The Dome Of The Rock
My Site: Bible Travels
HOLYLAND THROUGH MY EYES
It has been my dream to visit Jerusalem,Egypt and many other historical places ever since my childhood( from when I could remember) I would read about these places and I would swoon into ecstasy visualizing how wonderful it would be to live in their era.
So in February 2007 I made my maiden attempt to leave the country and venture into adventure. Thanks to Mrs.Sujatha & her team at Across the Monde I could fulfill my dream.
What better start could I ask for then to commence my first journey on a pilgrimage to the Holyland via Egypt from were the exodus of Mosses with the chosen people to the promised land comes flashing before you.This strip of land was promised by God to Abraham ,Mosses and Joshua.This was were King David established his capital and kingdom ,this is were his son King Solomon built the 1st temple and it was here that a legacy of a new religion was established and above all it is here the events were witnessed of our Lord Jesus,his birth ,life at Nazareth,teaching,healing& miracles combined with his death and resurection.This is the Land of the Bible I felt it come alive and really felt it was the land flowing with Milk& Honey.
Hope I could help you walk along the footpath of my Lord and see the places of importance and feel his presence at every step from his birth to his Ascension.
It was a direct flight from Hyderabad to Egypt via Doha.
It was a quite afternoon we reached Egypt were you immediately feel the presence of an ancient world ,kind of spooky as we drive along to Giza we see so many ruins of small tombs and huge Mosques we also see a fort and the hill Mukhatham from were the stones were quarried for the large Pyramids of Giza.There are alot of boats which take you on a little cruise along the river Nile at night.
Egypt is famous for its natural perfumes.
Driving down Pyramid road amidst the flats and signals you have the first glimpse of the largest Pyramid of Cheops.This is something you have to see to understand ,it took my breath away it is such a mgnificent sight to behold.
From Giza we drove down to Cairo and here we saw the hanging church or St.Marys church it has 29 steps to climb up and it appears as if it is suspended without any foundation as it was constructed above a gate house of the old Roman Fortress called the Babylon Fort You can also see the ruins of the fort and the Coptic church of St George.
The Hanging Church The Entrance
The Madona in the church
The hanging church houses some amazing 110 icons and also has the
pictures of its Patriarchs who are from Alexandria. By the 11th century AD the church served as the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church Of Alexandria. There are a lot of Icons in the church. Beside this church is the church of St.Sagius which houses the crypt of the
Holy family , this is were the Holy family stayed during their flight into Egypt and most probably St.Joseph worked at the fort.
This was also to fulfill the prophecy ,"Out of Egypt I called my
son" (Hosea 11:1 - RSV) and "The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it." (Isaiah 19:1 - KJV) "In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD." (Isaiah 19:19 - KJV)
"Blessed be Egypt my people" (Isaiah 19:25 - KJV) and latter in the Gospel "Take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word" (Matthew 2:13 - KJV)
From here we commence our journey to St.Catherine passing the Suiz Canal tunnel its a long drive 7 to 8 hrs.Here we visited The Monastry of St.Catherine set beneath Mount Sinai ,it is here while grazing the sheep of Jethro Moses encounters the presence of the Lord through a Burning Bush .
The Burning Bush
St.Catherine Monastry
"Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.... When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.... So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."Exo 3:1-14
There is also Moses' WELL were he meets Jethros"s daughters(Exodus 2:16) and later marries the eldest Zipporah.
The massive walls of the fortress is breathtaking and magnificent ,in the 4th century St.Helene the mother of Byzantine Empire built a chapel over the burning bush
and it was in the the 6th century Emperor Justinian built the walls and the basilica the one we know today as the Church of Transfiguration the interior of the church is richly decorated with gold and rare wood. Next to the alter there is a sarcophagus containing the skull with a crown of gold embedded with precious stones and the left hand with rings and gems of St.Catherine.
Let me tell you a little about St.Catherine ,she was born Dorothea in 294 in Alexandria to a noble & wealthy family and was baptized as a christian she never renounced her faith in spite of continuous torture and finally she was beheaded in 305 they say milk flowed out of her instead of blood,she was buried in Alexandria. After five years legend has it that angels had brought her body to the summit of the mountain nearby Mt.Sinai and later the monks were intimated through a dream and that is how her skull & fingers were kept in a sarcophagus next to the alter in the church of the Transfiguration which is inside the monestry of St.Catherine.
The Icon Gallery The Chapel With The Bell Tower:-
There is an Icon gallery inside the monastry it also houses an extraordinary collection of Byzantine art.There is a Bell Tower as you enter the fort through a small door,The neo-Classical bell tower was built in 1871 by one of the monks, Gregarious. It houses nine bells given by the Tsar of Russia. There are various buildings within the monastry itself , next to the Basilica is a Mosque,it is said that when Mohammed was fleeing the Monks of St.Catherine had given him shelter even today the Muslims visit and pray and also work at the Monastry.Its greatest pride is the library which preserves precious codices and manuscripts.
At the entrance you have a lot of shops selling mementos, but it is better to buy some of the small white rocks with crystals inside and also you have a sketch of the burning bush in some of the rocks, these are only found in the Sinai range and sold by the Bedouin boys now these boys love ballpoint pens so much ,why I could not figure out but they trade their items for the pens.
Looking up towards the south of the Monastry of St.Catherine is Gebel Musa or Moses" Mount it is also identified as Mt.Horeb in the Bible it rises about 2,228 meteres high, it is here that Moses received the Ten Commandments from the God of Israel written by the finger of the Lord on the two stone tablets.
To ascend the mount one has to start by 1.30AM it takes about three hours and a climb of2600 steps most visitors prefer to see the dawn from up there the first rays of the rising Sun [lluminates all the
surrounding rocks until they light up the Gulf Of Aqaba.
On the way we see a confessional gate,we also see the fount of Moses or Mayet Musa where he watered his flock, on the summit is a chapel of the Holy Trinity it welcomes pilgrims who have a magnificent panorama over Sinai.
The Sinai range is so huge we drive for hours tipp we see the Red sea
the way of the Exodus and all that Moses & Joshua did reminds one of the struggle they had encountered all the way.
Today archeology has made stunning discoveries at The Gulf of Aqaba as the point of crossings .
Reaching Israel's southern most point along the way we could catch a glimpse against the backdrop of the Edomite Mountains at the far East ,Aqaba,Jordan and Saudi Arabia we reach Eilat.
It is first mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 33:35 and then several times more it was where the Children Of Israel stationed after the Exodus,later it is mentioned in 2Kings 14:21-22 were king David captures Edom and takes over Eilat as well .
Then in 2Kings 16:6 the Jews are driven out and the Edomites ( the decedents of Esau the twin brother of Jacob)dwell in Eilat.
The view all the way was so breathtaking and glorious that we could feel that this is the Land of Milk and Honey mentioned in the Bible ,I felt as though this Land had mesmerized me and I was walking through every part & path of the Old & New Testament.
After a couple of hours drive our guide mentioned the the approaching of the dead sea and towards its south stands Mt.Sodom adjasent to which is the city of Sodom and Gomorrah ,it was dark and we could not see clearly but a carved figure of Lots wife is very prominent it is said due to her disobedience she turns to see the burning city ,as mentioned in Genesis 19 :26 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
According to the Bible five cities were destroyed for their sinful life and it rained sulphur , fire and brimstone upon them (Gen 19:24) surprising we see its effect on the Dead Sea."Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah --from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities --and also the vegetation in the land." Genesis 19:24-25, Recently archeologists have discovered ash and round stones of brimstone and pure sulphur at the area along with ashen ruins of ziggurats at Gomorrah
.
We reach Bethlehem by 22.30hrs believe me I was not famished or tired in spite of the long drive for we were agog to see what we would view next,as on the way we could see the wall of Jerusalem with one of its gates,the shine of the Dome of the Rock and passing by on the slopes down in the valley I recognized the Church of all nations .
Our first day at Jerusalem the place appeared so peaceful and the air so fresh ,the mountains all around with Olive trees,Almond, Cyprus,Fig ,Palm date and Orange trees with plenty of fruits on them , Jews celebrate a minor festival ,'Tu Bishvat' that marks the new year of the trees,it falls towards late January or early February.I can go on and on about the picturesque place which has sand dumes ,mountains, plants and the Jewish settlements which could be recognized easily with their synchronized way of construction and uniformity around the
mountain slopes they could easly be distinguished with the Arab settlement whose construction were haphazard.
Each time we drove from Bethlehem to Jerusalem around the winding hills our guide would show us the Field of Blood or as it is known in Hebrew Ha-kel-da-ma, this belonged to Judas were he eventually hung himself.
Jerusalem as the Hebrews called it Yerushalayim and in Arabic Al-Quds was once considered as the 'Eternal city' and once the centre of the world
(Ezek:5-5) .As I have mentioned, it is so unique in its beauty and is the Holy city of three religion Christians, Jews and Muslims.
God was partial and knew what he was doing when he made Jerusalem as it is written;
'Ten Measures of beauty gave God to the world: nine to Jerusalem and one to the remainder. Ten Measures of sorrow gave God to the world: Nine to Jerusalem and one to the remainder.' (The Talmud Kiddushin 49:2)
'If I forget thee Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning ' Psalms 137-5
This spiritual historical place has to be seen with immense love and reverence in your heart and literary feeling the movements of the twelve Apostle who moved with their Rabbi swiftly and smoothly around Israel and Judea.
Jerusalem is first mentioned in the Bible in Gen.14:18 were during the time of Abrham it was called Salem; It is on Mt.Moriah Abrham goes to offer his son Issac and was stopped by an Angel . he says 'God will see'(Gen.22:14).this was some 4000yrs ago.
Then Joshua led the people of Israel and captured the Canaanites,Jerusalem was not captured by them and it remained in the hands of the Jebusites.It was only in and around 1006BC that King David captured the city and made it the capital of the Israeli kingdom that is why it is also known as the city of David. This is were his son Solomon built the first temple on the Temple Mount and The Ark O f The Covenant was kept in the temple, however the temple was later destroyed and burnt down by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon somewhere around 586BC along with the Kings palace.
The Jews were taken into exile only after fifty years between 538 and 520 BC led by Zerubbabel 42,360 of them could return and built the second temple with the help of Cyrus the Great ....This was not as large as the first one it was only during the rule of the Romans that king Herod a great builder who constructed a number of fortresses, castles and public buildings ventured into the extension of the temple and also the temple mount. This was the Temple that Jesus was presented in, found ,preached and also were he clobbered the vendors by making a whip of cords and drove them out, they had made his Fathers home a market place Which outraged him (this is mentioned in all the Gospels?)
The Dome of the Rock now stands were the Temple stood and close by is the Wailing Wall the only remnanance of the Second Temple which was burnt down by the Roman s in AD 70.
Assyrians, Babylonians,Persians,Greeks,Arabs,Crusaders and Turks and Romansplayed a role in the misery of Jerusalem.
British controlled the city from 1917 to 1948; after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 it was divided between Israel and Jordan. In 1967 the Israelis captured the whole city and have since held it as its capital.
Note : There are places we have visited but we were never guided that along the same path there would be some more important biblical places which are of interest, hence I would like to mention them too to enable one to view the Holy Land with keener interest and great devotion for who ever seeks the hidden Jesus at the holy places will find him here if we believe in the promise of the Word Of God as written in the Old Testement,”when you seek me with all your heart I will be found by you”(Jeremiah 29:13-14 )
JERUSALEM
The Walls of the Old City along with its magnificent Gates: When Jerusalem was conquered in the 11 century BC, it was ruled by Jebusites the Bible mentions the city was well fortified and with strong city walls. King David made it his capital and constructed what is known as the city of David at the southwest of the wall near the Dung gate his son Solomon extended the city walls during the building of the first temple and after the Babylonian invasion there is Biblical proof that it was reconstructed again by Nehemaih after his return from exile but right from then there had been a lot of destruction till 1538 then the Turkish sultan Suleiman the great constructed the walls we see today on the foundations of the Roman Aelia Capitolina. In the Jewish quarters of the old city one could see an uncovered section of the wall build by Nehemiah .
Many gates are mentioned but only 8 remain with presently 7 in use. The walls are constructed with great blocks of stone and measure 2.8 miles in circumference and rises to a hight of 16 to 49 feet according to the confirmation of the land , its thickness is about 10feet.
Old City of Jerusalem1; [Christian Quarters, Muslim Quarters -in Temple Mount 6Jewish Quarters -7&8 Armenian Quarters ]
1. The Golden Gate :-
Also known as the Eastern Gate or the Beautiful gate as mentioned in the Acts3:2,10:-‘Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem’(Psalm122:2) This is the only Gate that remains closed and is constructed on the remnants of the earlier one . According to Christian tradition it was through this gate that Jesus entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover riding on a colt that no one had ridden before (Mark11:1-11;John12:13;Mt.21;1-11;Lk19:28-40) amidst a great crowd who waved palm leaves shouting Hosanna and also put their cloaks down on the road for the Lord to pass through.
This gate appears golden too and is opposite the mount of Olives, when we climb up Palm Sunday road we can see the gate from a distance and it is visible from the Mount of Olives and more clearly when you stand at the entrance of The Church of all Nations at Gethsemane just look across the road and you can see it more closely. This gate had been walled of during the 9th century but prior to that it was opened, a lot of activities concerning the cross had taken place through this gate by king Heraclius and the Persians.
According to Jewish and Christian tradition the Messiah will enter through this gate(Mt:24-27) all the three faiths believe that the final judgment will take place at the Eastern gate and at the summit of the mount of Olives (Zec:14-4-5) so they have constructed their cemeteries here and on the Eastern slopes, Kidron Valley and on the Western slopes of the mount of Olives, which are still in use.
Damascus Gate:
This gate is situated on the Northern side of the Jerusalem Wall and constructed by Suleiman the Great over the remains of the previous gate which dates back to The Second Temple time and further done by Herod Agrippa 1in 41 BC and later by Hadrian during 135AD, from here one entered into Hadrian’s Aelia Capitolina.
The Madaba map shows a column in front of it ( that is why it is also known as The Column Gate) which is not discovered to date though the ruins of the Roman times have been discovered by archeologists. It is one of the most impressive, largest and decorative gates in the old city. It has steps descending towards it and during the 20th century a Rabbi wanted to attach a Mezuzah on it but was refused as Arabs did not want it to be affixed, to date only three of the gates have them fixed on them.
The gate also has two towers each equipped with machicolations (an opening from which boiling oil could be spilled on assailants below) the gate's defenses include slits for firing at attackers and a thick door. This gate leads towards Damascus and today one would see a lot of vendors selling fruits and vegetables around it.
Herod’s Gate:
It is situated in the East facing North close to the Damascus gate. This also led to King Harold Antipas’ palace [ he is mentioned in the bible also as Herold the Terarch and king herold though he wasnt tittled king he is known for his events that led to to the execution of John the Baptist and Jesus.}
It is also known as the Flower Gate as it has floral designs engraved on its facade.
It is also known as the Sheep Gate as the weekly market of selling sheep was held here. The Crusaders camped here and breached the wall of Jerusalem to capture the city and proclaim the Latin Kingdom. Parts of the wall in between Herod’s and Damascus Gate have irregular channels were we could see it was build on Aelia Capitolina .
Stephen Gate or Lion’s Gate:
Suleiman the great had dreamt that he would be devoured by a lion if he did not strengthen the wall hence he had 4 lions engraved on the top of the gate two on either side.
St.Stephen the first Christian Martyr was stoned perhaps some were close to the gate hence the name)( Acts.7).
This gate takes you from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. We entered the city through this gate which is also known as Mary’s gate has it is the birth place of our blessed Mother to the right is the church of St.Ann which houses the crypt of the holy Virgin. This gate leads us almost immediately to the Via Dolorosa or the way of the cross.
Dung Gate:
This gate acts as a passage to the Jewish settlement. All waste residue from the Jewish Temple were taken through this gate to the Valley of Hinnom were it was burnt, hence the name .
It is also known as Sha’ar Ha’ashpot in Hebrew and it is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah ;3:13-14.
It is located on the southern wall of the old city at the southeast corner. There is a pointed Ottoman arch above the gate; it was widened in 1952 after the city came into the Jordanian control in 1948.Directly behind the Wall lies the entrance to the Wailing wall compound. Excavations are going on near the gate and some old mansions were unearthed before the city was destroyed by the Romans The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) feel it could be that of Queen Helen of Adiabene.
Zion Gate:
It is located in the South of the old city and faces Mount Zion, were David’s tomb, Dormation Abbey were mother Mary was assumed into heaven and the palace of Annas & Caiaphas is located here and it also faces Hebron .
It leads to the Armenian and Jewish Quarters. There are a lot of bullet marks and holes on the gate stones which occurred during the Israeli war of Independence in 1948 when the Israelites made an attempt to enter into the city which was held by the Arabs.
Jaffa Gate:
It is so named because it is the portal for Jaffa road which leads to Jaffa city which is an important sea port and the Mediterranean coastal plane. It is the only gate on the western corner of the historical walls of the old city of Jerusalem. The Citadel adjoining Jaffa gate was once the fortress that guarded Herod’s palace and is also known as ‘The Tower of David’, it is also considered as one of the best known land marks of Jerusalem.
Today it houses the Museum and many changing frequent exhibitions are conducted here. There is a ‘sound and light’ show which portrays the history of the citadel conducted during summer. There are two unnamed Muslim graves just inside the gate, they say it belonged to the engineers that built and designed the wall, according to legend Suleiman was displeased with them and got them executed as they failed to enclose the Mount of Olives within the wall. I was fortunate to see this gate and the graves on my second visit in 2015.
During the 1800’s this was the only gate between the new and old cities, and almost all the foreign dignitaries entered the city through this gate.
New Gate:
It is located in the north western portion of the old city walls and was constructed around 1887
by the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hameed that’s how it gets its name. It provides direct access into the Christian quarters.
Its distinctive feature is its crenellated stonework surrounding the archway.
The Church Of St.Ann:
We enter through the Lions Gate and almost immediately taking a right there is a small garden enclave were we see on the right the church of St.Ann which houses the crypt of our Blessed Mother Mary.
It was the home of the parents of our Mother Mary , St.Ann & Jokhim. It was built by the crusaders in the 11 century and it is well preserved. St.Anns church acoustic is so well designed for chants that the church becomes an instrument of music played by the human voice. We had the opportunity of Singing around the alter and hear our voice’s echo in the whole church. There is a staircase descending to the crypt of the Holy Virgin, out of which only a small portion of the rock cave still exists. There is a very beautiful icon depicting the Mother with her parents. Today the white fathers use it as a Greek seminary.
The Pools Of Bethesda:
These ruins lie just beside the church of St.Ann , It means House of Grace or Mercy. The ruins were so breath taking that closing your eyes one could imagine the miracle of Jesus at the pool. The pool has five porches and had a spring which fed water into it, the invalids would wait for the right time to enter into it as it had miraculous healing powers, it was said that the angel was sent by the Lord to stir the pool and the first to enter would be cured .
In the Gospel of John 5:1-11 Jesus cured the lame man who had been ill for 38 years ant this was on a Sabbath day .The pool was first dug in the 8century BC and water reservoirs existed in this valley so the water was lead to the temple by an open air canal. This is mentioned in the Old Testament in 2Kings 18:17 and in the book of Isaiah 36:2 and also in chapter 7:3, it was known as the upper pool.
Later another pool was dug in the 3century BC were sheep were washed before being sacrificed and the canal had to be covered this is mentioned in the book of Sirach50:3probably during the time of the high priest Simon.
Here you can also see ruins of a Roman Temple to the God of Medicine and ruins of a church built over it by the Byzantines ..
Close by stood the Antonio Fort and the Via Dolorosa or the way of the cross: As we enter St.Stephen’s gate or the Lions gate the way of the cross commences.
This is the path Jesus took on his last journey before being crucified at Golgotha he was tried and condemned by Pontius Pilot at the praetorium at the Antonia Fortress the headquarters where the Roman garrison stationed in Jerusalem and also the residence of the Procurator when he visited Jerusalem .
This is the First Station and today it is the courtyard of the Al-Omariya school. There are nine stations on this way and the remaining five are inside the Holy Sepulcher. At the 5th station you can see a sign of The Via Dolorosa and also a sign of the Franciscan priests who conduct the procession every Friday at 3Pm; people from all over the world join them in retracing the steps and agony of our Lord .
When we recite the way of the cross on Wednesday and Fridays during Lent season it will never be the same for me as the whole journey reminds us the suffering that Jesus and his Mother underwent throughout the winding roads which are now full of shops and a lot of hustle and bustle around the area in spite of all this we were moved with a deep spiritual experience.We could see the connecting bridge were Pontius Pilot washed his hands and said ‘Ecce Homo’ or behold the man (John19:5).
Close by are the prison’s in which Jesus and Barabbas(a notorious thief)were kept that night, these were like caves and today they are the house of the Zion sisters. Close by is another church were Jesus was flogged mercilessly by roman soldiers after being tied at a pillar { part of this pillar exists in the church of the Holy Sepulcher and the other half at the Vatican.}This church is called the Church Of Flagellation; inside you have a stained glass which depicts Jesus being flogged and when you look up above the alter you could see the crown of thorns.
1st Station:-Jesus is condemned to Death :-
‘And straight away in the morning the chief priest held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilot’{Mark 15:1}
It was here at the Praetorium in the Antonia Fortress that Jesus was condemned by Pilot which according to tradition was at the arch of triumph known as the Ecce Homo Arch which was constructed by Hadrian during the 1st century AD, during the Passover Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned and handed over to be crucified .
When we stand here and visualize Jesus draped in those scarlet robes being rebuked and spat upon we realize are we worth it... yet how much more we still continue to sin. Today the 1st station is in the courtyard of the Al-Omariya school.
2nd Station Jesus takes up the Cross :-
‘
Then Pilot took Jesus and had him flogged, and the soldiers wove a crown of thorns, and put it on his head and they dressed him in a purple robe and said, Hail, king of the Jews! And they smote him with their hands’ (John 19:1-3)
‘Then he handed him over to them to be crucified’ (John 19:16)
To commemorate the place were Jesus was humiliated, scourged a wreath of thorns placed on his head and the cross was finally given to him, the Franciscan
brothers built the Church Of Flagellation and a chapel of condemnation. They also have a Bible college and a museum containing ancient excavations. In the church you can see the right arch which is still preserved. There are some artifacts on display just as we come out of the chapel .
Lithostrotos:-
A Greek word meaning Pavement.
‘Pilot…. brought Jesus outside and sat in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha’
{John 19:13}
(It is better to mention about the pavement and the Ecce Homo here since you are in the same vicinity) The vaulted basement of the convent of the sisters of Zion covers the remains of a large ancient Roman pavement made of large flagstones which were specially etched together to prevent horses from slipping it probably dates back to the time of Hadrian. On the stone pavement there are signs of an ancient dice game of the kings , which gives way to the belief that this is were probably the Roman soldiers gambled for the robes of Jesus. Traditionally it is believed that this was the place of judgment, on this Pavement which was on the western section of the Antonia Fortress.
At the basement of the Convent of the Sisters Of Zion there is an old cistern divided in two by a row of arches this is inaccessible to any visitor (this is only for your information)
Ecce Homo:-
‘Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilot saith unto them behold the man!’ {John 19:5}
The Ecce Homo arch is part of the eastern entrance to the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina constructed as the arch of triumph by Hadrian, Tradition has it that this was the spot were Pilot washed his hands, saying the words Ecce Homo or Behold the Man and handed over Jesus to be crucified. Today you see the larger arch at the starting of the Via Dolorosa and the Left hand smaller arch is in the chapel in the convent of the sisters of Zion. Please note just to understand what this could have looked like together with the three arches, during the time of condemnation one could see the Arch of Jerash at Jordan also built in honor of Hadrian as the triumphal arch.
3rd Station Jesus falls the first time:- ‘The comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me’ { Lamentations 1:16}
We pass by the narrow street which is called El-Wad were we see the chapel, at the entrance over the arch there is a façade of Jesus falling under the burden of the cross ,this sculptor was done by Thaddeus Zielinsky. This place led to the public pool until the 15th century. The Armenians bought this land and built the church here in 1865, during the Second World War it was renovated by the Portuguese soldiers.
4th Station Jesus meets his Mother:-
“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which will be spoken against”. (Luke 2:34 )beside the chapel.Cyrene was a rich and powerful town during the classical times and lay in the fertile district of Cyrenaica in North Africa today it is in Libya .It was under Roman rule in 96 BC.A point to note from here starts the ascend to Calvary.
It feels very sad to see this spot surrounded by shops displaying garments and undergarments too just at the sculpture of Jesus & Mary.
The Armenian Catholic chapel of Our Lady of spasm marks the spot where Mother Mary encountered the bleeding Jesus carrying his cross.
5th Station Simon The Cyrenian helps Jesus to carry the cross:-
“And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.”
There is a small Franciscan chapel which commemorates the place Simon the Cyrenian helps Jesus carry the cross. An inscription on the architrave of one door recalls the encounter of Simons help to carry the burden of the cross, it is said that when Jesus stood he placed his hand on the wall and the imprint of his palm is visible till today on the wall .
6th Station Veronica Wipes the face of Jesus:-
“The Lord makes his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee.”(Numbers 6:25)
“Your Face, Lord, do I seek. Hide not your Face from me”(Psalms 27:8-9)
The church of St.Veronica belongs to the Little Sisters of Jesus
and the Alter of the church is decorated with a Menorah
(Candelabrum of 7 branches). According to tradition this is the Site of the house of Veronica; it is believed she wiped the blood and dirt off the face of Jesus on her veil and miraculously the Imprint o f his face remained on the veil which is preserved at St.Peter’s at Rome to this day. There are a lot of interpretations
Of who Veronica was some say she was the woman Beronikes who Jesus cured Of a continuous blood flow (hemorrhages) which she was suffering from the last 12 years by only touching the hem of his garment (Mathew 9:20-22) mentioned in ,Mark 5:29 some say she was the daughter of the Canaanite woman who Jesus cured (Mathew 15:22-28) and so on All we could see was a door of the chapel that was closed.
7nth Station Jesus falls the second time:-
“And the Angels of his presence saved them: In his love and in
his pity he redeemed them.” ( Isaiah 63:9)
There are two chapels that are connected with a flight of steps, this marks the point were Jesus falls the second time under the weight of his cross and this was also were the road of old Jerusalem ends and from here commences the narrow path to Calvary or Golgotha. This was the border of the city at the time of Jesus. In the Franciscans chapel there is a massive Roman pillar which stands as a reminder to all Pilgrims and travelers of the ancient wall and gates of Jerusalem
8th Station Jesus consoles the crying woman of Jerusalem:-
“Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not me, but
Weep for yourselves and for your children” Luke 23:28
To mark the spot were Jesus encounter the women there is
on the wall of the Greek Monastery of St.Charalambos a stone with
a Latin Cross engraved on it and an inscription with the letter
‘ NIKA’ meaning “Jesus Christ is victorious” This station was believed
to be located outside the city walls of Jerusalem during the period of the
second temple and the woman who had come to celebrate the feast of
the Passover along with the woman of Jerusalem wept at the sight
of Jesus.
9th Station Jesus Falls the third time:-
“And he went a little further and fell on his face, and prayed, saying,
O My Father, If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless
Not as I will but as thou wilt” Mathew 26:39
We now take a turn and after a small distance walk we ascend some
28 steps and we could see the door of the Coptic Church. There
is a column built into the door of this Coptic Church
(Almost in between the gates of the Ethiopian Monastery and the
Coptic Patriarchate) on this pillar there is a coarsely painted
cross commemorating the place our Lord falls the third time.
From this point he could see the place of crucifixion, it is said this pained
Him when he saw Golgotha and he wept.
10th Station Jesus is stripped of his Garments:-
“And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received
It not” Mark 15:2
3
The remaining five stations (10 to 14) are within the Basilica of the
Holy Sepulcher .We entered through the Ethiopian church which
have some ancient icons and when we come out we are in the enclosure
of the Holy Sepulcher and towards the right before the small stairway
of stone that reaches to the Chapel of Divestiture ,we see the spot
were Jesus was stripped of his garments.
11nth Station Jesus is nailed to the cross:-
“When they came to the place that is called The Skull , they crucified Jesus
There with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” Luke 23:33
We now climb some more steep steps to reach the place were he was
Nailed to the cross, there are magnificent mosaics decorating the alter
were Jesus was crucified before the eyes of his Mother. This holy
site is guarded by the Roman Catholics.
12th Station Jesus dies on the cross:-
“Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last”
Mark 15:37
“When Jesus had received the wine, he said,’ It is finished’ Then
He bowed his head and gave up his spirit” John 19:30
"Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha." (John 19:16-17)
To reach the Greek Orthodox chapel on the other side of the room,
pass under an ornamental arch as the alters are beside each other,
the place where he was nailed and the place of crucifixion ,in between
the Greek(12 stn)and Latin (11stn)alters is The catholic alter dedicated
to Our Lady of Dolorosa ,this wooden17th century bust size statue of
our Mother Dolorosa was presented by the Portuguese Queen in
1778 it recalls the grief of Mary at the death of her son Jesus.
The Greek Orthodox alter is flanked by two supporting pillars
And a silver disc beneath to mark the exact spot were Jesus and
the two criminals were placed. Place your hand in the middle of the silver
disc to feel the depth or the cavity created by the cross that was placed in
it. If you see carefully there is a glass on the floor beside the alter which
shows you the rock Golgotha below. On either side of the alter are black
discs marking the sight of the two crosses of the thieves that were
crucified with Jesus.
Dont miss to see the fissure on the rock on the right
side of the alter which was caused due to an earthquake at the time of
Jesus’s death. “ At that moment the curtain of the Temple was torn
in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split” .
Mathew 27 : 51
13th Station: - Jesus is taken down from the cross.
“After these things, Joseph of Arimathea , who was a disciple of Jesus.
Though a secret one because of the fear of the Jews, asked pilot to let him
Take away the body of Jesus. Pilot gave him permission; so he came and
removed his body .” John 19:38
“Now standing by the cross of Jesus was Mary his Mother,” John 19:25
We now descend the stairs from the 12th station and immediately in front
is the alter which marks the spot were Mary receives her son’s body after
He was taken down from the cross. Jesus’ body was then laid on
the stone of unction ( Anointing) and anointed with a mixture of myrrh, aloe
and aromatic oils in preparation for burial .
There are many Lamps suspended over the stone of unction they have
been donated by the various denominations that govern the church.
Bending our knees and kissing the stone we had the picture of the
Michael Angelo’s Pieta ,to imagine a mothers heart felt pain at this moment.
14th Station:- Jesus is laid in the Tomb.
“So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in
His own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock .He then rolled a great
Stone to the door of the tomb and went away.” Mathew 27:59-60
This is the Tomb of Jesus the holiest place for all Christians which lies in centre
Of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher it is directly beneath the main rotunda
In a very beautiful decorative edicule . The tomb was originally in a cave
Hewn rock and the rotunda was built over and around it .We had such a
holy and sad feeling within the tomb that we just began to cry for our sins
we have to bend and go in and we see the sacred rock which is covered
with a smooth marble slab ( this is there from 1555)and don’t miss above it
are paintings depicting the resurrection of Christ.Over the tomb there are
42 lamps that burn day and night.
THE HOLY SEPULCHER
The holiest place on earth for all Christians, my joy knew no bounds
seeing those massive doors of the entrance to Calvary my dreams
came true ,I have been reading about this church from a long long
time. There is so much to see here but certain places are restricted
for tourists. Even though there is a continuous movement of tourists
and pilgrims, you will automatically go on your knees to kiss the ground .
We cannot help but thank St.Helene and Constantine the Great her son for retrieving these holy places of the New testament back to us ,for in 335AD when she and her son started the construction of the Church it was a pagan temple dedicated to Aphrodite and was constructed
by Hadrian, during the excavation she had discovered the True Cross.
But from then till recent times the Church was destroyed and redone
several times nevertheless it stands there today as a reminder to the
world of the place were Jesus was crucified and laid to rest in a tomb.
As we come out from the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate into the courtyard
of the Holy Sepulcher we enter The Ethiopian Orthodox chapel through the
Coptic Chapel of St.Michael the Archangel and try hard to engulf the serenity of the
Icons and the alter in the chapel .
We then see the two huge gates with one On the right permanently blocked. On either sides are a few small chapelsThis is where the pilgrims gather to see the Patriarchate of Jerusalem . The main
door to the church as a tiny secondary door whose keys are in the care and protection of Two Muslim families .Every morning at 4 am. Wajeeh Nuseibeh walks through the walled Old City of Jerusalem to this most reverend shrine in Christendom, bringing along with him an ancient 12inch iron key to open the huge wooden doors of the Holy Sepulcher ,he climbs a small ladder to reach the lock. In the evening after three raps of an iron doorknocker he waits and closes up the place and keeps the keys in safekeeping which are done by the Joudeh family.
The keys were entrusted to the two Muslim families the Nuseibah and Joudeh by Caliph Omar Ibn Kattab some 1300 years ago and latter after the Crusaders by Saladin .The doors are surrounded by three marble columns on either side.On the left you will see a crack on the middle column which occurred in 1579 how it occured is as follows and also the places to see within the Church :-
THE HOLY FIRE
This is a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at the Tomb of Jesus or the Church of Resurrection Hyderabad
The complete ceremony is broadcast live in Greece , Russia Greece and Ukraine
The Patriarch then gives the flame to the Armenian Patriarch. There are so many miracles regarding the holy fire, I will name one which occurred during the reign of the Turks, once the Armenian’s paid the Turks not to allow the Orthodox Patriarch to enter the Holy Sepulcher so the gate was closed and the Patriarch along with his flock stood out and prayed Lo and behold the pillar on the left slit vertically and the Sacred fire flashed near the Orthodox Patriarch .
This miracle occurred in 1575 during the reign of Sultan Mourad the fourth and the Patriarch was Sophrony the fourth . A Muslim Muezzin named Tounom witnessed the miracle from the adjacent Mosque immediately converted to Christianity .Yet another Turkish warrior who was on top of the gate witnessed the miracle and screaming Christ is the true God leapt down for about 10 meters ,the ground seemed like wax to him and his feet were imprinted on the floor ,the Turks tried to scrape it but it still remains.
The Stone of Anointing:-
As we enter we see the stone of Anointing or the stone of unction it is believed that Jesus’ body was laid here in his mothers arms and prepared for burial there are lamps hanging over the stone.
The Rotunda and the Edicule:-
To the left is the Rotunda of the Ana stasis beneath the larger of the church’s two domes in the center is The Edicule of The Holy Sepulcher which has two rooms. As we enter we see a fragment of the stone which sealed the tomb of Jesus it is known as the Angel’s stone. The second we enter bowing pretty low in reverence and also as the entrance is a small arch to the actual Tomb were Jesus was laid it is here that the miracle of the Holy Fire occurs on Holy Saturday.
Then beyond the rear is a chapel dedicated to St.Joseph of Armatea who gave his Tomb to Jesus.To the right is a chapel of Apparition. As we enter there to the right are a flight of winding steps reaching the 11nth and 12th station.(pl check the two stations given above)
Beneath the
There are three chapels to the east. Greek Chapel of Derision, Armenian Chapel of Division of robes and Greek chapel of St.Longinus . Between the first two chapels are steps descending to The Armenian Chapel of St.Helene, from here another 42 steps down lead to the Chapel of the Invention of the holy Cross believed to be the place were the true cross was found.
In the North east side is the prison of Christ were Jesus was held.
On the North side of St.Helene’s chapel is an ornate wrought iron door which leads to the Chapel of St.Vartan.
This drawing dates before the completion of
You also see a part of the Pillar were Jesus was tied and scourged at before being crucified and the remaining part is in Rome.
When we leave the Holy Sepulcher we pass through the ruins of old Jerusalem and see the ruins of the Hasmonean city walls a replica of the Minora and a map of ancient Jerusalem a replica from the Madaba Map.
Next we see the ruins of the 6th century Byzantine Cardo built by Emperor Justinian,it was about 70ft in width, this street was the main thoroughfare of Byzantine Jerusalem and served both residents and pilgrims. Large churches flanked the Cardo in several places. The columns were supported by wooden roofs (which are no longer there) for protection from sun and rain, today this street and ruins are 6ft below street level.
The Wailing Wall:-Also known as the Western Wall is a part of Harod’s retaining Temple which is visible on ground level the rest is underground( not for pilgrims)Excavated by two British archeologists Warren and Wilson who recovered remains from the time of king Solomon (957BC). The first destruction of the Temple took place in 586BC by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. The temple was rebuild during the reign of Cyrus the Persian King in 538BC later it was renovated by Herod the great and came to be known as Harod’s temple this was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. With this the Jews lost their lands so the Wall that remains today is the only reminder of their glorious temples.
We see Jews praying here so fervently they recite the Psalms and meditate. There is a partition made for the men and women to pray at the wall. Pilgrims also place their petitions at the niches in between the stones.
The Golden Dome:--
Situated on the Temple mount the golden Dome is the land mark of Jerusalem. This is were the first and second temple stood and were King Solomon kept the Ark Of The Covenant. The Dome was built by caliph Ab-El-Malik in 691AD.According to Jews the dome houses the rock were Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac also known as Mount Moriah, Muslims also believe that Prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven from this rock and received the holy scriptures .
Also situated on the Temple Mount is The Al-Aqsa mosque the third important place for the Muslims after Mecca and Medina .We were not allowed to go near these premises.
Mount Of Olives:_-
The Mount of Olives overlooks the Temple Mount from the East, Legend has it that the Messiah will enter the Temple Courts through the now blocked Golden gate which is opposite the mountain on the day of redemption this is why pious Jews chose to be buried here throughout the ages so that they would be first to follow him.
The mount is mentioned first in the Bible when King David flees from Absalom (11Sam.15:30). It was here Ezechiel viewed the heavenly chariots and Zechariah prophesied the end of days (Zec.14:4).For Christians the mountain is an important and significant place as Jesus spent so much time here during his mission, this is were he thought us the “Our Father” .
On its slopes is the Garden of Gethsemane where he was taken captive and from its summit he ascended .It is from here he prophesied the destruction of the Temple. In antiquity the mount had layers of Olive trees all around it but during the Roman siege in 70AD it was all cleared.
Kidron Valley:-
This is situated on the Eastern side of Jerusalem it is believed that the last judgment will take place here hence on both sides of the valley there are ancient Jewish cemeteries belonging to the 1st century. Located here are the tombs of Zechariah and Absalom son of King David. It is also believed that a Pharaoh and his daughter are buried here.
Garden of Gethsamane:--
Situated on the slopes of `Mount of Olives is the garden of ancient olive trees . There was a olive press around this area that’s how it gets its name Getsamane meaning Olive press in Aramaic. This is were Jesus and is disciples were praying before being betrayed and arrested by the Romans Adjacent is the church of All nations.
Church of all Nations:--
Also known as the church of Agony, the church is built over the rock were Jesus prayed and sweated blood the rock is surrounded by a crown of wrought iron thorns. ‘Not My will but thy will be done’ Jesus surrenders to his father here. The church was built by contribution made by Christians from several countries. Note note---before you enter the church just look opposite the church you will have a close look at the Golden Gate.
Church OF Ascension:--
This is a small single domed church built over the rock that has the footprint of Jesus on a rectangular stone frame, just before his ascension in to Heaven. This place belongs to a Muslim however on the feast of the Ascension Christians celebrate Mass here.
Church Of Our Lord’s Prayer or The Pater Noster:-- This church was built on the Mount of Olives at the place were Jesus thought his disciples the Lord’s prayer .The church is surrounded by corridors on all four sides and on each corridor we have The Lord’s prayer written in 62 languages on glazed tiles. This includes it in Aramaic, Tamil and also Braille.
Church of Mary Magdalene: -- This church is also located on the Mount of Olives .This church was built by Alexander III.
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