Sacred Sites in Jerusalem

Located on top of Mt. Zion, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, is a place referred to as Coenaculum, translated  “dining room”, the location of the Last Supper.

Tradition tells us that Jesus celebrated the Passover with his apostles in Jerusalem, and we celebrate his last meal on Holy Thursday.   

As you can well imagine, Coenaculum was on our list of important places to visit while in Jerusalem. 

Finding the stairway that led to the upper room  wasn’t all that easy, though.  It is located on the top floor over the tomb of King David.  

No worries here!    We were in Jerusalem….where help is always within arm's reach, even if you don't need it….for just a small price.

We had just visited the tomb of David where protocol demands that all heads, male or female, must be covered in order to enter the room.  If you recall from my earlier blog, women and men have separate entrances to see David's tomb.  I merely pulled my scarf over my head to act as a covering.  Marty, on the other hand, was wearing a knit cap on his head which apparently didn't cut it as a head covering.  At least that is what he told me the Arab at the door told him. 

In order to enter the tomb, he needed to wear a head covering that was approved by the Arab standing at the door.  (Are you surprised by this?)

For just 2 shekels, Marty was able to “borrow” a cap from the Arab.   (I shudder to think who was wearing it before he popped it on his head).  After a quick peek in the tomb, upon returning the cap, the Arab was excited to lead us personally to the hidden steps that led to the upper room.

Now I ask, how lucky was that?

Although the present interior is from the Crusader Church built on this site, archeological evidence on the lower floor revealed an early Roman level that supports the possibility that this was indeed the location of the room of the Last Supper.

The room itself, over time, has been a Byzantine Church, a Crusader Church , and a mosque.

The mosque influence is reflected in these gorgeous windows, built during the Ottoman empire

  and  a prayer nitch,  dedicated to King David,  is carved into one of the walls.

 This room is also believed to be the spot where the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles during the first Pentecost.

But on this day,  the most fascinating aspect of the room was this cat

 who continued to stay fast asleep on this bench, despite the coming and going of tourists through the place.  He must have been pretty comfy to not even twitch at all of the commotion going on in the room. 

When we walked out of the door and down the stairs, I heard someone telling their family,  "the entrance has to be here somewhere!"   I have to admit, it made me feel good to know that we weren't alone regarding our difficulty in finding this place.  I wonder if the Arab was able to help them?

If we step back in time to Jesus' Passover Supper and the subsequent events that followed,  the location of this upper room fits right in with the geography of the area.  He would merely have walked with his disciples a short distance, down a hill

through a valley and into the Garden of Gethsemane.

Marty and I made the walk ourselves.  As we got closer to the garden entrance, we could see the Arabs lurking in the street, eager for the opportunity to sell us a rosary or a scarf, or help us whichever way possible…...for a price, of course. 

This is where our past experience with tour groups came to our advantage.   We weren't far from the entrance when a tour bus pulled up in front of the nearby church.

Now, how lucky was that?

The group disembarked from the bus, we tagged onto the end, and within a few minutes, we were through the entrance….Arab free!    Success!  

We were in the Garden of Gethsemane surrounded by ancient olive trees.

We made our way past the tour and wandered over to a large rock, near the garden, nestled in a corner near the church.

I found myself drawn to this rock, and as I got closer, could make out the carving.

It was a small sculpture of Jesus, praying in the garden, cut into this stone.  There was no explanation as to who carved it, or why it was in this particular stone.  It was located within short distance of the olive trees in the garden.  

Turning around, I could easily imagine the apostles falling asleep under those nearby trees. 

Mark 14: 32: "And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray".

In fact, as I stood at this spot, I had a strong sensation that I was in the place where Jesus would have prayed.  I felt lured to the spot, and an unusual calmness came over me.  I was perfectly content to just sit and take in my surroundings.  It was certainly an unexpected reaction on my part.   Considering how many religious sites that we had visited, I had not anticipated that this particular site would be any different than the others.  But there was definitely something calling to me here.

Marty and I sat for quite awhile on the adjacent stone bench, comfortably enjoying the solitude on this glorious day.  

Suddenly, I realized that the tour groups weren't flocking in this direction.

How very odd.  This was contrary to every tour experience that we had been privy to while in Jerusalem.

Let me assure you that I’m not complaining…….I was happy to have the solitude to reflect upon Jesus’  Agony in the garden.  This was an opportunity that would never come again and I wanted to soak up the feeling so that it wouldn't be forgotten.

It wasn't long before we decided that we should move on, so we worked our way through the tour groups to the entrance of the Church of the Agony.

The front of the church features a magnificent mosaic on the front.

I'm not certain how clearly you can see the detail, but if you are able to look at my flickr photos, it will be much clearer. Jesus is in the middle, weeping over the fate of Jerusalem.  Above him are two Greek Letters that stand for the Alpha and the Omega.  Revelation 1:8

On the left side, a man holds a tablet with the inscription Ignoratio, meaning Ignorance, symbolizing that the people of Jerusalem were ignorant of their fate.

Walking into the church, my eyes were immediately drawn to the huge mosaic featuring Jesus praying on a rock, flanked by Olive trees.

Here's a closeup of the mosaic on the wall.

At the foot of the altar, there is a large, flat rock on the floor.  Pilgrims were kneeling, bending over and touching the rock in prayer.  Suddenly, I understood why the tours were not being guided near the spot outside that had captured my attention.  

This rock near the altar has been designated as the spot where it is believed that Jesus prayed.  

Obviously, historians must have some evidence to substantiate this claim.  And I don't dare to suggest that I possess some sort of ability to predict whether or not Jesus did pray on this spot.

But, having just experienced the intense attraction that I had outside near the garden, and absolutely no reaction at this spot, I will dare to say that I am skeptical.  

Let me just clarify here that I did not go into this pilgrimage with the intent of having some intense religious experience.  As a matter of fact, I found it very difficult in most places to actually reflect upon the events as Jesus would have lived, primarily due to the masses and the annoying Arabs around every corner.

I can only convey my emotions, and I can quite honestly tell you that when I sat outside near the rock with the carving, I experienced an indescribable emotion…..sorrow….yet comfort.  Sadness…but joy.  I've never had such an intense feeling before.  And it was certainly NOT happening inside that church.  

But the rock certainly seemed to offer a significant religious experience to the many pilgrims who ventured to pray there.  And that in itself, is worth noting.  

Continuing through the church, there is a mosaic on the left side of the altar that features Jesus' betrayal by Judas.

On the right , the mosaic features Peter cutting off the Roman Soldier’s ear

This Church of the Agony is also recognized as the Church of All Nations since many countries contributed to its building.  In the ceiling are 12 capes, each dedicated to one of the nations that contributed to its construction.

The seals of the various countries are located in the corners of these capes. Here you can see the emblem for the United States among the Olive tree branches. 

Really, one could stand there for quite some time looking up at the beauty of the ceiling, except a crook in the neck would be inevitable.

The outside of the Basilica  is impressive in size

and its setting is perfect….at the foot of the Mount of Olives, among gardens filled with Olive Trees.

Truly a memorable and unforgettable experience.  

Looking past the tour busses and the crowds of people wearing colored hats and white sneakers, this really is the unspoiled land from the time of Jesus.  There are no skyscrapers or modern buildings to divert one's attention.  

This is holy ground, and Marty and I had the privilege of standing on it.  Certainly a memory not soon forgotten.

Walking back out of the gardens, it was easy to spot St. Peter-in-Gallicantu Church on Mt. Zion,  once the Palace of Caiaphas where Jesus would have been taken after his arrest.

It was from here that Jesus would be taken into Jerusalem for his final walk to Calvary.