Eye On Israel

RYAN JONES
Travelujah

One of the central themes of Jesus’ ministry on earth was unity. Prior to His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus prayed that those who followed Him “may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20). But unity has often proved elusive, especially for the many Christian denominations represented in the small, but holy city of Jerusalem.

While all Christians may be united in faith, they are typically divided by doctrine. So fierce are those doctrinal divisions at times that they erupt into physical confrontations, such as the annual inter-denominational scuffle during the ceremony marking the Miracle of the Holy Fire on Easter Eve at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City. Opponents of the Church like to point to such conflagrations and the divisions that spawn them in order to criticise our faith.

But too often overlooked are genuine efforts toward unity, like the upcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Jerusalem. From 22nd to 29th January, members of various Christian denominations from Catholics to Orthodox Christians to Anglicans to Protestants will visit one another’s churches and pray together.

Each day, participants will visit a different church in order to become better acquainted with their Christian brothers and sisters and to seek God’s blessing as they strive for unity. It is an unprecedented gesture aimed at reversing a shameful history of inter-denominational hostility.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was birthed by Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant church leaders in Poland. It was decided that Jerusalem should be the focal point of their effort, as this is the place where Jesus prayed for the unity of is followers in all generations.

“As (Jesus) awaited the suffering and death that was to come, he prayed that his disciples might be one so that the world might believe,” wrote the event organisers. “As we pray for and strive towards the full visible unity of the Church we - and the traditions to which we belong - will be changed, transformed and conformed to the likeness of Christ.”

Those behind this effort recognise that success may require Christians of different denominations to open themselves up and reform their practices in ways that are not always easy. But they also stress that only by doing so can they “truly enter into the new life in Christ, which is the only true victory.”

Ryan Jones writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

Travelujah

Tuesday morning, after 1941 days in captivity, Israel welcomed home IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

Gilat arrived by helicopter at Israel’s Tel Nof Airforce Base where he met Prime Minister Netanyahu just before meeting his parents and family for the first time after five years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his first public announcement after greeting Gilad and escorting him to see his parents spoke about the fact that Israel pardoned and released over 1,000 prisoners in exchange for Gilad, a price some believe may be too high.

“I would like to make it clear: We will continue to fight terrorism. Any released terrorist who returns to terrorism - his blood is upon his head. The State of Israel is different from its enemies: Here, we do not celebrate the release of murderers. Here, we do not applaud those who took life. On the contrary, we believe in the sanctity of life. We sanctify life. This is the ancient tradition of the Jewish People.

Netanyahu concluded his remarks by pointing out the fact that on Wednesday night the feast celebration of Simchat Torah will begin and that how, on this coming Sabbath, people will begin to read the words of the prophet Isaiah (42: 7).

“‘To bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.’ Today, I can say, on behalf of all Israelis, in the spirit of the eternal values of the Jewish People: ‘Your children shall return to their own border (Jeremiah 31: 17).’ Am Yisrael Chai! (The People of Israel live!).”

In the meantime, celebrations continue in Jerusalem with the annual Jerusalem March, though this year’s parade promises to be much more celebratory than years past. Thousands of Christians from some 80 nations will join the Jerusalem March, an annual parade during the holiday of Sukkot, which has become an expression of solidarity with Israel.

The Christian marchers are in Israel participating the annual Christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.

“It is good for our Feast pilgrims from around the world to be here to express our solidarity on such a momentous day, as they will also see and experience first-hand what Israel is going through as Gilad Shalit returns home,” said ICEJ executive director Dr Juergen Buehler.

“We share the relief and joy of the Shalit family and all Israel that Gilad has come back alive. We also share the disgust of so many that the price for his return has meant having to set ruthless murderers free. These are the paradoxes which Israel constantly lives with, and our pilgrims will no doubt return to their own nations with a deeper appreciation of Israel’s unique struggles and an even stronger commitment to standing with the Jewish state and people.”

The ICEJ’s feast pilgrims is the largest and most colourful of the delegations in the Jerusalem March.

The Christian Embassy’s week-long Feast of Tabernacles celebration continues to be the largest solidarity mission to Israel this year, and the nation’s largest annual tourist event. Approximaely 6,000 Christians from more than 80 nations are participating in the festivities, which will conclude tonight at the Jerusalem Convention Center. Israel’s deputy Foreign Minister, Daniel Ayalon, will give the farewell address.

Travelujah is the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

NICOLE JANSEZIAN
Travelujah

At a time when Israel faces caustic criticism and a rising tide of anti-Semitism from nations around the world, Christians gathered in Jerusalem - and thousands more tuned into a live broadcast - to pray during the Global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem on Sunday.

This year’s attendees included an array of Christians including Palestinians taking part in the Jerusalem event. Around the world, 300,000 churches had signed up to host their own gatherings to pray while the event was broadcast live on God TV, a Christian satellite channel.

“It is incredibly moving to see so many Christians who have come together for the purpose of praying for the peace of Jerusalem,” columnist Michael Freund, director of Shavei Israel, told Travelujah. “These people sincerely love Israel and they believe it is part of their obligation to bless Israel. We gladly welcome them.”

Christian leaders from Jerusalem and around the world called for prayer including Rebecca Brimmer, director of Bridges for Peace, who noted that the supplication was originating from and were prayed for the city where God chose to put his name. This was the first time that a Catholic priest joined the line up in the Global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. A pastor from Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, also prayed for Israel.

Robert Stearns, executive director of Eagles’ Wings, and founder of the global prayer day, said this year’s prayers for the city were especially poignant and timely.

“The need has never been greater,” he told Travelujah. “The whole world is taking sides regarding Jerusalem.”

Stearns also noted that in his 10 years organising this event that cooperation between believers has never been stronger. Palestinian Christians prayed for the peace of the city alongside Jews and international Christians. Prayer was also lifted up for persecuted Christians around the world and for Israel’s neighbors, including the Palestinians.

“We are not praying because we have all the answers,” Stearns said. “We are praying because we need God’s wisdom.”

Gidon Ariel, an Orthodox Jew who runs Root Source, which promotes understanding and cooperation between Jews and Christians, said that Israel gets to know who her friends her during the tough times.

“This (event) speaks to Israel that you have friends and you are not alone,” he told Travelujah. “These Christians are taking up what they believe to be their responsibility as believers in the God of Israel as He wrote in his Bible to (pray for the peace of Jerusalem).”

Knesset Member Gila Gamliel, deputy chair for the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, and Naomi Tsur, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, were some of the Israeli dignitaries who addressed the event.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

NICOLE JANSEZIAN
Travelujah

Last Friday ushered in the first of several consecutive Jewish - or Biblical - holidays, celebrated in Israel in the autumn in highly festive fashion, beginning with Rosh HaShanah and ending with the Feast of Tabernacles.

During this time, residents of the Jewish country partake in the observations of these holy days, but what about Christians? Many evangelical Christians who live in the Holy Land, and even some who don’t, make it a point to come to Israel, and specifically to Jerusalem, to celebrate these feast days as the Lord commanded in the Bible.

“We recognize that the feasts are not really the Jewish feasts - in the Bible they are called the feasts of the Lord,” Jim Schutz, a Christian who lives in Israel, told Travelujah. “They have a special significance for both Jew and Gentile.”

Christians can relate to the Feast of Tabernacles through its prophetic New Testament meaning, including the return of the Lord, Schutz said. The metaphor of living in tabernacles symbolises believers being strangers in this world, living in temporary tabernacles awaiting another kingdom. Also, the days of repentance and Yom Kippur are symbolic to the Christian of the sacrifice of Yeshua, Schutz outlined.

“The feasts should intensify the whole message, the whole meaning of what our lives are like in Yeshua,” he said.

Schutz, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem liaison to local congregations and international speaker, offered another aspect of celebrating the Biblical feasts: to encourage Christians to identify with the Jewish people and to better grasp the mystery of Israel as explained in Romans 11.

“The whole point of Romans 11 is for the non-Jewish believer to understand God’s heart for the Jewish people,” Schutz explained. “It is so that Gentiles can understand this mystery from the heart of God’s perspective.”

Observing the feasts, though not a requirement, helps a Christian gain that perspective, he said. Schutz and his family will celebrate Rosh HaShanah on Wednesday evening with Jewish friends.

This year thousands of Christians from the nations will join Jews from around the world in “coming up to Jerusalem” during these appointed festivals. Michael Onifer, a leader of the Eagles’ Wings’ Israel tour, is one of them.

“Something that has been lost (among Christians) is the sacredness of space, the holiness of actual geography,” Onifer told Travelujah. “God was very specific about places and certainly about Jerusalem. He had a purpose for choosing the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel. The feasts can be celebrated here in a different way than any other place in the world and were originally intended to be celebrated in Israel.”

Onifer said he makes it a point to be in Israel to observe these holy days. Some 35 Christians joined the Eagles’ Wings tour, purposely scheduled to coincide with the fall feasts.

“There is the very prophetic promise of the nations in coming to worship in Jerusalem and we feel it is in our hands to begin doing that now in anticipation of what the scripture promises,” Onifer said.

Onifer maintains that the feasts are more than a religious activity given to the Jewish people, but an “invitation” for believers to understand God’s heart, times and the places He has chosen.

“This is an invitation to deepen our knowledge of God and to understand how to cooperate with Him and his purposes,” Onifer said.

Rosh HaShanah is known in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets and was mandated in Leviticus 23: 23-25. The following 10 days leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, are known as the days of awe and are a time of repentance. A single Sabbath, known as the Sabbath of Repentance, occurs between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (this year on October 1st) and is marked by a special reading from Hosea 14: 2-10, urging the nation to: “Return, Israel, unto the Lord your God.” Yom Kippur begins at sunset on 7th October. This is considered the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar and is a full fast - no food or water.

And finally, the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, mandated in Leviticus 23: 34-35 and 23: 39-43, begins at sunset on 12th October and concludes at nightfall on 19th October. During Sukkot, Jews build tents or tabernacles in which they eat their meals and sometimes even sleep.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

ELISA MOED
Travelujah

As an Israeli living in Israel, I don’t often have the opportunity to visit the Palestinian Territories. So, when I received an invitation recently to accompany former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now Middle East Quartet Representative, on a visit to Christian holy sites in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, I immediately said “Yes!”

I believe it’s critical for Israelis and Palestinians to further cooperation, especially when it comes to joint tourism. After all, we share the holiest sites on earth!

And for me, as a tourism professional, it’s essential to experience, first hand, the beauty and history of the ancient cites in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. How can I recommend to Christians worldwide what the Holy Land has to offer if I haven’t experienced the sites myself?

So, travel pass in hand, I joined Mr Blair on a day tour of the Nativity route from Nazareth to Bethlehem, an ancient trail which literally winds through the pages of the Bible. We planned to learn about joint Israeli-Palestinian tourism efforts. Logistics, after all, is one of the most critical issues facing tour operators.

Our first stop was Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus. Known today as “The Arab capital of Israel,” the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel of mixed Christian and Muslim heritage and is a center of Christian pilgrimage. We took in the many shrines commemorating Biblical events and Mr Blair met with the mayor and other local leaders to discuss tourism and the city’s request for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Nazareth’s private sector, along with the Israeli Government, is investing in the city’s tourism infrastructure. Nazareth now boasts several excellent restaurants, new hotels, and improved signage and roads. In May 2011, Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Staz Meseznikov, announced plans to invest an additional $US3.5 million to enhance the tourist infrastructure in Nazareth and boost the cultural and leisure offerings in the Galilee city. It is an important beginning.

The ancient walkways of Nazareth’s Old City are clean and friendly. We walked the old market streets and were treated to the beauty of the Church of the Annunciation, the Church of St Gabriel and the White Mosque. The Old City has a variety of tourist accommodations, including an Arab Christian home known as the Fauzi Azar Inn, now a guesthouse catering primarily to younger travellers.

Next we were off to the new Jalameh checkpoint, which opened in October 2009 and serves the Gilboa-Jenin area. It is essential to facilitating much of the area’s trade. Jalameh has spurred economic development in the area. Traffic is up over 500 per cent and over 2,000 vehicles cross daily. Tourism officials are very eager to facilitate access and tourism; tour buses can pass through very quickly, provided they coordinate their route a day ahead. Currently, however, only some 70 buses use the crossing each month, most of them transporting Arab Israeli visitors.

From Jalameh we drove south into the Palestinian Territories to the Haddad Resort Village outside of Jenin. The 80 room property lies about 3 kilometres from Jenin in a picturesque area surrounded by olive trees. The expansive resort boasts a large pool, an amusement park, conference facilities, a museum, and first class hotel rooms. The governor of Jenin welcomed us and joined us for lunch. Speaking with the owner I learned that the resort was frequented by many Israeli Arabs. His hope is that his clientele will come to include visitors from all over the world as well as international NGOs and other organizations looking for a unique venue for their seminars and annual meetings.

By far the most exciting part of the day occurred as we continued to the village of Burq’in. The small historic Palestinian town is situated west of Jenin and has about 7,400 residents, most of them Muslim. The hilly agricultural village is home to the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, considered the fourth or fifth oldest church and one of the holiest in the country and the world.

According to Christian tradition, Jesus came through Burq’in on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth when he heard cries coming from within the village. The pleas for help were coming from 10 lepers who were quarantined in an underground cave, a common practice for people afflicted with this disease. According to Luke 17: 11-19 Jesus encountered them, passed his hand on their faces and they were immediately healed.

“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us! When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed.”

Because of this miracle, the church, which was built by St Helena in the 4th century AD, became a station for Christian pilgrims en route to Jerusalem and Nazareth. According to the local guardian of the church, who led us around the newly renovated holy site, the church is also a place of worship for the village’s Christian Greek Orthodox community and holds a weekly mass. Groups are welcome to visit the newly renovated church and to hold mass there. Access can be arranged by advanced notice.

Tourism development is crucial for both the Israeli and Palestinian economies, as it provides livelihood to tens of thousands of people and stimulates economic development opportunities. As the Quartet representative, Mr Blair is focused on furthering tourism development to provide an immediate and direct economic benefit for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Despite the record numbers of tourists to Israel last year - some 3.45 million - Israel and the Palestinian Territories lagged well behind Jordan (six million tourists), Syria (6.5 million) and Egypt (some 15 million). And this, despite the fact that the Holy Land is the cradle of faith and offers numerous unique travel experiences.

The Office of Quartet Representative Tony Blair has created a Holy Land tourism committee (of which I am a member). The committee is engaged in furthering the overall tourism experience, from improving access to creating programs and joint marketing activities that will benefit both Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

In a meeting in Jerusalem late last week, our Holy Land tourism committee agreed that regardless of what happens in the UN we will continuing moving forward with our cooperative efforts on the ground here promoting tourism to both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The reality which people around the world do not realize is that the private sector is successfully working together and we are determined to continue our efforts to do just that. Traveling here is quite safe and there is no doubt that a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a life-changing spiritual experience.

I spoke with Mr. Blair outside the church in Burq’in about the importance of travel and specifically the faith-based travel segment, which represents an $18 billion industry and the fastest growing segment in travel. I shared my concern that many prospective visitors don’t realize that, with proper coordination, a visit to the Holy Land is perfectly safe. He agreed - and promised to do his best to encourage more people of faith to travel here.

“We have to do a better job at promoting this,” he agreed. “We have to get the word out.”

Elisa Moed writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land. This article was first published by Assist News Service.

GILA ROSE
Travelujah

Israel is the homeland of Jesus of Nazareth and most of His life - birth, ministry, crucifixion and resurrection - happened right here. Wherever you turn, you find remnants of eras past, bearing silent witness to the beginnings of Christianity. Though of the three Abrahamic religions, the Christian population in Israel is the smallest, but still Israel is indeed home to thriving pockets of Christians.

Scattered throughout Israel, especially in the northern section, the Galilee, are small enclaves of Christians, some even living in their own Christian villages. To lead a Christian life in the land of its birth is truly a unique experience. And, in fact, Israel is the only Middle Eastern country in which the Christian population is actually growing.

The kibbutz of Nes Ammim is one such Christian village. Located in the Western Galilee, near the city of Nahariya, Nes Ammim was created in the wake of the Holocaust. Christians in Europe, horrified by the atrocities of the war, decided to do more than offer sympathy. They wanted to lend a hand in building a homeland for the Jewish people. In the early 1960s, the movement settled in Israel.

Like inhabitants of all of the early kibbutzim, the first few years were filled with hard physical labor, as they built the land, literally. They planted avocado orchards, and started a thriving flower industry. Nes Ammim became a popular spot for Christian pilgrims to volunteer, whether for a few weeks, a few months, or even longer. A youth hostel and guesthouse sprung up. But the Intifadas hit the Christian tourism industry hard, and the numbers of guests to Nes Ammim dwindled. The flower industry, too, was hit by rising production costs and withered.

However, the Christian community of Nes Ammim did not simply close up shop. Today, Nes Ammim is synonymous with reflection and peace, offering a neutral arena for dialogue between Jews and Arabs. The volunteers at Nes Ammim facilitate constructive talks between the two sides, and many of them then return to their own homelands as ambassadors for peace. Nes Ammim also runs a guesthouse, which offers modern amenities, as well as guided tours, access to local sites, and a Museum of Jewish-Christian Relations. Come as a guest or stay to volunteer - it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Christian traveler.

Shfar’am, also known by its Arabic name, Shefa-Amr, is another, predominately Arab, village in the Galilee which is home to a large Christian community. Located northeast of Haifa, Shfar’am is mentioned in the Talmud and was once the seat of Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court). Today, the population consists of Druze, Christian, and Muslim residents. There are many fascinating Christian sites in Shfar’am, including an ancient Crusader fort. Byzantine tombs indicate a strong Christian presence here in the 5th and 6th centuries, and on the entrance to the graves are inscriptions which mention Jesus. Another highlight of Shfar’am is an ancient synagogue, recently renovated. St. Jacob’s Church was an active church in the 4th century; now, it is it the site of the Sisters of Nazareth Convent. And the Greek-Catholic community of Shfar’am still prays at St Peter and St Paul’s Church.

In addition to the Christian holy sites, Shfar’am is famous for its mastic-flavored ice cream. (Mastic is a member of the pistachio family). It is also home to the Bet al-Musica Conservatory. The conservatory offers courses in various instruments, and holds concerts and performances throughout the year. There is also the yearly “Fort Festival,” an event fwhich draws people from all over as Arab children compete in a singing contest. The Nakhleh Coffee Company, the leading coffee producer in the Arab world, is based in Shfar’am. More cafes are opening up, drawing tourists and locals alike.

Of course, no mention of Christian communities in the Galilee would be complete without talking about Nazareth. After spending some time in the city proper and visiting the churches, spend a day in “Nazareth Village,” - as its website says, “The Nazareth that Jesus Knew.” The village is a full-scale, authentic reproduction of life in a 1st century Holy Land village. Visit 1st century homes, synagogues, olive presses, and more, all based on archaeological evidence.

Many of the North’s large cities, like Nazareth, Haifa, and Tiberias, have sizable Christian presences. Visit the Scot’s Hotel in Tiberias, run by the Church of Scotland. Haifa is home to a Maronite church, a Carmelite church, and St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Parish Church, in addition to the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery.

While touring the Holy Land, make sure to visit the villages and enclaves of fellow Christians, to see first-hand that Christianity, a strong presence in the land hundreds of years ago, is still a vibrant - and growing - presence today.

Gila Rose writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land. This article was published on Assist News Service.

NICOLE JANSEZIAN
Travelujah

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul is celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox and a few other Christian denominations on 29th June, marking the martyrdoms of the two great apostles of Christendom.

In Israel, at least three churches are dedicated to Peter, the disciple who declared to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God”. Solemn masses will take place on Wednesday at all three of these churches in Jaffa, Tagbha and Tiberias. The churches will hold a solemn mass and ordinations on this day. Another church named for Peter is St Peter Gallicantu in Jerusalem.

“It is a big feast for the church,” Father Athanasius Macora told Travelujah. “Peter and Paul were considered to be the great apostles. Of all the apostles, these two stand out for various reasons.”

Peter, a Galilean, was a fisherman by trade. He was one of the few apostles who witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus. Peter was the most outspoken of Jesus’ 12 disciples and is mentioned in the gospels more than the others. His boldness led to the salvation of 3,000 people on the day of Pentecost as he preached his first public message. Peter became a natural leader of the early church.

Paul was a Pharisee of the highest order who persecuted the first believers. His dramatic conversion took place as he was heading toward Damascus. His salvation turned him from persecutor to missionary plus he became the most prolific writer of the New Testament, setting church doctrine. His ministry was mainly to the gentiles. He was born in Tarsus, located in present-day eastern Turkey. He was a tentmaker by profession and was a Roman citizen.

While Paul’s missionary journeys took him around the Middle East, Europe and Asia Minor, Peter’s ministry was concentrated in Israel. Accordingly, several sites in Israel are dedicated to Peter including the three churches and Capernaum, his home town .

Both Peter and Paul were believed to be martyred on the same day.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land

NICOLE JANSEZIAN
Travelujah

“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” John 19: 17-19

Through occasional rain drops and thick clouds, thousands of Christian pilgrims carrying wooden crosses made their way along the slick stones of the Via Dolorosa to retrace the steps of Jesus as he carried his cross to Gologotha and was crucified on Good Friday in Jerusalem.

The Via Dolorosa, or the Way of Suffering, is marked by 14 Stations of the Cross, where Jesus is believed to have stopped on his way to Golgotha. The final four stations are in side the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Some 100,000 Christian pilgrims from Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, Russia, Armenia, France, the United States and many other nations, are visiting the Holy Land for Easter Week. Hundreds were crowded into the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre this morning awaiting their turn inside the church that most Orthodox and Catholic Christians contain the original crucifixion and burial site.

Jesus was sentenced and crucified on Good Friday, and rose from the dead three days later.

“It is awesome, how can I explain?” said Meaza Yohannes, an Ethiopian pilgrim who was in Israel for the first time. “Especially for me being a Bible teacher. Everything that is in the Bible I am seeing with my own eyes. The Bible is coming alive.”

An Italian tourist, Mirella from Florence, said that every stone in the Old City was special.

Local Christians were busy preparing for the holiday, the highlight of the Christian calendar for the community here. Candles were being sold in anticipation of the Saturday of Light, the climax of festivities for Orthodox Christians.

On Good Friday, each church held its own procession from its Old City headquarters to the Holy Sepulchre to hold mass there. Some churches hold a burial service in the afternoon as well and then prayer vigils in dark churches throughout the night.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

NICOLE JANSEZIAN,
Travelujah

The Holy Sepulchre is more than just a large, ancient church, but is a holy site for Orthodox and Catholic Christians divided into many smaller chapels dedicated to different parts of the Easter story.

Also known as the Church of the Resurrection, the cavernous church commemorates the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ’s burial. It sits on the edge of the Christian Quarter in the Old City and is home to several Christian denominations: Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox and the (Latin) Roman Catholic are the larger denominations while the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox also possess rights and properties in the building.

Originally built by Constantine’s mother in 330 AD on top of a pagan worship site, inside the church many first-century tombs hewn from rock were discovered there, one identified as that of Joseph of Arimathea, used for the body of Jesus after his resurrection.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has weathered many attacks during various periods of history in the Holy Land. Most of the present building is the result of 12th-century reconstruction by the crusaders. Since 1520, the keys of the church have been kept by a Muslim family rather than one of the Christian groups.

Because many denominations share the building, disputes often arise regarding the space. One is the continuing dispute between the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox concerning ownership rights in the Chapel of the Ethiopians, located on the roof of the Chapel of St. Helena. Also, during Easter fights sometimes break out between the Greek and Armenian Orthodox during the Holy Fire ceremony.

Click here for a list of services and the various chapels in which they take place.

The following is a description of the chapels and significant locations within the church, memorializing the death and resurrection of Christ.

The Tomb of Jesus
The tomb, also known as the edicule, is at the center of the Holy Sepulchre Church, and symbolically sits under the largest dome in the church. The tomb is used in turn by all of the denominations for daily mass. A rectangular, tall structure built of red granite and adorned with candlesticks outside the door, the edicule houses two small rooms - the Chapel of The Angel and the tomb itself. The Chapel of the Angel contains a stone, which represents part of the larger stone that was rolled away from Christ’s tomb on the day of the resurrection, according to tradition. On this stone is an imprint of a hand believed to be that of one of the angels who waited in tomb to announce the resurrection. A Greek monk is always present in this room to guard the Tomb of Christ. The Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre contains the tomb of Christ, the 14th Station of the Cross and the holiest site in Christendom. A marble slab lies in the place where Jesus was laid.

Stone of Anointing
Upon entering the Holy Sepulchre from the spacious courtyard, the Stone of the Anointing or Unction, lies just beyond the iron doors. Tradition has it that this is the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was anointed and wrapped in a clean linen cloth according to the Jewish tradition of those days. The limestone slab dates to 1808 replacing the one destroyed in the 12th century. Opulent lamps hang above the stone. Many pilgrims stop here first to kiss the stone before moving on to the rest of the church.

Golgotha (or Calvary)
To the right of the stone is a staircase that leads to two chapels on the tip of Golgotha, where Jesus was nailed to the cross. The first room is a Catholic Franciscan Chapel with an altar dedicated to the Nailing of the Cross (Station 11 of the Via Dolorosa). The Greek Orthodox Calvary is the second room, with the actual Rock of Golgotha (Station 12 of the Via Dolorosa) that can be seen through glass. Pilgrims may touch the rock through a small opening in the glass.

The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene
This Franciscan chapel, to the north of the tomb, is believed to the where Mary Magdalene watched Jesus’ burial, as recounted in Mark 15:47, and also encountered Jesus after his resurrection. This is the Catholic area of the church.

The Prison of Christ
This small area is believed to be where Jesus was temporarily held with the two thieves before he was crucified.

The Chapel of the Division of the Robe
The Armenian chapel is the location at which it is believed the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ robe according to John 19:24.

The Chapel of St. Longinus
The Greek chapel is dedicated to Longinus, the Roman soldier who led the group of soldiers that escorted Jesus to Golgotha. According to Matthew 27:54, after the crucifixion the Roman centurion acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God.

The Chapel of the Crowning of the Thorns
This Greek Orthodox chapel is located at the base of Golgotha and, as the name suggests, memorializes the abuse Jesus suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers. According to John 19:2, the soldiers mocked Jesus and put on him a purple robe and crown of thorns. A small fragment of the column from the Prison of Christ is in this chapel.

The Catholicon
The main chapel facing the Tomb of Christ is a large rectangular area with a dome and is considered the “naval of the world” - the spiritual center of the earth (Ezekiel 38:12). Two thrones are on the altar, one for the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the other for the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. The ornate chapel is a large area used by the Greek Orthodox.

The Chapel of St. Helena/Chapel of St. Gregory
The Greeks consider this Helena’s Chapel while the Armenians call it the Chapel of St. Gregory. Located at the base of the stairs near the Crowning of the Thorns, there is a throne and an original mosaic from the church which has been preserved. Along the stairway small crosses carved by medieval pilgrims are etched into the wall. The chapel has two apses, one dedicated to the repentant thief and the other to St. Helena, mother of Constantine who searched for the true cross, according to tradition.

The Chapel of St. Vartan
This Armenian chapel, not often open to the public, is adjacent to St. Helena’s Chapel and was only discovered in the 1970s. Remnants of the wall date back to the 2nd century and one is etched with a merchant ship and an inscription which translates “Lord, we shall go.”

The Chapel of the Finding of the Cross
According to tradition, St. Helen discovered Jesus’ cross here in 330 AD. She found three crosses - one for Jesus and the two thieves crucified with him. She brought a sick man to touch each cross and determined that the one at which the man was healed was the cross of Christ.

The Coptic Chapel
Located on the other side of the tomb, the small chapel has its own separate entrance.

The Syrian Chapel
For the Syrian Orthodox Christians, this chapel on the east end of the church was used for burials in Jesus’ time.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy Land.

NICOLE JANSEZIAN
Travelujah

In a big boost to Israeli tourism, hundreds of Christians with several leading pastors and politicians from the United States visited Israel this month to tour the Holy Land and to meet with key leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres.

These visitors help continue the trend of record-setting tourism numbers in the Holy Land. According to figures published today by the Central Bureau of Statistics, some 250,000 tourists visited Israel in January, a record for the month with a 17 per cent increase on January 2010.

During the tour, Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen held an event called a Night of Hope at the Jerusalem Theater last week. Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) aired the service earlier this week.

“As Christians, Victoria and I feel that it is important to stand in support of the nation of Israel and the Jewish people,” Osteen said in a statement. “As always, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. That’s our Christian roots. That’s where our faith started.”

Osteen, one of America’s most well-known Christian figures, pastors a 40,000-member church in Lakewood, Texas. His services are televised weekly and he has several books that have made The New York Times bestsellers list. Osteen was also named as one of ABC News personality Barbara Walters’ 10 most fascinating people of 2006.

The Osteens were part of an 800-person tour organized by TBN and led by Matt and Laurie Crouch of TBN.

At the same time, former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Huckabee made his 15th trip to the Holy Land. An ardent supporter of the country, Huckabee broadcast his Fox TV show from Israel. He was ccompanied by actor Jon Voight.

Another notable Christian on the tour was Kim Clement, a prophet and teacher originally from South Africa. Clement, who now resides in the US, visited Israel for the second time. He is planning to lead a large tour to Israel in September.

Nicole Jansezian writes for www.travelujah.com, the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Users can learn, plan and share their travel experiences on Travelujah.