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BETHLEHEM

Bethlehem Bethlehem (Greek transcription of the ancient Hebrew “Bet-Lehem”, meaning ‘house of bread’) is a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank, about 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem. The earliest mention of the city is in the Amarna correspondence c.1350-1330 BCE as "Bit-Lahmi". The Hebrew Bible identifies it as the city David was from and where he was crowned as the King of Israel. The New Testament identifies Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. The city is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, commissioned the building of its great Church of the Nativity in 327 CE. Bethlehem was seized by the Arab Caliphate during the Arab conquest in 637, seized again by Egypt and then the Seljuks, and, in 1099, by Crusaders, who replaced its Greek Orthodox clergy with a Latin one. In the mid-13th century, invading Mamluks demolished the city's walls, which were subsequently rebuilt in the early 16th century, after Bethlehem became part of the Ottoman Empire. Bethlehem's chief economic sector is tourism, which peaks during the Christmas season when Christians make pilgrimage

to the Church of the Nativity, as they have done for almost two millennia. Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish holy site, is also located at the northern entrance of Bethlehem.

Nativity Church/Grotto of Jesus’ Birth The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a major Christian holy site, as it marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also one of the oldest surviving Christian churches. The birth of Jesus is narrated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The gospel accounts do not mention a cave, but less than a century later, both Justin Martyr and the Proto evangelium of James say Jesus was born in a cave. The first evidence of a cave in Bethlehem being venerated as Christ's birthplace is in the writings of Justin Martyr around 160 AD. The tradition is also attested by Origen and Eusebius in the 3rd Century. In 326, Constantine and his mother St. Helena commissioned a church to be built over

the cave. This first church, dedicated on May 31, 339, had an octagonal floor plan and was placed directly above the cave. In the center, a 4 meter-wide hole surrounded by a railing provided a view of the cave. Portions of the floor mosaic survive from this period. St. Jerome lived and worked in Bethlehem from 384 AD, and he was buried in a cave beneath the Church of the Nativity. In 1852, shared custody of the church was granted to the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches. The Greeks care for the Grotto of the Nativity. The Door of Humility, a small rectangular entrance to the church, was created in Ottoman times to prevent carts being driven in by looters, and to force even the most important visitor to dismount from his horse as he entered the holy place. In 1227, a door, decorated with carved khatchkars (cross stones) was placed in the watchman’s narthex leading to the Church of the Nativity. Records show it was created by two Armenian priests. The outline of the Justinian square entrance can be seen above the door (King Hethum’s Door). The wide nave survives intact from Justinian's time, although the roof is from the 15th century with 19th century restorations. Thirty of the nave's 44 pillars carry Crusader paintings of saints and the Virgin and Child, although age and lighting conditions make them hard to see.





The columns are made of pink, polished limestone, most of them dating from the original 4th-century Constantinian basilica. Fragments of high-quality wall mosaics dating from the 1160’s decorate both sides of the nave. Each side once had three registers, of which we know the details because of a description made in 1628. The lowest depicted the ancestors of Jesus; the middle contained the decrees of provincial and ecumenical councils; and the top has a series of angels between the windows. Trap doors in the present floor reveal sections of floor mosaics surviving from the original basilica. The mosaics feature complex geometric designs with birds, flowers and vine patterns, making a rich and elaborate carpet for Constantine's church. Similar doors in the north transept protect another 4thcentury mosaic that shows the Constantinian apse was octagonal. An octagonal baptismal font in the south aisle dates from the 6thcentury church of Justinian; it originally stood near the high altar. The inscription reads, "For remembrance, rest and remission of sins of those whose names the Lord knows." Archaeologists have discovered an octagonal bed of exactly the same dimensions over a cistern near the altar which provided the required water. On the north side of the high altar is the Armenian Altar of the Three Kings, dedicated to the Magi who tied up their horses nearby, and in the north apse is the second altar-the Altar of Circumcision (Luke 2:21). The Grotto of the Nativity, a rectangular cavern beneath the church, is the Church of the Nativity's focal point. Entered by a flight of steps by the church altar, this is the cave that has been honored as the site of Christ's birth since at least the 2nd Century. A silver star in the floor marks the very spot where Christ is believed to have been born. This Altar belongs to the Greeks and the Armenians, who hold services on this Altar daily. Steps away from the birthplace shrine is the Chapel of the Manger, Altar of the adoration of the Maji, owned by the Roman Catholics. Fragments of 12th century wall mosaics and capitals around the manger survive. Back in the upper church, a door in the north apse leads to the Catholic Church of St. Catherine (built 1881).

Armenian Monastery A door to the right as one enters the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem leads to the Armenian cloister. It consists of the church and 20 separate rooms. The church on the first floor was consecrated in 1621 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church has 3 Altars, one to St. John the Baptist, one to St. Stephan, one to Sts. Joachim and Anne. On top of the cloisters is a bell tower and a pole, a cross and the initials of the St. James Brotherhood. Inside, one can view the ongoing archaeological renovations and excavations that are taking place underneath the monks’ living quarters. A sixth-century Byzantine construction, possibly part of Justinian’s atrium - a colonnaded quadrangle that preceded the entrance into the church - is slowly emerging after centuries beneath the soil. So far 13, Byzantine pillars have been unearthed, as well as a vaulted, sky-blue ceiling. Immediately to the east lies the Greek monastery, reached via a door in the southern apse of the Church of the Nativity. A door in the courtyard’s eastern wall leads to the Church of St. George, used by Anglicans for their Christmas Eve service, though usually closed to the public for the rest of the year. Opposite the church entrance, steps lead down to the crypt, a series of chambers where one can see the skeletal remains of the interred pushing up through the soil. According to the monks, many of these bones belong to the children slaughtered by Herod in the Massacre of the Innocents. The Massacre of the Innocents is at Matthew 2:16–18, although the preceding verses form the context: When [the Magi] had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." The Shepherds’ Field





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 to the shepherds who then heard “Glory to God in the highest” sung by the angelic host (Luke 2:8:20).

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).

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.

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.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES Bethlehem

Patriarchal Period Genesis 35:16-20; 48:7 – The tomb of Rachel, wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is just

outside Bethlehem. Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin. Period of the Judges

Book of Ruth – The story of Ruth and Boaz took place here during the barley and wheat harvest. United Kingdom

1 Samuel 16:1-13; 17:12 - David was born in Bethlehem and anointed here by Samuel as king of Israel. David was called from tending his father's flocks to shepherd the nation of Israel.

1 Samuel 17:15, 34-37 – Although David was a shepherd in Bethlehem, he traveled to the Valley of El ah where he killed Goliath (1 Sam. 17:12-58).





2 Samuel23:13-17 – While fleeing from King Saul, David longed for water from the well at Bethlehem. Divided Kingdom

Micah 5:2 – Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in the village of Bethlehem. Life of Christ

Luke 2:1-7 – In fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Luke 2:8-20 – The shepherds visited the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:1-12 – The wise men, led by the star, visited and worshiped the infant "king of the Jews" in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:13-18 – Joseph fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt to avoid the cruelty of Herod, who killed all the babies of Bethlehem two years old and under in a vain attempt to destroy the Lord's Messiah.

RIVER JORDAN; JERICHO; DEAD SEA; QUMRAN

Jordon River 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 baptized Jesus in the waters of the Jordan. 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. 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 200 mile length forms the border between Israel and Jordan in the north and the West Bank and Jordan in the south.

Jericho Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Governorate. It is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back 11,000 years (9000 BC), almost to the very beginning of the Holocene epoch of the Earth's history. Jericho is described in the Hebrew Bible as the "City of Palm Trees". Copious springs in and around the city attracted human habitation for thousands of years. Elisha’s Fountain (Joshua 3:8) Elisha's Spring or Elisha's Fountain is in modern Jericho. The most famous story about Jericho is the battle of Jericho which Joshua led, when the walls fell outward, rather than inward. This happened around 1,400 B.C. But the history of Jericho goes back hundreds of years before Joshua. Jericho is actually three cities--the Old Testament city and the New Testament city, separated by about a mile, and modern Jericho near Old Testament Jericho. When the people of Jericho complained to Elisha that the water was bad, Elisha threw a bowl of salt into the spring and miraculously purified the water.

Blessing of the Water Service





Mount of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4: 1-13) 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-days in the wilderness. The summit of the mount, about 1180 feet 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 3.1 miles 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. 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 temptations 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. 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. The present Monastery of the Temptation, reconstructed at the end of the 19th century, seems to grow out of the mountain. 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. Qumran Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya. The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of John Hyrcanus, 134-104 BCE or somewhat later, and was occupied most of the time until it was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE or shortly after. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves and where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947-1956, extensive excavations have taken place in Qumran. Nearly 900 scrolls were discovered. Most were written on parchment and some on papyrus. Cisterns, Jewish ritual baths, and cemeteries have been found, along with a dining or assembly room. Many scholars believe the location was home to a Jewish sect, probably the Essenes. However, the rules of the community, its heavy stress on priesthood and the Zadokite legacy, and other details indicate a Sadducean-oriented sect either distinct from or one of the various Essene groupings. A large cemetery was discovered to the east of the site. While most of the graves contain the remains of males, some females were also discovered. Only a small portion of the graves were excavated, as excavating cemeteries is forbidden under Jewish law. The scrolls were found in a series of eleven caves around the settlement. Many of the texts found in the caves appear to represent widely accepted Jewish beliefs and practices, while other texts appear to speak of divergent, unique, or minority interpretations and practices. Some scholars believe that some of these texts describe the beliefs of the inhabitants of Qumran, which, may have been the Essenes. Most of the scrolls seem to have been hidden in the caves during the turmoil of the First Jewish Revolt. The most well-known texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls are the ancient religious writings found in eleven caves near the site of Qumran. They consist of two types: “biblical” manuscripts—books found in today’s Hebrew Bible, and “non-biblical” manuscripts—other religious writings circulating during the Second Temple era, often related to the texts now in the Hebrew Bible. Scroll dates range from





the third century BC to the first century of the Common Era, before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. While Hebrew is the most frequently used language in the Scrolls, about 15% were written in Aramaic and several in Greek. Dead Sea Known in the Bible as the "Salt Sea" or the "Sea of the Arabah," this inland body of water is appropriately named because its high mineral content allows nothing to live in its waters. Other post-biblical names for the Dead Sea include the "Sea of Sodom," the "Sea of Lot," the "Sea of Asphalt" and the "Stinking Sea." All of these names reflect something of the nature of this lake. The Dead Sea, unlike the Sea of Galilee to the north, does not figure prominently in the biblical narratives. Its most important role was as a barrier, blocking traffic to Judah from the east. An advancing army of Ammonites and Moabites apparently crossed a shallow part of the Dead Sea on their way to attack King Jehoshaphat (2 Chr. 20). Ezekiel has prophesied that one day the Dead Sea will be fresh water and fishermen will spread their nets along the shore. The Dead Sea is located in the Syro-African Rift, a 4000-mile fault line in the earth's crust. The lowest point of dry land on earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea at 1300 feet below sea level. That the lake is at the lowest point means that water does not drain from this lake. Daily 7 million tons of water evaporate but the minerals remain, causing the salt content to increase. Figures for the Dead Sea's salinity today range from 26-35%. Nearly ten times as salty as the world's oceans and twice as saline as the Great Salt Lake in Utah, the Dead Sea is rich with minerals. The unique concentration of the Dead Sea waters has long been known to have medicinal value. Aristotle, Queen of Sheba, King Solomon and Cleopatra were all familiar with this and modern doctors as well often prescribe patients with skin ailments to soak in the waters of the Dead Sea. SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

River Jordan Life of Christ Matthew 5;5-6: Mark 1:5; John 1:28 – John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River. Matthew3:13-17; Mark 1:9 – Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. John 10:40-42 – Jesus "went back across the Jordan" to the location where John the Baptist had first been baptizing.

Jericho Life of Christ Herod the Great built his palace and administrative buildings approximately one mile south of the mound on which Old Testament [Jericho had been built. The "new" city of Jericho served as one of Herod the Great's winter palaces. Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 – Jesus was tempted by Satan in the Judean Wilderness. The traditional site of this temptation is the nearby Mount of Temptation. Luke 19:1-10 – Zacchaeus was converted in Jericho after Jesus spotted him in a sycamore fig tree. Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 – Christ healed blind Bartimaeus and his companion in Jericho during His final trip to Jerusalem.

THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE AREA OF NAZARETH - MT. TABOR; NAZARETH; CANA OF GALILEE





Mt. Tabor Mount Tabor, rising dome-like from the Plain of Jezreel, is the mountain of the Transfiguration of Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9: 2-8 and Luke 9:28-36). Mount Tabor stands some 420 meters above the plain in lower Galilee, a little more than 4 miles east of Nazareth. It held a strategic position at the junction of trade routes. In the Old Testament, Mount Tabor is described as a sacred mountain and a place for worship. 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. As far back as the 4th Century, a Christian Church of the Transfiguration was built in memory of this gospel event on Mount Tabor. It was later destroyed. At the end of the 19th Century, the Greek Monastery of the Transfiguration was consecrated and in 1924 a Roman Catholic basilica was built next to it. Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17:1-13)

The Transfiguration of Jesus is an episode in the New Testament narrative in which Jesus is transfigured (or metamorphosed) and becomes radiant in glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28–36) describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16–18 refers to it. In these accounts, Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James and John, go to a mountain (the Mount of Transfiguration). On the mountain, Jesus begins to shine with bright rays of light. Then the prophets Moses and Elijah appear next to him and he speaks with them. Jesus is then called

"Son" by a voice in the sky, by God the Father, as in the Baptism of Jesus. Nazareth Nazareth is the cradle of Christianity. This place where two thousand years ago, this small and insignificant town of Nazareth, in the heart of Galilee, was chosen by the Lord for the annunciation of the birth of the Messiah. At the spring, according to tradition, the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a son who would be the Savior of the world. This is the spot where the Greek Church of the Archangel Gabriel, was built in 1781 and stands today. It is here, to their home in Nazareth that the Holy Family returned after Egypt (Mat 2:19-23) and the place where Jesus spent his childhood and youth. His ministry took place principally around the shores of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 7:31; John 6:1). His first sermon in Nazareth was so full of anger toward those present in the synagogue that they tried to kill Him by pushing Him off the cliff (Luke 4:29). However, it was precisely because Jesus lived the first portion of his life in Nazareth, that he is referred to as Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 4:34; John 19:19). Thus, Pontius Pilate had this inscribed on the cross, on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, reading “Jesus of Nazareth-King of the Jews’. Over the centuries pilgrim’s flooded to Nazareth, leading to the building of the city’s first church - the Church of the Annunciation at the traditional site of Joseph and Mary’s home (Catholic Church). Many more churches have been built throughout the city, and were destroyed and rebuilt with the changes in Muslim and Christian rule over the centuries. In the 19th century, Nazareth attracted renewed interest and Christians returned to live in this city and rebuilt churches and monasteries. There are many ancient churches in the Old City, with the Church of the Annunciation heading the list. The rebuilt church retained parts of the previous churches, from the Crusader and Byzantine periods. The church also houses an impressive collection of paintings. Right next to this church is the Church of Saint Joseph, built on the ruins of agricultural buildings where, according to tradition, Joseph, Mary’s husband, had his carpentry shop. While the Church of the Annunciation was built on the site of Mary’s home, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation is built over Mary’s Well, from which Jesus mother is said to have drank. This is a structure from the





Crusader period and has some interesting frescoes. Right next to Mary’s Well is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, inside a Crusader hall. According to tradition this is the location of the synagogue in which Jesus prayed. Among the many other churches in Nazareth there is the small Roman Catholic Church of Mensa Christi standing amongst the narrow streets of the old town, you can see a huge granite stone, which according to tradition, Jesus dined with His disciples. In the last century, this church was the repository for the wonderful picture of the Only Begotten Savior, a copy of the picture which was sent by the Armenian King Abgar. The original was moved from Nazareth to Genoa before the First World War and it is kept there in the Armenian Church of St. Bartholomew. Basilica of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-56)

The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth is a modern Catholic church built over the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches. It incorporates the cave in which the Virgin Mary received the news from Archangel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. The site has been a pilgrimage destination since earliest times and remains an important stop for Holy Land pilgrims today. Early sources on Nazareth's history are scarce, but Eusebius says Nazareth was a small Jewish town in the Roman and Byzantine periods. Evidence of

Jewish converts to Christianity, in Nazareth, are provided by the historian Africanus in the 3rd Century and pilgrimage to Nazareth is first attested in the late 4th century. The cave that is enshrined inside the basilica was identified no later than the 4th Century as the place of the Annunciation. It is not known when the first church was built here, but one probably existed by the early 4th century. An altar is referred to in c.384 AD and a church is mentioned by c.570 AD. A Byzantine church has been excavated beneath the current church, which dates from the 4th or 5th century. It had three aisles, a single projecting apse and a large atrium. A small monastery was built south of the church. In 680, the pilgrim Arculf recorded seeing two churches in Nazareth, one at Mary's spring and the other on the traditional site of the Annunciation, where the basilica stands today. The Byzantine church on the site of the Annunciation survived as late as the 9th century, when 12 monks associated with the church are mentioned in the Commemoratorium of 808 AD. The Franciscans established a monastery in Nazareth in the 14th century. The Franciscan church was demolished in 1955 for the construction of the present church, which was built over the Crusader and Byzantine foundations. 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. It was consecrated in 1969. The modern Church of the Annunciation is topped with a uniquely-shaped concrete dome 180 feet high. Its shape is based on the Madonna lily, a symbol of the Virgin Mary. Inside, the basilica consists of an upper church and a lower church. Around the walls of the upper church are colorful 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”. The lower church centers on the Grotto or Cave of the Annunciation, where the angelic announcement to Mary is believed to have occurred. Also visible down here are remains of the Byzantine and Crusader churches that preceded the present one. Cave of the Annunciation





The towering cupola of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth stands over the cave of the home of the Virgin Mary. Here 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 cupola, which dominates modern-day Nazareth, is surmounted by a lantern symbolizing the Light of the World. 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. 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. 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. Mary’s Well Mary's Well is a modern public fountain in Nazareth built over a well that has been in public use since ancient times. It is fed by Mary's Spring, which runs under the altar of the nearby Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel. Mary’s Well is reputed to be located at the site where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she would bear the Son of God - an event known as the Annunciation. The structure seen today is a 1960s reconstruction of a well-house from the 19th century and stands over the ancient public well possibly used by Mary. Today, water no longer flows to Mary's Well. Cana of Galilee – Turning water into wine (Mark 6:45-52) 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 20 miles away in Capernaum. On the first occasion, Jesus and his first disciples turned up at a wedding feast, and Mary turned to her Son. (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 liters of water 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. 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.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES Mt. Tabor

Life of Christ Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36 – Mount Tabor is the traditional site of the "Mount of

Transfiguration".





Nazareth

Life of Christ

Luke 1:26-33 – The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth and announced that she would be the mother of Jesus.

Luke 2:1-7 – Joseph and Mary left Nazareth and went to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Matthew 2:21-23 – After fleeing to Egypt to escape Herod's decree to murder the children of

Bethlehem, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to the land and settled in Nazareth. Luke 2:41-52 – Jesus' boyhood and young manhood were spent in Nazareth, though every year "his

parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover." Luke 4:16-30 - After Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River and temptation in the wilderness, He preached

His first recorded sermon at Nazareth. The people of Nazareth responded angrily to Jesus' message and tried to kill Him by throwing Him from the "Mount of Precipice."

Mark 6:1-6 – On a later visit to Nazareth, Jesus could perform few miracles because of the persistent unbelief of the people.

THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST AROUND THE SEA OF GALILEE - MT. OF

BEATITUDES; TABGHA; CAPERNAUM; SEE OF GALILEE

Mount of the Beatitudes Located on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes is the traditional site of Jesus' delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, probably the most famous sermon of all time. Pilgrims have been drawn to this scenic place since at least the 4th century. After describing the Church of the Loaves and Fishes, the Spanish pilgrim Egeria (c.381) wrote, "Near there on a mountain is the cave to which the Savior climbed and spoke the Beatitudes." Ruins of a small church dated to the late 4th century have been discovered downhill from the present church. It has a rock-cut cistern beneath it and the remains of a little monastery to its south and southeast. Part of the mosaic floor was recovered and is now on display in Capernaum. The

present church was built in 1938. Its octagonal shape represents the eight beatitudes. It has a marble veneer casing the lower walls and gold mosaic in the dome. The cool and quiet gardens overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the landscape where Jesus conducted his ministry make an excellent place to contemplate. Tabgha (Multiplication of the bread and fish)

Tabgha is the site of several springs on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Arabic name comes from the Greek word heptapegon, which means "seven springs." These springs flow into the Sea of Galilee and provide a warm-water environment, especially in the winter, making the area one of the major





fishing sites on the sea. This location has traditionally been identified as the site where Jesus performed the feeding of the five thousand (Mark 6:30—44). However, Luke 9:10 and John 6:1 seem to indicate that Jesus performed this miracle on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee beyond the city of Bethsaida. While Tabgha is not the site where the feeding of the five thousand occurred, it is the likely spot where Jesus met with His disciples when they were fishing. Capernaum Capernaum is an ancient fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is home to a celebrated Byzantine-era synagogue as well as the house where Jesus healed a paralytic and St. Peter's mother-in-law. Capernaum is frequently mentioned in the Gospels and was Jesus' main base during his Galilean ministry. It is referred to as Jesus' "own city" (Mt 9:1; Mk 2:1) and a place where he lived (Mt 1:13). He probably chose it simply because it was the home of his first disciples, Peter and Andrew (Mk 1:21, 29). Capernaum is where Jesus first began to preach after the Temptation in the wilderness (Mt 1:12-17) and called Levi from his tax-collector's booth (Mk 2:13-17). It was while teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum that he said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jn 6:54) Capernaum is where Jesus healed a centurion's servant without even seeing him (Mt 8:5-13; Lk 7:1-10), Peter's mother-in-law (Mt 8:14-15; Mk 1:29-30); the paralytic who was lowered through the roof (Mk 2:1-12), and many others who were brought to him (Mt 8:16-17). And it was Capernaum that Jesus had set out from when he calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 8:23-27). Jesus was harsh with his adopted home when it proved unrepentant despite his many miracles. "And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you" (Mt 11:23-24). It is actually quite likely the room enshrined within the church of Capernaum is the house of Peter where Jesus stayed. This is supported primarily by evidence for very early reverence and public use of the house (mid-1st century). Capernaum was a Jewish village in the time of the Christ. It was apparently poor, since it was a Gentile centurion that built the community's synagogue (Luke 7:5). The houses were humble and built of the local black basalt stone. Christian presence is attested early in Capernaum and the village was predominantly Christian by the 4th century AD. Rabbinic texts from the 4th century imply considerable tension between the Jewish and Christian communities of the town. The Franciscans bought the land in the late 19th century. They raised a fence to protect the site, planted palms and eucalyptus trees from Australia to create an oasis for pilgrims, and built a small harbor. Most of the early excavations (1905-26) and restorations were conducted by Franciscans. St. Peter's House was rediscovered in 1968. In 1990, the Franciscans built an unusually-shaped modern church over the site of St. Peter’s house. Hexagonal in shape and rather spaceship-like in appearance, it is elevated on pillars and has a glass floor, so that visitors can still see the original church below. The main sights at Capernaum today are the ruined synagogue and the church, which stand quite close to each other near the shore, with ruins of 1stto 6th century houses in between. Also on the site are finely carved stones that belong to the synagogue (included one with a Star of David), and a new Greek Orthodox church nearby. The synagogue of Capernaum is located just inland from the shore with its facade facing Jerusalem. It stands on an elevated position, was richly decorated and was built of imported white limestone, which would have contrasted dramatically with the local black basalt of the rest of the village. The excavators believe this is the synagogue where Jesus taught and cast out demons. Local Christians preserved the house of St. Peter from an early date. It is reasonable they would have remembered the site of Jesus' synagogue as well. The Church and House of St. Peter





The church of Capernaum was founded on the traditional site of St. Peter's home. Closer to the shore than the synagogue, the house was in a poor area where the drystone basalt walls would have supported only a light roof (which suits the lowering of the paralytic in Mk 2:1-12) and could have no windows. The floors of these houses and courtyards were made of black basalt cobbles, in which it would have been easy to lose a coin (Lk 15:8). By the mid-1st century AD, there is evidence that one room in this complex was singled out for public use: pottery and lamps replace utensils of normal family use, and there is ancient graffiti in the plastered walls, some of which mention Jesus as Lord and Christ. The house was certainly a church by the time Egeria made her pilgrimage in 381, which she said included the original walls: "In Capernaum the house of the prince of the apostles has been made into a church, with its original walls still standing." Archaeological excavations indicate it was indeed around this time that the room was given a more solid roof, which required the addition of a central arch, and two rooms were added on the two sides. In the 5th century, the site was razed to the ground and a grander church was built in its place, indicating increased Christian population and pilgrimage to Capernaum. The new church was octagonal in shape and had an ambulatory. This layout is identical to churches of the same type in Italy and Syria and similar to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (built later). The central octagon enshrined the venerated room from Peter's house, which was given a floor mosaic featuring a peacock and a lotus-flower border. An apse with a baptistery was soon added on the east end. In 570, the Piacenza pilgrim reported that "the house of St. Peter is now a basilica." Sea of Galilee

The Plain of Gennesaret spreads out below the Arbel cliffs. From the summit of Mount Arbel on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, one can see the entire lake, the city of Tiberias, the mountains of Galilee, and the Golan Heights. On a clear day, Mount Hermon is visible. The Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long, 7 1/2 miles wide at its northern end, 130-157 feet deep, 32 miles in circumference, and 650 feet below sea level. In the Bible it is called the Sea of Kinnereth (Num. 34:11; Deut. 3:17; Josh. 13:27; 19:35), the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1), and the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 4:18; 15:29; Mark 1:16; 7:31; John 6:1). Technically, this body of water should be more properly described as a lake than a sea.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES Tabgha

Life of Christ Matthew 4:18-24; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11 – Jesus called His disciples from their fishing boats to follow

Him. They were now to become "fishers of men." John 21:1-24 – Following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter and the other disciples along the shore of

Galilee after they had experienced a long night of unproductive fishing. He instructed them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, resulting in a large catch offish. Jesus restored Peter from the shame of his prior denials and tested the depth of his love by asking three times, "Do you love me?" Here Jesus also commissioned Peter to "feed my sheep."

Caparnaum Life of Christ





Matthew 4:13-16 – Rejected at Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum and made it the center of His activity for eighteen to twenty months.

Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-21 – Peter, Andrew, James, and John were called to be disciples near Capernaum.

Matthew 9:9-13; Mark 2:14 – Jesus called Matthew (Levi) from the office of the Capernaum tax or tollhouse to be His disciple. (Tolls were collected on the traffic from Mesopotamia and Damascus through Capernaum to the coast and Egypt.)

Mark 1:21-34; Luke 4:31-41 – Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum, delivered a man from an unclean spirit, and also healed Peter's mother-in-law as well as many others.

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10 – Jesus healed the centurion's servant. Capernaum was a Roman military center, and this Roman centurion helped fund the construction of the Jewish synagogue in Capernaum.

Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26 – A paralyzed man was let down through the roof and healed by Jesus in Capernaum.

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:40-56 – In Capernaum, Jesus raised Jairus's daughter from the dead and healed the woman who had a hemorrhage.

John 4:46-54 – Jesus also healed the nobleman's son in Capernaum. Matthew 9:27-35; 12:22-45; Mark 3:20-22; Luke 11:14-26 – Two blind men and a mute demoniac were

healed in Capernaum. Matthew 8:16-17; 9:36-38 – Many sick people were brought to Jesus and healed in Capernaum. In fact, more of Christ's recorded miracles were performed in Capernaum than in any other city. Yet Capernaum did not believe (Matt. 11:23-24).

Sea of Galilee Period of Conquest

Numbers 34:11 – The mountain range on the eastern shore of the Sea of Kinnereth (Sea of Galilee) was to be the eastern boundary of the Promised Land. Life of Christ

Luke 5:4-11; John 21:6-8 – The Sea of Galilee yielded two large catches offish in response to the command of Christ.

Matthew 8:1-4 – Jesus healed a leper near the Sea of Galilee as He came down from a mountain on His way to Capernaum.

Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 – Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-39 – Demons, cast out of the demoniac by Christ, entered two

thousand swine, which plunged into the Sea of Galilee from a steep bank on the eastern shore. Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21 – Jesus walked on the water to the disciples who were

struggling in their boat. Matthew 18:1-6 – Jesus said it would be better to have a millstone tied around one's neck and be drowned in

the sea than to cause one who believed in Him to sin. Since Jesus spoke these words in Capernaum (Matt. 17:24), the "sea" He spoke of was likely the Sea of Galilee.

John 21 – Jesus met the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after His resurrection.





JERUSALEM – GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE; MT. OF ASCENSION – JERUSALEM St. Mary’s Tomb - Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary

Church of the Sepulcher of Saint Mary, also Tomb of the Virgin Mary, is a Christian tomb in the Kidron Valley – at the foot of Mount of Olives, in Jerusalem, the burial place of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Sacred Tradition of Eastern Christianity teaches that the Virgin Mary died a natural death (the Dormition of the Theotokos, the falling asleep- 48 A.D.), like any human being; that her soul was received by Christ upon death; and that her body was resurrected on the third day after her repose, at which time she was taken up, soul and body, into heaven in anticipation of the general resurrection. Her tomb, according to this teaching, was found empty on the third day. Armenian Church tradition holds that, not long before the Virgin’s death, all the Apostles, came together at her house, without prior consultation. At

midday a bright holy light suddenly filled her room and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself came down from heaven, surrounded by angels, to receive the soul of His Holy Mother. After the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, the apostles carried her saintly body to Zion and buried her in a cave in the Garden of Gethsemane, sealing the entrance with a large stone. On the third day, Thomas went to see the body and pay his respect rolling away the stone he found that the cave was empty. Again according to the account, Juvenal (Patriarch of Jerusalem in the 5th Century) replied that, on the third day after her burial, Mary's tomb was discovered to be empty, only her shroud being preserved in the church of Gethsemane. In 1972, Bellarmino Bagatti, a Franciscan friar and archaeologist, excavated the site and found evidence of an ancient cemetery dating to the 1st century. For many centuries the church was destroyed and rebuilt many times, but the crypt was left untouched. Preceded by a walled courtyard to the south, the cruciform church shielding the tomb has been excavated in an underground rock-cut cave entered by a wide descending staircase dating from the 12th Century. On the left side of the staircase (towards the west) there is the chapel of Saint Joseph, Mary's husband (belonging to the Armenians), while on the right (towards the east) there is the chapel of Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne (belong to the Greeks). On the eastern side of the church there is the chapel of Mary's tomb. Altars of the Greeks and Armenians also share the east apse. A niche south of the tomb is a mihrab indicating the direction of Mecca, installed when Muslims had joint rights to the church. Currently the Muslims have no ownership rights to this site. On the western side, there is the altar of Tribute (Armenians hold the rights). The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem is in possession of the shrine, sharing it with the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Syriacs, the Copts, and the Abyssinians have minor rights (permission granted by the Armenians). Muslims also have a special place for prayer (the mihrab). Tomb of Our Lady - Virgin Mary At the base of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is a Crusader church said to mark the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. Centered around a quarried-out tomb that may well date from the first century, the cave church is adorned with hanging lamps and highly atmospheric. Traditions about Mary's burial in this area of Jerusalem are as old as the 2nd or 3rd century. The first written mention of a church on this site dates from the 6th century. A round church

Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary





was built above the tomb by Mauritius Tiberius (582-602) but destroyed by the Persians in 614. The church was rebuilt, and the pilgrim Arculf visited it in 680. He recorded that the church had two levels, both of which were round. The upper level had four altars; the lower level had an altar at the east end and the tomb of Mary on the right. When the Crusader kingdom fell in 1187, Salah al-Din destroyed most of the upper church and used the stone to repair the city walls, but the lower church remained virtually intact. The site was taken over by Franciscans after the Crusaders left, and has since been shared by Greeks, Armenians, Syrians, Copts, Abyssinians and Muslims. The lower church at the bottom of the stairs is a Byzantine (5th Century) crypt, partly hewn out of rock and featuring original Byzantine masonry. The area is dimly lit and the walls are blackened with centuries of smoke, giving the place an air of great antiquity. The room is opulently decorated with icons and a forest of hanging lanterns. There is an apse built to the west and a longer rock-cut apse to the east, in which Mary's tomb is marked by a small square chapel. It is quite similar to her son's tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The altar inside the tomb conceals the remains of a bench tomb that may date from the 1st Century.

Garden of Gethsemane 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. Early Christian pilgrims located the Garden of Gethsemane at the bottom of the slope of the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple Mount. Byzantine, Crusader and a modern church were built

successively on the site where it is believed that Jesus prayed to the Father hours before his crucifixion. The modern Church of All Nations has a beautiful mosaic on its facade. Adjacent to the Church of All Nations is an ancient olive garden. Olive trees do not have rings and so their age can not be precisely determined, but scholars estimate their age to anywhere between one and two thousand years old. Russian Ascension Church Two hundred meters to the East of the Church of the Ascension is the Russian Convent of the Ascension of our Savior. The principle church in the monastery was concreted in 1886, when the head of the Russian mission in Jerusalem, bought the plot of land to build a church. During the construction and laying out of the garden in 1871, eight graves with gravestones were found, as well as a marvelously intact 4th century mosaic floor and inscriptions in Armenian, in Mesrob regulation characters. From one of the gravestones, we can tell that the venerable Susannah, mother of the leading 6th Century Armenian military commander, Artavan Arshakuni, was buried there. Another 16 graves were found 100 meters from this site, with Armenian names-Jodjik, Shushan and Marin- on the gravestones and although the other inscriptions were badly damaged and could not be deciphered, it was clear that the land the Russians had bought was the site of an ancient Armenian Monastery. However, the history of this monastery was unknown. According to tradition, the head of St. John the Baptist, which was cut off by Herod in the 1st Century, was buried in the ground on

Old olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane

The mosaic with the Armenian inscriptions





which this ancient monastery stood. In the 4th Century, the Armenians marked this holy site with a marvelous mosaic floor, which has survived to this day. There is a depression in the mosaic floor, where the head of John the Baptist was buried and was later discovered. At the end of the 19th Century, the Russians built a chapel over this holy site, which is the holiest place in the monastery of the Ascension of the Savior. Mount of Olives

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 meters, 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). The southern part of the Mount was the necropolis of the ancient Judean kingdom. The Mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years, and holds approximately 150,000 graves, making it central in the tradition of Jewish cemeteries. Several key events in the life of Jesus as related in the Gospels took place on the Mount of Olives, and in the Book of Acts, it is described as the place from which Jesus ascended to heaven. Because of its association with both Jesus and Mary, the Mount has been a site of Christian worship since ancient times and is today a major site of pilgrimage from all Christian churches. Chapel of Ascension: Dome of the Ascension

From time immemorial, the Church of the Ascension belonged to the Armenians, a fact which is confirmed by three decrees by Turkish Sultans, who captured Jerusalem in the 16th Century. The earthquake of 1833 destroyed the Church of the Ascension and the Armenians began restoration work on the basis of yet another decree from the Turkish authorities, confirming the rights to this church. During the restoration, the Greek and Catholic communities in Jerusalem, joined forces to win back the right to restore the Church of the Ascension from the Armenians. Many years of legal wrangling’s, set in motion by the Greek and Catholic brothers in Christ, ended with the Church of the

Ascension becoming Muslim property. The Muslims then undid the restoration work, which the Armenians had completed and turned the church into a mosque. Church of Pater Noster/Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)





The Gospel account provides almost no information on the location of Jesus' teaching of the Lord's Prayer, also known as the "Our Father." In 1910, during excavations on the territory of the convent (built by the Carmelite order of the Catholic church), the remains of a 4th century Christian basilica were found. It had been built over a cave, where, it is believed that Jesus used to teach His disciples when He came from Bethany to Jerusalem. It is believed that it was here that Our Lord taught the disciples the first prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4), which is now written on the walls of the convent in 62 languages.

Chapel of Domunis Flevit Built in 1955 to commemorate the Lord's weeping over Jerusalem, Dominus Flevit features a beautiful view of the city through its distinct chapel window. Excavations during construction of the church uncovered a number of ossuaries (bone boxes) from the time of Jesus with numerous inscriptions. Church of All Nations

The Church of All Nations, officially named the Basilica of the Agony, is located at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem next to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." --Matthew 26:36-39. The modern church

stands on the foundations of two ancient churches: a 4th century Byzantine basilica, destroyed by an earthquake in 746 and a 12th century Crusader chapel, which was abandoned in 1345. The Basilica of the Agony was built from 1919-24 with funding from 12 different countries, which gave it its nickname "the Church of All Nations." In the center, the high altar overlooks a large slab of rock, which is said to be the very rock on which Jesus prayed in agony on the night of his betrayal. The Church of All Nations is run by the Franciscans, but an open altar in the garden is used by the Anglican community on Maundy Thursday (the day before Good Friday). SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

Mt. of Olive Life of Christ

Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-16 – Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem on a donkey for His "triumphal entry."

Luke 19:41-44 – Jesus wept over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24-25; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-36 – Jesus described the prophetic future of Jerusalem to

His disciples while they were seated on the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11 – Jesus and His disciples left

the upper room and went to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Here Jesus was arrested.





Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-12 – Jesus, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives.

Jerusalem Life of Christ

Luke 2:22, 27, 47-52—Jesus was presented at the temple as an infant and visited the temple at age twelve. Luke 19:45-48; John 2:12-25—Twice, at the opening and the closing of His ministry, Jesus cleansed

the temple. John 5:7—9—Jesus healed a man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19—Jesus rode down the Mount of

Olives to Jerusalem and made His formal presentation to Israel as the Messiah. Matthew 24-25—On the Mount of Olives, Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse and foretold the

destruction of the temple. John 13—16—In an upper room Jesus washed the disciples' feet, instituted the Lord's Supper, and

delivered the Upper Room Discourse. Matthew 27-28; Mark 15-16; Luke 23-24; John 19-20—Jesus was tried crucified, buried, and

resurrected in Jerusalem. His final ascension to heaven took place east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Apostolic Age

Acts 2—The Holy Spirit descended on the disciples who were gathered in Jerusalem on the clay of Pentecost, and the church was born.

Acts 3:2, 11; 5:21—Peter and the other apostles preached at the temple. Acts 7—Stephen was martyred in Jerusalem. Acts 9—Saul left Jerusalem for Damascus and was converted. Acts 15—The fitst church council convened in Jerusalem. Acts 21:17-23; 23—Paul, after his third missionary journey, visited Jerusalem, where he was seized by

the Jews during a visit to the temple.

ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE; OLD CITY – JERUSALEM Armenian Patriarch The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem is his Eminence, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian. He is head of the Armenian churches in Israel, Palestine and Jordan. The current Patriarch is the 97th in the line of Armenian Patriarchs in Jerusalem which goes back to the Apostle Bartholomew in the 1st century AD. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is located in the Old City of Jerusalem (Israel), in the Armenian Quarter which comprises one-sixth of the old city and occupies the entire southwest corner of the town. The Armenian





Patriarch and the Brotherhood of St. James, together with the Greek and Roman Catholic patriarchs, are the sole guardians of the Dominical Sites, the holiest shrines of Christendom. The Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back to early Christian times. From as early as the fourth century, we have records about Armenian monks in the Holy Land. Over the ensuing centuries Armenian monks and pilgrims built several monasteries, with as many as seventy institutions mentioned by a seventh century Armenian writer. Armenian mosaics with Armenian inscriptions from the fifth and sixth centuries indicate a very early Armenian presence in the city. Originally, the city of Jerusalem had one bishop and chronologically first in the line of bishops had been St. James, the Brother of the Lord. Armenian bishops from Greater Armenia visited the Holy Land and some may have lived there for extended periods of time. These pilgrim bishops, priests and laymen probably suffered persecution under Byzantine rule as a result of the schism in the church after the Council of Chalcedon in 451, since the bishops of Jerusalem adhered to the faith of the Byzantine Empire, whereas the Armenians remained true to the doctrines of the early church. When the Arabs seized Jerusalem in 637, the Armenians took the opportunity to set up their own bishop, a cleric named Abraham, to lead the followers of the Armenian faith. It became traditional for the Armenian patriarchs to consider Abraham as the first of the 91 succeeding bishops. The original title of the Armenian patriarchs of Jerusalem was Bishop/Archbishop of Jerusalem. In the later Middle Ages, the archbishops of Jerusalem assumed the title of ‘patriarch’ and received recognition as such from the Mamluk rulers of Egypt, who were at that time in possession of the Holy Land. Today, the patriarchate of Jerusalem occupies the third place in the hierarchy of the Armenian Church after the Catholicate of All Armenians and that of the Great House of Cilicia. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is subject to the jurisdiction of the Catholicate of all Armenians and its bishops as a rule are ordained in Holy Etchmiadzin by the Catholicos of all Armenians. Thus, the bishops are members of both the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Brotherhood of St. James. There are also primates of dioceses under the direct jurisdiction of Holy Etchmiadzin who are members of the Brotherhood of St. James but are presently not resident members of the St. James Monastery. The Patriarchate of Jerusalem extends its jurisdiction over all of Israel and Jordan where there are a number of Armenian communities with churches and schools. The main preoccupation of the patriarchate, however, is to tend to the holiest sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In the dominical sites in Jerusalem, the Patriarchate occupies the Monastery of St. James located in the Armenian quarter. Attached to it is the Monastery of the Holy Archangels and close to these but outside the walls of the Old City is the Monastery of Holy Savior where the Armenian cemetery is located. Near the garden of Gethsemane is the Monastery of Dormition of the Holy Virgin, which was the residence of Mary, the Mother-of-God and subsequently her grave. The ancient subterranean church at that site is owned by the Armenians and the Greeks. Outside Jerusalem, the most important site is the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem, which the Armenians share with the Greeks and the Roman Catholics. On the west side of the church, and attached to it with a small vestibule, is the Armenian Monastery. In the vicinity of Bethlehem is the Armenian retreat of Baron Der. The olive orchards on this land surround a large three-storied structure, namely the local headquarters of the Patriarchate, and several caves and hermits' cells. The Patriarchate also possesses a medieval monastery, named after St. Nicholas, on the Mediterranean in the town of Jaffa. Another monastery named after St. George is located in Ramleh. The town of Haifa has a small church that serves the Armenians in that area. The monasteries and the churches are headed by monks appointed by the Patriarchate. They serve as abbots and deans and cater to the spiritual needs of the Armenians. Amman, the capital of Jordan, is the seat of a bishop whose office is referred to as that of Patriarchal Vicar. He presides over the Armenian parishes and communities in Jordan. St. James Monastery is the headquarters of the Patriarchate. The Monastery houses an ancient cathedral and several chapels. It is surrounded with tall walls with gates that are closed in the evening and opened in the morning. Inside the





complex are monks who live in their quarters and scores of Armenian families. These are the progeny of survivors of the Genocide of 1915 or of refugees who sought shelter during the Arab-Israeli War in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The residence of the Patriarch as well as the divan are all within the same complex, which also includes a large library, a museum, manuscript library, the old printing press (the oldest in the city), an Armenian day school and their institutions. Across the street that runs in front of the complex is a large building that is presently the seminary of the patriarchate and near it is the new printing press. The seminary of the Patriarchate has been the source of young clergy for several decades. A large number of primates and parish priests presently serving in various parishes throughout the world are graduates of the seminary. At various times St. James Monastery has emerged as an important liturgical and intellectual center. It was also known for its artists and craftsmen, both religious and secular. St. James Monastery is also known as one of the most prolific publishing houses outside of Armenia. Since the mid-19th century, it emerged as the main publisher of liturgical texts, especially those used in parishes all over the world. The press also published many valuable studies and reference works and is still in the process of publishing new works that are useful for both scholars and laymen. The Patriarch of Jerusalem is elected by the members of the General Assembly of the Brotherhood, which is the highest body that has a final say. The Patriarch presides over the assembly, which consists of all the members of the brotherhood throughout the world. The assembly elects the Executive Council that conducts the business of the patriarchate under the immediate supervision of the patriarch. All the heads of divisions, the deans and people in administrative and managerial position are accountable to the Executive Council, which is also the body that appoints these people to their posts. The only exception to this is the Grand Sacristan, who like the Patriarch, is elected by the assembly and is de facto in charge of liturgical matters and general monastic discipline. The Patriarch of Jerusalem is also the host of all the Armenians who visit the dominical sites as pilgrims. In that respect it has always been a home away from home for our people, and the truth of that became apparent in 1915 and 1947, when the Brotherhood hosted Armenian refugees by providing shelter and food for several years. —Article by Fr. Krikor Maksoudian; excerpted from "Welcome to the Armenian Church" (2004). Soorp Prkich Convent - Armenian Cemetery – House of High Priest Caiaphas (Mark 14:53-65) Christian historians believed the site of the Armenian Quarter is also the Biblical Mount Zion, a name currently used for the area a parcel of land highly coveted by other nations and religions. A short time after the destruction of Jerusalem, a small number of Jewish Christians returned to the few houses that remained standing in the Upper City. Since Christians were not legally recognized at the time, they were driven out by future Roman emperors, there is no historical evidence that Christians lived in the Upper City during the second and third centuries; instead, they congregated outside the city. One of the gates of the Old City along the southern end of the Armenian Quarter is currently called Zion Gate. It opens to a street outside the wall, currently called Hativat Ezyioni (Zion Street). This street runs between the southern wall of the city and the Armenian cemetery adjacent to Holy Savior Armenian Convent and the Biblical House of Caiaphas. Over the last three centuries, this large cemetery has been the burial place of many distinguished Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem as well as the resting place of members of the Armenian community and many pilgrims who met their reward while visiting the Holy Places. The inscriptions on the old tombstones tell many poignant stories of the nature of the people interred there. The centerpiece of the cemetery is a monument erected in memory of the fallen heroes of the Armenian Legion in 1917. It also serves as a reminder of the Armenian victims of the Turkish Genocide in 1915. The Armenian Quarter The Armenian Quarter is in the southern part of the walled city of Jerusalem, on Mount Zion. It starts 200 meters beyond the Jaffa Gate. Enter by the Jaffa Gate, turn right and walk around the Citadel, and you enter Armenian





Patriarchate Road. It is believed that between 35 and 25 B.C., the Jewish King, Herod built a fortress and his palace along the western wall of the Quarter which at that time was called The Upper City (Zion) since it was (and now is) relatively on higher ground than the other Quarters. Christian historians believed the site of the Armenian Quarter is also the Biblical Mount Zion. The Armenian Quarter is a complex of several historical sites around which Armenians congregated over the last millennium to form a homogeneous entity housing a self-sustained community with its churches, schools, public and social institutions, residences and historical monuments. The compound consists of the St. James Armenian Convent and the adjacent residential neighborhood located toward the center of the Old City. The Armenian Quarter is reached through Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road, a narrow, one-way street extending through the center of the Quarter and ending at Zion Gate in the south. The main gate of St. James Convent opens to this road which starts just below Jaffa Gate at the western wall of the Old City. Just to the south of, and adjacent to, Jaffa Gate a wide portion of the wall was demolished in 1896 to make way for vehicular access. It is one of two major vehicular entrances into the Old City. Nestled within a walled compound in the ancient Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, the Church of St. James is one of the most ornately decorated places of worship in the Holy Land. This ancient church, part of which dates to AD 420, is the cathedral of the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Armenia — a land-locked country in south-west Asia — was the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion, in AD 301, and Armenian Christians established the first “quarter” in Jerusalem. The Church of St. James is dedicated to two martyred saints of that name — St. James the Great, one of the first apostles to follow Jesus, and St. James the Less, believed to be a close relative of Jesus, who became the first bishop of Jerusalem. St. James the Great was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, around AD 44 (Acts 12:1-2). St. James the Less was martyred by Temple authorities about 20 years later by being thrown from the Temple platform, then stoned and clubbed to death. According to Christian tradition, within the church are buried the head of St. James the Great (the rest of his body is believed to be in the Spanish pilgrimage shrine of Santiago de Compostela) and the body of St. James the Less. Most of the Cathedral dates from the 12th century, though it incorporates the remains of two chapels built in the 5th century. Courtyard and Cathedral of Sts. James The iron gate is from medieval times. Notice the gate within the gate. The common structure of the inner gate is often referred to as the ‘Eye of the Needle,’ recalling a saying of Jesus in Matthew 19:24. The monument just inside the gate carries a warning by the Caliph Omar (AD 638) to would-be invaders to leave the place unharmed. As you enter the courtyard, the elevation to the left marks the tomb of Queen Mariun (1375 AD). The first Armenian royalty to visit Jerusalem was Toros II of the Rubenide dynasty, in 1163. The arched entrance to the right leads to the Patriarchal offices and residence as well as the Great Hall of the Patriarchate. While in the courtyard, notice the many khatchkars (engraved ornate crosses) around the walls and between the windows overlooking the courtyard. As you step up to the narthex of the Cathedral, notice the kochnaks (suspended planks of wood and bronze), which are hammered at in lieu of bells, a practice begun in the ninth century when Christians under Arab rule were forbidden use bells. The Sts. James Cathedral marks the traditional site of the Apostolic Council held in Jerusalem in AD 49 under the leadership of St. James, ‘the brother of the Lord’ and the likely author of the Epistle of James in the New Testament (Galatians 2:1-10; Acts 15:1-30), whose remains are believed to have been interred beneath the main altar. This St. James is often referred to as James ‘the Just,’ to distinguish him from the other two apostles named James; (1) St. James ‘the Great,’ the son of Zebedee and brother of St. John the Evangelist, who was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in





AD 44 (Acts 12:1-3) and whose head is buried in a side chapel within the Cathedral and (2) St. James ‘the Less,’ the son of Alphaeus, another of the Twelve Apostles, who is simply mentioned in Mark 3:18 and 15:40. As early as 1165, the German traveler John of Wurzburg describes Sts. James as one of the most magnificent churches of Jerusalem. An atmosphere of consummate artistry and overwhelming religious fervor pervades the Cathedral. The arches resting on four massive columns support the main dome of six interlaced arches that denote the uniquely Armenian architectural style. The magnificence of the gilded altars, the old paintings of saints and biblical scenes, the blue luster of glazed tiles on the walls, the colorful lights of numerous oil lamps and huge chandeliers (dimmed at times by the clouds of burning incense), the shafts of light piercing through high windows in the hours of eventide or early morn all create an atmosphere of religious fervor and overwhelm the worshiper and visitor alike with as sense of the overpowering presence of God. The magnificent carpets add to the welcoming atmosphere of the Cathedral, and the beautiful mosaic floor of the chancel, together with the elegant frescoes on the front of the bema (stage to the altar), draw the visitor closer and closer to the altar. Across the street from the main gate is an Armenian Orthodox seminary. It is believed this is the site of Pilate’s praetorium, formerly the palace of Herod the Great. In that case, the judgement seat where Jesus was condemned (John 19:13) would have been on an open square where the Church of St. James now stands. Chapels within the Cathedral The interior, under a vaulted dome, offers a splendid spectacle of gilded altars, massive chandeliers, and myriad lamps with ceramic eggs attached to them, paintings, carved wood, inlaid mother-of-pearl, bronze engravings, and blue and green wall tiles. The marble floor is usually covered with purple, green and red carpets. Rich vestments, incense and chanting give the cathedral a mystical Eastern character during services. High-set windows, oil lamps and candles are the only light sources, since there is no electricity. Sunlight produces dazzling reflections on the church’s treasures, but cloudy days cloak the interior in darkness. On the left of the main altar is the Altar of the Blessed Virgin and on the right the Altar of St. John the Baptist. Two small simple balconies above the altars indicate the location of the Chapels of SS. Peter and Paul. The Chapel of St. Paul is below and 12 additional steps up, located immediately above the Altar of St. John, is the Chapel of St. Peter. Right next to the altar, in from of the podium are two thrones. The first is the Patriarch’s throne. The second throne, which has a high dome, is known as the Throne of St. James the Less. He was the first bishop of Jerusalem. Today his grave is under the main altar. Within the north wall of the Cathedral, the Chapel of St. James marks the burial place of the head of St. James ‘the son of Zebedee’ and brother of St. John the Evangelist (Acts 12:1-3). A marble slab with a plate size silver marker in the middle (just beneath the apse-shaped altar) marks the burial spot. The door of the Chapel is lavishly decorated with mother of pearl. To the right of the Chapel is the Altar of St. James (‘Sons of Thunder’) the sons of Zebedee were called by Jesus (Mark 3:17). A closed door to the left of the chapel is the entrance leading to the Chapel of St. Minas (an Egyptian martyr), where the most precious treasures of the Cathedral are kept. Access to this, the oldest part of the church, is absolutely forbidden. Further to the left is the Chapel of St. Makar, the altar of which marks the tomb of Macarius I (Patriarch of Jerusalem 313-334). Within this chapel are held the confessions of the faithful. These three chapels in the north wall comprise the oldest part of the Cathedral, dating from before the fifth century. The northeastern corner of the Cathedral is known as the Chapel of St. Stephen, after the protomartyr deacon in the Book of Acts, whose hand is among the relics at Sts. James. This chapel serves both as the cathedral’s sacristy and baptistery.





The only major addition to the Cathedral is the Chapel of Etchmiadzin, which extends all along the south wall. This was the narthex of the Cathedral. The large and elaborately ornate door leading to the chapel was the main entrance of the Cathedral. In 1666 AD, the principle entrance was moved to the western porch of the Cathedral, thus creating a new narthex. Enshrined in the chapel are stones from Mount Sinai, Mount Tabor, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Jordan. The Great Hall of the Patriarchate Built by Patriarch Hovhannes Izmirtsi in 1853. Leading up to the Great Hall is a staircase and a broad corridor lined with paintings of the Patriarchs and doors to the administrative offices of the Patriarchate. St. Toros Church This little church, at first just a chapel, was built within the walls of Sts. James Monastery in 1286 AD by the Armenian King Levon II in memory of his brother, Toros. The chapel was enlarged during the Patriarchate of St. Grigor ‘the Chainbearer’ (1749 AD). The renowned collection of 4,000 Armenian illuminated manuscripts is kept here. Gulbenkian Library Calouste Gulbenkian, founded and endowed the library in memory of his parents, on the occasion of the jubilee of the ordination and literary career of Patriarch Yeghishe Tourian, in 1929. It stands between the Mardigian Museum and the Museum of Antiquarian Books. Together with the Holy Translators Secondary School, these buildings constitute the educational section of the monastery. The Gulbenkian Library is the best in the Armenian Diaspora. Mardigian Museum of Armenian Art and History The Edward and Helen Mardigian Museum of Armenian Art and Culture is located inside the Armenian Convent walls in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Museum offers a comprehensive overview of 3,000 years of Armenian art, culture and history. The building is actually situated in the former “Chamtagh” which once served as the Patriarchate’s Theological Seminary (1843). Like its twin, Paghchatagh, this building too had to be converted into residential quarters for displaced Armenian refugees. After all the refuges had emigrated and found new homes in America, Canada and a host of other countries, the Chamtagh fell into disrepair. Some 20 years ago, the Armenian philanthropist couple, Edward and Helen Mardigian, came to the rescue. Thanks to their generosity, the Chamtagh was soon transformed into a museum and has become one of the Armenian Diaspora’s most important and valuable cultural outposts. St. Tarkmachats Secondary School This is the private school of the Monastery, established in 1929 to educate the young people of the community. It is from Kindergarten through High School. Convent and Church of the Holy Archangels Located within the Convent of the Holy Archangels is the small church and beautiful Church of the Holy Archangels. It marks the residence of Annas, the ex-high priest and father in law of Caiaphas, where Jesus was taken and imprisoned (John 18:13). The church was built by Armenian Crusaders, in the late 11th Century, and is the parish church of the old-time Jerusalem Armenians. The unusually large vestibule of the church was once an open courtyard, enclosed centuries later. Until recently, nuns lived within the walls of the convent surrounding the church. Locals named the convent Der-el-Zeitouneh (‘Convent of the Olive Tree’) after an old olive tree to which Jesus was believed to have been bound and beaten to. The old tree still grows new shoots within a fenced spot in the convent. The perpetuity of the olive tree is reference in Ps. 52:8 and Job 14:7. Near it and built into the outer wall of the church is an odd stone, said to be the one which would have cried out had the disciples not praised God (Lk 19:40). Holy Savior Monastery This small monastery is just outside the Zion gate. According to a seventh-century document, this was the site of the House of Caiaphas, the high priest at the time of Jesus’ trail. It was here where the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin





took place. From here Jesus was taken to Pilate (Mt 26:57-75). The compound of the monastery includes the Patriarchal and National cemeteries. Also in the monastery’s compound stands a unfinished church. Its exterior is partially adorned with tombstones from the old cemetery. —Text by Dr. Abraham Terian; excerpted from "An Armenian Pilgrim’s Companion to the Holy Land" (2000).

Jerusalem Armenian Mosaic of the 6th Century Incorporating tesserae of many different colors, the Armenian Mosaic depicts a vine with many branches and grape clusters, which springs from a vase. Populating the vine's branches are peacocks, ducks, storks, pigeons, an eagle, a partridge, and a parrot in a cage. The elaborate scene is framed by a guilloche border. Under the southwest corner, a small natural cave contained human bones and lamps dating from the 5th or 6th centuries. The room was clearly used as a mortuary chapel. An inscription at the top of the mosaic reads: "For the memory

and salvation of all those Armenians whose name the Lord knows." Not only the inscription, but the symbolism of the mosaic itself indicates the room was used to ponder death and remember the dead. In early Christian art, birds were common symbols of believers' souls. The bird in the cage represents the soul imprisoned within the body. Other images remind the viewer of the hope of salvation: vine scrolls symbolize the blood of Christ and a basket of fruit represents the flesh of Christ. Pools of Bethesda 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 paralyzed 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. 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. Via Dolorosa -'Way of the Cross’ - Armenian Catholic Church The Via Dolorosa (Latin: "Way of Grief," "Way of Sorrows," "Way of Suffering) is a street within the Old City of Jerusalem, held to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The winding route from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – a distance of about 600 meters (2,000 feet) – is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions. It is today marked by nine Stations of the Cross; there have been fourteen stations since the late 15th century, with the remaining five stations being inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The fourth station of Via Dolorosa is where according to the tradition Jesus met His Mother while carrying His cross. From this place the Virgin Mary watched her son's suffering. Now this spot is the Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Martyr.





Church of the Holy Sepulcher – Resurrection (inside of Tomb) (Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-7; Luke 24:1-12;

John 20:1-9) The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, known as the Church of the Resurrection to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a basilica in the Old City of Jerusalem that is the holiest Christian site in the world. It stands on a site that encompasses both Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb (Sepulcher) where he was buried. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been the most important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century. The early Christian community of Jerusalem appears to have held liturgical celebrations at Christ's tomb from the time of the resurrection until the city was taken by the Romans in 66 AD. Less than a century later, in 135 AD, Emperor Hadrian filled in the quarry to provide a level foundation for a temple to Aphrodite. The site remained buried beneath the pagan temple until Emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity in 312 AD. Constantine's builders dug away the hillside to leave the rock-hewn tomb of Christ isolated and with enough room to build a church around it. In the process, according to contemporary Christian historians, the Rock of Golgotha was found. The Church was formally dedicated in 335 with an oration by Constantine's biographer, Eusebius of Caesarea. In the course of the excavations, Constantine's mother St. Helena is said to

have discovered the True Cross near the tomb. It is believed that St. Helena actually discovered three crosses - those of the two thieves and that of Christ. To discern the one belonging to Christ, a sick man was brought to touch each one, and he was miraculously healed by one of them. The Constantinian church was much larger than the one that stands today, but had a simpler layout. It consisted of an atrium, a covered basilica, an open courtyard with the stone of Golgotha in the southeast corner, and the tomb of Christ, enshrined in a small, circular edifice. The tomb of Christ was not completed until 384 AD, well after the dedication of the church, because of the immense labor involved in cutting away the rock cliff in order to isolate the tomb. This building was severely damaged by fire in 614 AD when the Persians invaded Jerusalem. The church was reconstructed under the patriarch Modestus with no major changes to the original plan. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher continued to function as a Christian church under the protection of Omar and the early Muslim rulers, but this changed on October 18, 1009, when the "mad" Fatimid caliph Hakim brutally and systematically destroyed the great church. The Christian community of Jerusalem could not afford repairs, but in 1048 Emperor Constantine Monomachos provided money for reconstruction, subject to stringent conditions imposed by the caliphate. The funds were not adequate to completely repair the original church, however, and a large part of it had to be abandoned. The atrium and the basilica were completely lost; only the courtyard and the rotunda remained. The latter was made into a church by the insertion of a large apse into the facade. This was the church to which the knights of the First Crusade arrived to sing their Te Deum after capturing Jerusalem on July 15, 1099. The Crusader chief Godfrey of Bouillon, who became the first king of Jerusalem, declared himself Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri, "Defender of the Holy Sepulcher." The Crusaders were slow to renovate the church, only beginning to make modifications in the Romanesque style in 1112. They first built a monastery where the Constantinian basilica used to be, having first excavated the Crypt of St. Helena. In 1119, the shrine of Christ's tomb was replaced. The three primary custodians of the church, first appointed when Crusaders held Jerusalem, are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic churches. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian





Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures within and around the building. An agreement regulates times and places of worship for each Church. In recent times, a fire (1808) and an earthquake (1927) did extensive damage. Not until 1959 did the three major communities (Latins, Greeks, and Armenians) agree on a major renovation plan. The guiding principle was that only elements incapable of fulfilling their structural function would be replaced. Local masons were trained to trim stone in the style of the 11th century for the rotunda, and in the 12th century style for the church. The church's chaotic history is evident in what visitors see today. Byzantine, medieval, Crusader, and modern elements mix in an odd mish-mash of styles, and each governing Christian community has decorated its shrines in its own distinctive way. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas. Back out in the courtyard, the west wall (to your left as you face the entrance) contains 11th century Greek Orthodox chapels built over the site of the Constantinian baptistery. The east wall has a small domed structure that was once the 12th century Crusader entrance to the Church on Calvary. It later became the Chapel of the Franks. Immediately inside the entrance to the church is the Stone of Unction, also known as the Stone of the Anointing, is a large stone located just inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus’s body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. Most Historians agree that this was the place where Jesus’s body was prepared for burial. This limestone slab dates from 1808, when the prior 12th century slab was destroyed. Ownership of this site belongs to the four main churches: the opulent lamps that hang over the stone slab are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins. The Behind the Stone, a mosaic depicting Christ's anointing for burial decorates the outer wall of the Catholicon. A stairway on the right just inside the entrance leads to Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified. The first chapel is the Catholic (Franciscan) Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross, which is Station 11 on the Via Dolorosa. It features a 12th century mosaic of Jesus being nailed to the cross on the vault and a Medici altar from Florence. Through a window in the south wall the Chapel of the Agony of the Virgin can be seen. Just to the left of the altar is a statue of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, which is Station 13 (Jesus' body removed from the cross and given to Mary). Adjacent to the Catholic chapel is the Greek Orthodox Calvary, which contains the actual Rock of Calvary (Station 12) around which the church was built. The rock can be seen under glass on either side of the main altar, and beneath the altar there is a hole that allows you to touch the rock itself. The slot cut for the cross is shown in the east apse along with those of the two thieves. Directly beneath Calvary on the main floor (entered through a door next to the Stone of Unction) is the Chapel of Adam, which enshrines a cracked slab of rock behind glass. This identification with Adam is based on the ancient tradition that Christ was crucified over the place where Adam was buried. The crack in the rock is said to be caused by the earthquake that occurred during the Crucifixion. Walking to the west from the Stone of Unction, visitors arrive at the focal point of the Holy Sepulcher Church. The round area of the church, known as the Rotunda, preserves the location and shape, and a few original columns, of Constantine's 4th century Church of the Resurrection built on the site of Christ's tomb. The Rotunda is surmounted by a large dome, completed in the 1960s. This is decorated with a 12-pointed star (1997) whose rays symbolize the outreach of the 12 apostles. The diameter of the dome is about 20.5 meters; the height is 34 meters. Underneath the large dome is the Tomb of Christ itself, enshrined in a large, boxy shrine. The current structure was built in 1809-10 after the severe fire of 1808. The Armenians, the Latins and the Greeks celebrate Liturgy daily inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is also used for the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire, which is celebrated by the Armenian and Greek Orthodox Patriarch’s. Inside, the shrine contains two small rooms. The first is the Greek Orthodox Chapel of the Angel, which features an altar containing a piece of the stone rolled away by angels at the Resurrection. In the wall by the entrance, steps lead to the roof of the aedicule. A low door on the opposite side leads to the tiny Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher,





which contains the tomb of Christ itself. This is the 14th Station of the Cross and the holiest site in Christendom. Here a marble slab covers the place where the body of Christ was laid and from which he rose from the dead. A vase with candles marks the spot where his head rested. Walking around to the back (west) of the aedicule to an ironwork cage-like structure containing the Coptic chapel. Beneath the altar is another piece of Christ's tomb. Opposite the Coptic chapel, inside a rough-hewned apse at the far west end of the Church is the Syrian chapel. To the right (north) of the Sepulcher is the Roman Catholic area, which consists of a large square chapel (the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene) and another private chapel for Franciscan monks. The former is held to be the site where Jesus appeared to Mary after his resurrection. Just opposite the entrance to the Sepulcher is the large nave of the church, which has been enclosed by a wall on all sides. Known as the Catholicon, this Greek Orthodox cathedral features a large iconostasis flanked by the thrones of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Antioch. Above is a colorful cupola, which dates from after the 1927 earthquake, decorated with an image of Christ and other icons. At the east end of the north aisle is the chapel of the Prison of Christ, which according to 12th century tradition housed Jesus and the two thieves before the Crucifixion. Taking a right at the Prison leads into the ambulatory of the Crusader church, which has three chapels located in three apses: the Greek Chapel of St. Longinus (the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus' side and then converted) in the northeast corner; the Armenian Chapel of the Dividing of the Robes in the center; and the Greek Chapel of Derision or the Crowning of Thorns in the southeast apse. The latter contains a relic of the Column of Derision. Between the last two chapels is a stairway that descends to the large Chapel of St. Helena, which is owned by the Armenians and also known as the Chapel of St. Gregory. On the stairway walls are many small crosses carved by medieval pilgrims. The chapel has three aisles and two apses: the north apse is dedicated to the penitent thief; the south apse to St. Helena, mother of Constantine. A seat in the southeast corner of the chapel is said to have been occupied by Helena as she searched for the True Cross, a story first mentioned around 351. From this corner, 13 more steps descend into the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross. The left side is owned by the Catholics, whose altar features a life-sized statue of St. Helena holding a cross. The Greeks have the right side of the chapel. After you leave the Church, the buildings that have their entrances in the east wall of the courtyard are: the Coptic Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel, which includes a staircase leading to the Ethiopian Orthodox Chapel and the Coptic convent to the northeast; the Armenian Chapel of St. James; and the Greek Monastery of Abraham in the southeast corner of the court. Golgotha – Crucifixion (Mark 15:25-39; Matthew 27:35-44; Luke 23:32-43; John 19:18-27) Mary watches Jesus’ Crucifixion (John 19:25-26) Golgotha, (Aramaic: “Skull”) also called Calvary, (from Latin calva: “bald head,” or “skull”), skull-shaped hill in Jerusalem, the site of Jesus’ Crucifixion. It is referred to in all four Gospels. The hill of execution was outside the city walls of Jerusalem, near a road not far from the Sepulcher where Jesus was buried. Armenian Chapel of Helena





A door on the north side of the Chapel of St. Helena leads to the Chapel of St.Vartan, an Armenian chapel. This area was just discovered and excavated in the 1970s. The finds include remnants of walls built by Hadrian in the 2nd century, one of which contains a stone with a celebrating drawing of a merchant ship with the inscription DOMINE IVIMVS, "Lord we shall go", believed to be the oldest mark of veneration left by an ancient pilgrim prior to the construction of the church. This drawing probably dates from the 1st century. The floor mosaic depicts the principal churches of the Armenian nation. The four columns are crowned with Byzantine capitals, two in Corinthian style and two “basket” capitals which the Crusaders took from the ancient Al-Aqsa Mosque. The windows in the dome receive light from the raised courtyard of the Deir es-Sultan Monastery, located behind the apse of the church, with its small cells for Ethiopian monks. Crypt of the Finding of the Cross Constantine appointed his mother Helena giving her unlimited access to the imperial treasury in order to locate the relics of Judeo-Christian tradition. In 326-28, Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and chose this site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. The legend is that the empress refused to be swayed by anything short of solid proof and performed a test. Possibly through Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem, she had a woman who was near death brought from the city. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered, and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross. On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered the building of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces in 327 to return to Rome, bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, where they can be still seen today. Upper Room (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:14-30; John 13:21-30) – Pentecost: Acts 2:1-‐13 The Last Supper Room is a second-story room in Jerusalem that commemorates the "upper room" in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with the disciples. It is located directly above the Tomb of David and near the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. Beneath the floor of the building are Byzantine and Roman pavements and the foundations go back to at least the 2nd century AD. It is possible that the "little church of God" that existed on Mount Zion in 130 AD (mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis) was on this site. The Mount Zion church was reconstructed in the 4th century after persecutions ended, at which point it was known as "the Upper Church of the Apostles." This designation referred, however, not to the Last Supper but to the apostles' receiving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, which also occurred in an "upper room" (Acts 1:13, 2:1). A tradition located the upper room of Pentecost on Mount Zion by 348, when it was mentioned by Cyril of Jerusalem. In the 5th century the church was referred to as "Zion, Mother of all the Churches," and it was around this time that it was identified with the site of the Last Supper. The Byzantine church was





destroyed by fire in 614 during the Persian attack and again in 965. The Last Supper Room that pilgrims visit today was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century as part of the Church of St. Mary of Zion. The site was then revived and restored by Franciscans in the 14th century and used as a Franciscan monastery until 1552. The room was transformed into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1524. The Upper Room is approached via a pointed-arch entrance from the main lane on Mount Zion, then by ascending stairs immediately to the left in the courtyard. The Last Supper Room is an attractive, mostly empty rectangular room with pillars and a groin-vaulted ceiling. The capitals on the pillars are mainly 12th century and Gothic in style. There are traces of 14th century paint on the wall just inside to the right of the door. The east end originally had an altar and choir, but these were destroyed when the dome was built over the Tomb of David in the lower level. The chamber retains the trappings of a mosque, including restored stained-glass Ottoman windows with Arabic inscriptions and the ornate mihrab (an alcove indicating the direction of Mecca). There are also two Arabic plaques in the wall and a Levantine dome. Western Wall Presentation to the Lord to the Temple (Luke 2:21-40) Moneychangers in Temple (Matthew 21:12-13) The Western Wall (Ha-Kotel Ha-Ma'aravi) in Jerusalem is the holiest of Jewish sites, sacred because it is a remnant of the Herodian retaining wall that once enclosed and supported the Second Temple. It has also been called the "Wailing Wall" by European observers because for centuries Jews have gathered here to lament the loss of their temple. The Western Wall Plaza, the large open area that faces the Western Wall, functions as an open-air synagogue that can accommodate tens of thousands of worshipers. Prayers take place here day and night, and special services are held here as well. The Western Wall was built by King Herod in 20 BC during his expansion of the Temple enclosure, and is part of a retaining wall that enclosed the western part of Temple Mount. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple. During the Ottoman Period (beginning in the 16th century), the wall became the Jews' chief place of pilgrimage, where they came to lament the destruction of the Temple. For centuries, the Western Wall was located in a narrow alley just 12 feet wide that could accommodate only a few hundred densely packed worshipers. But in 1967, immediately after the Six Day War, Israelis leveled the neighboring Arab district to create the Western Wall Plaza, which can accommodate tens of thousands of pilgrims. At the same time, the Israelis made the wall about 6 1/2 feet higher by digging down and exposing two more tiers of ashlars (squared stones) from the Temple Plaza's retaining wall that had been buried by accumulated debris for centuries. The huge, lower stones (ashlars) of the wall are from the time of Herod. At the prayer section of the Western Wall, grass grows out of the upper cracks. The lower cracks of the chalky, yellow-white blocks have been stuffed with bits of paper containing written prayers. Orthodox Jews can be seen standing at the wall, chanting and swaying. Some Jews visit the wall daily to recite the entire Book of Psalms. In addition to the daily and Sabbath prayer services, special events like Bar and Bat Mitzvah are also celebrated at the Western Wall.

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