My Holy Land Trip

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Jerusalem

Monday, ‎December ‎23, ‎2013

Continued ....

Third Day of my Holy Land Trip, Jerusalem

My Holy Land Trip

Hotel Ararat, Bethlehem, View from our bus,
Monday, ‎December ‎23, ‎2013, ‏‎8.06 AM

Today, 23 December, visiting the first place is Dome of the Ascension (Chapel of Ascension). An octagon chapel on Mt Olives built over ancient structures. According to tradition, this sacred site is where Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after resurrection.

An octagon chapel on Mt Olives built over ancient structures. According to tradition, this sacred site is where Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after resurrection.

Seen on the way to the

Dome of the Ascension (Chapel of Ascension)

Mount Olive

City of Jerusalem

Jerusalem - According to the Bible, before King David's conquest of Jerusalem in the 11th century BCE the city was home to the Jebusites. The Bible describes the city as heavily fortified with a strong city wall. The city ruled by King David, known as Ir David, or the City of David, was southwest of the Old City walls, outside the Dung Gate. His son King Solomon extended the city walls and then, in about 440 BCE, during the Persian period, Nehemiah returned from Babylon and rebuilt them. In 41-44 CE, Agrippa, king of Judea, built a new city wall known as the "Third Wall."

Near to Jaffa Gate, City of Jerusalem

Mar Elias Monastery, Bethlehem

Mar Elias Monastery, Bethlehem

This Greek Orthodox Monastery stands like a fortress on a hill from which both Jerusalem and Bethlehem can be seen. Mar Elias Monastery is located 5 km to the north of Bethlehem on the way to Jerusalem, and was founded in the 6th century AD and rebuilt by the Emperor Manual Communes in 1160.

Bell Tower of the Mar Elias Monastery,
on the side of the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem

Legend has it that the building stands on the site where prophet rested on his flight from the Vengeance of Queen Jezebel, who was seeking vengeance after Elijah slaughtered the priests of Baal (1 Kings 19:15). Another tradition holds that Greek Bishop Elias of Bethlehem was buried here in 1345, and another holds that it places the sepulcher of St. Elias, an Egyptian monk who became Patriarch of Jerusalem in 494.

Mar Elias is believed to answer the prayers of barren women and ailing children. From the monastery, Bethlehem can be seen to the south, Herodion to the southeast and sometimes the Dead Sea across the valley to the east.

Back side of the Mar Elias Monastery,
on the side of the road from Bethlehem to Jerusalem,

Dome of the Ascension

This admirable building blends the architectural features of the Crusader style with traits belonging to the Muslim tradition. The chapel rises on the site of an ancient paleo-Christian sanctuary, near the top of the Mount of Olives.

The ruins of the chapel is located in the suburb of A-Tur, on the east side of the main road of the top of Mount of Olives, at 830M above sea level.

Near the Ascension chapel is the Russian Orthodox Church of the Ascension, which is another traditional site of the ascension. It is located near a tall tower inside the village of A-Tur

The original building was surrounded by a double portico forming a circle. Destroyed by the Persians in the 614, it was rebuilt by the Crusaders in the form of a small, octagonal temple (twelfth century).

Having come under the control of Muslims, to whom it has belonged since the thirteenth century, the building was converted into a mosque and completely transformed by walling in the arches and roofing over the octagon with a little dome of evident Islamic character.

On a rock inside can be seen a footprint which is identified according to Christian tradition as the print that Jesus left as he ascended to Heaven: "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven" (Luke, 24 50-51).