JESUS' LAST WEEK: PART 1

Jerusalem, IsraelNovember 2008

Jesus’ last week begins with his arrival in Bethany six days before the Passover (John 12:1)Since we did not visit Bethany which is on the eastern slope of the Mt of Olives, this journal will only show sites related to Jesus’ last week that we visited

Looking at the old city from the Mt of Olives

The next morning, Jesus rode on a donkey down the Mt of Olives into Jerusalem (Luke 19:29-44)

Jesus probably entered Jerusalem through the Golden GateJews believe the Messiah will enter the city through this gate; hence, the gate is sealed & a cemetery is built in front of it as a prevention

There are many Jewish graves on the Mt of Olives as the Jews believe that the Messiah will first appear here & bring the dead to life when he returnsHence, the bodies are buried with their feet facing the Temple MountWhen visiting a grave, the Jews will light a candle, place a small stone for remembrance, & say a prayer

When Jesus drew near & saw the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41)The Basilica of Dominus Flevit (the church on the right with a grey dome) is built in the shape of a tear drop to symbolize the Lord's tears

Many ossuaries (“bone boxes”) can be seen in the grounds of this church

The temple that Jesus entered (Luke 19:45) is probably located where the Dome of the Rock is—Mt Moriah where Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac (Gen 22:2)

This model of the temple could be what Jesus saw as he came down the Mt of Olives

Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there (Luke 19:45)There were probably shops near the Robinson’s Arch (originally 17.5 m above ground level), an archway that supported a flight of steps that connected the upper city to the Temple MountOn the left, Robinson’s Arch in the 19th century

In this model, Robinson’s Arch would be the first archway on the western wall while the two sets of double gates on the southern wall were the Huldah Gates

On the left is a part of the western set of the Huldah GatesWe are sitting on the “original” steps that lead to the Temple Mount—steps that pilgrims coming for the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, & Tabernacles would climb to get to the Huldah Gates

The Coenaculum is believed to be the place where Jesus had the Last Supper with his disciples (Luke 22:7-12)This place was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century & transformed into a mosque by the Ottomans in 1524It is gothic in style & has good acousticsHere, we see the ornate mihrab or alcove that indicates the direction of MeccaThe room is located directly above the Tomb of David

This 16th-century tomb is on Mt Zion but David was buried in the City of David (1 Kings 2:10) which lies further east

The Church of All Nations or the Basilica of the Agony on the Mt of Olives enshrines a section of the stone where Jesus prayed (Luke 22:39-46) after the Last Supper

The church is next to the Garden of Gethsemane (from the Hebrew word gat shemen, meaning “olive press”)Here is an old olive treeAn olive tree “does not die” as new shoots can grow from dead roots

After Jesus was arrested, he was brought to the high priest’s house where he was held for the night (Luke 22:54)The Church of Peter in Gallicantu on Mt Zion is supposedly to be Caiaphas’ house where Peter denied JesusOn the left are the ancient steps in the courtyard that lead down towards the Kidron valley

In the basement are caves, like the one on the left, that could have served as prison cellsThe photo above is the opening of an underground pit from which Jesus could have been lowered to by a ropeInside this pit, we read Psalm 88:6—”You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.”