The Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Jerusalem

Why is a Nice Jewish Girl writing a post about one of Christianity's most holy sites?

When we went to Israel in December 2012 for my son's Bar Mitzvah, one of the highlights of our tour was visiting  
The Church Of The Holy Sepulchre 
in the Old City of Jerusalem, which is said to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. 

Although I should be baking an unleavened cake for Passover right now, I figured this may be my one and only opportunity to write a post that is relevant to Easter. 

One of the things that fascinated me about the Old City 

is that within less than a square mile, 

the three major religions of the world co-exist. 

The history is daunting... 

It is  where the Jewish people built their temple,

Mohammed rose to heaven, and Jesus was resurrected. 

It houses the holiest places for the three religions... 
for Jews --The Western Wall; 

for Muslims -- The Shrine of the Rock; 

and for Christians -- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Our tour started with a walk down Via Dolorosa, 
the street where Jesus took his final walk. 
The first nine Stations of the Cross are along this street.

It was difficult to get good pictures, as the area was crowded.

Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem

It is said that the Church of the Flagellation,

 on the Via Dolorosa, 

is where Jesus was flogged by Roman soldiers 

and condemned to death. 

Church of the Flagellation, Jerusalem

Church of the Flagellation, Jerusalem

Church of the Flagellation, Jerusalem

The stained glass mural above the altar depicts the flogging.

Church of the Flagellation, Jerusalem

The last five Stations of the Cross occurred
within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Jesus was stripped of his garments; nailed to the cross; died on the cross, taken down from the cross, and laid in the tomb. 

 

Tradition says that the Stone of the Annointing 

is where Jesus' body was prepared for burial. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

It's considered a holy place to pray.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

The tomb of Jesus is located in the Aedicule inside the church. 

This is not a good photo, but it shows that the Aedicule is a 

structure built right in the center of the main rotunda. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

The Jacobite chapel, below, was damaged by fire. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

It is said to house tombs of those who took Jesus off the cross, 

and buried him. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

These are not my best photos... or maybe they are (!), but I hope they give you a sense of where Jesus spent the final days of his life. If you want to learn more, and see better pictures, click here.  

I'm clearly no expert on this subject, 
so if I got anything wrong, please, by all means, let me know. 

And now, I must go buy some matzoh, 
and start making some Passover preparations. 

To all of you who celebrate, I wish you a very Happy Easter!

Linking with:
Home and Garden Thursday
Simple and Sweet Friday
Home Sweet Home Friday
Be Inspired 
Fabulously Creative Friday  
Bouquet of Talent