Church of the Dormition - Jerusalem

The hill of Mount Zion, the highest point in ancient Jerusalem, is dominated by the Church of the Dormition. The location is identified in Christian tradition as the place where the Virgin Mary died — or “fell asleep”, as the name suggests.

The fortress-like building, with a conical roof and four corner towers, stands south of the Old City’s Zion Gate. Nearby soars the bell tower of the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey (formerly the Abbey of the Dormition), a Benedictine monastery.

During the Byzantine period, the Church of Hagia Sion (Holy Zion), one of the three earliest churches in Jerusalem, stood on this site. Built by the Emperor Constantine, it was regarded as the Mother of all Churches. In AD 614 it was destroyed by the Persians.

In the center of the church, under a rotunda, is a simple bier on which rests a life-size statue of Mary, fallen asleep in death. The statue is made of cherry wood and ivory.

The dome above the statue is adorned with mosaic pictures of six women of the Old Testament: Eve, Miriam, Jael, Judith, Ruth and Esther.

Church of the Dormition

Mosaic picture of Mary and the Child Jesus in the center of the semi- 

circular apse above the altar. Jesus holds an open book with the 

inscription from John 8:12 ("I am the light of the world"), words that

Jesus said when he visited Mount of Olives. Underneath are pictures

of eight Prophets, and a Latin verse from Isaiah 7:14 with the 

prophecy of the coming of the Messiah: ". . . Behold, a virgin shall

conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel". 

A sculpture of Mary's deathbed, made of ivory 

and cherrywood, is located in the crypt, a round 

pilloried room (rotunda) one level under the church.  

Wider view of the sculpture of Mary's deathbed

A painting on the ceiling of Mary on her deathbed

This side chapel was donated by the Ivory 

Coast, and consists of Ivory and black Ebony

wood. There are two Greek letters inscribed 

on the altar  - Alpha and Omega - the first and 

last letters of the Greek alphabet. As per Rev-

elation 1: 8: "I am Alpha and Omega, the 

beginning and the ending ".

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu - Jerusalem

One of the most striking churches in Jerusalem commemorates the apostle Peter’s triple denial of his Master, his immediate repentance and his reconciliation with Christ after the Resurrection.

Built on an almost sheer hillside, the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu stands on the eastern slope of Mount Zion.

On its roof rises a golden rooster atop a black cross — recalling Christ’s prophesy that Peter would deny him three times “before the cock crows”. Galli-cantu means cockcrow in Latin.

Peter’s denial of Christ is recorded in all four Gospels (most succinctly in Matthew 26:69-75). Three of the Gospels also record his bitter tears of remorse.

The scene of Peter’s disgrace was the courtyard of the high priest Caiaphas. The Assumptionist congregation, which built St Peter in Gallicantu over the ruins of a Byzantine basilica, believes it stands on the site of the high priest’s house. Under the church is a dungeon thought to be the cell where Jesus was detained for the night following his arrest.

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu

Rooster

Statue of rooster

Peter denying he knows Christ

Sacred Pit/Dungeon in the house of Caiaphas

Under the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, 

a dungeon type chamber, hewn out of bedrock, 

testifies to the type of power the high priest 

wielded. A single entrance, or portal, in the

floor was the means by which a prisoner was

confined in the dark cells below. The only way

in or out for a prisoner was via a rope.

Jesus being lowered into the pit by rope

Jesus gives Peter the keys 
to the Kingdom

Peter Denying Christ 
"I do not know Him."

"Lord, You know that I love you."
"Feed My sheep."

Fr. Chris teaching us about this church

Church of All Nations / Basilica of the Agony - Jerusalem

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. The Catholic church enshrines a section of stone in the Garden of Gethsemane that is believed to be where Jesus prayed on the night of his arrest (Matthew 26:36).

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." Inside, the symbols of each country that contributed to the church are incorporated into the inlaid gold ceilings of each of 12 cupolas.

The domed roof, thick pillars, and floor mosaic give the church a Byzantine appearance. The architect of the building was Antonio Barluzzi, who also designed the nearby Dominus Flevit Church. The front of the church features a colorful façade supported by a row of pillars. The mosaic above the entrance depicts Christ as the link between God and humanity.

Church of All Nations - Aerial View

Front of the Church of All Nations

Closeup of beautiful mosaic on front of church
depicting that Jesus is the link
between God and humanity

Beautifully ornate church columns outside

Mosaic of Our Lord in agony on a rock in
the Garden of Gethsemane - being
consoled by an angel above

One of the inlaid gold cupolas in the church - beautiful!

The Rock of Agony - A large fragment of the rock
on which Jesus is supposed to have prayed
the night before the Passion

Church of St. Anne - Jerusalem

The Church of St. Anne is a Roman Catholic church, located at the start of the Via Dolorosa, near the Lions' Gate and churches of the Flagellation and Condemnation, in the Muslim Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. It 

The Church of St. Anne is the best-preserved Crusader church in Jerusalem. It marks the traditional site of the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, and the birthplace of the Virgin Mary.

A church built around A.D. 450 on the site of St Anne’s was dedicated to “Mary where she was born”. A Crusader church was built in A.D. 1100 over a crypt venerated as the birthplace of Mary and the home of her parents Joachim and Anne. After the defeat of the Crusaders, Saladin turned the church into a school of Islamic theology. In 1856, following the Crimean War, Sultan Abdul Majid gave the site to Napoleon III as a reward for his help during the war. The church was restored and given to the White Fathers.

Next to the church is the large excavation area of the Pools of Bethesda, where Christ healed a sick man (John 5:2-9).

Church of St. Anne

Main Altar

Beautiful Statue of St. Anne & Mary

Entrance to Birthplace of Mary

Birthplace of the Virgin Mary

Arabic inscription by Saladin in A.D. 1192 changing
the church into a Muslim theological school

Grotto of Gethsemane

The Grotto of Gethsemane, not far from the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin, has been credited as the site where he left his disciples before heading off to pray alone and the place where Jesus was arrested after being betrayed by Judas.

 

The agony was said to have occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane, while the betrayal and arrest occurred on the left pathway linking Jerusalem to Mount Olivet. There is a grotto ascribed to this pathway, which is known as the Grotto of Gethsemane. This was where, according to tradition, Jesus left his disciples while he went to the Garden to pray. Later, upon his return, this was where he met, and was subsequently betrayed by Judas. He was then arrested while the rest of his disciples fled.

 

Inside the cave, which has an impressive stone vault, are three altars with murals over them. Over the high altar is a representation of Jesus Praying among the Apostles, while the paintings over the side altars depict the Assumption of the Virgin and the Kiss of Judas.

 

As you can see in one of the photos, we were able to have Mass in this Grotto! Notice the statues of two of the apostles asleep under the altar.



Statues of two sleeping apostles under the altar



Jesus praying with His apostles before He is arrested
(close-up of mural behind the altar)



Mass in the Grotto of Gethsemane

 

 

Altar dedicated to the Assumption

 

 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Jerusalem

We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem twice, once in the evening and once in the early morning for 6 a.m. Mass, and it is simply mind-blowing that you can be that close to the locations of Christ's crucifixion and burial! It is an incredibly holy site! Here is some background.

 

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the Church of the Resurrection (Anastasis) to Eastern Orthodox Christians, is a church in the Old City of Jerusalem that is the holiest Christian site in the world. It stands on a site that is believed to encompass both Golgotha, or Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb (sepulchre) where he was buried. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been an 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. He soon showed an interest in the holy places associated with his new faith, and commissioned numerous churches to be built throughout the Holy Land. The most important of these, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was begun in 326 AD.

 

Constantine's builders dug away the hillside to leave the rock-hewn tomb of Christ isolated and with enough room to built a church around it. They also cleared away Hadrian's temple and the material with which an old quarry had been filled to provide the temple's foundations. 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 said 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 True Cross. Pretty cool!

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Courtyard

Stairway to Calvary

Top of the Stairs - Calvary/Golgotha



 
 
 
 
 
 

Calvary / Golgotha - My sister Julie kneels down
to touch the rock and reverence the
place of Crucifixion.
 

Lots of candles lit nearby

Julie lights one of the many candles.





The Stone of Unction - the place where
Jesus' body was laid to prepare it for burial.





The Edicule - Entrance to the Tomb of Christ

The Edicule (Aedicule), or little house, consists of two

parts: A four columned porch over the forecourt

and a five columned octagonal marble structure

surrounding the tomb chamber.





The Tomb of Christ (on the right where you see

the marble slab - which also serves as an altar for

Mass) -- We had Mass here one morning at 6 a.m.

Fr. Chris and Deacon Rich were the only people

who could fit in this tiny space. The rest of us were in

an adjoining room where we could hear. Then Father

had to come through the small opening to distribute

Holy Communion. At the end of Mass, each of us was

able to crawl in there to touch and reverence the tomb!

Pretty amazing!

 

The Dome of the Basilica - so ornate!


 



View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

The view from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is simply stunning! This is the perfect place to take panorama photos! Here are some of the photos I took.

The Temple Mount or Dome of the Rock



Church of Mary Magdalene
Russian Orthodox church located on the Mt. of Olives
near the Garden of Gethsemane

Dominus Flevit - "Jesus Wept" Church 

According to tradition, this is the site where Jesus

was looking over the city, visualizing its destruction,

and weeping over its fate. The location of the church

fits the description in Luke 19 - on a descent from the 

Mount of Olives and facing the temple mount.

Necropolis on Mount of Olives

From Biblical times until the present, Jews have

been buried on the Mount of Olives. The necropolis 

(rock-cut tombs) on the southern ridge, the location

of the modern village of Silwan, was the burial place

of Jerusalem's most important citizens in the period of

the Biblical kings. There are an estimated 150,000 graves

on the Mount, including tombs traditionally associated

with Zechariah and Absalom. On the upper slope, the

traditional tombs of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah

and Malachi are situated.

 

Ossuaries near Dominus Flevit 

An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to

serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains.

They are frequently used where burial space is scarce.

A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after

some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed

in an ossuary. The greatly reduced space taken up by an

ossuary means that it is possible to store the remains of

many more people in a single tomb than if the

original coffins were left as is.



The Golden Gate, as it is called in Christian literature,

is the oldest of the current gates in

Jerusalem's Old City Walls.

 

Necropolis on Mount of Olives

 

The Tomb of Absalom, also called Absalom's Pillar, is an
ancient monumental rock-cut tomb with a conical
roof located in the Kidron Valley in Jerusalem.
Absalom was the rebellious son of King David.

El-Aqsa Mosque

The Cenacle / the Upper Room