On December 2019, our walking tour of the Old City of Jeruselam began early in the morning, starting along the north-east walls towards Lions Gate and the Muslim Quarter.
One of seven gates created in the wall of the old city, Lions Gate is the only one that opens towards the east.
Its name is derived from the four lions carved into the wall above the gate, a pair on each side.
The gate was built as part of the wall of the old city during the 16th century by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
The Old City is best explored on foot, with its narrow lanes of paved stones winding through the four quarters – Jewish, Muslim, Armenian, and Christian. Only by navigating the maze of alleyways filled with gift shops, coffee houses and restaurants will you truly get a sense of the place, and a better understanding of significant events that occurred during the time of Jesus Christ.
- Pool of Bethesda
- The Way of The Cross
- Via Dolorosa (i – ix)
- Holy Sepulchre (x – xiv)
- Western Wall (Wailing wall)
- Garden Tomb (outside the city)
1. Pool of Bethesda
The Pool of Bethesda is a series of reservoirs and medicinal pools, located adjacent to St Anne’s Church, in the Muslim Quarter. Just 50m from Lions Gate before the start of Via Dolorosa, the pool and the surrounding area were used in ancient times, to heal and treat the disabled. “Bethesda” means “House of Mercy” in Aramaic.
According to tradition, once a day, an angel would stir up the water in the pool. The first ailing person to get into the water when this happens would be healed immediately. The pool’s healing powers resulted in many disabled people gathering near the pool waiting for this daily occurrence.
Miraculous Healing A plaque marks the site where Jesus healed a paraplegic who had been waiting for 38 years to be cured. (John 5:6-9) 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
Excavations in the 1900s have uncovered the remains of a pool with two baths and five porches.
Birthplace of Virgin Mary
The nearby Church of St Anne was built in the twelfth century during the Crusader period, to replace a much older Byzantine church that marks the site of the house of Anne & Joachim (Jesus’ maternal grandparents), where Mary was born.
Today, St. Anne’s Church is one of the most well-preserved Crusader architecture whereby the majority of the original structure still remains. Another popular feature is the acoustics and design of the church, which is perfect for singing and music.
2. The Way of the Cross
Retracing the Last Walk of Jesus is a popular activity for visitors to Jerusalem and a must-do for pilgrims.
The 14 Stations of the Cross mark the events that took place as Jesus walked from the spot where the Roman Pontius Pilate condemned him to death, to Calvary, where he was crucified and buried.
Stations of the Cross
- First station: Pilate condemns Jesus to die
- Second station: Jesus accepts his cross
- Third station: Jesus falls for the first time
- Fourth station: Jesus meets his mother
- Fifth station: Simon helps carry the cross
- Sixth station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
- Seventh station: Jesus falls a second time
- Eighth station: Jesus speaks to the women
- Ninth station: Jesus falls a third time
- Tenth station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
- Eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
- Twelfth station: Jesus dies on the cross
- Thirteenth station: Jesus is taken down from the cross
- Fourteenth station: Jesus is placed in the tomb.
Via Dolorosa
Via Dolorosa (“way of grief” in Latin) is the stone street in the Old City of Jerusalem along which Jesus was led in agony, carrying the cross of crucifixion. There are eight stations along the road itself, with the last six stations in the compound of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the sacred site of Christ’s death on the Cross.
Each station is marked with a medallion indicating the station in Roman numerals. Play the slideshow for Stations I – VIII
Station IX
marks the spot where Jesus fell for a third time.
Continuing uphill, the road winds through a narrow alley to the ninth station, adjacent to the Holy Sepulchre.
The Ethiopian and Coptic Monasteries are located on the roof of the Church of Holy Sepulchre. Across the courtyard, a doorway belonging to the Coptic chapel leads down to the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre.
Holy Sepulchre
The 12th Century Church of the Holy Sepulchre lies in the northwest quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, located on the traditional site of Golgotha, the crucifixion and burial site of Jesus. As such, it is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the world.
The sprawling church is perpetually crowded and noisy, with long queues at all the must-see spots.
First-time visitors often find themselves ‘lost’ and confused by the bewildering mixture of more than 30 chapels and worship spaces, housed in a mish mash of architectural styles.
The interior’s ornate adornments are reflective of the various denominations who are joint custodians of the church.
Entering via the massive wooden doors, we were guided up a curving stairway on the right, ascending the ‘hill of Calvary’, 4.5m above the ground. This entire area of the church marks the next four stations of the cross :
- X Jesus is stripped of His garments (Chapel of the Franks)
- XI Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross (Roman Catholic side altar)
- XII Jesus dies on the cross (main Greek Orthodox altar)
- XIII Jesus’ body is removed from the cross (to the left of the main altar and marked by statue of Mary)
This most lavishly decorated part of the church is also the most-visited as it is considered by Christians as the holiest place on earth. The rock of Calvary can be seen under protective glass on both sides of the Greek Orthodox altar. As always, there is a long line of people waiting to touch the rock through a hole in the floor beneath the altar.
Amidst the crush of visitors and noise, I was unable to get closer and therefore could not fully grasp the actual location of these four stations. We retreated down another steep staircase and emerged once again at the ground floor entrance.
Stone of anointing
Just inside the church’s entrance, is the Stone of Anointing. Believed to be where Jesus’s body was prepared for burial, this reddish slab of stone is flanked by candlesticks and eight hanging lamps.
Behind it, a modern 3-part mosaic along the wall depicts (from right to left) Christ being taken down from the cross, his body being prepared for burial, and his body being taken to the tomb.
Within the gloomy interior we stayed close as a group, as our guide led us through the maze of people. Peeking into the Syriac Chapel which was surprisingly empty, he quickly ushered us in to see the tombs of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
There, a low, narrow passageway is cut into the side of the wall that leads to two complete 1st Century tombs, side by side and deep enough to lay a body.
After the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea requested for the body of Jesus from Pilate, using his own new tomb to give Jesus a proper burial.
Station XIV
As we made our way to the Rotunda, the swell of the crowd intensified. The rotunda opens up to a massive dome encircled by equally massive pillars.
In the center, a stone monument enclose the tomb (sepulchre), believed to be where Jesus Christ lay buried for three days — and where he rose from the dead.
The line to enter stretched all the way around the small chapel with a waiting time of at least one hour. We gave it a miss.
Post-visit, I learnt that the Tomb of Christ, the Fourteenth Station of the Cross has two rooms. The outer room (Chapel of the Angel) contains what is believed to be a piece of the rolling stone used to seal the tomb. A low doorway leads to the tomb chamber where a marble slab covers the rock bench on which the body of Jesus lay.
Church of Holy Sepulchre Free Admission Opening Hours Summer (April - September) Monday - Saturday : 5.00am - 9.00pm Closes at 8.00pm on Sunday Winter (October - March) Monday - Saturday : 4.00am - 7.00pm
After the chaos and confines of the Holy Sepulchre, it was good to be outdoors again. Refreshed by a satisfying lunch at the Armenian quarter, I enjoyed the interesting sights and smells along the alleyways as we walked to the Western Wall.
3. Western Wall
Also known as the “Wailing Wall”, the Western Wall is a place of prayer and pilgrimage sacred to the Jewish people.
The Western Wall is the only remaining section of the limestone wall surrounding the Jewish Temple’s courtyard, dating to 19 BCE.
It is one of four supporting walls of the Temple Mount, the ancient site of the First and Second Jewish Temples.
Visitors to the Western Wall area must first pass through a security check. It felt like I was entering an airport as I walked through a metal detector and put my bag through the x-ray machine.
Once through, we found ourselves in a huge plaza facing the Western Wall. The exposed part of the wall measures approximately 57m metres (187 feet) long and 19 metres (60 feet) high. The wall in its entirety is 488m (1600 feet) long and extends much deeper into the earth.
Before the pandemic, the Western Wall is visited by tens of thousands of people from every corner of the world. Some – like the thousands of Jewish people from many different Jewish groups come every year to pray.
There are separate entrances for men (left) and women (right).
Prayers / wishes can be spoken or written down and slipped in between the cracks of the wall.
Others visit the attraction spot to see the well-preserved ancient wall and explore its tunnels.
Facts about Western Wall, Jerusalem
- The Western Wall is open every day of the year. It is the western wall of the Temple Mount where the first and second holy temples stood together for 830 years.
- Eleven million visitors come to the wall annually, making it the number one tourist spot in Israel. It’s also the number one prayer spot.
NB. the Eiffel Tower gets seven million visitors a year. - The wall is made up of 45 layers of stones with twenty-eight rows above ground and 17 below ground level.
- The largest stone used for building the Western Wall is 13.6m long and 3.3m deep. It weighs approximately 570 tonnes.
- Prior to 1948, Jews were only permitted to pray in a narrow swath of land (28m x 3.5m ) opposite the wall.
- For 19 years, the Western Wall was off-limits to Jews between 1948 to 1967.
- The Western Wall plaza was built in 1967 after the six-day war and is used for public gatherings, Bar Mitzvah celebrations, and swearing-in ceremonies of Israeli soldiers. It can hold tens of thousands and praying is a more pleasant experience.
4. Garden Tomb
The Garden Tomb is located just outside the city walls of Jerusalem.
I decided to include it here, as The Garden Tomb is an alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the actual site of Jesus’ burial in Jerusalem.
Discovered in 1867, near the Damascus Gate, this beautiful garden with its ancient empty tomb stands in the shadow of Skull Hill. It is especially popular with Protestants as a place of devotion.
Peaceful and tranquil, it cannot be more different from the chaotic Church of Holy Sepulchre. Arriving late in the evening, we were welcomed and assigned a guide. The free guided tour was well organised, informative and shared facts to support why it is the likely site where Christ was buried.
The ancient wine press (left) at the site suggests that it used to be an agricultural garden, and the cave-like tomb (below) nearby is presumed to be where Jesus was buried and rose again after three days.
“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” —Matthew 28:6
The Garden Tomb is temporarily closed due to the Corona Virus Pandemic. If you would like to visit, please check here for updates.
Jordan-Holyland-Egypt
Full Itinerary 29 Nov – 10 Dec 2019
- 29 Nov
- 30 Nov – Lost city of Petra, Jordan
- 1 Dec
- 2 Dec
- 3 Dec
- 4 Dec
- 5 Dec
- 6 Dec – Route 90 – longest road in Israel
- 7 Dec – Mt Sinai by moonlight!
- 8 Dec – Giant Pyramids of Giza
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