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Gethsemane is an area outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Christians believe it was the site where Jesus was arrested the night before the crucifixion, and there are several important Christian sites in the area.
Introduction to Gethsemane
Gethsemane sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Kidron Valley. The valley separates the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. It contains the Silwan Necropolis, an ancient Jewish cemetery dating back to the First Temple period.
Garden of Gethsemane
There are several olive groves in the area, but the Catholic Church claims their plot to be the true Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested. It’s a peaceful area full of olive trees that are over 1,000 years old.
The garden was purchased by Croatian knights in 1681 and donated to the Franciscans who own it to this day. An open altar in the garden is used by several different Christian denominations, including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic, Anglican, Evangelical, Lutheran, and more.
Church of All Nations
The Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of the Agony, sits next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It encloses a section of bedrock where Christians believed Jesus prayed before his arrest.
The Church of All Nations is a Roman Catholic church built between 1919 and 1924 by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi (1884-1960). It sits atop the foundations of a 4th century Byzantine basilica destroyed by an earthquake in 746, and 12th century Crusader chapel abandoned in 1345. Its name comes from the fact that several countries contributed to its construction.
Features of the Church of All Nations
The façade of the Church of All Nations is decorated with a beautiful mosaic by Italian artist Giulio Bargellini (1875-1936). It’s supported by a row of Corinthian columns topped with statues of the Four Evangelists.
The nave of the church is divided into three aisles by six columns. The windows are in the shape of a cross and contain slabs of purple alabaster. The purple is meant to evoke Christ’s agony.
The ceiling of the church contains 12 small domes. They’re painted with the coats of arms of the 12 countries who donated towards its construction. Each coat of arms is in a separate dome. The countries are listed here from the altar to entrance: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico on the left; Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom in the middle; and Belgium, Canada, Germany, and the United States on the right.
The mosaics in the apses were donated by Ireland (left), Hungary (middle), and Poland (right). They were made by Polish artist Tadeusz Adam Zieliński (1907-1993) and depict from left to right the Kiss of Judas; Christ in Agony; and I Am (Ego Sum).
Rock of Agony
The Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed before his arrest is in front of the altar. It’s surrounded by an iron fence donated by Australia. The rock is open to pilgrims outside of Mass times.
Tomb of the Virgin Mary
Across the street from the Garden of Gethsemane is what Eastern Christians believe to be the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. The tomb is owned jointly by the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches. The entrance is accessed via a set of stairs leading down to an open courtyard. At street level is a Greek Orthodox monastery.
The original church on the site was built in the 5th century by Patriarch Juvenal (d. 458), but it was destroyed during the Persian invasion in 614. It was rebuilt and destroyed many times after, but much of today’s church is from a Crusader construction in 1130 and a Franciscan rebuild in 2nd half of the 14th century. Greek Orthodox clergy launched a takeover of the church and other Holy Land sites on Palm Sunday in 1757, and the Ottomans supported their claim under Status Quo that same year. Today, it’s owned jointly by the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches.
Features of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary
A long 12th century stairway leads down to the tomb and church. On the right side of the stairs is the Chapel of Saints Joachim and Anna, dedicated to the parents of the Virgin Mary. It was once the tomb of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem (1105-1161), but her sarcophagus was removed by the Greek Orthodox.
On the left side is the Chapel of St. Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. It was originally built as the tomb of two female relatives of Baldwin II (c. 1075-1131). The chapel is administered by the Armenians.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, to the right is a church with altars belonging to the Greek Orthodox and Armenians.
In the apse on the east side of the church are the Greek Orthodox and Armenian altars as well as an icon of the Virgin and Child. Pilgrims line up to venerate the icon.
The west side of the tomb contains an altar belonging to the Syriac Orthodox. The Ethiopian and Coptic Orthodox also have minor rights in the tomb. When the church was controlled by the Muslims, they installed a mihrab south of the tomb.
Edicule
The empty tomb of the Virgin Mary was cut out of rock and an edicule was placed on top. The Virgin Mary died at Mount Zion. Eastern Christians believe she was buried in this tomb before her assumption, while Catholics believe she assumed into heaven in bodily form. Also, one Catholic legend claims she died at her home in Ephesus, near present-day Selçuk, Turkey, but this hasn’t been authenticated by the Catholic Church.
Tomb of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Mojeer Iddin al-Hanbali
At street level in front of the Tomb of the Virgin Mary is the tomb of scientist Sheikh Abdul Rahman Mojeer Iddin al-Hanbali (c. 1455-c. 1520). He was a descendant of Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 582-644), the second Rashidun Caliph.
Monastery of St. Stephen
Nearby is the Monastery of St. Stephen, which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The church sits above the martyrdom site of St. Stephen, who is regarded as the very first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death for his beliefs in 34 AD.
The first church was built on the site in the 5th century under Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem after the tomb of St. Stephen was discovered. That church was later destroyed and a modern church occupies the site today. We didn’t have a chance to visit the martyrdom site.
Church of Mary Magdalene
Finally, one church we weren’t able to visit is the Church of Mary Magdalene, which belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR). It was built between 1886 and 1888 by Tsar Alexander III of Russia to honor his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrova. Russian architect David Grimm (1823-1898) designed the church, which includes seven gilded onion domes.
Princess Alice of Battenberg (1885-1969), mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited the church in the 1930s and asked to be buried there next to her aunt, Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna of Russia (1864-1918). She died at Buckingham Palace in 1969 and her remains were transferred to the crypt in 1988.
