Jerusalem Doors~The Garden Tomb

The Garden Tomb site, located a few blocks from Damascus Gate, is the more contemporary Protestant alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as the location where Jesus was buried and resurrected on the third day.

Door to the Garden

From a Brief History on the Garden Tomb website: "As early as 1842 a German Theologian named Otto Thenius proposed the idea that the outcropping of rock known today as "Skull Hill" could possibly be significant in the identification of the site of the crucifixion." This site is now a bus station, with the walled garden backing up against it.

In 1867, an ancient Jewish tomb was discovered near Skull Hill, adding to the speculation that this was the location of Jesus' crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Furthermore, a cistern and wine press discovered near the tomb seemed to indicate that the tomb was located in the garden of a wealthy Jew--Joseph of Arimathea perhaps? Perhaps. But even the articulate, Christian guides working in the garden are careful to note that no one really knows if this is the tomb of Jesus.

Doorway of a (the?) tomb

Jerusalem Doors, Jewish Quarter

While Christianity and Islam are both represented in Jerusalem's Old City by well known shrines and places of worship which have walls, roofs, and doors, Judaism has no such ancient edifice. Instead, Jewish (and some Christian) worshipers pray at the Western Wall or, as it is also known, The Wailing Wall.

Judaism's most sacred spot, the Western Wall is the section of the western supporting wall of the Temple Mount remaining after the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D.

Jerusalem Doors: al-Haram ash-Sharif

al 'Aqsa

This is just one of he doors of al 'Aqsa Mosque, the second oldest mosque and the third holiest site in Islam. al 'Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic shrine, The Dome of the Rock, make up the "Sacred noble Sancuary, or al-Haram ash-Sharif. Islamic tradition holds that the prophet Muhammad, after his miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, made his ascension to heaven from the rock which is now covered by the a golden dome.

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The al-Haram ash-Sharif is one is one of the most sensitive sites in Jerusalem as this Islamic compound is built on what Jews believe to be the Temple Mount or the site of the second temple; the site of the Dome of the Rock is considered by some to be the traditional site of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac and the Holy of Holies of the Jewish temple. Jews are forbidden from praying on the compound and instead pray at the Western Wall, which borders the west side of al-Haram ash-Sharif.

An interesting bit of Jordanian and Al 'Aqsa history: On July 20 1951, King Abdallah I of Jordan was assassinated while attending Friday prayers at Al' Aqsa. As the story goes, King Abdallah traveled to Jerusalem with his grandson, Hussein, but when they arrived it was discovered that Hussein had left his military uniform in Amman so King Abdallah insisted it be sent for. (Jerusalem is only about 45 miles from Amman but modern day border crossings make the trip take about three to five hours.) When King Abdallah was shot, Hussein who was at his side was also hit but the bullet deflected off a military medal he was wearing, one which had been worn at his grandfather's insistence. Hussein was enthroned as the monarch of Jordan in 1953 and reigned until his death in 1999.

Dome of the Rock

An interesting bit of Jordanian and Dome of the Rock History: The gold leaf which covers the now aluminum dome--it was once all gold--was donated by the late King Hussein of Jordan.

Jerusalem Doors, Christian Quarter

Jerusalem Doors III, Helena's Cistern

This is not a Jerusalem door, exactly, but rather an entryway; Active Son ducks as he heads down into an underground cistern, located beneath the Armenian chapel of St. Helena, mother of Constantine.

This underground reservoir is also known as the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross as, according to tradition, St. Helena supervised the excavation of the cistern, in which she found fragments of the cross of Christ.

Our visit to the moist, cool cavern was a welcome reprieve from the summer heat above. And, the the acoustics were pretty amazing: Note the lady wearing a headset at the top of the stairway, who was making a recording while we were there.

Jerusalem Doors II, Church of the Holy Seulchre

Below is the main door leading in (or out) of Christendom's most revered religious site: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of the Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Though now inside the walls of the Old City, the site on which the church stands was outside of the city at the time of Christ's death and is said to include Calvary and the Joseph of Arimathea's grave.


The site and the church have a fascinating tradition: early Christians were said to worship at this site and though they fled from Jerusalem when Titus attacked the city in AD 70, they later returned to worship at Calvary and the tomb. In an attempt to keep discourage Christian worship, Hadrian had a temple to Venus built on the site, ironically, marking the site for good.

When the Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, converted to Christianity, she had a church built on the site; the church has been destroyed and rebuilt more than once, with the current church dating back to the time of the Crusades in the 12th century.

Another door, located off the main courtyard of the church

And who is the keeper of this basilica? Talk about confusing. I've heard the explanation several times but I still need to copy it from an old Fodor's travel guide:

"By a tradition established by Saladin to avoid misunderstandings among the different Christian sects, the keys of the Church were kept by the Moslem family of Joudeh, and the opener of the door was a member of the Moslem family of Nuseibah. At Easter, three sects are allowed to have the long, curiously-shaped key. On the Holy Thursday it goes to the head of the Franciscan Monastery; on Good Friday, to the chief Dragoman of the Greek Orthodox Monastery, and on Holy Saturday to the head of the Armenian Orthodox Church. An 18th-century decree gave six churches the right to share the sanctuary: Latin (Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian (Jacobite) and Abyssinian. The latter two are allowed the privilege only for special ceremonies during the year. No Protestant sect has the right to share the sanctuary. The status quo and the designation of space within the sanctuary are jealously guarded by each denomination and regrettably have often been obstacles to restoration of the church."

An interior door

Door to the Coptic Chapel

And, here's a fantastic site with great pictures, maps, and in-depth information about the authenticity of the site: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Doors, Damascus Gate

Last month we had the pleasure of introducing our dear-visiting-from-Boise- friends to one of the most interesting places on earth: the old, walled city of Jerusalem. Though just a 70K (44miles) trip from Amman, as the crow flies, the journey took our merry little band five hours with border crossings. At once a place of unity and separation, the Old City provides a fascinating and heady swirl of ancient and living cultures of the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

I love the architecture of the Old City so I'll post a mini-tour by  way of some of the the doors of the city.

Damascus Gate

We entered the old city by the Damascus Gate, or in Arabic, Bab Al Amud, Door/Gate of the Column. The the original gate was probably built during the second temple period, this "modern" gate was built in 1542 by the Ottoman ruler, Suleiman the Magnificent. The gate leads into the Arab quarter and the Arab bazaar, one of the most bustling sections of the Old City and our favorite place to shop.