Day 5: Old City of Jerusalem & the Via Dolorosa

A morning view looking west from the Mt. of Olives as we prepared to visit the old city of Jerusalem

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Street sign in the Old City of Jerusalem written in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

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Walking across the Kidron Valley from the Mt. of Olives our group enters the Old City of Jerusalem through the Lion’s Gate

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Here is our group just inside the Lion’s Gate near the start of the Via dolorosa

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We traversed the old city and visited all stations of the cross.  The first nine are outside, but the last five are inside the Church of the Sepulcher.  There 14 stations of cross.  This mosaic depicts the last 3 stations.  The picture is shot showing station 14, 13 and 12 from left to right.

Via Dolorosa Church of the sepulcher

Approaching the Church of the Holy Sepulcher from within the Old City of Jerusalem

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Shrine in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to mark the spot of the cross of Jesus on the top of Golgotha

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The Church of the Flagellation is the second stop on the Via Dolorosa (the place where Jesus was whipped or flogged)  This is a picture of the ceiling above the sanctuary.

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On our journey to the old city from the Mount of Olives, through the Garden of Gethsemane.  Just beyond the St. Stephen’s gate (the Lions’ Gate) we stopped at  St. Ann’s church, and yet again, met a mother cat and her 2 kittens.  We sang Amazing Grace in the church with Mary Helen.  The acoustics are incredible.  When we stopped singing, the sound reverberated for almost 30 seconds.st annskitten at st Anns