Holy Sepulcher Church and Dormition Abbey

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is deemed by Christians to be one of the holiest sites in the world.

As I mentioned in my last post, it stands upon Golgotha, the site of Jesus' Crucifixion.  History states that about ten years after the crucifixion, walls were built, enclosing the execution and burial place within the city, which accounts for the Holy Sepulcher's location in the Old City of Jerusalem today.

In 326, Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor, Constantine, visited this area and discovered the true cross of Jesus.  Her son then constructed the first Church on this site, and in the course of demolition, a tomb was discovered that was thought to have been the tomb of Jesus.

It was a rock-cut tomb that was initially open to the elements, but, later, a small building was placed overtop.  And that is how you will find it today.

The original basilica that was built on this spot was leveled by the Persians, but ancient maps from the 6th Century A.D. show that a basilica once stood in this spot.

What makes this church so unique is that it is controlled by different Christian denominations within the church:  Catholics, Amenian, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic and Ethiopian.  The variety of chapels throughout the church show the influence of these various religions under one roof.

The literature states that Muslim families have the key to the main door, but I honestly don't know how that works.  The door was open for admittance both times that we visited.

I have already given a detailed description of the several parts of this Basilica that encompass the area known as Golgotha.  But there are many fascinating features that I'd like to share in addition.

On the opposite side of this huge church there are steps which lead down to a lower level that has several chapels, one being devoted to St. Helen, who is attributed to the finding of the True Cross.

But, before descending down the steps, you will find a chapel on either side of the stairway.  The one to the right is called the Chapel of Derision.

In this chapel, under a glass case, stands a preserved fragment of the stone where Jesus sat after being crowned with thorns.

On the left of the steps is the Chapel of the Division of the Holy Robes.  The title confuses me, as the painting is of Mary holding the baby Jesus in her lap, with angels on either side.

It was very difficult to capture a good image, as this part of the church is very dark.  There were several other chapels, including the Chapel of St. Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced Christ's side with the lance, but the paintings were way too dark to even attempt to photograph them.

Walking down the stairs you can't help but note the graffiti and crosses cut into the walls from pilgrims who made this walk over the centuries.  At the bottom of the steps there is a very large, preserved Byzantine mosaic floor.

This is the chapel of St. Helen.

It includes a painting that remembers the "Good Thief" 

And a large painting on the wall that depicts the finding of the True Cross by St. Helen.

Note the lanterns.  That is typical of the Armenian style.

There were some other noted chapels further down, past this chapel, but we didn't spend much time in them, as they were barren, dark, and filled with tour groups. 

Back upstairs, in the center of the church, behind the stone of Unction and next to the Tomb of Jesus, stands the Catholicon.

This is the dome and galleries that make up the Greek Orthodox Cathedral within the church.  It was once the main part of the Crusader church which once stood on this spot. 

Normally, this area is not available for viewing, but on this particular day, someone had removed the chain that would normally block admittance, so we ventured in to see what this part of the church had to offer. 

Looking up, you can see the face of Jesus looking down.

You can see how beautiful and ornate this section of the church is. 

The interior of this chapel was dark, but I could still manage to capture some of the beautiful features.

Our time here was limited as it soon became apparent that someone had opened the small gate to this church unbeknownst to the caretaker.  She was quite upset by the presence of the crowds.

I don't quite understand what the issue was.  I suppose that the woman's angst stems from having to share this religious shrine with so many people of various faiths.

The ire of the woman was all too obvious, so we wasted no time making our way out of this part of the church.  

There were a few rooms which we never did locate, one being the prison of Jesus.  There was a barrier standing where the entrance should have been, so we figured that it must not have been open for viewing.  

Considering that we had been maneuvering around tours most of our time in the church, we decided that we had seen enough and that it was time to move outside  and grab some lunch before moving on to see Dormition Abbey.

We were pretty tired and eager for some sustenance so we headed to the same roof top restaurant that we had tried the day prior.  Only this time, it was filled with tour groups,  with more arriving by the minute, so we decided to head back to the Armenian section to try a different Armenian restaurant that we had also spotted the day prior as well.  

You can imagine our disappointment when we were shooed away, despite empty tables everywhere in sight.  We weren't part of an expected tour,  so we could not stay for lunch.  So, out the door we headed, once more trudging down the street in search of a place that would serve a decent meal. 

I spied tables through a glass window, that had the added feature of tablecloths and linen napkins.  How bad could that be?

We walked through the door and were immediately greeted by a man who spoke English reasonably well.  There was only one other person in the place,  which we could have questioned, but the seats were comfortable, and there was a private bathroom.  Could you beat that?

So, we ordered hummus and a Greek Salad from the menu, and I specifically told the man that I could not have paprika on the hummus, or any type of peppers in the salad.  For those of you who may not know, I have a violent allergy to any type of pepper: green, yellow or red., and that includes paprika.  I have learned the hard way that it is in my best interest to tell the waiter right up front about my allergy.  In fact, I had a hard time getting dinner at the Armenian restaurant because the chef wouldn't make what I had ordered because he could not assure me that there were no peppers in the seasoning that he was required to use.  

So, I did not hesitate to mention that I could not eat peppers, and even went so far as to mention that a typical Greek Salad in Israel doesn't even contain peppers.  He nodded, wrote everything down, and went to put in the order. 

The place looks pretty nice, don't you think?

I wasn't kidding when I said that we had the place pretty much to ourselves.  We were happy to rest our feet and relax for a few minutes while waiting for lunch to arrive. 

It wasn't long before the man who had taken our order set a plate of hummus and some pita bread on the table, followed by a large Greek Salad. 

…….that contained some very suspicious looking tomatoes…..and some unusual looking cucumbers.

As you can probably guess, the salad had red and green peppers intermingled with the tomatoes and the cucumbers, so you know I wasn't going to be partaking of it.

You may think that I should have said something, but since I had been so adamant in my request, and the man nodded his head as if he understood, (and he did omit the paprika on the hummus), I really didn't not feel like making an issue out of it.

So, Marty enjoyed the salad, and I was quite content eating just the hummus with the pitas.

When Marty asked for the bill, a different, elderly man came over to the table with a slip of paper that had an amount written in shekels on it.  Marty asked if he would take a credit card, and the man said no, he did not.  So, Marty handed him the amount, and he soon realized that we had been way overcharged.

He called the man over to the table and questioned the amount.  We were told that a gratuity had been added, but it was still way too much money.  Then, when Marty questioned him, the prices that he was quoting were NOT what we had read on the menu.  It was quite obvious that we had been totally taken advantage of.  No written bill….and no change.  It was too late now.

But, when we thought about it, we did have the opportunity to relax for a bit and use a clean bathroom. That, in itself, was worth a bit extra money.

The reality of just how much we had been swindled became apparent when we ordered the identical meal in a restaurant in Nazareth which came just as I had ordered it, was much larger than the portions in Jerusalem, and cost nearly half as much.

Oh well…..live and learn.  You can rest assured that Trip Advisor will NOT be seeing a good review on this place!  

But we were no worse for wear, so we headed out the door to Dormition Abbey.  The name means "eternal sleep",  to commemorate the Virgin Mary in the traditional site of her death.  It is also believed that this is where Mary lived after the death of Jesus.

This is the church that looms over Jerusalem, that we could easily view from our B&B.

The interior of this church was bright and beauty was around nearly every corner.

Here you see a chapel featuring Mary holding the infant Jesus, greeting pilgrims and the 3 kings.

And, here she sits in the center of the apostles.

This chapel depicts the family tree of Jesus

This chapel was donated by the Ivory Coast, and consist of Ivory and black Ebony wood.  Note the two Greek Letters inscribed on the front of the altar:  the alpha and the omega.

Finally, this beautiful icon was donated by Hungary.

We found this church to be quite uplifting, filled with so many vibrant colors.  And, in addition, all the scenes within were happy moments.  How could we not get a great feeling?

From here we headed back through Jerusalem to exit through the New Gate, where the vendors were quite different than those along the streets.  It was kind of like being at an outside Walmart without the large appliances.  

This is where the locals come to shop for their goods.  it's kind of ironic. There was no one to haggle with, but, on the other hand, I can't imagine any tourist being interested in the what was being sold here.  Go figure!

On the other side of this gate stands the Notre Dame Religious Center of Jerusalem.

We decided to go inside and sit awhile before the evening Saturday Mass which is held downstairs in a full size chapel.

The seats are comfy and the aura is definitely welcoming.

Mass was beautiful.  The priest was truly filled with the Spirit and gave a phenomenal sermon.  The reading dealt with the Transfiguration, and as the priest described the events that took place on Mt. Tabor, I couldn't help but remember our visit there just the week prior.  The second Sunday in Lent always covers the Transfiguration, but I had not given that any thought when we were standing on that mountain.  How awesome that we would be in Jerusalem, having seen the spot for ourselves, while this sermon was being read? 

I must admit that the music was a bit unusual.  Have you ever heard "There is a Balm in Gilead"?  

It was a first for me, but the other songs were equally foreign to me.  But it was nice to be able to attend an English speaking Mass, regardless of the music choices.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a lovely dinner in the upstairs cafe, which generally caters to tour groups, but a table was set up for us and we were welcomed to partake of the buffet ourselves. 

The atmosphere was festive and the food  was fabulous.  And any monies lost earlier in the day were more than recouped at the low cost of this tasty meal.  How lucky was that?

Truly the perfect ending to what had been quite a busy day!

Walking the Via Dolorosa

When Marty and I arrived in Jerusalem on Friday, we did a quick gallivanting-run through the Old City, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, but we had both decided that we wanted to walk the Via Dolorosa, from start to finish, just for the experience, which we chose to do the following day.

I was a bit curious as to how this walk would go, considering this was my first experience with annoying Arabs harping at me as I walked, which is something I had NEVER expected along this holy trail.  Also, there was the added aggravation of the tour groups…..always having a schedule to meet….pushing….shoving….hogging up the views, only to leave and have another group take their place before we could sneak a glimpse.

We had some crazy notion that we would get up early, hike into Jerusalem, and beat out these spoilers. But, alas, our hopes were foiled, as it took us much longer to circle the walls in order to enter through the Lion's Gate, which is the entrance that Jesus would have taken on his way from the Palace of Caiaphas.

It has since dawned on me, that my well meaning husband, the Master of Direction, actually took us 3/4 of the way around the old city walls when we could have easily maneuvered 1/4 of the way to enter in the same place.  But why bring that up now?   Our delayed entrance resulted in some awesome experiences, of which I had previously blogged in respect to one melodic African tour group.  How great was that?

So, here we were, entering the Lion's Gate. 

The stations of the cross along the street are marked with a semicircular stone pattern on the road, helping the pilgrim to find the spot.  And, most of the street stations have a church that is associated with that particular station, something of which I had been totally unaware.

I invite you to join me as we make the walk:  

I:  Jesus is Condemned to Death:

Near the first station stands the Church of the Flagellation:

There are three remarkable stained glass windows in the sanctuary.  The one on the left illustrates Pontius Pilate washing his hands from the sin.

the flogging of Jesus in the middle

and the freeing of Barrabbas on the right.

Note the crown of thorns on the interior ceiling, over the center window 

Here is a view of the lower part of the sanctuary.

Breathtakingly beautiful, and we were blessed to actually have a few moments of silence as we briefly sat in the church alone.

II:  Jesus Carries His Cross:

Very near the Church of the Flaggellation is the Church of the Condemnation.  This is believed to be the site where Jesus took up his cross after He was sentenced.  Large Roman pavement stones were found here, and it is believed that they were Pilates judgement seat for the condemnation of Christ.

The sanctuary sets the scene vividly.

On the left is a statue of Jesus, after being flogged and crowned with thorns.

To the right is a statue of Jesus carrying the cross.

On the wall opposite the door, a stained glass window is set into the wall.

Once again, we were able to sit in silence to reflect upon this station.

III:  Jesus Falls the First Time.

At this spot, the Armenian Catholic Church entrance is located right on the Via Dolorosa, unlike the previous two that we found in a courtyard. You can see the black disc with the Roman Numeral III signifying the 3rd station.

The inside of this church was captivating.

The combination of the physical sculpture of Jesus with the painted angels in the background made me feel as if I was truly in a holy place.

I feel the same emotion each time I look at the photo.

I can't explain exactly what makes this combination so powerful in my mind, but the artist has truly captured something special.

Another fresco depicts Jesus carrying His cross for all mankind.

IV:  Jesus meets His mother.

At this spot there is an Armenican Church called Our Lady of the Spasm.

Walking into the Sanctuary a beautiful white chapel stands in the background, with a fresco of Mary holding Jesus as an Infant while an angel looks on.

Gazing upon this painting caused me to feel a sudden pang of sadness.  Here was Mary, full of joy, holding her newborn son, oblivious of what was in store for both of them.  

I felt my heart become heavy as I gazed upon the site.

Nearby was a fresco representing the station:

This beautiful painting, which appeared to be transparent, was hanging over the entrance door.  I am sorry that I cannot offer an explanation, but its beauty seemed worth posting.

Walking down the stairs, to the right of the sanctuary, we found ourselves at the end of a long hallway, blocked by a large stand of sand holding dozens of lit candles ablaze.   

I zoomed in with my camera for a closer shot of the statue in the distance.

Jesus was comforting his mother.

Outside of this church, back on the Via Dolorosa, there is a segment of stone that has been determined to date back to the time of Jesus.  He would have stepped on these along the way.

V:  Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

As you can see, there are two men standing right in front of the doorway that recognizes this station.  They found it quite amusing to be in the photo, and they were determined that no one would be able to get a photo of the spot without them in it.  Marty tells me that when he was here in January,  he had the same issue.  So, perhaps these guys think that they are famous.  Personally, I found it to be quite sacrilegious.  We waited quite some time for them to move, and they just stood there, chuckling, because they found it all to be quite humorous.  I suppose that we can liken them to the crowd that heckled Jesus as he walked along.

To the right of the doorway, in the corner, you can see a special stone marker.

It is believed that this is an imprint of the hand of Jesus. 

VI:  Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.

This station is honored in the Chapel of the Holy Face.

The interior is a small, cave like structure.  Quiet and tranquil.  Perfect for a haven from the busy street for a few minutes reflection.

At this point, the Via Dolorosa becomes quite busy, working its way through narrow streets with vendors on either side.  I can't help but wonder how I was lucky enough to get this photo when it appears that no one is around.

Through most of the walk we were jostling our way through scads of tourists.  But, if you look closely, you can see the gradual rise in the steps as we walk along. 

VII:  Jesus Falls the Second Time.

The doors were locked at the chapel near this station, but upon knocking,  a man slowly opened the door, peering out at us.  When I asked if we could enter, at first he shook his head "no", but when he saw that we were alone, he invited us inside to the chapel.    

We didn't stay long…..just long enough to complete our personal prayer as part of our Via Dolorosa walk.

VIII:  Jesus Meets the Woman of Jerusalem

This station was off the beaten path, and it is the one that I spoke of in a previous blog when an Arab face appeared out of nowhere, between our two heads, asking if we needed help with directions. 

It appears that Jesus ventured off the path in order to greet the women, because this station was not in line with the others. 

The stone with a monogram marks the spot.  It translates Jesus Christ Conquers.

IX:  Jesus Falls a Third Time

 At this point we had to backtrack a bit, make a turn, and climb a couple of long stone staircases until we came to the next station.  In the distance you can see the cross atop one of the cupolas of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Under the arch, you can spot two crosses in the distance, leaning against the wall, marking the spot of this station.

There was a coptic church just passed the archway, but it was filled to the brim with religious pilgrims, so we decided to head into the courtyard on the left.

At this point, the walkway is relatively flat as we were standing outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

X:  Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes.

The courtyard was humming with crowds of people, and in the corner, up a set of stairs, stands a chapel with a gated door.  

The building was closed due to renovation,  making it unavailable for viewing. so we made our way into the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The Church is located on the site of Golgotha, the place of Jesus' Crucifixion.  

It might seem a bit inconceivable to think that a mountain would be inside a church.  But,  in walking along the Via Dolorosa, we had ascended several series of steps, and the road had been slightly inclining between those spots.

Once inside the church, we turned to the right, and began an ascent up extremely steep stone steps.  It was as if we were climbing a mountain. 

It was quite a challenge making our way up those stones.  Once at the top, we found ourselves in a crowd of people.  Several tour groups were huddled together, squeezed in as they attempted to pass through this part of the church.

XI:  Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.

The mosaic on the wall says it all.

It was very difficult to get a good photo of the mosaic, with the darkness in the room, and the crowds of people smashed together.  I had to reach over my head to take this.

Marty and I found ourselves in very tight quarters, being elbowed and pushed as we tried to make our way into the next room.

People appeared to be velcroed together, moving as one, permitting no one to pass, and new tour guides continued to enter the room, insistent that their group be allowed to go through, leaving us literally stagnant in one spot, unable to move.  It was extremely claustrophobic, and as I stood there, in front of this mosaic,  I couldn't help but be reminded of the suffocation that Jesus suffered as he was dying on the cross.

Even if we had wanted to leave, we were stuck, as far from the entrance, or the exit, as possible.

Marty looked at me, frustrated.  I shrugged my shoulders.  What could we do?

Then, I was aware of a very tall, large man, to my left,  attempting to help an elderly gentleman get through the crowds, next to his wife.  They were all part of one tour group, and the elder gentleman risked getting lost in the back of the crowd.

We were getting jostled and bumped, but when I realized what was happening, I leaned forward toward Marty, who was in front of me, and said to him,  "Marty, can you let this man get in front of you so that he can be with his wife?" Marty immediately turned, and helped the man work his way in front, to the woman who was obviously quite relieved to have been reunited with her husband.

The tall man, who was literally a head taller than anyone in the room,  had his arms outstretched as if we were protecting the group from harm, and he looked at me in relief, and said, "Thank you so very much ma'am." 

I responded, "You're quite welcome, and I surely hope that you would do the same for me." 

Within minutes, this man, who was the tail end of a large tour group, was helping to lead us, along with the group, to the spot of Jesus Crucifixion.  

XII:  Jesus Dies on the Cross

And, suddenly, it was as if time stood still. Even though the room had been filled to capacity, we now found ourselves able to get close to the spot, take photos, and even say a prayer, albeit a short one.

This very same man came to our rescue several times as we made our way through the church, insisting that we pass through before him while he held the crowd at bay behind him.

If you recall my change of heart regarding tour groups from my blog the other day, it was not only the musical group that affected my opinion.  It was this one man's genuine concern for us, and his inclusion of us under his wing as protector, that caused me to rethink my prejudices.  Here we were at the pinnacle of our journey along the Via Dolorosa, and he was like Simone the Cyrene, coming out of nowhere, to offer us protection and to help us along. 

You may think this is all quite sappy, but I believe that events like this happen for a purpose.  This one man's welcome made all the difference in what could have been a very frustrating and disappointing experience. 

You can see that we are no worse the wear after making our way out of the room.

From this spot, looking down, there is a large flat stone in the middle of the room.

We had to make our way down the steep steps to get to this level, and it appeared nearly impossible as no one would let us onto the stairway.  Just when we wondered what we should do, our friendly Tall Protector was there, motioning for us to go down the stairs before him, commenting to someone that we  were part of his group.  How cool was that?

XIII:  Jesus is taken down from the cross.

This is called the stone of unction (annointing), where Jesus was laid after He was taken down from the cross.  I am sorry that I did not get a better close up photo.  

It did not seem blurry at the time.

Above this stone are hanging lamps, each donated by one of the denominations. 

The frescoes on the wall behind this stone tell the story.

We stood at this spot twice:  once on Friday shortly after our arrival, and again on Saturday,  as we neared the end of the Via Dolorosa.

People have asked me privately if I felt anything unusual while visiting these holy places.  And, I have already shared with you my experience in the Garden of Gethsemane as well as the Chapel of Spasms where I was overcome with emotion upon gazing at the Virgin with her infant in her lap,  so innocent and so joyful, completely unaware of the agony she would endure when her son was a yet a young adult.

There was the chapel with the angels, watching over Jesus as he fell the first time.  Emotional beyond words.

But here, at this spot, I felt overwhelming sadness as I found myself being drawn to the stone.  It happened on Friday, when we first arrived, and I had not realized what I was looking at.  Marty wanted to move on, and I found my feet planted in the ground while I stared at the stone, suddenly realizing what had transpired on this spot.

And on Saturday, once again, I felt that same extreme sadness as I reached out to touch the stone, and it was difficult to pull myself away.

Some may say that this cannot possibly be the same stone, and who am I to question that?

However, I can tell you with all honesty that I was NOT looking for some kind of religious experience.  It just happened.  Despite the crowds and the noise and the commotion, there was something in this very spot that affected my very being.  It was as if time stood still, once again, but this time, I felt only sorrow when I gazed upon the stone.

When I walked away, the emotion and sadness were gone.  It really was an amazing experience.

XIV:  Jesus is Laid in the Tomb.

Within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a large structure that supposedly holds the tomb of Jesus.

The line for its entrance wrapped around the structure, in several rows, every time we passed by.  I did not feel the least bit compelled to stand for hours in order to crouch down to walk through the confined space within.  It just wasn't calling my name, and Lord knows….I'd already had enough of that for one day.

So, we finished off the day, fighting off the tour groups, while we explored the rest of this amazing church.

But, that's a story for another day.

For now, I must end this journey.

I hope that you enjoyed walking the Via Dolorosa with me.

It certainly is an experience that I consider  as Once in a Lifetime.

Don't you agree?