Day 4 - September 30, 2026
Our first stop today was the Franciscan BetPhage Church on the Mount of Olives. We were able to stand on the crest of the hill and visualize Jesus route on Palm Sunday. Near the church and a Greek Orthodox monastery are 1 st c AD graves including one with a rolling stone. Our instructor’s former bus driver and his family are caretakers at the monastery.
From Bethphage, we descended the Mount of olives on foot through the area of Jewish cemeteries and the caves of the prophets (Uzziahs tomb was found here with an inscription) to another 1st tomb with preserved ossuaries (bone boxes). We went inside the Dominus Flavit “tear drop” church. The name Means “the Lord wept”. The church was designed by the famous architect Antonio Barluzzi. From here is a view across the Kidron Valley to Temple Mount. The shape of the church is like a tear drop with roof corners in tear phial shape (tear phials were small vessels used to capture tears of mourning) all calling to mind Jesus’ tears for Jerusalem.
The Garden of Gethsemane, and really all of these Christian areas on the Mount Olives were very quiet today - so special to have a peaceful atmosphere here where there are usually thousands of jostling tourists. The Jewish visitors for Sukkot do not visit these Christian sites on the Mount of Olives. At the church of All Nations next to the garden, we were allowed into a side gate where we could see the foundation remains of the original Crusader church. Inside the modern church is a beautiful night with stars ceiling and apse fresco of Jesus praying at a rock in the Garden before his arrest and crucifixion.
The Bus took us over to the Hinnom Valley where we visited the Ketef Hinnom Old Testament era graves 8-7th c BC. Important things were found here, particularly a silver scroll inscribed with the priestly blessing from Numbers 6:24. This inscribed scripture pre dates the Dead Sea scrolls by several hundred years, from 600 BC.
Our last stop for the day was the Israel Museum, Shrine of the book and second temple era model of the city of Jerusalem. You could spend days in the museum - we tried to see the highlights in a couple of hours.
Tomorrow will be a long day of walking, back in the old city and the city of David. Blessing to everyone, PB and Margery
View of Temple Mount across the Kidron Valley from the door of Church of All Nations.
