Memories of Jerusalem - A record of two days in the Holy City from January 2025

Mike O'Brien
Jul 23
3 min read

Updated: Aug 16

18th January: Gethsemane and the Via Dolorosa

After returning from Bethlehem on the evening of the 17th of January, I moved accommodation. I checked out of the Ecce Homo Pilgrim House and into the All-Seasons Hotel in the Bab az-Zahra district of East Jerusalem. Located in the old ministerial district north of the Old City's Damascus Gate, it was a booking I had originally made for a trip in September '24. After cancelling that trip following political developments, the owner graciously allowed me to keep my booking in credit for whenever I could finally make it.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Mark 14:32-34

Early on Saturday morning, I walked from my hotel to Gethsemane to attend mass in the Church of All Nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

On the other side of Gethsemane from the All Nations Church is the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. I hadn’t been aware of its existence until this visit and came upon it by accident while the Armenian Orthodox were celebrating Mass. From the main entrance, you descend a grand stone staircase into the beautiful, cavernous interior where the tomb is located.

From here, I crossed the Kidron Valley and entered the Old City through the Lion’s Gate. About 600m in from the gate is the beginning of the Via Dolorosa—the path taken by Jesus from his encounter with Pilate to his crucifixion. The winding route from the former Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre follows the fourteen stations of the cross. The first nine stations are in the street and the final five are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself.

I filmed this on the Via Dolorosa - ordinarily it would be bustling with pilgrims

19th January: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

"Destroy this Temple and I will raise it again in three days" John 2:19

I spent a part of each day in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but like Jerusalem itself, a lifetime would not be enough to truly know it. Given the travel difficulties I'd experienced and the knowledge that I would return soon, I decided to spend my last full day in and around this sacred space.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Considered the holiest site in Christianity, it has been a focus for pilgrims since the fourth century.

The church contains both the site of the Crucifixion – Golgotha – and the site of the empty tomb where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead. The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Orthodox churches, governed by a "Status Quo" understanding that dates to 1757.

Calvary (Golgotha)

Just inside the main entrance, a stairway leads up to Calvary, the site of the Crucifixion. Coming back down these stairs, you arrive at the Stone of Anointing, where Jesus's body is said to have been prepared for burial.

The Aedicule and the Tomb

From the stone, you pass into the Rotunda, the central domed part of the Church. Light streams from the dome directly onto the Aedicule—an ornate structure built in the centre of the Rotunda which houses the empty tomb of Christ.

The Aedicule itself consists of two chambers: the Chapel of the Angel, which contains a relic of the stone rolled away from the tomb's entrance, and the tomb itself, the site of the Resurrection.

Easter Saturday in the Holy Sepulchre

I am mindful that this is only the briefest of introductions to the central Church of Christianity. I could continue for many more pages, but only visiting it for yourself can do it justice.