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Jerusalem

HISTORY OF JERUSALEM

Jerusalem, holy city, the city where all the eyes of the world turn, from East and West.

With more than 5.000 years of written history, Jerusalem evokes vivid images, even those who have not yet seen.
Located in the Judean Hills, a few hills of ancient land of Canaan, Jerusalem has become in three thousand years, the holy place of three great monotheistic religions : Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

The passions and the conflicts exceed the borders of the Middle East.
One city : three religions, three stories.

It is in Jerusalem that took place the main acts of founding of Christianity
It is in Jerusalem that Jesus entered in the Temple, preached, lives the Passion and the Resurrection.
At Jerusalem, the Apostles receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to preach the new faith.

After the death of Christ, the Apostles left Jerusalem and will preach throughout the world.
But a christian church is in Jerusalem.

The Emperor Constantine, in the early fourth century, began to make Jerusalem a christian city.

Recent excavations in the Holy Sepulcher, behind the Chapel of St Helena, revealed retaining walls of the Constantinian basilica.

On one of the stones, we can see a boat and two words written in black ink : DOMINE IVIMUS (Lord, we'll go)

Arab Caliphats (638 -1300)
The Patriarch Sophronius handed the keys of the city to Omar, the leader of the arab armies and received the assurances that the rights of Christians would be respected.

At the end of the seventh century, Jerusalem became the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The Temple Mount and the Rock were identifed as the places where the Prophet took off to Heaven. Hence the construction of the Dome of the Rock whose splendors shines even Jerusalem.
Then, the Arab Umayyads gave way to the Abbasid dynasty of Turks. It was an era of decline for Jerusalem.

City map of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus

THE MAJOR RELIGIOUS PLACES

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in east Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south.
The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters (2,683 ft). It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes.
The Mount of Olives is associated with Jewish and Christian traditions
The New Testament, tells how Jesus and his friends sang together - "When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" Gospel of Matthew 26:30. Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mt of Olives as recorded in the book of Acts 1:9-12. It will be the Mt of Olives to which he is to return as stated in the book of Acts 1:11.
The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 21:1;26:30, etc.) as the route from Jerusalem to Bethany and the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to his disciples (Matthew 24-25), including the Olivet discourse, returning after each day to rest (Luke 21:37), and also coming there on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:39). At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane.

DOMINUS FLEVIT

Dominus Flevit Church is a small Fransciscan church located on the upper western slope of the Mount of Olives  in Jerusalem.
Bible trivia buffs know that the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35, when "Jesus wept" over the death of Lazarus. But Dominus Flevit, which means "the cry of the Lord," commemorates a different occasion on which Jesus was moved to tears.
Dominus Flevit Church is believed to mark the place where Jesus' mourning over Jerusalem occurred.
The current Dominus Flevit Church was commissioned by the Franciscans, who still run the site, and designed by Italian architect Anton Barluzzin. Constructed in 1955, the church is in the shape of a tear drop to symbolize the Lord's tears.
The current church stands on the ruins of a 7th-century church, some mosaics of which still remain. The western window in Dominus Flevit provides a beautiful view of the Temple Mount.

PATER NOSTER

The church of Pater Noster was built on the place where it is supposed Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's prayer. The prayer is written on the walls of the church.

Thousands of pilgrims from all countries and all faiths come to visit the "Cave mystical" eschatological teachings of Christ to pray the Lord's Prayer in different languages inscribed on the walls of the shrine and monastery, which is approximately the number of 150.

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Our Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" - Luke 11:1-4

The church historian Eusebius (260-340) recorded that Constantine  built a church over a cave on the Mount of Olives that had been linked with the Ascension. The church was built under the direction of Constantine's mother St. Helen in the early 4th century and was seen by the Bordeaux pilgrim in 333. The pilgrim Egeria  (384) was the first to refer to this church as Eleona, meaning "of olives."

When the site for the veneration of Christ's ascension had been moved up the hill, this cave became exclusively associated with Jesus' teachings on the conflict between good and evil (Matt 24:1-26:2). Here Egeria heard this Gospel passage read on Tuesday of Holy Week.

THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
The Church of the Ascension is a christian and muslim holy site that is believed to mark the place where Jesus ascended to Heaven. The small round church/mosque contains a stone imprinted with the footprints of Jesus. In 1187, Salah Al-Din gave the church to two of his followers, whoadded a stone dome and mihrab. The ascension of Jesus is recognized in Islam, although it is not mentionned in the Qur'an. The building remained in use as a mosque for over 300 years.
Two other locations preserve the location of the ascension. Constantine's mother built a church in the modern church of Pater Noster to commemorate the event. A more recent tradition links the rise in the Orthodox Church of the Ascension.

GETHSEMANE

Many events took place here during the Passion week.
In the Bible, Gethsemane, the oil press is a place designating an olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in the Gospels know as the place where Jesus prayed and the Apostles before the Crucifixion.
The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus Christ spent his last hours praying before he was arrested, lies at the foot of the mountain : "And they went to a place which was called Getsemane and he said to his disciples : "Sit here while I pray" (Mk. 14.32). To get there, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley : "... he went forth with his disciples accross the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered" (Jn. 18.1).
Judas and led those who arrested Jesus.
The name Gethsemane is the Greek form of the Hebrew Gat Shemanim (oil press[oilve]). The eight trees of the garden stands are very old. It is difficult to date the olive trees as they renew their runks as well as their roots, so a tree may look young, in fact, have ancient roots.

CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS
The Church of All Nations, also know as the Church or Basilica of the Agony, is a roman catholic church located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Getsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest (Mark.14.32-42)
The chapel was built between 1919 and  1924 using funds donated from many different  countries. The church was designed by architect Antonio Barluzzi, the architect of several shrines and sanctuaries built during the first half of the 20th century.
The current church rests on the foundations of two earlier ones, that of a small 12th century Crusader chapel abandoned in 1345, and a 4th century Byzantine basilica, destroyed by an earthquake in 746.
Church of Agony, also called the Church of All Nations, home to some magnificent mosaic depecting the Agony of Jesus Christ. according to trradition, the Rock of Agony lies inside the Church.

ST PETER IN GALLICANTU
The Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu us a roman Catholic church located on the eastern slope of Mount Zion, just outside the city of Jerusalem in Israel.
The Church of St Peter in Gallicantu is built on the house of the high priest Caiaphas : "Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders gathered" (Matt 26:57, and commemorates St Peter's denial of Jesus after his arrest: "But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." (Lk. 22.57).

The Church takes its name from the Latin word "Gallicantu" meaning cock-crow. This is in commemoration of Peter's triple rejection of Jesus "before the cock thrice." (Mark 14:30)
A Byzantine shrine dedicated to Peter's repentance was erected on this spot in 457 AD, but was destroyed by Muslim invaders in 1010. The Chapel was rebuilt by Crusaders in 1102 and given its present name.
After the fall of Jerusalem, the church again fell into ruin and was not rebuilt until 1931. Today a golden rooster protudes prominently from the sanctuary roof in honor of its biblical connection.

 

KING DAVID'S TOMB
King David's Tomb is the name given to a site on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, near the Dormition Church; the site has traditionally been viewed as the burial place of David.
In the Byzantine era, David and James (the Jewish and Christian founders of Jerusalem) were the focus of a liturgical celebration in the Church of Mount Zion. This eventually led to the popular belief that  both were buried on Mount Zion. David's Tomb was identified with this site while James' tomb was located on the site of the Armenian Cathedral.
The cenotaph of David (the tomb itself) is very large and draped in a red cloth embroidered with Hebrew text. It probably dates from the 16th century. Behind the cenotaph is a niche dates to the 4th century that may be part of a synagogue or the Byzantine church, but its northern orientation makes neither identification certain.

 

THE ROOM OF THE LAST SUPPER
In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper (also called the Mystical Supper) was the mast meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and disciples before his death.
"It was here that Jesus appeared after the Resurrection, the Miracle of Pentecost which occured when the Holy Spirit came to disciples and they began to speak in several languges (Acts 2:1-4)
According to the canonical Gospels, during the meal, Jesus revealed that one of his Apostles would betray him and that would be Judas Iscariot. Despite the assertions of each apostle that it would not be he, Jesus is described as reiterating that it would be one of those who were present, and goes on to say that there shall be woe to the man who betrays the Son of Man ! It would be better for hom if he has bot been born.
According to later tradition, the Last Supper took place in what is called today the Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion, just outside of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, and is traditionnaly know as the Upper Room. This is based on the account in the Synoptic Gospels that states that Jesus has instructed a pair of unnamed disciples to go to the city to meet a man carrying a jar of water, who would lead them to a house, where they were to ask for the room whre the teacher has a guest room. This room is specified as being the upper room, and they prepare the Passover there. It is not actually specified where the city refers to, and it may refer to one of the suburbs of Jerusalem, such as Bethany.

THE ABBEY OF THE DORMITION
Hagia Maria Sion Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Jerusalem on Mt Zion  just outside the walls of the Old City near the Zion Gate.
It was formerly known as the Abbey of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, but the name was changed in 1998 in reference to the church of Hagia Sion that formerly stood on this spot. During his vist to Jerusalem in 1898 for the dedication of the Protestant Church of the Redeemer, Kaiser Wilhelm II bought this piece of land on Mt Zion for 120.000 German Goldmark from Sultan Abdul Hamid II and presented it to the "German Union of the Holy Land" .
According to local tradition, it was on this spot, that the Blessed Virgin Mary passed into Eternity. This gave the original monastery its name; the church itself is called the Basilica of the Assumption (Dormition).
The architect and buildings manager of the Diocese of Cologne, Heinrich Renard (1868-1928) investigated the site in 1899 and discovered the remains of the Byzantine church of "Hagia Sion" and also of other churches.
Direction of construction was entrusted to the architect Theodore Sandel, a member of the Temple Society and a resident of Jerusalem. The foundation stone was laid on October 7, 1900 and construction was compelted in only 10 years.
The Basilica was dedicated on April 10, 1910 by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

VIA DOLOROSA
For many christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, the most important and meaningful thing thay will do while in the city is walk the Via Dolorosa, the Route that Jesus took between his condemnation by Pilate and his crucifixion and burial. The Via Dolorosa pilgrimage is followed by Christians of many denominations, but especially catholics and orthodox.
The route of the Via Dolorosa begins near the Lion's Gate in the Muslim Quarter and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter, covering 500 meters and incorporating 14 Stations of the Cross.
Each of the 14 Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa is marked with a plaque, but these small signs can be difficult to spot. Probably the best way to be sure of recognizing all the stations is to join the Friday procession.

THE WESTERN WALL
The Western Wall sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel and as al -Buraaq Wall in Arabic, is an important Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 BCE by Herod the Great. The remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards.
The earliest clear Jewish use of the term Western Wall as referring to the wall visible today was by the 11th century Ahimaaz ben Paltiel.
The Western Wall commonly refers to an 187 feet (57 m) exposed section of ancient wall situated on the western flank of the Temple Mount. This section faces a large plaza and is set aside for prayer. In its entirely, however, the above ground portion of the Western Wall stretches for 1.600 feet (488 m), most of which is hidden behind residential structures built along its length. Other revealed sections include the southern part of the Wall which measures approximatively 80 meters and another much shorter section known as the Little Western Wall which is located near the Iron Gate. The Wall functions as a retainging wall, built to support the extensive renovations that Herod the Great carried out around 19 BCE. Herod expanded the small quasi-natural plateau on which the First and Second Temples stood into the wide expanse of the Temple Mount visible today.
There is a much publicised pratice of placing slips of paper containing written prayers into the crevices of the Wall. The earliest account of this pratices is recounted by the Munkatcher Rebbe ans is recorded in Sefer Tamei Ha-minhaqim U'mekorei Ha-dinin.
More than a million notes are placed each year.
According to Jewish tradition, the Temple Mount is the holiest place on earth and God's presence is permanent. It is also taught in the Jewish mystical tradition that all the prayers spoken around the world reach the Wall and then rise to Heaven.

ST SEPULCHRE
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Latin : Sanctum Sepulchrum) also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem.
The site is venerated by many Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary) where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus.Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.
Emperor Constantine I ordered in about 325/326 that the Temple be demolished and the soil -which had provided a flat surface for the temple- be removed, instructing Macarius of Jerusalem, he local Bishop, to build a church on the site. Constantine directed his mother, Helena to build churches upon sites which commemorated the life of Jesus Christ. She was present in 326 at the construction of the church on the site and involved herself inthe excavations and construction.
Constantine's church was built as two connected churches over the two different holy sites, including a great basilica and enclosed collonated atrium (the Triportico) which contains the remains of a rock-cut room that Helena and Marcarius had identified as the burial of Jesus.
The building was damaged by fire in 614 when the Persians under Khosrau II invaded Jerusalem and captured the Cross. In 630, Emperor Heraclius marched into Jerusalem and restored the True Cross to the rebuilt Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Under the Muslims, it remained a Christian church.
The early Muslim rulers protected the city's Christian sites, prohibiting their destruction and their use as living quarters. In 966, the doors and roof were burnt during a riot.
In 1144, the Crusaders rebuilt the church as a whole under one roof, with any additions and changes. Over the following centuries, the building is dilapidated.

ANTONIA
The Antonia Fortress was a military barrack built by Herod the Great in Jerusalem on the site of earlier Ptolemaic and Hasmonean strongholds, named after Herod's patron Mark Antony. The fortress was built at the eastern end of the great wall of the city (the second wall) on the northeastern side of the city, near the temple and Pool of Bethseda. Traditionaly, it has been thought that the vicinity of the Antonia Fortress later became the site of Praetorieum, and that this latter building was the place where Jesus was taken to stand before Pilate.
Josephus placed the Antonia at the Northwest corner of the colonnades surrounding the Temple
Modern depictions often whow the Antonia as being located along the North side of the temple enclosure.
Prior to Jewish War, the Antonia housed some part of the Roman garrison of Jerusalem. The Romans also stored the high priest's vestments within the Fortress.
The Antonia was detroyed in 70 by Titus' army during the siege of Jerusalem. Titus captured the fortress as a precursor to attacking the Temple complex.

THE TEMPLE MOUNT
The Temple Mount, also known as Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem.
According to Jewish tradition, it was from here that the world expanded onto its present from and from where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam. It was the place God chose to "dwell", hence the the construction of two Jewish Temples at the site. Traditionaly, it is believed that a Third and final Temple will also located here. The Mount is considered the holiest site in Judaism and due to this, many Jews will not set foot on the Mount itself.
Among Muslims, the Mount is widely considered to be the third holiest site in Islam. Revered as the Noble Sanctuary and the destination of  Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, the site is also associated with Jewish biblical prophets who are also venerated in Islam. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of  the Rock, the oldest extand Islamic structure in the world, currently stand on the site.
Jewish connection and veneration to the site stems from the fact that it contains the Foundation Stone which, according to the Talmud, was the spot from where the world was created and expanded into its current form.
It ws subsequently the Holy of the Holies of the Temple, the Most Holy Place in Judaism.
Jewish tradition names it as the location for a number of important events which occured the Bible, including the Binding of Isaac, Jacob's dream, and the prayer of Isaac and Rebekah.
Due to religious restrictions on entering the most sacred areas of the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, a retaining wall the Temple Mount and remnant of the Second Temple structure, is considered by some rabbinical authorities the holiest accessible site for Jews to pray. Jewish texts record that the Mount will be the site of the Third Temple, which will be rebuilt with the coming of the Jewish messiah.
In Islam, the Mount is called al-haram al-qudsi ash-sharif meaning the Noble Sanctuary.
Muslims view the site as being one of the earliest and most noteworthy places of workship of God.
For a few month inthe early stages of Islam, Muhammad instructed his followers to face the Mount during prayer, as the Jews did.
Later identification of the Mount bering the site of the "Farthest Mosque", (mentionned inthe Koran as the location of Muhammad's miraculous nocturnal journey) gave rise to various Hadiths which emphasied the virtue of praying at the site. Today, the area is regarded by the majority of Muslims as the third holiest site in Islam. The Quran does note cite the name of Jerusalem

GARDEN'S TOMB
The Garden's Tomb, located in Jerusalem, outside the City walls and close to Damascus Gate, is considered by some to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus, and to be adjacent to Golgotah, in contradistinction to the traditional site for these -the Church of Holy Sepulchre.
Thre is no mention of the Garden Tomb as the exact place of Jesus' burial before the 19th century.
Joseph of Arimathea was, according to the Gospels, the man who donated his own prepared tomb of the burial of Jesus after Jesus' Crucifixion. He is mentioned in all four Gospels.
according to the New Testament, the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea has the following characteristics :

1. It was near the site of the crucifixion (John 19:42)
2. It was carved in the rock in a garden and belonged to a wealthy man (Matt . 27:60)
3. From outside, the disciples could look into the tomb (John 20:5)
4. The tomb was closed by a large stone ws rolled to the entrance (Matt. 27:60)
5. There was the first part may contain a number of peaople (24:1 Luke)
6. It was a brand new grave and not an old refurbished (John 19:41, Matt . 27:6)

In 1882, General Gordon, an expert in the Bible as well as the eminent British military was convinced that this site was the probable site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The New Testament calls the place of crucifixion Golgotha, which means "Place of the Skull" or "Calvary" in latin.

MARY'S TOMB
Mary's Tomb is a tomb located in the Kidron Valley, on the foothills of Mount of Olives, near the Church of All Nations and Getsemane garden, orignally just outside Jerusalem. It is regarded as the burial place of Mary, the mother of Jesus by most of Eastern Christians. The Gospels say that Mary, mother of  Jesus, died in Jerusalem, near the Cenacle, the place where the current Benedictine Abbey of the Dormition. The Apostles carried Mary about Getsemane and deposit in a tomb. Three days later, the angles carried her to Heaven. The existence of a church is attested by authors from the late 6th century. The church was probably destroyed by the Persians in 614 and  rebuilt thereafter.
In 1187, Saladin partially destroyed the church. It was restored by Franciscans in 14th century, then rebuilt by the Greek Orthodox Church in 1757.

EIN KEREM
Ein Kerem, also commonly known as Ein Karem, is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem. According to Christian tradition, this is the site where John the Baptist was born, hence Ein Kerem's attraction to Christian pilgrims and the proliferation of churches and monasteries.
Ein Kerem means "the source of the vine".
Small village located at 7km west of Jerusalem, Ein Kerem is nestled in the foothills of the mountains of Judah. the village is already known in the Old Testament. According to archaeological discoveries, it was inhabited in Roman times.
The tradition which will establish a link between John the Baptist and the town date back to the late 5th century.
The pilgrim Theodosius (530) demontrated that this was the place where Elizabeth and his son John lived.
Elisabeth fleeing from Jerusalem to save his son John the Baptist of the fury of Herod and hides him in the mountains. The Gospells tell how the mountain split open and then closed over the refugees. The church in Ein Kerem should not be regarded as the home of Zechariah, but as the provisional home of Elizabeth and John.

ABOU GOSH
The previous name of Abu Gosh was Karyatit El Kanab (city of grapes in arabic) as being at the site of the ancient biblical city of Kiryat Anavim (the "Grape city" in hebrew).
The name of Abu Gosh comes from the family owned the land since the sixteenth century.
Family Abu Gosh was a Muslim family from the Caucasus.
The Abbey of Ste Mary of the Resurrection is located on the site of Abu Gosh, one of the places suspected meal at Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) at 15km from Jerusalem.

EMMAUS
Emmaus is a locality near Jerusalem, mentioned in a famous episode in the Gospel of Luke, said the pilgrims to Emmaus.
Emmaus is mentioned in an episode of the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke in the Christian Bible when Christ comes to resurrect on Easter morning after his crucifixition and entombmenet appears on the road to Emmaus to 2 desperated disciples and fleeing Jerusalem. The two discples offered him the hospitality : "He took bread, pronounced the blessing and gave it to them. Then, their eyes opened and recognized... He is the Lord. The two disciples found the joy of life, hope and faith in their belief of God. It is the image of the renewal of faith : a faith revived by the experience of this encounter, the encounter of the risen Christ."

LATRUN
Abbey Latrun is located at 15km west of Jerusalem to the border between the West Bank and Israel. It currently houses the Christian monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (Trappists) and is famous for its wine.
The Abbey was founded in 1890 by Trappist monks fromthe Abbey of Seven Fons in France. In 1898, the first vineyard was planted, followed quickly by the work of clearing and planting olive trees, vines, grains and citrus.
The monks were expelled during the First World War. The place was the subject of intense fighting during the Battle of Latrun in 1948 and came under Jordanian control after the war. In 1970, the monks of the Abbey lent some of their land for the foundation of the peace village Neve Shalom / Wahat al Salam.