HOLY SEPULHER
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endeavors without the written permission of Nazareth Travel Group
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1. |
Entrance Hall |
12. |
Coptic Chapel |
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2. |
Muslims Guards |
13. |
Jacobite Chapel |
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3. |
Stone of the Unction |
14. |
Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea |
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4. |
Chapel of Adam |
15. |
Altar of Mary Magdalene |
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Golgotha is 5, 6, and 7 |
16. |
Franciscan Church |
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5. |
Altar of the Nails of the Cross |
17. |
Arches of the Virgin Mary |
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6. |
Altar of Stabat Mater |
18. |
Holy Prison |
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7. |
Altar of the Crucifixion |
19. |
Chapel of Longinus |
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8. |
Catholicon or Greek Cathedral |
20. |
Chapel of the Division of the Holy Robes |
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9. |
Place of Mourning |
21. |
Chapel of Saint Helena |
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10. |
Rotunda and Tomb of Christ |
22. |
Chapel of Derision |
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11. |
Sepulcher of Christ |
23. |
Latin Choir |
The Holy Sepulcher or the Sacred Tomb, in Arabic called Al-Qeyamah, which means the Resurrection. It is no doubt the most important shrine in the Christian world. On the grounds of the Holy Sepulcher it is believed that Jesus Christ (pbuh) was crucified, buried and rose from the dead.
Today the keys to the basilica are in the hands of a prominent Palestinian Muslim family. The doors of the Holy Sepulcher open every morning at 7 am and close at 8 pm. This ceremony is performed in the presence of a Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and a Roman Catholic priest.
Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Roman Catholics, Copts, Ethiopians and Syrian Orthodox all share rights to the church. These rights came as the result of a status quo agreement negotiated at the time of the Ottoman Turks 200 years ago. The agreement governs time and space for the Holy Sepulcher. The different communities conduct their prayers at appointed hours, filling the church with a continuous cycle of prayers.
"And Jesus walked out of the city, carrying His Cross to a place called Calvary", which means in ancient Aramaic Golgotha, the Scull. There he was crucified. He was then laid in a new tomb provided by Joseph of Arimathea. The tomb was close to the place of his death.
Pilgrims started visiting the Holy Sepulcher about 2000 years ago, on the resurrection day, when Mary Magdalene and the disciples of Jesus went to the Tomb and found it empty.
The original Church was built by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, after destroying the temple built by Herodian 132-135. Herodian built his temple in an attempt to erase any traces of Christianity and dedicated it to the gods Jupiter, Junon and Venus.
But most of what we see today is the work of the Crusaders, who in the year 1149 built the great basilica over Calvary and the empty Tomb of Jesus.
The basilica is a collection of chapels clustered around the rock of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus (pbuh).
Golgotha
Golgotha or Calvary is where Jesus (pbuh) was crucified. On this hilltop the Roman Catholics celebrate the tenth to the thirteenth Stations of the Cross. The church is split in two parts. The left section belongs to the Greek Orthodox and the right to the Roman Catholics. The tenth station is commemorated at the top of the stairs leading to Calvary where Jesus (pbuh) was stripped of his garments. The eleventh station is at the silver altar where Jesus was nailed to the cross. The twelfth station is on the Greek Orthodox altar, where Jesus died upon the cross. The limestone rock underneath shows where the Cross of Jesus stood as well as the crosses of the two thieves crucified with him. The great schism which was caused by the earthquake that took place at the time of Christ's death is also visible.
