#church of the holy sepulchre

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The Immovable Ladder of Jerusalem

At first glance, it seems like an ordinary wooden ladder, but this small object beneath a window of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has remained untouched for centuries.

Known as the Immovable Ladder, its story is deeply tied to the status quo agreement governing this sacred site.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by six Christian denominations — Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac Orthodox.

Since 1852, the status quo agreement has ensured that no changes can be made to the church’s structure or furnishings without unanimous consent from all six groups.

This fragile balance of power has preserved peace within the church but has also left the ladder untouched for over 250 years.

Whether a symbol of unity or division, the ladder remains frozen in time, a quiet reminder of the delicate compromises that hold the world’s most sacred spaces together.

[qlqniel]

Cubes, cupolas, corners and curvatures

Jerusalem, October 2019

[divinum-pacis]

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, center right, attends the Washing of the Feet ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

[postcard-from-the-past]

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Palestine

French vintage postcard

[dramoor]

~This photo was taken at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on a pilgrimage in May, 2019. I don't know the pilgrim who took it, but I saw it at the time, as it was passed to some of us there. I was one of the pilgrims in this group and can verify that there was no one standing at the doors to the Tomb of Christ; after the person took the photo with a camera phone, this figure was in the photo.~ (Click on the picture to view the video.)

(Video posted by John Lau)

~This is my photo of the doors. There was no one standing there.~

(Photo © dramoor May 4, 2019, Tomb of Christ, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem)

[honeybeelullaby]

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

[jontycrane]

Jerusalem Old City

One of the holiest and most contentious places on earth, the Old City of Jerusalem is a hugely historic area, significant to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Visiting it can be overwhelming, in terms of the maze of streets and number of people, including many tour groups. There are four main gates into the Old City, and a number of smaller gates. The Damascus Gate was the original entrance to the…

[bibleblender]

New article has been published on https://www.bibleblender.com/2023/bible-stories/new-testament/matthew/death-burial-jesus-matthew-27-45-27-66

The death and burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:45 - 27:66).

Pilate told them, “Take a guard of soldiers and make it as secure as possible.” So they went with soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

What did Jerusalem’s main road look like about 1,500 years ago?

An archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2010 near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate brought to life a 1,500 year-old map.

The Madaba Map is an ancient mosaic map that paves the floor of Saint George’s Church in the city of Madaba, Jordan.

The map, created in 6th-7th centuries CE, depicts the Land of Israel during the Byzantine period.

It clearly shows the entrance into Jerusalem from the west via a central single gate that led to the main street of the city.

In the past, the reliability of the map, which, among other buildings, provides the earliest visual description of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, has been questioned.

The excavation, located near David Street known to tourists as the terraced shopping street exposed for the first time, archaeological evidence of Jerusalem’s central street from about 1,500 years ago.

The salvage excavation, carried out in the wake of infrastructure works undertaken in the area and funded by the Jerusalem Development Authority, gave the archaeologists and the public a rare glimpse into archaeological remains underlying the asphalt and the paving stones.

Familiar with the Madaba Map, Dr. Ofer Sion, Director of the Excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, suspected that the ancient main street underlay the modern road.

"After removing a several archaeological layers, about 4.5m below modern street level, we were excited to discover the large stone slabs, each about one meter long, that were part of the ancient street.

It’s great to see that today’s bustling David Street preserves the route of the Byzantine-period busy street from 1,500 years ago.”

The Madaba Map, whose extant part measures 16x5m, depicts the land of Israel as known to the mosaic artist.

Map encompasses the entire country, with emphasis on Jerusalem and its Christian sites.

It shows that many churches were first constructed in Jerusalem during this period, when city underwent a religious transformation from a pagan to a Christian city.

The churches can be identified by their red tiled roofs illustrated on the map.

© Israel Antiquities Authority

[jesus-had-relatives]

#9 Tomb of Mary

On the east side of Jerusalem there is a deep valley and ravine called the Kidron Valley or the Valley of the Cedron.  Part of it is also called the Valley of Josaphat.  There are olive groves and cemeteries on the other side of the valley.  The Garden of Gethsemani was an olive grove. Church of the Sepulchre of Saint Mary North of the Garden of Gethsemani there are some first century tombs cut…

[escritoire-for-the-light]

World Changing Events : July 15

There are some very noteworthy and world changing

events , literally , that have occurred on this date :

July 15. Some of the events that are highlighted

below was actually a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.

Here's a wiki link to this date's page , and within

that page are many more links that you can do

some exploring about the topics contained therein .

Enjoy !

Here are a few of the topics that changed the world :

70 – First Jewish–Roman War: Titus and his armies breach the walls of Jerusalem. (17th of Tammuz in the Hebrew calendar).

{ SEE the Gospel of Luke 21 for the prophecy from Jesus. }

1099 – First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.

1149 – The reconstructed Church of the Holy Sepulchre is consecrated in Jerusalem.

1799 – The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign.

1941 – The Holocaust: Nazi Germany begins the deportation of 100,000 Jews from the occupied Netherlands to extermination camps.[4]

.................................................

For personal reasons , I am adding the following :

1806 – Pike Expedition: United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the west.

~ ~Below is a copy/paste from wiki : ~ ~

Pike in Colorado

" On November 15, Pike recorded the first sight of the distant mountain Tava which he called "Grand Peak".[7] It has since been called Pikes Peak in his honor. Pike tried to climb the peak, hoping to get a view of the surrounding area to record on maps, the 14,000-foot (4,300 m) summit. Pike's group ascended a lesser summit nearby—likely Mount Rosa.[8] With winter threatening, Pike pressed onward up the Arkansas, and on December 7 the party reached Royal Gorge, a spectacular canyon on the Arkansas at the base of the Rocky Mountains. "

[streamingthruamerica]

Crossing into Israel

Leah and I were up at dawn, waiting for the car that would shuttle us from Amman W Hotel to Allenby Bridge, while the balance of our Viking posse was flying from Queen Alia International Airport to various destinations across America.

Dateline: January 28, 2023 Leah and I were up at dawn, waiting for the car that would shuttle us from Amman W Hotel to Allenby Bridge, while the balance of our Viking posse was flying from Queen Alia International Airport to various destinations across America. We were excited about 9 extra days of travel throughout Israel, but we were having a last-minute case of shpilkes (anxiety) about our…

[divinum-pacis]

A nun attends the Catholic Washing of the Feet ceremony during Easter Holy Week in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on March 28, 2024 [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]

[postcard-from-the-past]

Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Palestine

British vintage postcard