Christmas in the Holy Land

Christian Jerusalem

It is hard to imagine what life was like in Ancient Israel or the Holy Land of the Medieval Era. But you do feel a sense of history. The places we describe in our blog can be seen in our Israel-Palestine Map.

Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way”) is the supposed route of Jesus to his crucifixion on Calvary Hill. This is the second of Fourteen Stations of the Cross. Calvary Hill is now the Church of Holy Sepulchre.

Church of Holy Sepulchre

Church of Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter contains two of the holiest sites in Christianity: the site of the crucifixion (Calvary) and the empty tomb of Jesus, where he was resurrected.

The care of the church is shared by six denominations with some sections belonging solely to a particular sect. It appears the churches are not immune to blackmail and fist fights. Note the ladder under the second story window. Some time in the first half of the 19th century, someone has placed a ladder up against the wall of the church. No one is sure to which sect it belongs. In order to maintain the status quo and prevent violent clashes, no one dares touch it. The exact date is not known but the ladder has not been moved since at least 1852!!

The Church of Holy Sepulchre also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Control of the church was shared among several Christian denominations in a complicated consortium that has not changed for over 160 years.

Early Muslim rulers protected the city’s Christian sites, prohibiting their destruction or use as residences. However, the Holy Sepulchre was destroyed by a later caliph in 1008. It was rebuilt by the Roman (not Byzantine) Empire in 1048 after negotiations. So in some sense, the lack of protection by the Moslems for the Church of Holy Sepulchre led to the Crusades in 1099.

The crosses on the wall were carved by pilgrims.

Churches on the Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives used to be shaded by olive trees where pilgrims would rest before entering Jerusalem.

Church of Pater Noster is a French Carmelite monastery. It is located next to a site where Emperor Constantine constructed a church over a cave that had been linked with the Ascension. The walls of the 19th-century cloister display the Lord’s Prayer in over 100 different languages.

Dominus Flevit is shaped like a teardrop because it memorializes the Gospel story of Jesus weeping over the future fate (destruction) of Jerusalem.

Church of Mary Magdalene is a Russian Orthodox church as indicated by the seven gilded onion domes, each topped by a tall cross.

Temple of All Nations (Basilica of the Agony) was built over the rock on which Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified.

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is a mere 9.2 km (5.7 mi.) south of Jerusalem. Here was our first view of the surrounding countryside from Manger Street, a long road on the east side of the town that leads to the birthplace of Jesus. While Bethlehem is located in Palestine, the population is mainly Christian.

In Arabic Bethlehem means House of Lambs. In Hebrew it means House of Bread. Beth became beta in Greek. Either way Beth (house) is the root of the English word alphabet. Alpha is derived from Hebrew aleph, meaning sense of beginning. Alphabet represents the first two characters of the Greek character set.

The main highlight is one of the oldest churches in the world. Emperor Constantine sent his mother Helena to the Holy Land to find all the sites important to Christianity. They commissioned the Church of the Nativity in AD 327 at the presumed site of the birthplace of Jesus. Today it is maintained by three Christian denominations: Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic.

Since Israel-Palestine is at the crossroads of most imperial expansions, it has been conquered many times. As a result, the church was built high up like a fortress. The basilica is entered through a very low entrance called the Door of Humility.

We descended down a stone staircase to a grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born. The exact spot is marked by a fourteen-point silver star above.

Capernaum

Capernaum was a fishing village on Sea of Galilee with about 1500 people. It was the scene of many episodes in the Gospels.

It was the home town of Matthew (the tax collector) and Jesus, who taught at the synagogue. However, that 1st century synagogue lies beneath the current 4th century ruins, one of the oldest synagogues in the world.

There were some very unusual details amongst the ruins, such as this oil jar carving from one of the capitals.

We especially like this unique palm tree lintel.

Tabgha

Tabgha was the location of the multiplication of loaves and fishes episode in the Bible. In the ruins of a 6th century church we found Byzantine mosaics of birds on flowers. Is that a lotus? The church was destroyed by the Persians in 614 and lost until the 20th century!

Related Topic Links

The fascinating origin of Christmas and Santa Claus have been described in the following posts:

Festival of Saturnalia — Roman Connection to Christmas

Festival of Saturnalia — Asia Minor (Turkey) Connection

Amazing Rome Walk 3, Ethnic & Linguistic Heritage).

Amazing Rome Walk 3, Religious Heritage,