Stations of the Cross with brief reflections. Who carried the cross of Jesus to Calvary? Himself or Simon of Cyrene

Lesson 1. Feast of the renewal of the Temple of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (The Resurrection of Jesus Christ serves as proof of His Divinity) I. The Feast of the renovation, that is, consecration, of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, which is taking place now, is established as follows. The place where

The Path to Golgotha ​​Then the soldiers took Jesus to the judgment seat, stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him - the crimson-colored clothing worn by nobles. Then they wove a crown of thorns and placed it on His head. They placed a reed in Jesus' right hand and, mockingly kneeling before Him,

Way of the Cross Following the same street and passing under the arches of the collapsed tower erected by Herod in honor of Mark Antony, you see on the left side, in the outer wall of Musselim's house, the lower wide step of a semicircular porch; the remaining steps were transferred to Rome along with

Map of the Old City of Jerusalem showing the Way of the Cross of Christ

The Way of Sorrow or Way of the Cross, called Via Dolorosa in Latin, was established by the Catholic Church in the 16th century. Initially, this was not the name of the street, but a ritual of the procession of pilgrims through the streets of Jerusalem. The Way of the Cross is divided into 14 stops (stations), although there were options for dividing it into 7, 12 and even 27 stops. The modern tradition of stopping the Way of the Cross developed in the 17th century under the influence of the Franciscans.

The urban development of Jerusalem, repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, has retained only the general direction of the Way of the Cross. The daily life of a large tourist center flows on the streets: crowds of people who have come here from all over the world, bustling merchants annoyingly offering their goods. All this interferes with prayerful concentration and rudely interferes with the deepest experiences of the believer; but even in the time of Christ these places looked almost the same. People busy with everyday work fussed in the same way, the crowd made noise around them, while He carried the Cross, ascending to Golgotha.

Pilgrims visiting Jerusalem follow the Way of the Cross in reverent silence, carrying in their hands olive wood crosses containing particles of the Holy Land. These crosses, attached to all the shrines of Jerusalem, are then kept with special reverence all their lives.

The first stop for Catholics is the site of the flagellation of Christ, to which the Franciscan monastery of the Flagellation is dedicated, consisting of two chapels: the Chapel of the Cross, where, according to legend, the cross was laid on Jesus, and the Chapel of the Flagellation, in the dome of which the crown of thorns is placed.

Franciscan Monastery of Flagellation. Chapel of the Cross

Chapel of the Flagellation

Chapel of the Flagellation with crown of thorns in the dome

The Orthodox begin the Way of the Cross a little further - from Pretoria, where the Prison of Christ was located. Here, on the lower levels, several more dungeons were discovered, where, apparently, Barabbas and other robbers were kept in custody.

Pretoria. Prison of Christ

The Prison of Christ is a small cave with a stone bench in which holes are made for the feet; the prisoner's legs were threaded through them. Next to the dungeon is the Greek Orthodox Church.

The dungeons of the Antonia fortress, in which the Praetorium was located

They took Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium. It was morning; and they did not enter the praetorium, so as not to be defiled, but so that [they could] eat the Passover.
(John 18:28)

Praetoria was the residence of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate; it was located in the Antonia fortress built by Herod the Great north of the Temple Mount. Several covered arches were thrown from the Antonia Fortress to the Temple of Jerusalem; one of them has survived, although in a rebuilt form, and is called “Esse Homo” - “Here is a Man.”

Arc "Esse Homo" - "Behold the Man"

Then Jesus came out wearing a crown of thorns and a scarlet robe. And [Pilate] said to them: Behold, Man!
(John 19:5)

A significant part of the Antonia fortress has been preserved under the Franciscan monastery of the Sisters of Sion. Here you can see water collection cisterns built during the Second Temple period and called the pools of Struthion; but the main thing that attracts pilgrims here is the huge stone slabs that were part of Liphostroton - the stone platform where the last trial of Christ took place.

From that time on, Pilate sought to release Him. The Jews shouted: if you let Him go, you are not a friend of Caesar; Anyone who makes himself a king is an opponent of Caesar.
Pilate, having heard this word, brought Jesus out and sat down at the judgment seat, in a place called Liphostroton, and in Hebrew Gavvatha.
Then it was the Friday before Easter, and it was six o’clock. And [Pilate] said to the Jews: Behold, your King!
But they shouted: take him, take him, crucify him! Pilate says to them: Shall I crucify your king? The high priests answered: We have no king except Caesar.
Then finally he handed Him over to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away.
(John 19:12-16)

It’s scary to imagine that the feet of the Savior sentenced to execution walked on these very stones.

The Liphostroton slabs bear a genuine chronicle of the life that took place on them two millennia ago. The grooves for water drainage have been preserved; notch against slipping of horse hooves; dice fields scrawled by Roman soldiers. Reverent silence and prayer reign in these dungeons.

Further stops on the Way of the Cross are dedicated to both the events reflected in the Gospels and those preserved in tradition.

The Armenian Catholic chapel was built on the spot where, according to legend, Jesus fell for the first time under the weight of the cross (third stop). Another Armenian chapel is dedicated to the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary stood, watching with sorrow the cruel procession (fourth stop).

The Franciscan Chapel (fifth stop) marks the place where Simon of Cyrene was stopped as he came from the field and forced to help Jesus carry the cross. (Matt. 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26)

Near the chapel, one of the stones in the wall is polished by the hands and lips of pilgrims: according to the Franciscan tradition, in this place Jesus rested his hand on the wall. In fact, the building belongs to a much later time and the stone cannot be considered authentic.

The sixth stop is dedicated to Saint Veronica, who wiped away the dirt and blood from the forehead of Jesus, while leaving an image of His Face on the handkerchief. On the site of the house of St. Veronica, already in the 6th century there was a monastery, now there is a Greek Orthodox church.

At the site where, according to tradition, Jesus fell for the second time, there is a small Coptic church (seventh stop).

The eighth stop is marked with a round stone with the inscription “NIKA” and is dedicated to an appeal to the daughters of Jerusalem: “And a great multitude of people and women followed Him, weeping and lamenting for Him. Jesus turned to them and said: Daughters of Jerusalem! Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourself and for your children, for the days are coming in which they will say: Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not nursed! then they will begin to say to the mountains: fall on us! and the hills: cover us! For if they do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry tree?” (Luke 23:27-31)

Alexander asks: The Gospel says: And they forced a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the field, to carry his cross. However, you can see a different picture in the Gospel according to: And carrying his cross, he went out to a place called Lobnoe, in Hebrew Golgotha.
is this a contradiction?

Peace be with you, brother Alexander!

In the gospels of Matthew and Mark the chronology of events is described quite clearly:

“And when they had mocked Him, they took off His scarlet robe, and clothed Him with His own garments, and led Him away to be crucified (1).
As they went out, they met (2) a Cyrene man named Simon; this one was forced to bear His cross.
And, having come to a place called Golgotha, which means: Place of Execution,
They gave Him vinegar mixed with gall to drink; and, having tasted it, did not want to drink."
()

When they had mocked Him, they took off His scarlet robe, clothed Him in His own garments, and led Him away (1) to crucify Him.
And they forced (2) a certain Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was passing by, coming from the field, to carry His cross.
And they brought Him to the place of Golgotha, which means: Place of Execution.
()

In both cases it is clear that Jesus began his final journey on his own. He Himself carried the cross to the city gates. Somewhere outside the city gates He fell and could no longer carry him. Then the soldiers forced the pilgrim Simon from Cyrene to carry the cross of Jesus.

The Evangelist John misses this episode. Also, it can be assumed that Simon carried the cross not all the way to Golgotha, but for some part of the way. Perhaps on the ascent to the hill of Golgotha, where the going was the hardest. That's why the stories are different.

Sincerely,
Alexander

Read more on the topic “Interpretation of Scripture”:

The Way of the Cross of the Son of God in Jerusalem is not just a landmark or tourist attraction. This is an opportunity to personally and without any intermediaries touch the greatest Christian shrines, see with your own eyes everything that you have read about hundreds of times in the Gospel, experience everything that the very first Christians of Jerusalem experienced.

Historians claim that the road of Jesus Christ from the residence of the procurator Pilate to Golgotha ​​is a very conventional designation of the path that the Son of God took before dying on the cross. Over the course of two thousand years, Jerusalem was almost completely destroyed several times, and the cultural layer forever hid from the eyes of people those streets on which the Savior set foot.

Scientists believe that the most famous street of the holy city of Christians, Via Dolorosa, is nothing more than an attempt by medieval pilgrim monks to resurrect the distant past. And the main task of this street is to strengthen faith, the visual embodiment of the main Christian dogma of the Great Sacrifice, designed to atone for human sins.

But people do not come here for historical truth. People come here to hear themselves, to forget for a while about the troubles, problems, tasks and troubles of life. Because all human problems and troubles here become minor, not worth attention. If you try to compare them with that tragedy, with those miracles that happened here two thousand years ago.

The Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ - from the palace of the procurator Pilate to the place of the crucifixion and Resurrection - Golgotha ​​- takes less than one and a half kilometers. Along this path, 14 places are marked, associated with the most tragic and triumphant events, both described in the Gospel and carefully preserved by hundreds of generations of Christians in legends and traditions.

Today, on the path of pilgrims who want to walk the path of sorrow and spiritual triumph, there are churches, monasteries, chapels, memorial signs, and arches. All sacred places (stops of the Way of the Cross) now belong to different Christian Churches, different denominations. But access to all shrines is open to anyone who wants to personally touch the greatest event, which has given hope to every Christian in the most difficult moments of life for more than two thousand years.

It is impossible not to notice these “stops”; they are marked with special signs, signs and signs.

Read in this article

Beginning: trial and verdict

The beginning of the Way of the Cross is considered to be the Gate of the Virgin Mary or, as it is called in the Arab quarter of Jerusalem, the “Lion Gate”. Jesus entered the city through this gate on Palm Sunday. This is where the very path to God’s Glory through great suffering began.

The palace of the Jewish procurator, where the interrogation took place, where the Savior survived the bullying of the guards and listened to the verdict, has sunk into oblivion. On this site stands a convent of the Franciscan order (Sisters of Sion). Here you can view:

• Prison - the cell where Jesus stayed during the quick and unrighteous investigation;
• Chapel of Condemnation - stands on the site where the death sentence was read out to the Savior; in the basement of the chapel, the slabs of the “frontal place” of the procurator’s courtyard, on which Christ stood, have been preserved;
• Chapel of the Flagellation - installed in the place where the way of the cross to Calvary began, where Jesus endured the bullying of soldiers, accepted the crown of thorns and his Cross;
• The Monastery Museum is a small but valuable collection of archaeological finds from the 1st century AD (open for viewing only in the morning);
• Ecce Homo - the arch at which Pilate presented the Savior to the crowd, where the crowd screamed: “Crucify him!”

The monastery includes the first two stations of the Way of the Cross.

Sorrowful path

The name of the street Via Dolorosa translates as “Sorrowful Way”. Along this path there are seven more significant places of the Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ:

• Polish Chapel - installed on the site of the First Fall of Christ under the weight of the Cross, the entrance to the chapel is decorated with a bas-relief depicting the fall, and the building itself was built with donations collected by Polish soldiers;
• The Armenian Church of the Mother of God the Great Martyr - stands at the place where Jesus and His Mother met; in the church crypt you can see a Byzantine mosaic panel marking the place where the Mother of God stood, witnessing the suffering and humiliation of her Son;
• Franciscan Chapel of Simon of Cyrene - installed at the end of the century before last on the site where Simon took over the Cross from Jesus; pilgrims pay special attention to the place on the old wall on which the exhausted Savior leaned;
• The Greek Catholic Chapel of the Younger Sisters of Jesus stands on the spot where Blessed Veronica wiped the face of Christ with a handkerchief (the handkerchief itself with the imprint of the face of the Son of God is kept in the Vatican). The chapel is closed to visitors, but a column is built into its wall, marking the place where the house of the Blessed One stood;
• The Alexander Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church is located at the threshold of the Gates of Judgment, the place where those sentenced to execution were once again read out their sentence or pardon. Here Jesus fell under the weight of the Cross for the second time. The pavement slabs and steps of the Threshold of the Gate of Judgment are available for inspection;
• Kharlampiev Monastery - stands on the spot where the Savior addressed the women who mourned Him. The place is marked by a small stone slab with the inscription in Greek: “Jesus Christ the Conqueror”;
• The Coptic church and the Ethiopian monastery are the site of the third and final fall of the Savior on the Way of the Cross, from here Jesus saw Calvary - the place of his crucifixion. The crash site is marked by a column embedded in the wall;

The remaining five stops along the route are located directly under the roof:

• Chapel of Exposure - stands on the site where Christ’s clothes were torn off before his execution;
• The place of nailing to the Cross is indicated by the altar;
• The place of the crucifixion - the hole into which the Cross of the Savior was inserted is indicated; here you can touch Golgotha ​​itself;
• Descent from the Cross and Anointing with Incense - the stone slab on which the body of Christ was prepared for burial after death on the Cross;
• The Holy Sepulcher is the most holy and revered place of all Christians, a chapel-edicule that stands over the place of burial and Resurrection of the Son of God.

The Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ to Golgotha ​​ends in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Good to know

Best time to visit

There is no city more contradictory and complex than modern Jerusalem. Via Dolorosa is now a very busy shopping street. Hundreds of trading stalls, stalls, shops will meet you all the way from the Lion Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

If we take into account that the first half of the “path” is located in the Arab quarter, it becomes clear that for traders, every pilgrim, tourist, or even just a passer-by is a potential buyer.

The Middle Eastern temperament and the ability to “work” with a sluggish European client becomes torture for many visitors. Therefore, if for you the Way of the Cross is not just another attraction and pleasure walk, but a string of the greatest Christian shrines, come to the Lion Gate at 8 o’clock in the morning.

By this time, the merchants have not yet had time to open their stalls and open display cases, and the mass tourist is just waking up. A visit to Via Dolorosa during these morning hours will be quiet, meaningful and leisurely.

With a guide or on your own?

There are advantages and disadvantages in both the first and second cases. If you prefer to travel independently:

• You won’t have to keep up with your group to the detriment of your interests (guides are always in a hurry);
• You will get rid of the need to listen to a lot of information that does not particularly interest you;
• No one will distract you with conversations that are more like empty chatter;
• You will save on excursion costs.

If you simply can’t imagine your stay in Jerusalem without a guide:

• You don't have to spend money on a guidebook and a tourist map;
• You will save a lot of time, because all routes are developed by guides as convenient and expedient as possible;
• You will be able to go where not everyone is allowed;
• You will feel confident, there will be no language barrier, and a group of compatriots will make your stay comfortable and carefree.

The choice, of course, is up to you. It all depends on how you are used to spending your free time and how sociable you are.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The most important Christian temple belongs to six denominations. Despite the fact that the time of services is strictly distributed not only by day, but also by hour and minute, conflict situations break out every now and then: people are people. Alas, here someone is constantly shouting at someone else - Catholics at Orthodox, Orthodox at Copts, Copts at Syrians, Syrians at Armenians, Armenians at Ethiopians, etc.

Move away from conflict areas. Look away from the heated attendants. Your attention may be regarded as sympathy for one of the parties.

If, despite your caution and complete tolerance, one of the ministers made a remark to you, apologize, even if you did not understand what your fault was. Your humility will be appreciated; perhaps the strict minister himself, imbued with your humility, will accompany you during the inspection of the temple and those shrines to which access is limited will be revealed to you.

Most importantly, remember that someone comes to this place who wants to spend a few minutes alone with the Lord. Everything else is vanity.

Based on materials from the book “Jesus, the Jew from Galilee” by M. Abramovich.

Jerusalem - Jesus' Way of the Cross

The path led us to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem...

If you find yourself in Jerusalem, how can you not go through the entire path of the Savior’s suffering from the Garden of Gethsemane,

where he was captured by the temple guards, to the place of his crucifixion - Golgotha. As soon as you begin your journey, your attention will be drawn to a small chapel on four fragile columns, and behind it a wide arched entrance to the underground temple.

This is the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God. If you go down the 50-step marble staircase,

You can get inside the Orthodox church, which contains the graves of Mary's parents - Anna and Joachim, as well as her husband Joseph - the father of Jesus. The Virgin's grave is located in a crypt carved directly into the rock, richly decorated with icons, valuable lamps and paintings.

Three large holes were made in the slab of the tomb, specifically so that those who wish could touch the shrine.

This tomb contained the body of the holy Virgin before her ascension to heaven. Here you will see a large miraculous icon of the Mother of God in a stone icon case.
Opposite this church there is a small temple erected over the site of the murder of the first martyr Stephen.

It was here, the monk claims, that Saint Stephen was stoned for his passionate preaching of the teachings of Christ.
Continuing along the Way of the Cross, through the Lion Gate*

we enter the Old Town and immediately outside the gate we see the temple of St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary.

This is a real pearl of architecture, its strict simple lines best suit the mood of a pilgrim - a mood of mournful concentration. This temple, under the care of the White Fathers, was built in 1142. at the behest of the widow of Baldovin 1 of Jerusalem, queen of Arda, in the place where Mary was born. In the underground rooms of the Catholic monastery and temple, much more ancient than the buildings themselves, you will be shown a slab embedded in the wall, decorated with icons.

It was at this place, the monks claim, that Anna gave birth to the Holy Virgin.
Behind the modest façade of the monastery building is an entire archaeological reserve. The remains of a reservoir have been discovered here - the so-called “Sheep Pool”, Bethesda. During the time of the Second Temple, the Levites* washed the sheep intended for sacrifice in it.

Rough stone steps lead down to the font where Jesus healed the sick.

All this was covered with a two-thousand-year cultural layer. (By the way, have you ever wondered why the results of barbarism, wars and destruction are called the cultural layer?..).
Empress Helena erected a temple over the font, but time did not preserve it. Later, the crusaders built a new temple on this site, but wars and people did not spare it either, only the facade and part of the mosaic from Byzantine times remained...
Via Dolorosa - The Sorrowful Way, or the Way of the Cross of Christ - this is how this road was called in the 16th century, because it was this path that Jesus walked under the weight of the cross from the Antonia Fortress to Golgotha. Along this route, various events occurred during which the procession was interrupted. 14 such stops, or stations, have been canonized. Each of them is marked with a temple, chapel or memorial plaque.
1 stop. “Convent of Flagellation”, here Pilate interrogated Jesus, here he was convicted and sentenced, from here he went to the death penalty at Calvary.

From here every Friday at three o'clock in the afternoon the Franciscan Fathers begin their procession. Actually, this is where the world-famous Via Dolorosa originates... The headquarters of the procurator - the Roman Praetorium - was located here. In the north-eastern corner of the Praetorium stood the mighty Tower of Anthony, where Pontius Pilate condemned Christ. Now on this site is the Catholic convent of the Sisters of Zion*.

The lower step of the monastery's marble porch has been preserved since Roman times. The walls of the monastery church are decorated with three modern stained glass windows depicting Jesus during his trial. On one, he is depicted tied to a pole during the scourging, on the second, he is next to Pilate*, washing his hands as a sign of non-involvement in the shedding of the blood of “this righteous man.” On the third - the liberation of Varrava. In the depths of the temple, in a niche above the altar, there is a white marble sculpture - Christ with his hands tied and wearing a crown of thorns. Below is the inscription: “Ecce homo” - here is a man.
From the monastery, across Via Dolorosa, there is an arch.

From here Pilate showed the condemned Christ to the crowd.
“Then Jesus came out wearing a crown of thorns and a scarlet robe. And Pilate said to them: Behold the Man! When the chief priests and ministers saw Him, they shouted: Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (John 19:5). In honor of this event, the arch is called “Ecce Homo”.
In the monastery courtyard there are two chapels from the Byzantine period - the Chapel of Condemnation,

Erected above the place of Christ's condemnation. The floor slabs and four columns have been preserved from those times. The interior walls are painted with scenes of the trial and meeting of Jesus with the Virgin Mary on the Way of the Cross. On the right is the Chapel of Flagellation,

But this is already the second stop.
2nd stop. This is the place where Christ was scourged: “Then Pilate took Jesus and ordered to beat Him. And the soldiers, having woven a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and dressed Him in scarlet*, and said: Hail King of the Jews! cheeks." (John 19:1).
In the basement of the temple, the remains of the Praetorian slabs are preserved - this is Lyphostraton (Litostratos - in Greek - a paved place), i.e. outer courtyard of Pretoria.

Here Christ was publicly interrogated, and the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard rudely mocked him, calling him a false prophet. Here they played with dice the clothes of Christ, which is confirmed by the dice found here, and on ancient slabs there are circles roughly drawn by Roman soldiers with markings for this game.
Adjacent to the Temple of the Sisters of Zion is a small Greek Orthodox church, above the entrance of which is carved the inscription: “Imprisonment of Christ.” The building was built on the site of the Roman Praetorium prison, where Christ and the robber Barabbas were kept.

They will show you a recess in the rock with a stone bench - this is Christ’s prison, on this bench he sat. They also show the dungeon of Barabbas - a cave with stone benches and rings embedded in the wall, to which prisoners were chained.
3 stop. If you go further along Via Dolorosa, then immediately after turning left at the building of the Armenian Patriarchate there is a third stop. It is marked by a small Catholic chapel, built with money raised by Polish cavalry soldiers.

Currently, the chapel belongs to the Armenian Patriarchate. The relief above the door depicts Christ fainting under the weight of the cross. At this place Christ fell for the first time.
4 stop. Even further, on this same side of Via Dolorosa, you can see a door in the wall leading to a small chapel. This chapel marks the place where Jesus met his mother. The high relief above the entrance to the chapel depicts their meeting.

5 stop. At the corner of Via Dolorosa and the El Wad street that crosses it, diagonally from stop 4, stands a Franciscan chapel, built in memory of Christ's fifth station on the Stations of the Cross.

At this place, Simon of Cyrene took the cross from the exhausted Jesus, and placing it on his shoulders, he carried it further. In the wall, to the right of the entrance to the chapel, you will be shown a deep depression - the imprint of the hand of Christ, leaning in exhaustion against the wall.
6 stop. We approach the chapel of St. Veronica.

Here the harlot Veronica wiped the sweat and blood from the brow of Christ. On this occasion, the church canonized her as a saint.
7 stop. Next, Via Dolorosa intersects with Suk Khan ez-Zain, a bustling market street. At the corner at the entrance to the Franciscan chapel there is a remnant of the column where Christ fell for the second time.

8 stop. Following the same street, we will come to a Greek Orthodox monastery, above the entrance to which you can see an image of a cross. Here Jesus preached to the women of Jerusalem.

9 stop. At the gate of a Coptic* monastery, in a shallow niche, there is a rickety column.

It marks the place where Christ fell for the third time.
The remaining five stops are located inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, or, as it is also called, in the Holy Sepulcher.
10, 11, 12 and 13 stops. All these stops are located directly in the temple. We rise at the Stone of Anointing

up the steep stairs and we get to the top of Golgotha ​​in the chapel, which is dedicated to these stops. The chapel is divided into two porches: one belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, and the second to the Roman Catholic Church. In the Catholic chapel there are two stops (10 and 11), in this place Christ was naked and nailed to the cross, this place is marked by an altar.

In the Greek chapel, stop 12: dead Jesus on the cross. Below the cross is the naked top of Golgotha.

A silver disc with a hole marks the place where the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was inserted. Here, two black circles indicate the places of the crosses on which two thieves were crucified at the same time as Christ. The place where Christ's body lay after being taken down from the cross is marked by the altar and is the 13th stop.

14 stop. This is the last stop - "Edicule" (Holy Sepulcher) - a small domed chapel erected over the cave in which the burial place of Christ is located.

It also consists of two parts-zones: the first is the Chapel of the Angel, in the center of which is kept a fragment of the rock on which the angel was sitting when the women approached the now empty tomb. The second zone is the tomb itself.

A very low passage leads into the tomb, and for this reason everyone who enters it bows in a low bow. The small room (2.0 x 1.5 m) is illuminated only by silver lamps, there are 43 of them - thirteen Catholic, the same number Greek and Armenian and four Coptic. Beneath the white marble slab is the rock-cut tomb of God.
Behind this chapel is the narthex of the Greek church, where you will be shown a large stone vase symbolizing the "center of the earth", which is known to be in Holy Jerusalem.
If you leave the Church of the Holy Sepulcher through the central gate and go through the gate past the facade of the Church of the Savior (Rudimer), you can enter the territory of the Alexandria courtyard. Here is the last visible limit of the Way of the Cross - the "Gate of Judgment". Through these gates, those condemned to execution were taken outside the city. The stones of this gate have survived to this day. This is where the tour of Via Dolorosa usually ends...
True, the guides, who more thoroughly follow the evangelical history, after the Garden of Gethsemane will lead you first to the tomb of King David. Why here? Because it is here, in the same building, that the shrine of the Christian world is located - the Senakulum - the Upper Room of the “Last Supper”,

Where Jesus' disciples gathered together with their teacher to celebrate Easter.
After returning home, pilgrims will remember these places for many years and resurrect in their souls the high experiences associated with visiting holy places - after all, it was here, in Jerusalem, that they came into contact with the great reality and became familiar with the life of their Savior.
Great Reality... Have you ever thought about how real this “Great Reality” is, the material traces of which are shown to you during the pilgrimage? Let's figure it out. And it is very likely that this will be the simplest cure for Jerusalem Syndrome.
So, forward to the same places, but without the installation of holiness.
Via Dolorosa. Nowadays, even the church does not insist on the authenticity of the Way of the Cross - the successes of modern archeology are too great. The fact is that the ancient streets of the era of the second Temple (beginning of our era) ran two meters lower and slightly to the side of the path along which pilgrims walk, approximately along the line of the current building. So this is not where most of the "stops" they show you were located.
1 stop. There is no trace left of the once formidable Antony Tower, except perhaps the remains of the foundation. What are they showing the pilgrims? The steps of the marble porch, left over from Roman times, and the courtyard of the praetorian barracks. Neither the clergy nor the archaeologists have any evidence that it was here that the procurator Pontius Pilate conducted trials.
As for the arch, from where the procurator allegedly showed the convict to the audience and prefaced this presentation with the words: “Ecce homo” - “Here is a man...”, then, according to archaeological research, it has been precisely established that the arch simply did not exist in those days. It was erected by Emperor Hadrian to commemorate the victory over Bar Kochba. This happened no earlier than 135 AD, after Jerusalem was razed to the ground and the purely Roman city of Elia Capitolina was erected on its ruins...
2nd stop. Indeed, in the basement of the temple there are remains of slabs from the outer courtyard of the Roman Praetorium. These slabs show grooves that were put on the stones to prevent horses from slipping. They keep slabs and incisions made by Praetorian soldiers for playing dice. And the remains of Pretoria Prison are authentic. Naturally, since there is a prison, and there is a bench in it, then simple logic dictates that someone was sitting on this bench. But who? There is no evidence that Jesus himself sat on this bench.
As for the game of dice... Yes, the Roman legionnaires were not saints, they played games of chance, and for this purpose markings were applied to the slabs of the courtyard of their barracks. As for Christ’s clothes, the soldiers did not play them with dice. Firstly, this contradicts the Gospel itself, where it is written in black and white: “And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns, laid it on His head, and dressed him in a scarlet robe...” In the same scarlet robe, i.e. wearing the cloak of a soldier of the Praetorian Guard, which was thrown over Jesus in order to mock him, he was brought out to the people. Of course, the owner later took it back. The clothes of Jesus, according to the same Gospel, were played out in a completely different place...
Let's return for a moment to the Gospel of John: “Pilate... brought Jesus out and sat down at the judgment seat, in a place called Lyphostraton, and in Hebrew Gabbatha” (John 1:13). As follows from the text, Pilate ascended to a special elevated place - the judgment seat - and carried out his judgment. Pilgrims are shown the courtyard of the Praetorian barracks next to the stables, where the soldiers whiled away their time playing dice. And "Litostratos", as we already mentioned, simply means a paved place
. 3 stop. Where, in which Gospel is it written that Jesus fell under the weight of his burden? How was this place installed? After all, later the city was destroyed to the ground - it was simply razed to the ground! And one more thing: not a single Gospel says that Jesus carried his cross. All the evangelists unanimously assert that when they led Jesus to the crucifixion, then “coming out (from the praetorium), they met a Cyrene man named Simon; he was forced to carry His cross.”
4 stop. The Gospels do not mention the meeting of Jesus with his mother on the way of the cross...
5 stop. No, Simon of Cyrene did not voluntarily put the cross on himself, he was forced. In any case, this is what is written in the Gospel of Luke: “And when they had led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the field, and laid a cross on him to carry after Jesus.” (Luke 23:26). And the Evangelist Mark expresses himself even more clearly on this matter: “And they forced a certain Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was passing by, coming from the field, to carry His cross.” (Mark 15:21). They forced him, forced him to carry the cross, since it was not the custom of the Romans to force the person condemned to execution to carry the cross! Thus, the entire route of Via Dolorosa has no historical confirmation. Moreover, this place cannot be determined. And there are plenty of stones with “imprints” of feet, hands and other places of the human body in Israel: erosion often leaves bizarre traces in soft local rocks.
6 stop. This fact is not found in any of the Synoptic Gospels. What kind of Veronica the harlot are we talking about, exactly?!
7 stop. Oh, these falls. Who counted them?!
8 stop. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, puts it this way:
27. And a great multitude of people and women followed Him, weeping and lamenting for Him.
28. Jesus turned to them and said: Daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for Me, but weep for yourself and for your children;
29. For the days are coming in which they will say: “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not nursed!”
What can I say... Just a few minutes ago these people were fanatically shouting “Crucify him!” and asked to release Barrabas, and behold, the same people in a “great multitude” are crying and groaning over his execution...
Rude soldiers leading to execution the “false prophet” they had just beaten, whom they mocked just an hour ago, allow him to stop and preach?!
Moreover, in the “great crowd of people” accompanying the condemned man there were not only women, but for some reason Jesus did not notice men.
Have you seen the streets of the old city? Not the one we see today, but that ancient Jerusalem, the excavations of which can be seen in archaeological reserves? A three-year-old child, after a short run, can cross such a street in one jump. Be sure to look, and then the stories about the great crowd of people who accompanied Jesus to Calvary will appear before you in their true light.
9 stop. He fell again. For the third time. Just a fatal number. The rooster crowed three times before Peter's denial. Three times before this he was asked whether he was a disciple of Jesus. And here we go again. We have already talked about the crash site.
Last stops, Golgotha. Let’s make a reservation right away: the Romans very rarely nailed criminals to the cross. Usually they were tied. Only in special cases, wanting to reduce the suffering of a privileged sufferer, were nails pierced through his hands and feet. However: in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher there is an altar of the Nails of the Holy Cross, which were discovered on this site. Isn't this a miracle?! And the structure on which the Romans crucified criminals did not in any way resemble a cross. It was always a pillar with a crossbar on top, resembling the letter T. If executions were always carried out in the same place, then a permanent frame with supports was built there, on which the criminals were crucified. They found a cross, and also nails to it. Isn't this the second miracle? But the main miracle is that the place was discovered at all.
In 325 AD, Helen, the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great, suddenly believed that it was in this place that she would find the tomb of Christ. Excavations, which began on the orders of the empress, revealed a fairly well-preserved tomb, and everyone decided that this was the tomb of Jesus. Moreover, as the empress assured, the remains of crosses were discovered nearby in the ditch. It was immediately announced that these were the crosses of Christ and the two thieves crucified with him. Her confidence was based only on inner conviction and the confirmation of Bishop Macarius, who accompanied her in all events. We all know very well what confirmations from people close to royalty are worth...
In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher you will be shown the crypt of St. Helena, the mother of Constantine. They will tell you a touching story that from the niche of this crypt the empress personally observed the excavations. But history has dispelled this myth too.
The first church on this site was built in 335 AD. e. by order of Emperor Constantine. It took 9 years to build, but after 279 years, in 614, it was destroyed by the Persians. After 15 years, Abbot Modest reconstructed the church, but in 1009 Caliph El Hakem razed it to the ground.
July 15, 1099 AD e., having taken the city, the crusaders began the grandiose construction of a new temple, which was consecrated in 1149. But the misfortunes of the temple did not end there. In 1808, as a result of a strong fire, most of the temple was destroyed. It was rumored that the fire broke out not without the help of Greek monks, who, under the guise of Napoleonic events in Europe, decided to take over the holy inheritance in this way...
History presented another, perhaps the most important surprise to supporters of the version of the sanctity of this place. According to legend, Adam’s skull was buried on this hill, therefore, wanting to belittle the feelings of Jewish believers who honored their holy place, Emperor Hadrian, after the destruction of Jerusalem, erected the Forum and the Capitol on this hill, where from now on Jupiter, Juno and Venus were to be worshiped. This happened after the destruction of the Temple. It is unlikely that in those times when the Temple still stood and the Romans to some extent took into account the beliefs of the inhabitants of the country, they could use this place for shameful executions with impunity...
As for Golgotha, it is located in a completely different area of ​​​​Jerusalem and is called today Gordon's Golgotha, named after the English officer Gordon, who first discovered this place from the heights of the Damascus Gate. This hill resembles a human skull in its shape, which is why it is called “gulgolet”, in Hebrew - skull. The hill contains an ancient tomb, which many Christians believe is the real tomb of Christ. This, in their opinion, is confirmed by the fact that there, not far from the city gates, a wine press and a large winery cistern, which are mentioned in the Gospels, were discovered. Currently, all this is managed by the Garden Tomb Association, whose headquarters are in England.
Senakulum - Upper Room of the “Last Supper”... Firstly, no one knows where the Last Supper took place, that’s why it was (if it was) a secret. Secondly, the Upper Room as such has not been preserved - let us recall that after the defeat of the uprising, the city was destroyed to the ground. Almost nothing has survived even from the time of the Crusaders, who at one time built a temple approximately on this site. In the 15th century, the monks of the Franciscan order built a new temple on the same site, but in the middle of the 15th century they were expelled, and the temple was turned into a mosque.
From the former temple, only a few columns and a vault have survived, which, naturally, have nothing to do with the Upper Room...