This is the view Jesus and his disciples would have had of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. We are east of Jerusalem looking west. The wall in front of the Dome of the Rock is the Eastern Wall. The Western Wall, known to Christians as the "Wailing Wall," is behind the trees to the left of the Dome of the Rock. The Temple in Jesus' day would have stood where the Dome of the Rock is today.
Difficult to discern are two domes behind the Dome of the Rock. It is there that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is located.
Looking at the Kidron Valley from the Mount of Olives. At the top and right of the photo is the junction of the Eastern and Southern walls. at the top left of the photo is the ancient city.
The Church at Gethsemane.
The olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Another view of the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means oil press.
The mural to the left of the main altar in the Church at Gethsemane. Based on Luke's Gospel: "Would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"
The mural above the main altar. Based on Luke's Gospel. Jesus is in such agony that he sweats blood.
The mural to the left of the main altar. Based on John's Gospel. Jesus asks who they seek. They answer Jesus. When Jesus responds "I am he" - they all fall away.
This one is for Father Tim Schenck. I think this is the coffee shop you have longed for. Forget Red Eye Roasters. Here in Bethlehem is Star & Bucks Cafe.
Ruins of the Byzantine church in The Shepherds' Field.
The present day church. While we were inside a group of nuns from Korea did a wonderful job singing "Angels we have heard on high" and "Silent Night" in Latin.
A side altar in the Church of the Shepherds in the Field.
The main altar in the Church of the Shepherds in the Field.
The entrance to the churches - a space shared by Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic churches - of the Nativity.
A silver star in the cave below the church which is said to be the spot where Jesus was born.
Another view of the silver star. As you can plainly see, this is in the part of the church controlled by the Greek Orthodox.
The spot when the manger is said to have been - before the Crusaders removed it and took it to Rome.
The altar beneath the Roman Catholic Church. Saint Jerome is buried here.
There are two sayings in the mosaic tiles. On the left it says "Domus panis" (house of bread) in Latin. In Hebrew Bethlehem means house of bread. (In Arabic it means house of meat.) On the right it says "Panis Vitae" or bread of life.
The interior of the Roman Catholic Church.
Bethlehem is under Palestinian control. Israel considers it to be a foreign country. Here we see the security wall at the Palestinian checkpoint leading back out of Bethlehem. The larger white text is written as though it can be read from the other side. It spells "whatever" backwards. Notice that the yellow writing at the right says "Wheaton College."
Location:Jerusalem and Bethlehem
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