Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Jerusalem you beauty! Your loved ones at home, today it is sacred. We started the day with a little hike from the Mount of Olives down to the Garden of Gethsemane, with a quick stop at the Dominus Flevit Chapel halfway. The view of the city is incredible. We are just amazed. We then walked through the Armenian Quarter to the Western Wall through the Zion Gate. The Old City of Jerusalem has an Arab, a Christian, an Armenian, and of course, a Jewish Quarter. At the Western Wall, we were able to witness several Bar Mitzvah ceremonies today, on Monday. After lunch, we walked the 14 Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is located at the place where Jesus is said to have been laid to rest. The architecture is unique. It houses 6 different denominations. The Ethiopians live on the roof. The key authority is held by a Muslim family. Disputes among Christian denominations in the 19th century led to the ownership rights being divided equally among Armenians, Greeks, Copts, Catholics, Ethiopians, and Syrians. The key authority is a Muslim gatekeeper.