IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS AND HIS PASSION

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS AND HIS PASSION

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

THE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS, also known as the Church or BASILICA OF THE AGONY, is a Roman Catholic church located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before his arrest.

Garden of GETHSEMANE

A thorn bush outside the Church of DOMINUS FLEVIT

CHURCH OF GALLICANTU The church takes its name from the Latin word “Gallicantu”, meaning cock’s-crow. This is in commemoration of Peter’s triple rejection of Jesus “… before the cock crows twice.” (Mark 14:30). A Byzantine shrine dedicated to Peter’s repentance was erected on this spot in 457 AD, destroyed in 1010 by the Fatimid caliphate, rebuilt by Crusaders in 1102 and given its present name. After the fall of Jerusalem the church again fell into ruin and was not rebuilt until 1931. Today a golden rooster protrudes prominently from the sanctuary roof in honor of its biblical connection. This spot is also believed to be the location of the High Priest Caiaphas’ palace.

Beneath the upper church is a chapel which incorporates stone from ancient grottos inside its walls. Down a hole in the center of the sanctuary one can see caves that may have been part of the Byzantine shrine. These walls are engraved with crosses left by fifth-century Christians. On an even lower level there is a succession of caves from the Second Temple period. Since tradition places the palace of Caiaphas on this site, many believe that Jesus may have been imprisoned in one of these underground crypts after his arrest, however, these underground caves were normal in many Roman-era homes, and often served as cellars, water cisterns and baths.

On the north side of the church is an ancient staircase that leads down towards the Kidron Valley. This may have been a passage from the upper city to the lower city during the first temple period. Many Christians believe that Jesus followed this path down to Gethsemane the night of his arrest. (above descriptions from various sources, wikipedia, biblewalks.com, etc)