Holy Land

Psychologist have defined a definite disorder called “the Jerusalem syndrome.” People will come to Jerusalem and imagine that they are actually here in the time of King David or of Jesus. Some are so taken with the old city that they will assume the identity of some famous inhabitants of ancient Israel and stay here for the rest of their lives impersonating some Biblical or historical person. While we did not dive into the old city as deeply as they do, there is no question that this place is intoxicating. Although none of the members of our party dressed like Julius Caesar or King Solomon, as we visited the sites recorded in the gospels, members of our group repeatedly started to sing the song “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked.” This song was never intended to be a congregational him, but was rather a solo made popular in the 1940s by George Beverly Shea, the lead singer for the Billy Graham Crusades. Unfortunately after the first two lines our fellow travelers didn’t know the words. It really was embarrassing to go through this musical malfunction at every site we visited.

But I understand their rapture with this old city. It is hard to be here without wondering how it must have been when Jesus walked the steps we saw outside the temple area. As we walked toward the Church of the Dormition, we retraced another stairway that Jesus must have trod as he was led to be tried before Caiaphas. We saw in the basement of the High Priest’s house a holding cell used as a temporary jail. The only way in or out is a small hole in the ceiling. Prisoners were dumped in, and hauled out by a rope. It is nearly indisputable that the body of Christ dropped through that hole. The Crusaders who saw it in the eleventh century also knew of this tradition and believed it to be true. One of them carved a cross in the stone pierced by that hole.

Nearby is the traditional location of the Upper Room and the tomb of King David. Not far away, we visited not only the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the probable site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, but also “Gordon’s Calvary.” Our guide showed us a small brass marker near the Dome of the Rock showing the exact location of the Holy of Holies in the Second Temple. We visited the Church of St. Anne, built by Crusaders, who left the walls unadorned. The echo bouncing around the bare granite nave is ethereal. No wonder concerts are still held here, including some by monks who come to present Gregorian chants sounding as though they were composed in heaven. Less than fifty feet away, and ten feet below the present ground level, away lie the ruins of a marketplace unearthed by archaeologists. Circumstantial evidence and local oral tradition link this spot to confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees.

The oral tradition locating these holy sites is quite strong. Many of these traditions go back to Constantine‘s mother, Saint Helena, who was here in the late third century A.D. She traveled to the so-called holy land to find the location of all of these sites. She was introduced to elderly Christians around town who had known in their youth other elders who had lived just after the time of Christ. They may have known people who were acquainted with the apostles. Helena’s guides led her to these sites, which she marked by erecting a chapel. Over the centuries many of St. Helena’s little chapels have been replaced by huge basilicas, and with their notoriety arose dozens of restaurants and souvenir shops selling every kind of cheap religious trinket imaginable.

The site known as “Gordon’s Calvary “is probably not the actual place of Jesus burial. It was discovered by an extremely devout 19th century British general known as “Chinese Gordon.” It is unquestionably a first-century tomb very much like the one which held the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. It still has its six-foot-in-diameter round stone disk which once sealed this tomb. Many people prefer it to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher because “Gordon’s Calvary’s” bucolic surroundings are much more tranquil than the overdeveloped commercialism surrounding the probable site of Jesus crucifixion and burial. Gordon’s “garden tomb“ is surrounded by a beautiful little park where one can spend a moment in quiet devotion. Such a thing is not possible at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher..

These churches are everywhere. In fact, I asked a friend, “ What was your favorite place in Israel?”

He thought for just a second, and said, “The Sea of Galilee.”
“Why the Sea of Galilee? “I asked.

“Because it’s the only place in the whole country that doesn’t have a church built on top of it.”Read more