Christmas in Jerusalem is a truly unique, as the city, for Christians, is synonymous with Jesus. The Bible says that Jerusalem is a holy ground and mentions its name over 800 times. Christmas is the most incredible time to experience the sacred land where Jesus was taken shortly after his birth (nearby in Bethlehem) and which is the site of his Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection. Thousands of pilgrims throng the city to pay homage to their ‘Saviour’ whose very name means ‘God saves’. Though Jerusalem’s population is mostly Jewish and Muslim, yet there are several sites – 3 in particular - that have a special significance to Christians due to their association with Jesus and his life.
Church Of Holy Sepulchre – Unction, Cross & the Tomb
Amongst the many churches scattered throughout the Christian Quarter of the Old City, the Church of Holy Sepulchre is most venerated by the Christians all over the world who consider it ‘the holiest place on earth’. As a major pilgrimage centre since 4th century, the church is identified as the place of the crucifixion, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The two huge arches with a ladder on the right mark the doorway to the church. Till early 19th century, the church doors were opened only on holidays due to the Muslim rule over the church. The Christian monks would be under house arrest. Their food was brought to them through the ladder. Though the ladder is not used any more yet it’s not removed as it represents the ancient status quo between the different Christian sects.
As one enters the church one can see a big slab of reddish limestone marble which pilgrims could be seen kissing or wiping with great reverence. Some bitterly cry on it. This is Stone of Anointing or Unction, ownership of which is shared between four main Christian churches. This is the spot where the church commemorates the preparation of the body of Christ for burial after it was removed from the cross. According to the Jewish tradition of those days, Christ's body was anointed with myrrh and aloes and wrapped in a white linen cloth for the burial. Large opulent silver lamps hang just over the Unction which were donated by the Armenians, Greeks, and Copts. Also, there is a large mosaic depicting the anointing of Christ for burial, on the wall behind the stone. A very low doorway, lined with marble and hung with holy pictures, leads to the tomb chamber. The façade of the Edicule of the tomb is characterized by spiral columns, cornices, carved ornaments, Latin inscriptions, and paintings from the life of Jesus. In the Chapel of the Angel (there are about 30 chapels) stands a pedestal which is believed to be a piece of the rolling stone used to close the tomb. The Greek Orthodox Christians (the church is shared by six Christian denominations - Armenians, Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Copts, Ethiopians and Syrians) call the basilica the Church of the Resurrection and they own its ornate central worship space, known as the Katholikon or Greek choir.
Mount of Olives – Where Jesus Spent much time
Several key events in the life of Jesus took place on Jerusalem’s highest peak known as the Mount of Olives (Har Hazeisim, in Hebrew) which has made it into one of the most cherished places in Christianity. The mount rises 330 feet above Jerusalem and offers an unrivalled view of the Old City and its environs. Jesus spent much time on the mount. According to New Testament, Jesus, on his way to Bethany, to meet his friend Lazarus, would often climb the mount, the slopes of which were covered with olive groves. His riding on a donkey and her colt and making ‘The triumphal Entry’ into Jerusalem also took place over the Mount of Olives. Jesus prayed with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his arrest and was captured on this mount only. After his Resurrection, his ascension to heaven also took place here. Then, he again appeared on the Mount of Olives –‘To this same city he will one day return in triumph’ (Acts 1:11; Zech. 14:4; Psa. 24:7-9).
It’s believed that the visitors to the Mount of Olives stand on holy ground. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will come through the Gate of Mercy of the Old City and bring about the resurrection of the dead in the cemetery on the Mount. The sprawling ancient Jewish cemetery can be seen just beneath and beyond that the Old City with the shining Dome of the Rock which defines the very cityscape of Jerusalem. In the Jewish cemetery, burial started some 3,000 years ago and continues to this day due to the earlier-mentioned popular belief and the Jews pay handsomely to be first in line. Unlike the lush expanses of grass or flower beds associated with cemeteries, the Mount of Olives is a mountainside of stones. It’s because Jews place a small stone on the grave to indicate they have visited. The cemetery contains about 70,000 tombs (some say it’s more than 100,000) including the tombs of famous figures in Jewish history. Many Jews in their old age came to Jerusalem in order to live out the rest of their lives and to be buried in its soil. Today, the visitors to the Garden of Gethsemane are amazed to see the gnarled olive trees believed to be 2000 years old which were young saplings when Jesus came here after the Last Supper.
Via Dolorosa –The Route Jesus Travelled
Seeped in history, theology and archaeology is the winding and narrow street of Via Dolorosa or “Way of Suffering” in Latin, which marks the last steps of Jesus in Jerusalem. The route from the Fortress of Antonia to the Church of Holy Sepulchre is a distance of about half a kilometre through which Jesus walked to his crucifixion and burial, carrying the cross on his back. Archeological excavations and biblical passages come to life, including final 14 Stations of the Cross, as one walks along the ultimate pilgrimage route established since the 18th century, replacing several earlier routes. The Stations denote the actual places where the events occurred. The stations help the devout to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer meditating upon the main scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death. The Nine stations based on Gospel are on the streets of Armenian Quarter (the smallest of four Old City Quarters) and Christian Quarter which is home to about 40 Christian chapels, convents and monasteries, while five are inside the Church of Holy Sepulchre, including the tomb of Jesus. The stations are marked with a medallion using traditional Roman numerals but it’s very easy to miss them if one does not pay close attention while walking the Via Dolorosa. Every year, on Christmas and Easter, millions of devout and secular visitors throng the narrow alleyways of the sacred route to walk in Jesus' footsteps.
