It’s impossible to fully convey the experience of Jerusalem in a few blog posts. So all I can do is show a few highlights. On one of my first days in the Old City, I walked the Via Dolorosa (the traditional path of Jesus on his way to the crucifixion), consisting of fourteen “stations,” the last five of which are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Church of the Flagellation:
The Ecce Homo Arch:
Station Four (Jesus meets His Mother Mary):
Station Nine (Jesus falls for the third time):
Inside the Queen Helen Church (Coptic Orthodox):
The courtyard above the Armenian Chapel of St. Helena. The top of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is visible in the background.
Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Note the “immovable ladder” on the ledge beneath one of the second floor windows, a symbol of an ongoing dispute (since the 19th century) between the Armenians and the Greek Orthodox:
Traditional site of the crucifixion (Station Twelve):
Pilgrims at the Stone of Unction (Station Thirteen):
View above the stone:
Outside the Catholicon:
2 Comments
Okay, that was just COOL. Thanks for the post and photos of the Via Dolorosa (…and that ladder, which I find inexplicably hilarious).
It was an amazing experience being there–I wish I had gotten better pictures inside the church but the crowds were a bit overwhelming!