2. This is a model of Antonia Fortress, the Praetorium, where Jesus was
led to from Caiaphas’ residence (John 18:28)
3. Today, the minaret, traditionally
named “Antionia Tower,” recalls
the site of the Roman fortress
where Jesus was tried by Pilate
Within its vicinity is the Omariye
College which marks the First
Station of the Cross along Via
Dolorosa
4. The Via Dolorosa,
“Way of Sorrow,” traces
the route that Jesus
took between his
condemnation by Pilate
& his crucifixion &
burial
Along the Via Dolorosa
are 14 stations of the
cross
Each station marks an
event in Jesus’ final
journey through the
streets of Jerusalem
Here, the Fifth Station
marks the place where
Simon the Cyrenian
was forced to carry
Jesus’ cross (Mark
15:21)
6. The Chapel of Condemnation (top)
& the Chapel of Flagellation (left)
mark the Second Station of the
Cross where Jesus was sentenced
to death & beaten by Roman
soldiers (John 19:1-3)
7. On the floor in the Chapel of Condemnation, one can find board games
drawn on the ground (by Roman soldiers?)
8. The Ecce Homo Arch (“Behold
the man”; John 19:5) was built
by Emperor Hardrian when he
rebuilt Jerusalem & renamed it
Aelia Capitolina in 130 CE
9. Walking down from the Second
Station, we arrive at the
intersection of 2 main roads—
North-South & East-West—of
Roman times
From here, we turn right to
continue the journey of pilgrims
10. The last five stations are located
in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre
The Tenth Station, just outside
the church, is called the Chapel
of the Stripping of Jesus
Garments (John 19:23)
11. The custody of the church is
shared by the various religious
bodies (since the Status Quo of
the Holy Places was enforced in
1852):
1. Roman Catholic
2. Armenian Orthodox
3. Greek Orthodox
4. Egyptian Coptic
5. Ethiopian Coptic
6. Syrian Orthodox
Under the Status Quo, nothing
that is designated as common
territory may be rearranged
without consent from all
communities
As a result, the ladder (near the
centre of the photo) has been
there since 1852
12. However, the key to the church
was entrusted by Saladin in
1192 to the Joudeh family
Twice a day, a member of the
Joudeh family brings the key to
the door
The door is unlocked & unlocked
each day by a member of the
Nusseibeh family
14. One needs to climb up a stairway to
Calvary
The next two stations are situated here
The Eleventh Station is where Jesus
was nailed to the cross (John 19:17)
The Twelfth Station is where Jesus
died on the cross (Matt 27:50)
The Greek altar stands over the Rock
of Calvary
15. The Stone of the Anointing, the
Thirteenth Station of the Cross
It is believed to be the place
where Jesus' body was
prepared for burial by Joseph of
Arimathea (Luke 25:53)
This marble limestone slab
dates from 1808
17. The Fourteenth Station is the
Edicule of the Holy Sepulchre
which has two rooms
The first one holds the Angel's
Stone, a fragment of the stone
believed to have sealed the
tomb after Jesus' burial (Matt
27:59)
The second one is the tomb
itself
The queue to get in was so long
that we decided to give it a miss
18. Along the steps leading to the Chapel of St Helen, many crosses
were etched along the stone walls by Armenian pilgrims who carved
one cross for each member of the family
19. For me, this was the most
sacred place in the whole
church
