Pilgrimage 2009 - From Gethsemane to St Anns

From Gethsemane we turned right onto the Jericho Road,

then left and headed up hill with a Moslem cemetary on our right, towards Lion Gate. Lion Gate is the Hebrew name, and there was some debate about whether the figures were lions or panthers. Apparently we are not the only people to wonder, but all agree that the gate was built, as part of the 'new' walls around Jerusalem by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, around 1542. Suleiman the Magnificent

Lion Gate is also known as Sheep Gate.

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. Nehemiah 3:1

Another name for this gate is St. Stephen's Gate, because this is one place where the stoning of Stephen is recalled (there are others). There are several other names for this gate, as is the case for all the other gates.
By this time the heat, which we had first noticed as we left the coach, had increased as we approached midday. It was a slow walk.
We stopped to look at the carved lions, and took note of them (do click on the picture to get a close-up look at them - they look surprisingly modern). We saw the same design in stone a few days later at Nimrod castle.
The reason for entering Jerusalem through Lion Gate is that it is the start of the Via Dolorosa. But before we started our journey along the Stations of the Cross, we had some other places to visit.

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. John 5:2

We went through the gate and very soon turned right into the courtyard of the Church of St Ann, and the site of the pools of Bethesda (of which more in my next post). Tradition says that this is where Ann and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary lived, and where she was born. A rather lovely church with fantastic acoustics has been built on the site, and that replaces previous places of worship.


Inside the church it is peaceful and decorated in a simple style, quite unusual among the places we visited. It has an air of stillness and calm.

Our group was alone in the space and we sang a round of Tallis' Canon - the final verse,

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

As we reached the last line a dove flew from above the altar straight down the line of the aisle above our heads towards the back of the church. Perfect timing!
While we were singing, another pilgrim group who had been at the church of Gethsemane with us, came into the church, and they too started to sing. They were a group of Indonesian women, in matching pink and white clothing and they sang such beautiful harmonies that I wondered if they were a choir. As the music grew I realised they were singing one of my favourite hymns, "How great thou art", but in another language. Others also recognised it, and we joined in singing the words we knew, and swelling their harmonies. I looked around to see that I was not the only person smiling broadly, with eyes leaking, wondering at the beauty and sense of immanence in that place.

One of the singers introduced herself to me in perfect English, and we shook hands. They carried on singing, and some of us stayed and bathed in the worship. After a few minutes I went exploring, and found several chapels downstairs. A Roman Catholic Mass was being celebrated at the point where tradition claims that Ann gave birth to Mary, so no photographs of that.
This statue of St Ann and her daughter Mary, in the main body of the church, was a focus for prayer, as witnessed by the number of candles.

This mosaic depicting the birth of Mary was in a side chapel in the crypt.


Outside the church I was admiring the way that the Franciscans manage to create beautiful gardens wherever they have a historic site, and the way that a mercilessly hot sun can be diffused and cooled by judicious planting, when I happened to spot this. I don't know whether the man is a priest or a monk, but he seemed to be enjoying his neck massage. His traditional-style clothing was given a modern twist by the blue 'Crocs' on his feet. She looked like a modern version of Mary Magdalene.

Outside the church of St Ann, within the same walls, is the excavation of the Pools of Bethesda.

Pilgrimage 2009 - Garden of Gethsemane

Gethsemane, the place of wine and olives, is a name that has resonance for Christians. It is here that Jesus faced the temptation to take the easy way out, to quit.
His decision would affect humanity forever. Yet Jesus was human and felt fear. The bible story tells us that he didn't take the decision alone, and also that his friends were human too. I find double meaning in "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." The disciples were weak because they slept when they wanted to keep watch. Jesus' body was weak because it would be broken on a cross if he decided to go forwards. Would his spirit be strong enough to take him through death?

'They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba,Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come.
Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.
The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." Then everyone deserted him and fled.' Mark 14:32-50

Our journey took us into the garden, which is another site maintained by the Franciscans. These arms are a mark of a Fransiscan site, as is the Jerusalem cross here seen on the door to the garden.



The olive trees and the garden actually spread right and left of the road, but the public is permitted entry only to the left side, and of course, a very beautiful church has been built on the site.


This is part of the church doors, also based on a theme of olive trees.

Inside the church there are beautiful wall pictures; this one shows Judas' betrayal of Jesus with a kiss.

The windows are glazed with alabaster and the light is suffused and cool, making the inside of the church quite dark.

The centrepiece of the church is the stone on which Jesus is said to have prayed.

The story is told outside the church as well in various carvings and plaster reliefs. This niche is in a rock outside the church. It's worth adding that most of these are tucked away, and if you are wandering around and not actually 'looking' they would be easy to miss. So for me there was a slight air of the treasure hunt about 'finding' the nuggets of the story. Which, of course, after years of writing theological refelctions sends me off on another train of thought. But I'll leave it to you, dear reader, to find your own treasures.

'Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.' Luke 22:39-44

Here Jesus is shown asking for the 'cup' to be removed.

Here we see Jesus under arrest. The pivotal decision for humanity has been taken.


Some of the olive trees in the garden are very old, and all are carefully tended by gardeners. They are also fenced off from the public - I guess that otherwise everyone would be taking cuttings home with them (or is it just me?).


Some of the trees have dedications attached to them, and the Pope's recent visit is commemorated here. I was told a story after I returned about a British 'Friend of Israel' who has a tree planted in the garden in his memory. Both of us became quite emotional talking about the person, who obviously had a major and unsung history. How many people do we know like that, who seem very ordinary, in our daily lives?

It must be possible to visit these places as a tourist and not be touched, but it would be to miss a dimension of the place. This is the place where Jesus' betrayal was made concrete. Before we feel too smug, we all betray Jesus every day in our different ways, even as we seek to be more like him. His death for us and the salvation that has brought us is at a price. This is the place where the price of our salvation began to be paid - where the first overt betrayal was recognised,and where we begin to recognise the cost and the value of those actions.

Outside the church the gate, with the Alpha and Omega symbols of our faith looks out over the closed Golden Gate. I appreciated the juxtaposition of ideas.

Pilgrimage 2009 - Dominus Flevit

Luke 19:41-44 "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God's coming to you."

This very peaceful place is on the right hand side of the road down the Mount of Olives, and marks the place where Jesus looked at Jersualem and wept. We were also able to look over Jerusalem; the trees are kept trimmed to aid the view.

I found it hard to look at Jerusalem, even with my limited awareness of the historical and current conflicts, and not share the grief of our Lord at such disharmony, fear and mistrust.

Nevertheless, this is a place of stillness and peace. The land was bought and is maintained by the Franciscans, in common with a number of other holy sites, and their sense of calm and care is reflected in the cultivated gardens which provide shade, in direct contrast to the surrounding cemetaries. The plants, of which there are many, are all labelled; this is a carob tree.

Flowers add to the beauty.

We held our Eucharist outside the chapel because another group were inside saying Mass. The monks who tend this place provided pale wine and roped off an area for us. Other groups came and went, but the stillness wasn't ruffled by their presence. Birds sang and a breeze rustled the leaves. We sang and prayed, and shared communion and I relished the peace, both atmospheric and in communion.

This is also an archeological site, and the excavations, which are protected, show how this site was used in the past as a burial ground for early Christians. Graves were cut from the rock (downwind of the city), and the bodies were placed in graves after death.

After a suitable period of time the bones were collected to put into an ossiary.

This is private ground, and there is a guard on the door. The boundary is protected, and I noticed this combination of the cross and the razor wire as we left. It reminded me of what Jesus was travelling towards down the hill, as we rejoined the path down to Gethsemane.

Pilgrimage 2009 - Mount of Olives

Luke 19:28-40
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,
"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it."
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you", he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

This was the starting point for our pilgrimage. We were driven to the top in an air-conditioned coach, and so were protected from the full force of the sun until we stepped down onto the pavement at the top of the hill, opposite the Chapel of the Ascension.

From this point, the end of Christ's time on earth, we turned and faced Jerusalem.

We were immediately approached by the first beggars and postcard vendors; these appeared everywhere we went. It was awkward. I didn't know whether these were genuinely needy people - whatever that means. Other people were also asking the same questions. How does one differentiate? It was a question that came back to me in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jerusalem could be seen across the hillside, and we were shown the different parts, and some of the landmarks. We were also able to see where King David built his original city - why wasn't it on the top of the hill?
After a couple of minutes to take photos from the top of the hill

we then started on a route that I had seen on video - the 'Palm Sunday' path down the mountain. (A memory popped into my mind. Someone once told me that the Moslems refer to Palm Sunday as Donkey Sunday, because the Christians always follow the donkey down the hill. Oh how easily we misunderstand each other.)
The bright sunshine shone on the limestone and gave a bright white air to everything, and the heat of the sun blasted over our hats and sunglasses as we walked where Jesus walked - still steep, but now a well maintained road with smart walls.

Pausing at the Jewish cemetary we learned something of the ancient and modern Hebrew ideas of death, and current burial practice.

The grave is below ground, with stone above. Visitors to graves place a stone (remember the ending of the film Schindler's list); the open space you can see at the front of the memorial is for a candle.
All of the graves were within sight of the Golden Gate, now closed.

Jewish and Moslem tradition both place great emphasis on access through the Golden Gate at the end of time. Until then it remains closed. The Moslem cemetary covers the ground in front of the Golden Gate.
After a detour to the right into Dominus Flevit (separate entry), and encountering another opportunistic trader

we continued down the hill. Where the walls got higher, someone had kindly cut a viewing hole in the stones.

We passed the Russian Orthodox convent where Prince Philip's mother spent her later life, (it is behind high gates, so this photo was taken from above from Dominus Flevit garden)
and down towards the Garden of Gethsemane.

Pilgrimage 2009 - The souk by day

My last post was about the souk during the evening hours. This set of pictures shows some of the daytime activities. You can click on any picture to see a larger version.
These ladies sell mint, parsley, vine leaves, olives, fruit and vegetables from the pavement.
Nuts can be bought from a 'shop'. Note the creative way of dealing with a sloping floor.

This street vendor is working from a barrow. These don't have brakes on the wheels, and occasionally one will 'run away' down the slopes and steps, accompanied by much shouting. There is a tyre on the back of this one, attached by a chain to the barrow, and it trails behind the barrow when it is in motion. The method of braking is to jump on the tyre. It looks quite dangerous, but we decided early on in our journeys that UK Health and Safety rules did not apply in Jerusalem.

As well as food it is also possible to buy scarves, clothes, tourist trinkets and souvenirs, spices, and almost anything you can imagine.

These shops specialise in mother of pearl and silverware as jewellery, tableware and religious artifacts.


This market may look as if it hasn't changed for many years, but modernity is visible in the signs for internet shops.

I only saw one meat shop, on the Via Dolorosa; it appears in the night-time photos as well, but the meat is hung outside during the day. I think, but am not sure, that most of the meat was sheep or goat. We saw a number of herds of both during our travels.

This is a wider part of the street.

Goods spill out into the alleyways and in many places reduce the space for pedestrians down to single file. Of course that makes it easier to call to each potential buyer and make a pitch about the goods, whether it's a belly dancing outfit, a plastic bucket or a pound of saffron.

The range of items on sale present a riot of colour and texture, sometimes quite artistically displayed, but not many of them stand close inspection. Abundance seems to be shown by mixing everything up.


My previous post referred to the smells of washed pavements, musty vegetables, drains - all smells that I associate with foreign markets. During the daytime though the smells are different. The mint, parsley and vine leaves from the pavement, and the smell of these mixes with the spice stalls and coffee, and the smoke from the hubby bubbly cafe (I just didn't have the nerve to photograph all the men sitting with their coffee and pipes, but really wish I had!)
The sales pitch doesn't stop within the walls. The market continues out through the gate and along the street.
This turns into a market that stretches past the bus garage and up to the front door of our hotel.
Even on the other side of the street the vendors stretch for some distance.