July 6th - Footsteps of Jesus

Today we began on the Mount of Olives, opposite the Old City. On this tour we were to learn the significance of the sights dedicated to the final days and death of a Jewish Pilgrim: Jesus of Nazareth. While there is certainly a Mt. of olives mentioned in Biblical times, this is the place it is most likely thought to be, as the crop here would provide oil and processing to those who lived in the city.

Our first stop is in an Arab village at the top of the Mt. that contains the Mosque/Church of Ascension. Originally a Byzantine structure, it was added onto by christian crusaders and later became a mosque. The stone in the center is though to be the place where Jesus ascended to heaven after resurrecting from the dead and appearing to his disciples. The Muslim Waqf now controls and operates the site, and is still the visit of Muslim and Christian pilgrims alike. Jesus, called Issa by Muslims, is thought to be an important prophet, and therefore revered by Islam as well.

Right after, we visited a rival religious site, now a Franciscan Monastery. This site is believed by some to be where Jesus ascended, built by the mother of Constantine after the Byzantine Empire converted to Christianity in 324 CE. In religious sites belonging to Christians, there is often much political and theological debate over where they are geographically, as it had taken hundreds of years after the death of Christ for Christianity to really become a serious religion.

Walking down the path of the Mt. of Olives, we next come to Dominus Flavit, or the Lord's Tear church. It was here that Jesus looked across at the city of Jerusalem and wept at it losing its way. The architect attempted to construct the small chapel in a way that made it look like a tear.

Next stop down the mountian is the gardens of Gethsamene, another debated location, although the garden here does contain Olive Trees that could have existed 2000 years ago. This is the location where Jesus spent his last night, and the site of the betrayal of Judas Iscariot with a kiss. Here we begin to discuss the gradual but powerful move by the christians to create a narrative that implicates the Jewish people and blames them for the death of Jesus, ignoring the fact that everyone except the Romans in Jerusalem at that time were Jews. Next to the garden is the Church of All Nations, extremely interesting architectually and in its makeup. With donations from many Christian countries from around the world, the church has a very ominious and dark feel, reflecting the suffering that was to follow the betrayal.

Following the story, we continue along the Via Dolorosa, or Stations of the Cross within the walls of the old city and strangely enough, mostly in what is now the Muslim Quarter. We visit the church of the Punishment, the place where Jesus was brought before Pontious Pilate and asked if he was "king of the Jews." During his trial, Pilate turns the fate of Jesus over to the Jerusalemites, who call for his execution. After this, Pilate washes his hands, removing the blame of the death from himself. Jesus is set to be executed along two criminals, at a place outside the walls of the city.


The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, argueably the most important christian site in Jerusalem was built on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried in Golgatha, the mountian of the skull. The history of the church is extremely complex, and involves centuries of infighting among the christian sects in regards to who has the rights to care for this site. While originally a Byzantine structure as well, it was later expanded by the crusaders, who built a large dome over the tomb of Jesus. The church today is divided by Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and several othe sects. They had fought with eachother so viciously over control that a Muslim family has been in charge of the keys of the church for generations to remain neutral. The church itself is very interesting inside because of these different divides and therefore contains a number of different styles. Due to a argeement on keeping the status quo, rennovations of the church were completely halted so the sects would not encroach on eachother's space. As a symbol of this there is the Immovable ladder on the second floor of the church that cannot be tampered with as it must remain after the agreement. Even today, voilent outbursts between sects occur, particularly during feast holidays. Not an especially christian way of behaving.

Overall, the church was rather impressive although even as a christian I felt like a complete stranger in it. The ritual and holiness of the place for me was overshadowed by the constant bickering and unwillingness to cooperate in maintaining Christianity's most holy of sites.