
Today’s pilgrims enter from the
street down a flight of 24 well-
worn and uneven steps to a
vestibule. Three more steps
lead to the burial chamber, little
more than 2 metres long.
Tradition says Jesus stood in
the vestibule to call Lazarus
from the grave.
The present Catholic church,
with mosaics depicting the
events that occurred here, was
built in 1954. Architect Antonio
Barluzzi contrasted the sadness
of death with the joy of
resurrection by designing a
crypt-like, windowless church,
into which light floods from the
large oculus in its dome.
A Greek Orthodox church,
dedicated to Simon the Leper,
is to the west of the tomb.
I
nside the Tomb of Lazarus, with the burial chamber at lower right (© Welcometohosanna.com)

Since 2005 Bethany, in the West Bank, has been cut off from Jerusalem by Israel’s separation
wall. The wall actually cuts across the main street, making a serious impact on the live of residents
and on the town’s economy.
What used to be a 10-minute drive from the Mount of Olives to Bethany now requires a lengthy
detour, so the Tomb of Lazarus has become isolated from the normal pilgrim and tourist route.

61
Mount of Temptation
West Bank
The Mount of Temptation, with a gravity-defying monastery clinging to its sheer face, is
traditionally regarded as the mountain on which Christ was tempted by the devil during his 40-day
fast.

)
Monastery of the Temptation with cable cars immediately below it (Seetheholyland.net

The summit of the mount, about 360 metres above sea level, offers a spectacular panoramic view
of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the mountains of Moab and Gilead.
The Mount of Temptation is about 5km north-west of the West Bank city of Jericho. Access to the
summit is by a 30-minute trek up a steep path passing through the cliffhanging monastery on the
way or by a 5-minute cable car ride from Tel Jericho.
Unlike some Greek Orthodox monasteries, the Monastery of the Temptation allows women visitors
as well as men.
The mountain is also known as Mount Quarantania and Jebel Quarantul. Both names arise from
a mispronunciation of the Latin word Quarentena, meaning 40, the number of days in Christ’s fast.
This period of fasting became the model for the practice of Lent in Christian churches.

62
Temptations on the mount
As recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (4:1-11) and Luke (4:1-13) and fleetingly in Mark (1:12-13)
the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the
desert. While he fasted, the
devil tempted him three times to
prove his divinity by
demonstrating his supernatural
powers.
Each time, Jesus rebuffed the
tempter with a quotation from
the Book of Deuteronomy. Then
the devil left and angels brought
food to Jesus, who was
famished.
Tradition dating from the 12th
century places two of the devil’s
temptings on the Mount of
Temptation.
The temptation to turn a stone
into bread is located in a grotto
halfway up the mountain. The
offer of all the kingdoms of the
world in return for worshipping
the devil is located on the
summit.
The Temptation on the Mount, by Duccio di Buoninsegna (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena)

Monks turned caves into cells

Monks and hermits have inhabited
the mountain since the early
centuries of Christianity. They
lived in natural caves, which they
turned into cells, chapels and
storage rooms. A sophisticated
system of conduits brought
rainwater from a large catchment
area into five caves used as
reservoirs.
A 4th-century Byzantine
monastery was built on the ruins of
a Hasmonean-Herodian fortress.
The monks abandoned the site
after the Persian invasion of 614.
Monastery of the Temptation (Dmitrij Rodionov / Wikimedia)

63
 The present Monastery of the
Temptation, reconstructed at
the end of the 19th century,
seems to grow out of the
mountain. The northern half is
cut into the almost sheer cliff,
while the southern half is
cantilevered into space.
A medieval cave-church, on
two levels, is built of masonry
in front of a cave. In the
monastery is a stone on
which, according to tradition,
Jesus sat during one of his
temptations.

Cliff into which monastery is built (Kourosh)

In the valley of this mountain, Jewish priests and Levites travelled the winding road from Jericho
to Jerusalem when it was their turn to minister in the Temple. In the time of Jesus, about 12,000
priests and Levites lived in Jericho.

Jericho
West Bank
It’s reputed to be the oldest town on earth, with stories to match.
The Israelites supposedly brought down its walls with a great
shout and trumpet blasts. Here Jesus healed Bartimaeus, the
blind beggar, and dined with Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector.
And both Cleopatra and Herod the Great coveted this lush
oasis.
Jericho (the name means “City of palms”) is mentioned 70 times
in the Old Testament.
In perhaps the most famous battle in the Bible, it was the first
town captured by the Israelites when they entered the Promised
Land. But did “the walls come tumbling down”, as the song
says? Archaeologists are divided on whether Joshua’s
Israelites did in fact demolish a walled city.

Sign for world’s oldest city (© Visitpalestine.ps)

Water from Jericho’s powerful perennial spring provides irrigation for abundant fruit, flowers and
spices. “When the orange and lemon trees are in bloom, in the spring, the air is so heavy with their
perfume that the visitor is sure he could bottle some of it and take it home with him,” writes
archaeologist Godfrey Kloetzli.
The spring is associated with the prophet Elisha, who purified its waters by throwing salt into it.

64
Mound rose as towns were destroyed
The first hunter-gatherers settled here around 9000 BC.
Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20
successive settlements at Tell es-Sultan (or Sultan’s Hill), a
sun-baked earthen mound two kilometres north of the present
city.
The 15-metre mound was formed over the centuries as towns
were destroyed and new ones built on their rubble. The most
striking discovery unearthed is a thick-walled stone tower, 7
metres high and 7.6 metres across, dating back to 7000 BC.
Besides being the oldest town on earth, Jericho is also the
lowest (more than 250 metres below sea level).

Ancient tower at Tell es-Sultan (Seetheholyland.net)

City of priests and Levites

Since Jericho was on the normal route from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through it several
times.
Near the centre of the city, a centuries-old
sycamore tree recalls the incident in which the
tax collector Zacchaeus, too short to see over
the crowd, climbed a sycamore’s branches in
order to see Jesus. (The African sycamore fig
should not be confused with the sycamore of
Europe and North America, which is a different
species.)
At a nearby Greek Orthodox monastery, the
trunk of a dead sycamore behind a glass frame
is also described as the tax collector’s tree.
Jesus chose the steep, rocky road from
Jerusalem down to Jericho as the setting for the
parable of the Good Samaritan.
In this parable, Jesus describes the
compassion of an alien (the Samaritan)
towards a man who had been beaten and
robbed, contrasting it with the pitiless attitude of
a priest and a Levite who had “passed by on the
other side” of the road.

Sycamore described as Zaccheus’ tree (Seetheholyland.net

At that time, Jericho was one of the cities designated for the residence of priests and Levites
rostered for duty in the Temple, about 28 kilometres away. About 12,000 priests and Levites are
believed to have lived there, and they were a familiar sight on the road.

65
Cleopatra wanted a perfume
In 35 BC the Roman politician Mark Antony made a gift of Jericho to his lover Cleopatra of Egypt.
Cleopatra had coveted the oasis because she wanted to control the plantations of persimmon (now
extinct), which produced a perfume that reputedly “drove men wild”.
Later Cleopatra leased Jericho to Herod the Great at an exorbitant fee that cost him almost half
Judea’s income. After Mark Antony and Cleopatra died, Herod gained ownership of the city. He
built a palatial residence and died there in 4 BC.

66
Dead Sea
Israel/Jordan/West Bank

Bathers by the shore of the Dead Sea (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net)

The Dead Sea, which shimmers like a blue mirror under all-day sunshine, is one of the most
unusual bodies of water in the world.
It is set in the lowest dry land on earth, so it has no outlet. It is so loaded with minerals that no fish
can live in it. It is so dense that bathers can lie back on its surface and read a newspaper.
The Dead Sea is located about 25km east of Jerusalem, along the border between Israel and
Jordan. About half of it is actually in Jordanian territory.
The ancient Hebrews called this body of water the Sea of Salt. Other ancient names include the
Sea of Solitude, the Sea of Arabah and the Asphalt Sea. The Crusaders called it the Sea of Satan.
The Dead Sea’s therapeutic qualities attracted Herod the Great. Its minerals and sticky black mud
provided balms for Egyptian mummies and cosmetics for Cleopatra.
Now its health resorts treat psoriasis and arthritis, its skin-care products are marketed worldwide,
and its industrial evaporation pans harvest potash and other minerals.

67
 Wicked cities were destroyed
The region has many biblical connections.
Here, though their locations are unknown, the
wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were
destroyed by God with “sulphur and fire” and
Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt for
looking back at the destruction (Genesis
19:24-26). Among the salt encrustations
around the sea is an unusual column at the
southern end called Lot’s Wife (though it is 20
metres high).

Pillar of salt, on Jordanian side of Dead Sea, known as Lot’s Wife (© Visitjordan.com)

On the eastern side, the highest peak visible is Mount Nebo, where Moses glimpsed the Promised
Land. Further south stands the fortress of Machaerus, where Herod Antipas imprisoned and then
executed John the Baptist. On the western side, from north to south, are Qumran, where the Dead
Sea Scrolls were found; Ein Gedi, where David hid from King Saul in a cave (and cut off a corner
of the king’s cloak when he entered the cave to relieve himself); and Herod the Great’s fortress of
Masada.
Evaporation concentrates the minerals
By 2013 the Dead Sea was
50km long, 15km across at its
widest point, and 430 metres
below sea level. Its area was
constantly shrinking and the
water level was dropping by
more than a metre a year.
Because it has no exit, water is
lost only through evaporation,
which leaves behind the
minerals. The Dead Sea is
nearly 10 times as salty as the
open seas. The high
concentration of minerals
(predominantly magnesium
chloride) provides the
Afloat in the Dead Sea (David Niblack

buoyancy that keeps bathers suspended as well as a bitter taste. A low promontory of land called
el-Lisan (“the tongue”) projects across the sea from the east, dividing the southern third from the
northern section. The southern part is now devoted to evaporation pools for mineral extraction.
Most of the water that once flowed from the Jordan River into the Dead Sea is being diverted for
drinking water and agricultural purposes, so there is not enough to offset the high evaporation rate.
Since the late 1980s the landscape around the sea has been reshaped by thousands of sinkholes
caused by fresh water from the mountains dissolving underground levels of salt. This phenomenon
has caused some tourist beaches in Israel to close. Rescue proposals to prevent the sea drying
up have included canals to bring water from the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea.
If the Dead Sea becomes rejuvenated with fresh water, this could fulfil a prophecy in Ezekiel 47:8-
10, that it will “become fresh and there will be very many fish”.
In December 2013, representatives of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority agreed on a
long-term desalination project in which brine would be piped about 180 kilometres from Aqaba,
Jordan, to replenish the Dead Sea.

68
Church of the Annunciation
Israel

Church of the Annunciation (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net)

The towering cupola of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth stands over the cave that
tradition holds to be the home of the Virgin Mary.
Here, it is believed, the archangel Gabriel told the young Mary, aged about 14, that she would
become the mother of the Son of God. And here Mary uttered her consent: “Let it be done to me
according to your word.”
The outcome of Mary’s consent is carved in Latin across the façade over the triple-doorway
entrance: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The massive two-storey basilica, in strikingly modern architectural style and colourfully decorated,
became the largest Christian church in the Middle East when it was completed in 1969. It contains
two churches, the upper one being the parish church for Nazareth’s Catholic community.
The cupola, which dominates modern-day Nazareth, is surmounted by a lantern symbolising the
Light of the World.
Entry is from the west, where signs indicate a route for visitors. On the cream limestone façade
are reliefs of Mary, Gabriel and the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Above them
is a bronze statue of Jesus.
Over a door on the southern side stands a statue of Mary aged 14, welcoming all who come to
visit her home.

69
Grotto contains cave-home
The lower level of the
Church of the Annunciation
enshrines a sunken grotto
that contains the traditional
cave-home of the Virgin
Mary.
The cave is flanked by
remnants of earlier
churches on the site. Its
entrance is sometimes
closed by a protective grille.
Inside the cave stands an
altar with the Latin
inscription “Here the Word
was made flesh”.
To the left of the cave
entrance is a mosaic floor
inscribed with the words
“Gift of Conon, deacon of
Jerusalem”.
The deacon may have been
responsible for converting
the house of Mary into the
first church on the site,
around 427.
In front of the cave is
another simple altar, with
tiers of seats around it on
three sides. Above it, a
large octagonal opening is
situated exactly under the
cupola of the church.

Eucharist in front of grotto in Church of the Annunciation (Seetheholyland.net)

Cupola represents a lily

The plan of two churches, one above the other and interconnected, was conceived by the Italian
architect Giovanni Muzio.
As well as preserving the remains of previous churches on the lower level, he allowed for the risk
of earthquake by constructing the building in three separate sections of reinforced concrete.

70
 The soaring cupola represents an inverted lily
opening its petals to the shrine below. The
symbolism combines the lily, as an image of
Mary’s purity, with one of the Semitic meanings
of the name Nazareth, a flower.
A spiral stairway at the main entrance leads to
the large and spacious upper church. This is
the parish church for the Catholic community
of Nazareth (which is why the inscriptions on
the ceramic Stations of the Cross are in
Arabic).
The main entrance of the upper church is on
the northern side, leading off a large elevated
square overlooking the valley of Nazareth.
Around the walls of the upper church are
colourful representations of the Virgin Mary in
a variety of materials, presented by many
countries.
Behind the main altar is a huge mosaic, one of
the biggest in the world, depicting the “one,
holy, catholic and apostolic church”.

Dome of Church of the Annunciation (Seetheholyland.net)

Excavations revealed early shrine

The first church on the site venerated as Mary’s home was built around 427. The Crusaders built
a huge basilica on its ruins, but this too was destroyed when the Crusader kingdom fell in 1187.
In 1620 the Franciscans managed to purchase the site from the local Arab ruler, but it was a further
120 years before they were allowed to build a new church.
When that church was demolished to prepare for the modern basilica, extensive excavations took
place. These revealed the remains of the ancient village of Nazareth with its silos, cisterns and
other cave-dwellings.
The most sensational discovery was of a shrine or synagogue-church dating back to before the
first church was built. Scratched on the base of a column appeared the Greek characters XE
MAPIA, translated as “Hail Mary” the archangel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary.
First-century house
In December 2009, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of a house from the
time of Christ, on a property next to the Church of the Annunciation.

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First-century Nazareth house discovered in 2009 (© Assaf Peretz / Israel Antiquities Authority)

The authority described it as “the very first” residential building found from the old Jewish village.
Small and modest, the house consisted of two rooms and a courtyard with a cistern to collect
rainwater.
The remains of the house were found during an excavation prior to construction of the Mary of
Nazareth International Centre. They are conserved and displayed inside that building.

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Church of St Joseph
Israel

Church of St Joseph, Nazareth (Seetheholyland.net)

A fond tradition asserts that the Church of St Joseph in Nazareth is built over the carpentry
workshop of the husband of the Virgin Mary.
The church (also known as the Church of the Nutrition and the Church of Joseph’s Workshop) is
a solid and unpretentious building. It stands very much in the shadow of the soaring cupola of the
Church of the Annunciation on its southern side just as St Joseph himself lived in the shadow of
Jesus and Mary.
But there is no evidence that the cave over which the church is built was Joseph’s workshop. Even
if this is the site of the Holy Family’s home, the cave is unlikely to have been a carpentry workshop
in the modern sense.
The Gospels use the Greek word tekton, meaning builder or artisan, to describe Joseph. He most
likely worked with both stone and wood, since stone was the common building material in the area.
Joseph’s work may have taken him away from his home. A likely place of employment was the
Roman city of Sepphoris or Tzippori, which was being rebuilt by Herod Antipas at the time the Holy
Family arrived from Egypt. The building site was a 50-minute walk from Nazareth.

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Cave system under church
The Church of St Joseph was built in 1914 on the
remains of a Crusader church and over a cave
system. The first mention of the site occurs in the
work of a 17th-century Italian writer and Orientalist,
Franciscus Quaresmius, who described it as “the
house and workshop of Joseph”.
The apse of the church has three noteworthy
paintings: The Holy Family, The Dream of Joseph,
and The Death of Joseph in the Arms of Jesus and
Mary.
A stairway in the church descends to a crypt where
caverns can be seen through a grille in the floor.
Seven further steps lead to a 2-metre square basin
or pit with a black-and-white mosaic floor. This is
believed to have been a pre-Constantinian
Christian baptistry, perhaps used as early as the
1st century.
Beside the basin, a flight of rough steps leads
down to a narrow passage which, after turning 180
degrees, opens into an underground chamber 2
metres high.
Off this are openings to grain silos and water
cisterns, cut into the soft limestone rock by early
Death of St Joseph, stained glass in Church of St Joseph

dwellers. Such underground repositories were typical of ancient Nazareth.

74
Synagogue Church: The dome and bell towers of this Melkite Greek Catholic church rise over
the old market of Nazareth, up a street almost due east of St Joseph’s Church.
The church incorporates a
Crusader building believed to
be on the site of the synagogue
in which Jesus preached. This
simple stone room with a plain
altar evokes the Gospel
account (Luke 4:16-30) in
which Jesus read the
Messianic passage in Isaiah 61
(“The spirit of the Lord is upon
me”) and proclaimed that he
was the fulfilment of this
promise.

Synagogue Church, Nazareth (Seetheholyland.net)

The initial response was favourable, but when Jesus indicated that the proclamation of the Good
News was to include the gentiles, his hearers were enraged and tried to throw up off a high cliff.
Mary’s Well

Some 400 metres north of the

Church of the Annunciation,
just off the main street, is
Mary’s Well. Fed by the main
freshwater spring in the little
village, it would have been
visited daily by Mary, often
accompanied by her young
son.
According to the Greek
Orthodox, whose Church of St
Gabriel is adjacent, this is the
true site of the Annunciation.
But both traditions can be
accommodated by an account
in the early Protoevangelium of
James.

Mary’s Well, Nazareth (Seetheholyland.net)

This apocryphal document says the archangel Gabriel first approached Mary as she went to draw
water at the well. Frightened by the stranger’s approach, the young girl ran back to her home.
There the archangel appeared again and this time delivered his message.
The present water-trough structure is a reconstruction carried out in 2000. Water is piped from the
spring, about 200 metres to the north.
Water from the spring can be seen in St Gabriel’s Church, in a well-like structure in the crypt. The
stonework dates from the time of the Crusaders, who also built a church on this site. St Gabriel’s,
surrounded by a high wall, contains many interesting icons and frescoes.

75
Cana
Israel

View of modern Cana (© Welcometohosanna.com)

Cana in Galilee is celebrated as the scene of Jesus’ first miracle. It is actually the place of his first
two public miracles in Galilee the changing of water into wine and the remote healing of an official’s
son 32km away in Capernaum.
On the first occasion, Jesus and his first disciples turned up at a wedding feast, possibly that of a
close relative of his mother Mary. The wine ran out perhaps because those additional guests had
not been catered for and Mary turned to her Son to overcome the embarrassment (John 2: 1-11).
“Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” he responded. “My hour has not yet come.” But
she persisted and her Son turned six jars holding more than 550 litres of water (equivalent to more
than 730 bottles) into fine wine.
This miracle is significant for Christian pastoral theology. Christ’s attendance at the wedding feast,
and his divine intervention to rescue the hosts from embarrassment, are taken as setting his seal
on the sanctity of marriage and, as the Catholic Encyclopedia puts it, “on the propriety of humble
rejoicing on such occasions”. The incident is also seen as an argument against teetotalism.
Jesus’ newest disciple at the time of the wedding was Nathaniel, who actually came from Cana of
Galilee.

76
Location remains uncertain
Cana’s actual location is uncertain, with at least three possible candidates. But the commemoration
of the miracle of the wine is traditionally fixed at Kefer-Kenna (also known as Kefr Kana and Kfar-
Cana), about 5km north-east of Nazareth on the road to Tiberias.
Here the Franciscans, relying on the testimony of early pilgrims including St Jerome, established
themselves in 1641. And here street side vendors sell Cana wine.
The Franciscans believe excavations beneath their
present church, dating from the early 1900s, confirm
the existence of an early place of worship, perhaps a
Jewish-Christian synagogue, on the site.
Beneath the sacristy of the present Franciscan
church were found remains of dwellings dated back
to the 1st century and an ancient basilica with three
apses in cross-like form. In a crypt, a small stone
cistern was found fitted into a flagstone floor.
Not far from the Franciscan church is the Greek
Orthodox Church of the Marriage Feast, with two
large stone jars claimed to be two of the original water
pots. But archaeologist Rivka Gonen says “they
seem to be old baptismal fonts”.
The town also has a chapel dedicated to St
Bartholomew, who some scholars identify with
Nathanael of Cana.

Franciscan Church at Cana (Tom Callinan/Seetheholyland.net)

Second miracle brought healing

The second-time Jesus visited
Cana, he was met by a
distressed official of the court
of Herod Antipas (John 4:46-
49). The official lived at
Capernaum which Jesus was
soon to make his home town
and he had come to plead for
his son, who was dying.
Jesus, who had earlier proved
he could make good wine from
water, now showed he could
heal from 30km away. “Go;
your son will live,” he told the
official.

Cana wine on sale (David Poe)

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One of the early pilgrims to Cana, the Anonymous Pilgrim of Piacenza, confessed in 570 to an act
of religious graffiti. “Our Lord was at the wedding,” he wrote, “and we reclined upon his very couch
upon which I, unworthy that I am, wrote the names of my parents.”
Another possible site for Cana, preferred by many modern scholars, is the ruined village of Khirbet
Kana (Khirbet Qana), 12km northwest of Nazareth.

Jordan River
Israel/Jordan
The Jordan River runs through
the land and history of the
Bible, giving its waters a
spiritual significance that sets it
aside from other rivers.
The Jordan is significant for
Jews because the tribes of
Israel under Joshua crossed
the river on dry ground to enter
the Promised Land after years
of wandering in the desert.
It is significant for Christians
because John the Baptist
baptised Jesus in the waters of
the Jordan.

Jordan River near Chorazin (Seetheholyland.net)

The prophets Elijah and Elisha also crossed the river dry-shod; and the Syrian general Naaman
was healed of leprosy after washing in the Jordan at Elisha’s direction.
River flows below sea level
Flowing southward from its
sources in the mountainous
area where Israel, Syria and
Lebanon meet, the Jordan
River passes through the Sea
of Galilee and ends in the
Dead Sea. A large part of its
320-kilometre length forms the
border between Israel and
Jordan in the north and the
West Bank and Jordan in the
south.
The river falls 950 metres from
its source to the Dead Sea. For
most of its course down the
Jordan Rift Valley, it flows well
below sea level. Its name
means “Dan [one of its
tributaries] flows down”.
Excavated baptismal site at Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Seetheholyland.net

Though an old song says the River Jordan is “deep and wide”, the modern river is neither. In
places, it is more like a creek than a river less than 10 metres across and 2 metres deep.

78
From Jesus’ time until the mid-20th century, seasonal flooding in winter and spring expanded its
width to 1.5km. Dams in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel now preclude flooding.
Site identified in former military zone
The place where Jesus was baptised by John
the Baptist is believed to be in Jordan, on the
east bank of a large loop in the river opposite
Jericho.
A site less than 2km east of the river’s present
course, at Wadi Al-Kharrar, has been identified
as Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This is where
John lived and baptised, and where Jesus fled
for safety after being threatened with stoning in
Jerusalem.
Until the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and
Israel, the area was a Jordanian military zone.
After clearing nearby minefields, the Jordanian
government has made the place accessible to
archaeologists, pilgrims and tourists.
Jordan’s new Baptism Archaeological Park
contains the remains of a Byzantine-era
monastery featuring at least four churches, one
of which is built around a cave believed to be
the one that ancient pilgrims called “the cave of
John the Baptist”.

Yardenit baptism site (Seetheholyland.net)

While the Jordanian location was inaccessible, a modern site commemorating Christ’s baptism
was established at Yardenit in Israel, at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.
Maintained by a kibbutz, it is a popular place for Christian pilgrims to renew their baptismal
promises or for new Christians to be baptised, often in white robes and undergoing total immersion
in the mild waters of the Jordan.
Jordan is diverted and polluted
Because its waters are a vital resource for the dry
lands of the region, the Jordan has been a source of
contention among Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and
the Palestinians.
In modern times, more than 90 per cent of its natural
flow has been diverted for domestic and agricultural
use. The lower Jordan is heavily polluted by sewage
and industrial run-off.
In 2007 the World Monuments Fund listed the lower
Jordan in the top 100 most “endangered cultural
heritage sites”. In support, a regional environmental
organisation, Friends of the Earth Middle East, said:
“The region’s current policies treat the river as a
backyard dumping ground.”

The course of the Jordan River (Wikimedia

79
Mount of Beatitudes
Israel

Cloister of Beatitudes church overlooking Sea of Galilee (Seetheholyland.net)

The Mount of Beatitudes, believed to be the setting for Jesus’ most famous discourse, the Sermon
on the Mount, is one of the most beautifully serene places in the Holy Land.
Overlooking the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, it offers an enchanting vista of the
northern part of the lake and across to the cliffs of the Golan Heights on the other side.
Within sight are the scenes of many of the events of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, including the town
of Capernaum 3km away, where he made his home. Just below is Sower’s Cove, where it is
believed Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9) from a boat moored in the bay.
The exact site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28) is unknown. Pilgrims commemorate
the event at the eight-sided Church of the Beatitudes, built on the slope of the mount and
accessible by a side road branching off the Tiberias-Rosh Pina highway.
The Mount of Beatitudes is also understood to be the place where Jesus met his apostles after his
Resurrection and commissioned them to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:16-20).

80
Plenty of space for a crowd
The spacious slope of the
Mount of Beatitudes (also
known as Mount Eremos, a
Greek word meaning solitary or
uninhabited) would have
provided ample space for a
large crowd to gather to hear
Jesus.
The 4th-century pilgrim Egeria
records a tradition that may go
back to the Jewish-Christians
of Capernaum. She tells of a
cave in the hillside at the Seven
Springs, near Tabgha, “upon
which the Lord ascended when
he taught the Beatitudes”.
Archaeologist Bargil Pixner
says: “The terrace above this
still existing cave, called
Sea of Galilee from the cave of Eremos (© Don Schwager)

Mughara Ayub, must be considered the traditional place of the Sermon on the Mount. The hillcrest
of Eremos indeed offers a magnificent view over the entire lake and the surrounding villages. The
cragginess of this hill meant it was left uncultivated and enabled Jesus to gather large crowds
around him without causing damage to the farmers.”
A Byzantine church was erected nearby in the 4th century, and it was used until the 7th century.
Its ruins have been discovered downhill from the present church.
Eight sides for eight beatitudes
The Church of the Beatitudes,
an elegant octagonal building
with colonnaded cloisters,
blends into the slope rather
than dominating it. It was built
in 1938 for a Franciscan order
of nuns, to a design by Italian
architect Antonio Barluzzi —
and partly financed by the
Italian fascist dictator Benito
Mussolini.
The eight sides of the light and
airy church represent the eight
beatitudes, and these are also
shown in Latin in the upper
windows.

Church of the Beatitudes (Seetheholyland.net)

The centrally placed altar is surmounted by a slender arch of alabaster and onyx. Around it, the
seven virtues (justice, charity, prudence, faith, fortitude, hope and temperance) are depicted by
symbols in the mosaic floor.

81
In the landscaped garden, three altars are provided for group worship.
Sermon was radical and countercultural
The Sermon on the Mount, a powerful summary of the fundamental teachings of Jesus, opens with
his proclamation of the eight beatitudes, beginning with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
Jesus taught orally, rather than by writing. Matthew notes that he sat down before speaking, a
typical Jewish position for teaching.
Scholars suggest that Matthew’s account is not a report of one, uninterrupted sermon given on
one occasion. Rather, it is believed, Matthew took a core sermon and added various teachings
given at different times.
The sermon indicated how Jesus’ followers, described as “the salt of the earth”, should live so that
they would be in right relationship with God and with others. “For I tell you,” he said, “unless your
righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
Biblical scholar Peter Walker comments: “The serenity of this beautiful place, however, may be
slightly unhelpful here, suggesting that Jesus’ words were calm and soothing when in fact they
were radical, demanding, authoritative, revolutionary and countercultural. Jesus was calling Israel
to a new way of life.”
Christian centre on the peak
On the peak of the Mount of Beatitudes is a Christian centre for meetings, studies and retreats
called Domus Galilaeae (House of Galilee), opened in 2000. It is situated just over 1km from the
ruins of ancient Chorazin.
The centre and adjacent monastery belongs to the Neo-Catechumenal Way, a Catholic movement
for Christian formation. Its striking architecture was designed by the movement’s founder, Kiko
Argüello, and a team of architects.
The library specialises in books about the Sermon on the Mount. The chapel has a large painting
by Argüello, combining Eastern and Western Christian symbols and paying homage to the
Church’s Jewish roots.

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Tabgha
Israel
Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
Church of the Primacy of St Peter

Church of the Primacy of St Peter at Tabgha (Seetheholyland.net)

Tranquil Tabgha, on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee, is best known for Christ’s
miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish to feed a multitude.
But it is also remembered for Jesus’ third appearance to his disciples after his Resurrection, when
he tested and commissioned St Peter as leader of his Church.
Two churches commemorate these events, and pilgrims find the place a serene location for
meditation, prayer and study.
Tabgha is at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, about 3km south-west of Capernaum. The name
is an Arab mispronunciation of the Greek Heptapegon (meaning “seven springs”). Several warm
sulphurous springs enter the lake here, attracting fish especially in winter.
This was a favourite spot for fishermen from nearby Capernaum, and its beach was familiar to
Jesus and his disciples. It is easy to imagine Jesus speaking from a boat in one of the little bays,
with crowds sitting around on the shore.

83
Feeding followed beheading
According to chapter 14 of Matthew’s Gospel, the miraculous feeding came after Jesus learnt that
Herod Antipas had beheaded his cousin, John the Baptist.
Jesus “withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself”. Crowds followed and he had compassion
on them, curing their sick.
In the evening, he told the multitude 5000 men, plus women and children to sit on the grass. Then
he took five loaves and two fish, “looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves and the
disciples gave them to the crowds”. After they had eaten, the leftovers filled 12 baskets.
Elegant mosaics from 4th century
The modern Church of the
Multiplication of the Loaves
and Fishes at Tabgha stands
on the site of a 4th-century
church, displaying Byzantine
mosaic decorations that are
among the most elegantly
executed in the Holy Land.
The whole floor depicts flora
and fauna of the area in vibrant
colours peacocks, cranes,
cormorants, herons, doves,
geese, ducks, a flamingo and a
swan, as well as snakes, lotus
flowers and oleanders.

Loaves and fishes mosaic in Church of the Multiplication (James Emery)

But the best-known mosaic, on the floor near the altar, refers to the miracle the church
commemorates. It shows a basket of loaves flanked by two Galilee mullet.
Beneath the altar is the rock on which it is believed Jesus placed the loaves and fish when he
blessed them.
In June 2015 fire destroyed much of the Benedictine monastery attached to the church. Two youths
from Jewish settler outposts were charged with arson.
Jesus cooked breakfast
Nearby, on the Tabgha beach, stands the Church of the Primacy of St Peter. This squat building
of black basalt, built in 1934, is where Jesus is believed to have made his third appearance to his
disciples after his Resurrection.
As the event is described in the 21st chapter of St John, Peter and six other disciples had been
fishing all night without catching anything. Just after daybreak Jesus stood on the beach, though
they did not recognise him.
Jesus told the disciples to cast their net on the right side of the boat and the net filled with 153 fish.
When the disciples dragged the net ashore, they found that Jesus had cooked them breakfast on
a charcoal fire.
The rock incorporated in the church floor is traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus
prepared breakfast. It was known to medieval pilgrims as Mensa Christ (the table of Christ).

84
Peter was challenged three times
After breakfast, Jesus challenged Peter three
times with the question: “Do you love me?”
Peter’s positive response to this three-fold
challenge cancelled out his three-fold denial of
Jesus the night before his crucifixion.
Then Jesus gave Peter a three-fold
commission: “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep
Feed my sheep.” And he also indicated that
Peter would die by martyrdom.
After this event Peter’s primacy as head of the
apostles was recognised.
Beside the church, in a garden setting, is an
area designed for group worship. Between this
and the lake stands a modern bronze statue of
Jesus symbolically commissioning Peter with
his shepherd’s crook.

85
Sea of Galilee
Israel

Sea of Galilee from the Mount of Beatitudes (James Emery)

Among Holy Land sites, the Sea of Galilee has changed comparatively little since Jesus walked
on its shores and recruited four fishermen as his first disciples.
A picturesque, heart-shaped lake set among hills in northern Israel, it is one of the lowest-lying
bodies of water on earth (some 210 metres below sea level).
This freshwater “sea” is 21km long and 13km across at its widest point, with a maximum depth of
43 metres. Its other names include the Sea of Tiberias, the Lake of Gennesaret and (in Hebrew)
Lake Chinnereth or Kinneret.
Fed mainly by the Jordan River and drained by it, the lake serves as Israel’s chief water reservoir.
In modern times tourism, has become the major local industry. In Jesus’ time, it was fishing, with
230 boats regularly working the lake and their catch dried and exported all over the Roman world.
Jesus made the fishing town of Capernaum the centre of his itinerant ministry in Galilee, using the
lake, its boats and its shores to spread his Good News. He calmed a storm, he walked on the water
and probably even swam in the lake.
Miracles on the shore
It was around the usually serene waters of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus began his public ministry,
teaching in the synagogues and curing the sick. Crowds flocked to him, “for he taught as one
having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

86
 Perhaps his best-known discourse, the Sermon
on the Mount, is believed to have been
delivered on the Mount of Beatitudes (also
known as Mount Eremos). This small hill is on
the lake’s northwestern shore, between
Capernaum and Tabgha.
Tabgha is also the traditional site where Jesus
fed a crowd of 5000 with five loaves and two
fish. Later, across the lake near Kursi, he
performed a second miraculous feeding.
The Heptapegon (“Seven Springs”) fishing
ground off Tabgha was also the scene of a
memorable post-Resurrection appearance.
The apostles had fished all night with empty
nets. Just after daybreak Jesus appeared and
told them where to find a miraculous catch.
When the apostles came ashore, they found the
risen Lord had cooked breakfast for them.

Boatman demonstrates fishing technique on the Sea of Galilee (Seetheholyland.net)

Acoustics aided parable
About 1km northeast of
Tabgha is a small bay with
exceptional acoustic qualities.
Here it is believed Jesus taught
the Parable of the Sower (Mark
4:1-9) from a boat moored in
the bay.
The semicircular bay, at the
foot of the Mount of Beatitudes,
is one of the most attractive
places along the shoreline. It is
called Sower’s Cove or the Bay
of the Parables.
The slope of the hill forms a
natural amphitheatre, rather
like a Roman theatre.
Visitors look down on Sower’s Cove (© BiblePlaces.com)

Acoustical research has demonstrated that as many as 7000 people could hear a person
speaking from a boat in the bay.
Pilgrims who test the acoustics, usually by reading the Gospel account, are amazed at how far the
voice carries.
This location was also an appropriate setting for the story of the sower and his seeds. There is
fertile black earth, rocky ground and plenty of thorns and thistles.

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Sudden squalls are common
Because it lies low in the Great Rift Valley,
surrounded by hills, the Sea of Galilee is prone to
sudden turbulence. Storms of the kind that Jesus
calmed (Mark 4:35-41) are a well-known hazard for
Galilee fishermen.
With little warning, mighty squalls can sweep down
the wadis (valleys) around the lake, whipping its
tranquil surface into treacherous waves.
Such storms often arrive in mid-afternoon, as the
heat of the rift valley (averaging mid-30s Celsius in
the shade) sucks down the cool air of the heights.
After half an hour, the wind drops and the waves
subside, restoring calm to the lake.
In 1986, during a severe drought when the water level
dropped, the remains of an ancient fishing boat were
found in the lakebed. It was old enough to have been
on the water in the time of Jesus and his disciples.
Dubbed the Jesus Boat, it is now on permanent
display at the lakeside Kibbutz Ginosar.

Waves on the Sea of Galilee (David Niblack)

A fish with a coin in its mouth

Modern times have still seen fishermen standing in the shallow waters near the shores of the Sea
of Galilee, casting their nets in the traditional
manner, with others setting off in boats at
sunset to fish through the night. Because of
falling fish stocks, the Israel government was to
impose a two-year ban on fishing from March
2011, but this was reduced to a four-month
annual ban (April 15 to August).
Of the 27 species of fish in the lake, the best-
known is nicknamed St Peter’s Fish. This
species (Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus)
belongs to the genus tilapia. Its Arabic name of
musht (comb) refers to its comb-like tail.

Peter’s fish from the Sea of Galilee (© David Q. Hall)

The nickname refers to the Gospel passage in which Temple collectors ask Peter whether Jesus
pays the Temple tax.
When Peter returns home, Jesus tells him to go fishing “go to the sea and cast a hook; take the
first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to
them for you and me”. (Matthew 17:24-27)
A peculiarity of this species of tilapia is that it is a mouthbrooder. The female holds her eggs in her
mouth until they hatch; then, for a time, the immature fry swim back into her mouth when danger
threatens. The fish is also known to pick up small stones or bottle tops in its mouth.

88
But not everyone agrees that St Peter’s Fish was a musht. Mendel Nun, an authority on the Sea
of Galilee, and a veteran fisherman, says musht feed on plankton and are therefore caught by net,
not hook. The fish Peter caught, he believes, was a barbel.
Even Mark Twain was impressed
The first-century Roman
historian Flavius Josephus was
so impressed by the beauty of
the Sea of Galilee and the
fertility of its setting that he
wrote, “One may call this place
the ambition of Nature”.
Even the satirical Mark Twain,
who visited Galilee on
horseback in 1867, was moved
by the significance of the place.
In The Innocents Abroad he
wrote:
“In the starlight, Galilee has no
boundaries but the broad
compass of the heavens, and
is a theatre meet for great
events; meet for the birth of a
religion able to save a world; and meet for the stately Figure appointed to stand upon its stage and
proclaim its high decrees.
“But in the sunlight, one says: Is it for the deeds which were done and the words which were
spoken in this little acre of rocks and sand eighteen centuries gone, that the bells are ringing to-
day in the remote islands of the sea and far and wide over continents that clasp the circumference
of the huge globe?”

Capernaum
Israel

89
A fish-market and frontier post beside the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum became Jesus’ home town
and the scene of many of his miracles.
It was also the home of the first disciples Jesus called
the fishermen Peter, Andrew, James and John, and the
tax collector Matthew (who as Levi collected taxes in
the customs office).
In this town:
• Jesus worshipped and taught in the synagogue where
his teaching made a deep impression on the local
people because, unlike the scribes, he taught with
authority. (Mark 1:21-22)

Sign at entrance to Capernaum site (Seetheholyland.net)

• In the same synagogue, Jesus promised the Eucharist in his “I am the bread of life” discourse:
“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no
life in you.” (John 6:22-59)
• Jesus and healed many people of illness or possession by the devil, including Peter’s mother-in-
law and the daughter of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue.
• Jesus pronounced a curse on the town, along with Bethsaida and Chorazin, because so many of
its inhabitants refused to believe in him.
Church hovers over Peter’s house
Capernaum later fell into ruin.
A 3rd-century report called the
town “despicable; it numbers
only seven houses of poor
fishermen”. It was later
resettled but again fell into
disrepair. The ruins lay
undiscovered until 1838, when
a visiting scholar gave this
description: “The whole place
is desolate and mournful.”

Modern church over St Peter’s house at Capernaum (© Tom Callinan / Seetheholyland.net

Today an ultra-modern Catholic church, perched on eight sturdy pillars, hovers protectively over
an excavation site. It is believed to have been the site of Peter’s house, where Jesus would have
lodged.
Archaeologists believe the house was in a small complex grouped around irregular courtyards.
Drystone basalt walls would have supported a roof of tree branches covered with straw and earth
a fairly flimsy construction easily breached to lower a paralysed man on a mat, as described in
Mark 2:1-12.
Excavations show that one room in this interlinked complex had been singled out since the middle
of the 1st century. Graffiti scratched on its plaster walls referred to Jesus as Lord and Christ (in
Greek). It is suggested that this room was venerated for religious gatherings as a house church. If
so, it would have been the first such example in the Christian world.
In 5th century an octagonal church was built around this venerated room. The present church,
dedicated in 1990, repeats the octagonal shape.

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Mount Tabor

Israel

Mount Tabor, rising dome-like from the Plain of Jezreel, is the mountain where Christian tradition
places the Transfiguration of Jesus.
Scholars disagree on whether
Mount Tabor was the scene of
that event (described in
Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9: 2-8
and Luke 9:28-36). However, it
has throughout history been a
place of mystique and
atmosphere, where humanity
has sought contact with the
divine.
Its unique contours variously
described as “breast-shaped,
“hump-backed” and
resembling an upside down tea
cup” captured the imagination
of ancient peoples who
attached to it supernatural
qualities.
Mount Tabor with Franciscan monastery on top (Seetheholyland.net)

Mount Tabor stands some 420 metres above the plain in lower Galilee, 7km east of Nazareth. It
held a strategic position at the junction of trade routes. Many battles have been fought at its foot.
In the Old Testament, Mount Tabor is described as a sacred mountain and a place for worship. It
is not mentioned by name in the New Testament.
Location of Transfiguration is questioned
The Gospel accounts of the
Transfiguration a momentous
event in which Peter, James
and John were introduced to
the divine incarnation of Christ,
the God-Man do not specify the
place. They simply say it was a
“high mountain” in Galilee.
Christian tradition in the early
centuries named the mountain
as Tabor. This location is cited
in early apocryphal writings
and was accepted by the
Syriac and Byzantine
churches.

Church buildings on Mount Tabor (Wikimedia)

Many biblical scholars now question this tradition. Mount Tabor’s location does not fit well into
events before and after the Transfiguration. At the time, a Hasmonean fortress stood on the
summit.

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And would Tabor be considered a “high mountain”, especially compared to other mountains in the
vicinity? (It’s actually more than 200 metres lower than Jerusalem.)
These scholars see the much higher Mount Hermon as a more likely location.
Nevertheless, a succession of churches and a monastery were built on Mount Tabor from the
fourth century.
Hairpin bends take taxis to the top
After the Crusaders were defeated in
the 12th century and the area was
taken over by the Turks, the Mamluk
sultan Baybars destroyed all the
religious buildings on Mount Tabor in
1263. Tabor remained deserted for
nearly 400 years until the Franciscans
negotiated permission to settle there.
Early pilgrims used to climb 4300
steps cut into the rocky slope to reach
the summit. These days taxis
negotiate a succession of hairpin
bends before they suddenly reach the
summit.

Mosaic of Transfiguration in apse of Church of the Transfiguration (Seetheholyland.net)

The present Catholic and Greek Orthodox buildings (separated by a wall) were constructed in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The prominent Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, designed by the Italian architect Antonio
Barluzzi, stands among ruins of a Benedictine monastery. A bas-relief of the architect, who
designed many of the Holy Land’s churches, is set into a wall on the right of the entrance.
Its entrance is flanked by chapels dedicated to Moses and Elijah, who were seen with Jesus during
his Transfiguration. The event itself is depicted above the main altar in the central apse.
In the crypt under the church are the altar and fragments of walls of a Byzantine church. There is
a tradition that the rock floor of the crypt is where Jesus stood during the Transfiguration.
The Greek Orthodox church, often not open to visitors, honours Elijah. It too is built on the ruins of
Byzantine and Crusader churches.
‘Breadbasket’ scene of battles
Mount Tabor’s height affords uninterrupted panoramas. From the balcony of the Franciscan
hospice, the view is of the plain of Jezreel, bounded by the Carmel range and the mountains of
Samaria.
The fertile plain is called “the breadbasket of Israel”, a reminder that one of the meanings of Jezreel
is “God sows”.

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(
Jezreel Valley from Mount Tabor (Seetheholyland.net)

But this plain has often resounded to the clash of battle.

On the slopes of Mount Tabor, in the time of the Judges, the prophetess Deborah and her general
Barak marshalled their warriors before sweeping down to rout the 900 chariots of Sisera and his
Canaanites (Judges 4:4-16).
Armies of all the great generals who campaigned in the Middle East have tramped across the plain,
from the pharaoh Thutmose III to General Edmund Allenby, and including Alexander the Great and
Napoleon.
And in the Book of Revelation, it is named as the scene of the battle of Armageddon (also called
Harmagedon or Har-Megiddo), in which good will triumph over evil.

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