Bokerdov! Shalooms! Sahaba! — greetings in Hebrew fly as we enter the holy city of Jerusalem. We watch the passing scenery with avid interest — almond trees resplendent with virgin white flowers and the ubiquitous olive trees dotting the landscape!
The land is dry, rocky and barren and, we are told, gets very little rainfall; water is derived from the sea of Galilee and from the springs of Gehenom. To describe Jerusalem as the pink-and-white city of Israel would be more apt, as almost all the buildings of this land are built of the rocks from the surrounding countryside. These limestone rocks, in varied shades of white and pink, give the place its unusual and uniform beauty.
A treasure troveADVERTISEMENT
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Jerusalem is a treasure trove of archaeology, religion and art. It's significant to Christians (the Holy Sepulchre of Christ); Muslims (the rock from which Mohammed ascended); and Jews (the Wailing Wall).
Our sightseeing tour starts with the Gethsemane Church (Church of All Nations). It was in its garden that Christ is said to have prayed in agony before his arrest. Also known as the Basilica of the Agony, the church was built by Italian architect Barluzzi. The mosaic on the front façade depicts Christ offering his sufferings and the world's. The point of interest in the interiors is the white slab of stone surrounded by a crown of thorns in wrought iron. A bronze carving of an olive tree at the entrance symbolises the tree of life. The Gethsemane gardens still boast of gnarled olive trees, around 3,000 years old! We drive through the Kedron Valley past the tomb of the Virgin Mary, and move on to Mt. Zion, tomb of St. David, a burial cave of 2,000 years.
We take a hasty look at the coffin draped in ruby-velvet embroidered with roses, harps and thorns, and make our way to the central hall where Christ had had his last supper. The austerity of the hall is alleviated by the colourful stained-glass windows above.
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The entrance to the old, walled city is through the Jaffa gate, and we walk along our chartered course to the famed Via Dolorosa, the path that Christ walked centuries ago bearing his Cross to Golgotha, where he was crucified. The path leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The sacred path he traversed is marked by 14 stations.
The first nine stations on the Via Dolorosa mark the events and incidents that occurred on his journey uphill, and these are commemorated with chapels, columns and a black cross.
The last five stations are inside the church, and commemorate Christ being stripped, crucified, being brought down from the Cross, his burial, and resurrection. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most sacred place in Jerusalem for Christians. The quarry we see here was once an execution ground outside the city gates, with a hill. It was called Golgotha — from the Latin word calveria or skull, which is what the hill resembles!
The interiors of the church are divinely beautiful, and we marvel at the murals depicting the crucifixion and burial. Particularly interesting is the large one showing Abraham's sacrifice of his son, and the angel stopping it in time. At the transept is a large, life-size statue in gleaming silver of the Mother, and at the centre is a large statue of Christ on the Cross. Several candles in intricately-designed brass holders illuminate the room in iridescent glow.
The actual tomb is stupefying, for it is here that Christ's said to have completed his earthly mission before his resurrection. A narrow space between the walls indicates the place where Christ spent the night after his arrest.
We finally step out into the rosy twilight of the setting sun, knowing a lot more about a great event in history and the many lessons to be learnt from it…