Jerusalem's Twin Holy Mountains - Mount of Olives and Mount Zion (2)

Continuing from the previous article, this time I will continue to introduce the remaining scenic spots on the Mount of Olives and the scenic spots on Mount Zion.

Jewish Cemetery
The Jewish Cemetery is located between the foot of the Mount of Olives and the mountainside. It is considered one of the oldest and largest Jewish cemeteries in the world. Only the most devout Jews can be buried here, and it is difficult to find one. Therefore, those who can be buried in Jewish cemeteries are generally very wealthy businessmen or prominent figures in society such as politicians, government officials, public figures or writers, etc. The Jewish cemetery is not open to the public.

Garden of Gethsamane
The Garden of Gethsemane is an orchard at the foot of the Mount of Olives. According to biblical records, Jesus prayed here with his disciples the night before he was crucified. There is a stone tablet in the Garden of Gethsemane, and what is engraved on it is the scripture that Jesus and his disciples prayed that night. In addition, there are many olive trees planted in the orchard, and their thick trunks tell the story of its thousands of years of history. The Garden of Gethsemane is free to visit and is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Church of All Nations
The Church of All Nations is located next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The church we see now was rebuilt from 1919 to 1924, and the funds came from donations from believers in 16 countries, so it is called the Church of All Nations. The Church of All Nations has a lofty status in the minds of Christians. It is said that Jesus knew that he was about to die. He prayed with tears and cried loudly here the night before he was arrested. It may be for this reason that the light in the church is extremely dark. And the glass of the windows is not transparent to express sadness. It is free to visit the Church of All Nations and is open from Monday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Tomb of the Virgin
The Tomb of the Virgin Mary is located next to the Church of All Nations. It is built underground. You need to go down through the tunnel, but there is a cave inside. The ceiling of the cemetery is covered with fallen lamps and is very ornately decorated, while the walls of the tomb are covered with oil paintings depicting stories of various characters in the Bible. According to legend, after Maria finished her life, her soul and body ascended to heaven. The tomb, where Maria was buried after her death, is now empty.

Mount Zion is located in the southwest of the old city. It is another holy place for Christians. Because there are the footsteps that Jesus walked here, it is also called the Mountain of the Holy City. According to Hebrew, Mount Zion means the holy place of tranquility, a place of peace given by God. To get to Mount Zion, you can start from Damascus Gate and walk about 15 minutes to reach it, a distance of about one kilometer.

Church Saint-Peter in Gallicantu
The Cockcrow Church is located on Mount Zion and was built in 1932. The Latin word Gallicantu means cockcrow. This is considered the place where Jesus was arrested and interrogated. It was named because Peter denied the Lord by crowing three times here. The church is divided into three floors and is built against the mountain. The biggest feature of the church is that half of the entire church is carved out of the rocks under the Old City of Jerusalem, which is very special. The entrance fee to Jiming Church is ILS10 (HKD22), and the opening hours are from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Church & Monastery of the Dormition
The Dormition Church and its monastery were built in 1906 by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to commemorate the death of the Virgin Mary. The church is divided into two floors. The upper floor is where the sanctuary and altar are located. The sanctuary is full of mosaics depicting the stories of Jesus' family, bishops and many church saints. The underground church is a place commemorating the death of the Virgin Mary and houses a statue of Mary sleeping. Admission to the Dormition Church is free and open from 10 am to 5 pm.

King David’s Tomb
King David of Israel was the most righteous king among the many kings of Israel and the greatest warrior. The Tomb of King David is located on Mount Zion. Although this tomb is called the Tomb of King David, it is not the place where David was buried. The memorial tomb here is of course empty, but it is the Jewish successor to the Western Wall. It is another holy place for pilgrimage. Every day, countless Jews squeeze into the small tomb to perform pilgrimage. What's special is that King David's Tomb, like the Western Wall, is divided into two passages for men and women, and neither side is allowed to enter the other's area. The Tomb of King David is free to visit and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Sunday to Friday (open until 2 p.m. on Fridays).

Room of the Last Supper
The Last Supper refers to the last Passover meal that Jesus and his disciples had. The dinner room was an empty room with nothing in it. It is impossible to verify whether this is the place where the Last Supper actually took place. However, since it is free to visit, if you pass by, you can also Why not drop by here? The Last Supper is open every day from 8am to 6pm.