The overpowering history of the Holy Land in Jerusalem

One of the few universally shared human ritual practices is the pilgrimage. As a living practice, it can be witnessed today in the Americas and in Europe; in Asia and Africa; in Russia or in between. World Christian Encyclopedia (1982) cites, “To Lourdes, four million people, many from the educated middle class go each year. Some two million others educated and illiterate together, travel annually to Mecca. Ten million pilgrims visit sites on the Ganges in India at specific intervals. Many of the world’s 647 million Hindus, 295 million Buddhists, 175 million evangelical Christians and manifold Jewish mystics would say they are always on pilgrimage.”

Politics and pilgrimage

The major pilgrim site of Jerusalem is central to three faiths; the Dome of the Rock for the Muslims, the Temple of Solomon for the Jews, and the site of Jesus Christ’s life, passion and crucifixion for Christians. An explosive issue, this has often triggered war between the Jews and Arabs. Yugoslavia, where the shrine of Medjugorje has been frequented, is now a war zone between the Serbs and Croatians. In the global West-East struggle, pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa in Poland has lately served political ends. In short, political masters have made good use of pilgrimage fever. Our own Filipino politicians have taken advantage of similar sites in our country.

In early December of 1965, I had just concluded the Montessori training in London. This extended special course in English was arranged for me by Mr. Mario Montessori after a one-year course in Italy. There after I flew to the Holy Land to spend Christmas with my husband Max. It was quite a discovery to observe that the holy estampita card versions of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, Via Dolorosa and Calvary were quite different in reality. The mind, accustomed to the divine Christ of Western churches, encounters in Jerusalem the memory of Jesus the Man, the Jesus who ate and slept and became weary.

Celebrating Christmas, Easter and Pentecost in Jerusalem

When one visits the Holy Land anytime of the year, he celebrates Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. These major feasts of the Christian world embraces the stepping down of God on earth, His holy birth in Bethlehem, the three years of public life, teaching, healing and creating miracles around Galilee. This life ended at the age of 33 with His betrayal, passion and crucifixion; His Resurrection from the dead and the coming of the Holy Spirit. These last events occurred in the holy city of Jerusalem.

There is an overpowering history of all the Jerusalem lying centuries down under the present labyrinth roads. Layers of civilizations since the time of Christ are piled one on top of the other — the Roman city of Hadrian, the early Christian city of Constantine, the Jerusalem of Omar, the Jerusalem of the Crusades, the Jerusalem of Saladin, the Jerusalem of Sulieman and the many Turkish Jerusalems - thrusting their relics through the soil, almost strike terror into the mind. To walk through Jerusalem is to walk through history. Beneath one’s feet and scattered around in every direction lie the bones of the past.

Passing through the gate of St. Stephen, the hillside opposite it was the Mount of Olives. We descended to the bottom of the valley and followed a small rocky road on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. To the right is a clump of cypress trees with a wall round them. This is the Garden of Gethsemane. City has followed city on the hill opposite, but the Garden, so near that in the evening the shadow of Jerusalem’s wall falls across it, has remained today as it must have been in the time of Jesus. Dotted about the garden are eight aged olive trees of tremendous girth. They are more like rocks than trees. These trees still bear fruit from which the monks press oil.

The Last Supper and David’s tomb

Somewhere on the Mount of Olives, Christ bade Peter and John to go down into the city that lie below them and arrange the Upper Room for the Last Supper. Christ’s command was: “Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.” The two disciples must have followed the servant with the pitcher up a steep hill, ascending paved terraces just like those in modern David Street, until they came to the house which one of the strongest and most wonderful traditions in the history of Christianity has associated with the Last Supper. It stands today just a few paces outside the Zion Gate, and was known from Roman times onwards as the Coenaculum. This building was the Upper Chamber of the Gospel in which the Last Supper was held, and where Jesus appeared to His followers.

All the early pilgrims to Palestine mention the fine church that had been built on this site. It was one of the holiest places in the world. During the 16th century, a report was spread that the tomb of David full of rich treasure, lay beneath it, and the Franciscans, who had the guardianship, were driven out by the Muslims. They seized the church and turned it into a shrine. It is still a Muslim shrine called Nebi Daoud — the Tomb of David.

The Upper Room is of crusading work. No Christian is allowed to kneel in it, and the Muslim guide hurries you through it as swiftly as possible. The ground floor, which is supposed to contain the tomb of David, is absolutely barred to Christians.

Via Dolorosa

No motor traffic can ever invade the narrow lanes of old Jerusalem. Everyone walks by oneself or with a group of pilgrims, nuns and monks. It descends in a series of steps, with a line of booths on each side. It is so narrow, and so packed with people of all kinds, of all ages and all sizes, that you often stand helplessly with a donkey’s head over your shoulder and a sack of millet against your face.

Carinderias (food stalls) with the typical Middle East mayonnaise made of chickpeas - humus, a wide variety of fresh vegetable salad, pickled fish, unleavened flat bread alternate with melon, orange and cucumber stands. Meantime, we came into a short alley marked Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross.

The Via Dolorosa was mercifully short — scarcely a thousand paces. It lay from the Praetorium to the Gate Genath, H.V. Morton in his book, “In the Steps of the Master,” researched on the event of Jesus’ carrying of His cross on His way to Calvary. He relates: “Those who have thronged the streets near the Praetorium would have seen the terrible, but familiar, procession of death. A centurion in charge of a half maniple of the Twelfth Legion came first, riding on horseback and clearing a path through the narrow streets. Behind him walked a legionary bearing a notice board on a pole. Written in red on a background of white gypsum was a brief account of the crimes committed by those about to die.”

“Jesus followed, bearing His cross-beam, clothed no longer in the scarlet gown of the mockery but, as St. Matthew tells us, in his own raiment. He did not wear the crown of thorns, which was carried by one of the executioners in order that He might be crowned again on the cross. Worn out with suffering and with emotion, our Lord was unable to keep pace with the procession, and it seems that in the pressing into service of Simon, the Cyrenian, we may detect a touch of kindness on the part of the centurion, Longinus, who was soon to testify to the Divinity of his Prisoner and to embrace the Christian faith.”

The two thieves followed, bearing the cross-beams; and behind them, marching six to the rank, came the remainder of the half maniple, spear on the shoulder.

Visiting the Sepulchre

As soon as we appeared in the Jaffa Road, we were surrounded by whispering Turkish men, haggling with the tourists. “You come with me to the Holy Sepulchre!” they whispered. “I show you everything!” We shook them off and went on alone.

The Holy Sepulchre is a puzzling collection of churches. It is, at first, difficult to understand its confusing topography. It is, in essentials, a round church, with the tomb of Christ in the center of it. A large crusading choir leads from it, round which cluster a series of chapels. Some distance away and 14 feet higher than the rest of the church, is a chapel built over the holy hill of Golgotha.

The Tomb of Jesus Christ is a small cell lined with marble, six and a half feet long, and six feet wide. Only two or, at the most, three people can enter at one time. From the marble roof of this tiny cell hang lamps which belong in various proportions to the Greek, Latin Armenian and Coptic Churches. The Roman Catholics are known in Palestine as Latins.

The pilgrims’ adoration at the tomb of Christ

Matilde Serano has drawn the crowd who visit the Tomb very accurately in her book, “In the Country of Jesus.” She states: “The silent ghost-like throng never looks to left or right, lost in earnest prayer, meditation, and sad memories, it seems oblivious of all else but its intense desire to plead in this Holy of Holies for pardon to the great Consoler of all the afflicted.... Thus all these believers, these Christians of every nation come so far with such exalted, unwavering faith, each bringing that special character of adoration, which is peculiar to his own land, soul, race, and temperament.”

It seemed to me that each of the simple, contrite creatures kneeling there in the half-light at the door-way of Christ’s Tomb was a symbol, not only of the questioning ache at the heart of humanity, but also of the answer.