WALK No. 4      BACK

 

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES .

There is a sense of pilgrimage for anyone going by foot up the sacred Mt. of Olives. On its slopes is the holiest Jewish graveyard in the world, where for centuries people have bought burial plots in advance of their death as it is said the Messiah will walk through the Golden Gate, facing the Mount, on Judgement Day.

Christians revere the hill because of its association with the life of Jesus, particularly the days preceding his crucifixion. The road up is steep and we recommend the entire walk only for persons who are physically fit. Or, to take it in reverse from uphill, down. However, the route as far as the onion-domed Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene may be walked by persons of any age.

To reach the starting point take Bus Nos. 1, 23, 42 or 43 to the Rockefeller Museum and walk downhill, turning right into Jericho Road. Just after the turn-off to the Lions' Gate, take the left-hand fork. Cross the Kidron Valley bridge and go down the steps, left, to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, also known as the Tomb of Mary.

Descend the forty-four steps to the darkened, rock-cut church. Half way down are two chapels. On the right, in a niche, are the remains of the builder of the church, Millicent, daughter of Baldwin II, the Crusader monarch. The open sarcophagus lies at the bottom, on the right, under a great dome of rock.

When you leave the church turn left immediately. A door leads to the Grotto of Gethsemane, where Jesus is believed to have been arrested. There are rock paintings on the walls from Crusader times.

Walk up to Jericho Road and up the tarred road on your left through the gate on your right is the Garden of Gethsemane. The eight olive trees are so old that experts say they were here when Jesus prayed in the Garden before his arrest.

The Basilica of the Agony (Church of All Nations) was built in 1919-1924. The brilliant mosaic of C. Bargellini on its facade makes it one of the outstanding churches in Jerusalem. Its focal point inside is a slab of rock before the altar. On it Jesus prayed. In 380 CE it was cut by the Emperor Theodosius for the first church built here. The Persians destroyed it and the Crusaders erected a small chapel. However, Saladin wrecked this. In 1666 the Franciscans regained possession of the site.

The church has 10 columns and 10 wall-pillars supporting 12 cupolas.

Turn right up the hill. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdalene, built by Czar Alexander III in 1888, is on your left. The onion-shaped domes and the general style reflect the architecture in Moscow during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodrovnya, sister of the Empress Alexandra, is buried in the crypt (see ``Places to Visit''). The road steepens now. To your right is the Jewish cemetery. The Jordanians used tombstones from here for building materials from 1948 to 1967.

The next church uphill, on your left, is Dominus Flevit (The Lord Wept). It was built in 1954 over the place where Jesus wept over the imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

The small church, supervised by Franciscans, is designed in the shape of a tear-drop. When it was built, the remains of a Byzantine church were unearthed, including the large mosaic to the left of the church door.

Ancient tombs uncovered in the gardens date back to the late Canaanite period. The ossuaries span the period from the Hasmonaeans to the Byzantines.

Further up the Mt. of Olives you will pass by the graves of 48 Jews - civilians and soldiers - who fell in the Old City during the War of Independence and who were reinterred here after the Six Day War. Higher up, a gate leads to the Tombs of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, and their disciples. A guide is on hand to lead you down to the candle-lit rock cave, with burial niches all around. It is refreshingly cool below.

Only a few steps remain between this point and the road at the base of the Seven Arches Hotel. Now is the time to bring out your camera for the grandest view of the Old City and parts of new Jerusalem. Walk up the main road, with the Seven Arches Hotel on your right. Turn right and enter the gate to the Church of Pater Noster and the Basilica of the Eleona. They are built over the place where Jesus is said to have taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer. For this reason you will see the walls of the entrance and cloister decorated with porcelain panels, on which the Lord's Prayer is written in forty-four languages.

Just before the cloisters is the tomb of the Princess de la Tour d'Auvergne. She bought the neglected site and built the monastery and chapel for the Carmelite Sisters in 1874. An urn near the window above the monument contains the heart of her father. Walk through the cloisters down to the Grotto of the Pater Noster. Christians say that Jesus often came here. Eusebius, writing in the 4th century, noted that the Empress Helena built a church over this grotto. It was sometimes referred to as the Eleona (Greek for ``the olive grove''). The Persians destroyed it but the Crusaders erected a new chapel. Saladin put the Mt. of Olives out of bounds to Christians and the grotto was lost in the rubble.

 

Excavations by the Princess failed to locate it but in 1910 archaeologists found the grotto below the Basilica of St. Helena.

Opposite the Pater Noster, next to the minaret, is the domed Tomb of the Prophetess Hulda.

Retrace your steps to the main road, turn right and right again just before the minaret. Pay the Moslem gatekeeper a small consideration and he will open the gate to the walled compound enclosing the Chapel of the Ascension. This octagonal chapel marks the spot from where Christians claim Jesus ascended to heaven. The enclosed rock on the floor, in front of the ``mihrab'' (Moslem prayer niche), is said to be marked with the Footprint of Jesus. The lower walls and doorway are Crusader while the cupola is Saracenic. Grappling hooks on the walls outside are used to partition tents when Christians camp here during the holy day of Ascension.

The (Russian) Tower of Ascension is the most prominent landmark here.

Retrace your steps to the road below the Seven Arches Hotel.