Jesus rode into Jerusalem the
Sunday before the Passover
on the back of a young donkey. He is thought to have come from the
Mount of Olives,
named because of olive trees that once stood on this hill facing the old city of Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah was to appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore this hillside became the holiest of cemeteries and there are many gravestones, but not many olive trees.
Later during His last week, Jesus likely visited the
Southern Wall of the temple
mount
found in the old city of Jerusalem. Here Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and merchants
(Matthew 21:12)
. The temple was built under King Herod in 37BC and was later destroyed in 70AD after the Jewish revolt against the Romans. Currently the site of an Archeological Park, most of the temple is in ruins.
Outside the
Zion Gate
of the old town of Jerusalem is located the
traditional site of the Last Supper
. This is where Jesus and his disciples held a Passover dinner the night before he was captured by the Romans. The
hall of the Last Supper
was constructed during the 12th century Crusades that is open to the public today. Archeological evidence on the first floor supports this area being where the Last Supper took place.
Jesus returned the next day to
Gethsemane
, near the Mount of Olives, to pray. This is where he was arrested by the Roman soldiers after being betrayed by Judas. Today a magnificent church built by donations from many nations in 1924 is located at the site. Now, not far from Gethsemane, a large Catholic Franciscan complex exists. In addition to a monastery, it contains the
Flagellation chapel
and the
Condemnation chapel
. According to tradition, this is where the Roman soldiers flogged Jesus after he was convicted and sentenced to death.
The
Via Dolorosa
(Way of Grief in Latin) is a road in the old town of Jerusalem. This is where Jesus was lead in agony, carrying his cross. Today there are
14 stations
and many moving sculptures and buildings along this path based on events that took place on the way to Golgotha, the site of the Crucifixion.
Golgotha
is where Jesus was crucified and then buried. Today it is considered one of the holiest places in the Christian world. Golgotha is the site of the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
, a church with a long, colorful history. Today this church is controlled by many different Christian denominations, each having responsibility for a part of it: Catholics, Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic and Ethiopian. The church is opened to the public and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors year round.
We hope the Walk to Jerusalem has been meaningful for you.
Thank you for participating
Interested in a Walk to Bethlehem later this year?
Please talk to one of the members of the Member Care Team about this.