Wednesday was our last day in Jerusalem.Some of our tour was headed back to the States that evening. Some, including myself, were headed to the country of Jordan on Thursday morning.
I had received news from home that my friend L had passed away in the overnight hours for me on that other side of the world. L and I had said our goodbyes before I left because we both knew it was likely she would not be dancing among the living by the time I returned. The news of her passing and all the details that were updated to me made me feel older and move slower than normal. It was a hard day for me.
Our bus could'nt take us into the walled city. We were brought to Herod's Gate. These walls were not here at the time of Christ. But, they are old. There have been conquests, earthquakes, and wars that have changed the old city over time.
But it isn't like things were completely started over. Things were built on top of old sites.
As I mentioned, I was old and slow and I brought up the rear during most of the trek. There were these outdoor shops all over the old city.
And cats. There were lots of cats. Our guide told us that the Romans brought the cats.
We came in one gate, but the Way of the Cross started at a different gate so we had to travel through the old city to arrive at the start of the Way.
Some of the lanes were very narrow. Motorcycles and carts were whizzing by from time to time and we had to scurry for the sides of the lane and doorways.
I had so many questions about the architecture and the way people live there. But we were in a hurry.
This is how the lane looked without us on it. The carts and motorbikes went up the center.
This building went over the lane.
This is the road.
And older sections looked like this.
A few cars came by us in the wider spots.
The Lion's Gate is where the Way of the Cross began.
Someone in our group recognized some of another group that was viewing the Lion's Gate. Many a Bishop or a Cardinal? Anyway, men in black with Roman collars.
This is Lion's Gate or Stephen's Gate. I believe I remember that it was built by an Arab conqueror.
They did a lot of wall building back in the day.
And decorated with lions.
The slits were for the archers.
Soon inside that gate we came to the first site. The pool of Bethesda.
On the way into the site of the pool stands the church of St. Anne. She is the grandmother of Jesus.
The church is one of the few Crusader churches still standing. The Arab conquerors used it as an Islamic school
There had been several churches and temples built on this site in the past.
This is where the pool was. They washed sheep before taking them to the temple for sacrifice.
Remains of the Roman pillars are visible.
And this Bethesda is where the crippled man begged for Jesus to heal him because he didn't have friends to lower him into the pool when it was stirred up.
Parts of the pool were really deep.
It is interesting ruins today. But we didn't stay long.
We went into the church of St. Anne. It had great acoustics. We sang a couple of hymns there at the encouragement of the French Priest who welcomed us in.
Even our voices sounded like the angels in there.
When I saw the statue of St. Anne and her daughter Mary it hit me, I would be a grandmother soon. St Anne was my patroness. Some Legends say that Joaquin and Anne lived there in Jerusalem when Mary was young.
It was very plain, but a beautiful church.
We walked past the garden on the way back to the Way.
We came back past Herod's Gate as we picked up the Way of the Cross, the road Jesus walked on carrying the cross.
The Church of the Flagellation was one of the first places on the Way of the Cross.
A very pretty church on the Way as we went through Jerusalem.
These churches and sites on the Way of the Cross were often inside a courtyard entered through a gate in the lanes.
More mosaics on the church floor.
Most of the churches were very dark. It makes sense that electric lights weren't kept on for all the pilgrims all day.
I don't like flash photography very much generally, but it enables me to see the church.
More floor mosaics. I am thinking that these mosaics weren't all stones, they may have been ceramics.
The Way of the Cross is portrayed on the stained glass windows.
These are obviously not old like the old city, but I am not sure when they were made.
And a beautiful depiction of the crown of thorns on the ceiling.
Jesus accepts His cross, I think. As I mentioned I was old and slow and sad that day. Our guide was hurrying us through the Stations so that we could get to Mass at the appointed time. One of our members of the tour read the Way of the Cross Prayers at each of the Stations, but because of the hurry and because the reader did not speak in the mic, I wasn't always sure which station was which.
This was the altar inside the church.
Flash makes it visible.
In the courtyard was a blooming rose. Takes my breath away.
There were shops that wanted our business as we hurried n our Way.
We went into a convent and down into the basement where there was a cistern.
But down there we could see the old Roman road where Jesus may have carried His cross. This part is below the city now because over the years things have built up and up and up.
This section was covered. It is carved with something from Roman times. It might have been a game of chance.
Then back up on the street, we walked on the Via Dolorosa, or Way of the Cross.
Station 3 was here at the Armenian Catholic Church.
Another courtyard with a church.
And further down, Simon the Cyrene helped carry the cross.
Several of the stations were just outside along the lanes. Finally we could see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the distance.
Our guide tried to get in from this side. Shops and more shops.
We trudged through archways and up stairs but we couldn't get in from that side of the church.
Finally we went around and reached the way into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The church doesn't look so impressive in photos, but it is huge.
Our guide told us that the various religious orders were beginning to cooperate to do repairs on the church. She indicated that nothing had been done in a long time, because the various groups could not agree. They are finally starting to agree.
When entered through the door on the side we came from the first thing we encountered was this slab which traditionally is the site in the eastern rite where Christ's body was anointed. Our guide told us that the slab had to be replaced several times a year. She was obviously not impressed, but I was struck by the reverence and love that these pilgrims showed as they rubbed the stone with oil.
Looking up at the dome.
And then it was time for us to get to Mass. We were scheduled for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is one of the Roman Catholic Chapels. (I am not sure if there are others.) This chapel is also called the Chapel of the Apparition.
The lamb on the tabernacle. Although our priest did not know of my loss, he began his homily by saying that this was a fitting place to preach his funeral sermon. He began speaking of how someone who died is not gone, they just changed address. We can have confidence of this because of the events that happened in this place. I can't even express how moved I was.
This was on the door to the chapel.
And the zig zag on the floor.
Out in the main church it was huge. Massive.
Evidence of the repairs.
And more evidence.
Then our guide took us downstairs in the church to the site that St. Helena claimed to have found the true cross.
There was a chapel down there.
We came back upstairs and past this which is an exposed piece of the side of the hill that was Golgotha.
Along the stairway there were little cross carvings that were left by the crusaders.
And up above that the site of the Crucifixion.
Details up on Golgotha.
It was another dark place.
These pilgrims were waiting to touch the site of the Crucifixion.
There is a place where you can reach though and touch the site, but we didn't have time then. The steps were really tall and I didn't climb up again so I never touched the site of Golgotha.
Another view of the anointing site.
Then, although I was not done with the Holy Sepulchre, we had to go to lunch.
Our guide had arranged a lunch deal for us. Pita bread with fries and felafel. And after lunch we had some time on our own for the first and only time on the tour.
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