After a seven year wait, I was able to return to one of my most inspiring cities, Jerusalem. This time around, I came with Nathania, and we covered a lot during our four-night stay. It was truly a spiritual journey with our chance to visit many of the sites considered to be holy in all of Christendom. Regardless of whether these were the ‘actual’ spots of occurrence noted in the Bible, I have always maintained that these places are worthy of visit because they have been visited by pilgrims from all over the world for over the past 2000 years. They inspire faith. These holy sites allow Christians to be connected with each other at a deep, fundamental, and spiritual level – geographically and temporally. Meaning, it allows us to connect with pilgrims who have come here from many different countries, who speak various languages, and express a multitude of cultures – presently and with those in the past. The following were the Christian sites we saw:
- Church of the Holy Sepulcher
- Site of Christ’s Crucifixion (Golgotha or Calvary), Anointing of Body by St. Joseph of Arimathea (Stone of Uncton), and Resurrection
- Mount of Olives
- Tomb of the Prophets (according to a medieval Jewish tradition also adopted by Christians, the catacomb is believed to be the burial place of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the last three Hebrew Bible prophets)
- Dominus Flevit Church (Translates to English “The Lord Wept” See Luke 19:37-42)
- Pater Noster – Eleona (where Jesus taught the Lord’s prayer to the Apostles)
- Basilica of the Agony (marking the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before being betrayed)
- Grotto of the Betrayal (Catholic site believed to be where Jesus was betrayed)
- Tomb of the Virgin Mary (where she was laid to rest before Ascension)
- Chapel of Ascension (where Catholics believe Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after resurrection)
- Russian Ascension Church (where Orthodox Christians believe Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after resurrection)
- Via Dolorosa
- The path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion (stations of the Cross)
- Mount Zion
- Church of the Last Supper
- The Cenacle (or Last Supper Room)
- Church of the Dormition (site believed to be where St. Mary died)
The other amazing sites we saw in Jerusalem and are incredibly important for the other Abrahamic faiths of Judaism and Islam were:
- Dome of the Rock
- Al Asqa Mosque
- Temple Mount and the Western Wall
- City of David archaeological site
- King David’s Tomb
Other eye-opening places we visited in Jerusalem were:
- Yad Vashem
- Israel’s museum commemorating the Holocaust
- The Israel Museum
- Shrine of the Book
- Houses the Dead Sea Scrolls
- Mahane Yehuda Market
- Restaurants and bars in the City Centre
