Mount Olives, Temple Mount, St. Peter, Virgin Mary, Mary Magdelene & More.

One night I ventured into New Jerusalem in hopes of tapping into the modern city while finding some great food. But because of the festivities and our president’s visiting entourage, even this solo traveler had a tough time finding a table at one of the cities nicer restaurants.

Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City.

Above: The Church of the Dormition, a roman Catholic church where purpotedly the Virgin Mary fell asleep for the last time. Adjacent to this church is the tomb of King David which sits where supposedly the Last Supper was held.

King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion.

The Last Supper?

On the Eastern Slopes of Mount Zion and with dramatic views of the Kidron Valley, The Garden of Gethsemene and the walls of Palestine sits the church of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, on the site where tradition states the grand palace of high priest Caiaphas sat, is where Jesus was brought to jail after his arrest. Its name (Gallicantu, means the cock’s crow) is given after the story of Peter’s thrice denial of Christ before the cock crowed as it was here that Peter denied him the third time.

On this site a Byzantine church was built in 457AD but destoyed in 1010, and then rebuilt by the Crusaders in 1102 (who renamed it to the present name). The church was in ruins again in 1320, and rebuilt in 1931.

There’s a good reason that for thousands of years the hill above the Kidron Valley with panoramic views of Jerusalem and the old city is called Mount Olives.

It has a definitive Russian architectural style with its onion bulbous shaped golden domes, that’s because the Church of St. Mary Magdalene which sits on the slopes of Mount Olives outside the wall of the old city was built by Alexander III of Russia.

At the foot of Mount Olives sits The Church of All Nations which overlooks the Garden of Gethsemane where according to the scriptures Jesus and his disciples prayed on the night before the crucifixion. It’s also where the Virgin Mary is supposed to be buried.

On the slopes of Mount Olives with views of Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley is perhaps the youngest church in Jerusalem, Dominus Flavit was built on holy ground in 1955 where Jesus wept while taking his last view of the great city of Jerusalem with the Holy Temple commanding the scene. It was hear the Jesus realized the tragic fate ahead. It was here just adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus told Peter before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
The design of the sanctuary is that of a tear drop representing Jesus’ tears he wept for Jerusalem.

Yours truly sitting in one of the cells where Jesus was purportedly imprisoned the night before the crucifixion. On the walls of this pit are emblazoned three Byzantine crosses and a shadow of a praying figure. Thought to be dated from the 5th Century when a Byzantine Shrine memorialized this site.

Below these images were shot at The Dome of the Rock. Which sits atop the Western Wall.

Note the sundial in Arabic.

The Dome of the Rock dominates the Temple Mount as known to the Jews and the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. Built in 690 BC it’s the oldest Muslim Shrine in the world.

In all Islamic Mosques and artificats you’ll never find an image, painting, picture of a human form or Mohammed. Only animals and geometric shapes are used. Here are a few from The Dome of the Rock.