In and around Jerusalem

Can German Benedictines, Italian Franciscans, French Assumptionists, Armenians and Orthodox Jews live harmoniously together as close neighbors? On Mount Zion they are succeeding, proving that it is possible for different faiths to live together in the Middle East. This walk visits a number of sites on Mount Zion, including the Tomb of David, the Last Supper Room, and the Dormition Abbey via the southern rampart of the Old City wall. You can also continue further along the southern rampart to almost the Western Wall plaza and then walk back to the Zion Gate. If you want to skip the rampart part of the walk, go directly to Mount Zion from the Jaffa Gate via Armenian Patriach Rd. 

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Are you finding this website useful? You will find my new book “In and Around Jerusalem for Everyone,” even more helpful. It is a guide to the best walks, hikes and attractions in and around Jerusalem. For more details, incredible reviews and purchasing options see the Home page. 

But before you do this watch this short movie! 

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Time: A few hours to half a day, depending on the places you are visiting

Type of walk: Circular 

Difficulty: There are a lot of steps to reach the rampart, but this is otherwise an easy walk 

Starting point: The ticket office for the rampart, which is the second store on the left as you enter into the Old City by the Jaffa Gate. There is a WC by the entrance to the northern rampart.

Admission to the ramparts is 16 NIS for adults and 8 NIS for students and pensioners. A ticket is valid for 2 days for the northern and southern ramparts. The ramparts are open from Saturday to Thursday 9.00 AM-4.00 PM during the winter and from 9.00 AM-5.00 PM during the summer. They are closed on Friday. 

Driving directions and parking: Enter "Jaffa Gate" into Waze, and click on "שער יפו ירושלים". The closest parking is at Karta Parking. Enter "חניון קרתה" into Waze. Parking is only a short distance from the Jaffa Gate.  

Public transport: Many buses stop just a few minutes from the Jaffa Gate. The nearest light rail stop is City Hall, which is a 7-minute walk away. 

 

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 MOUNT ZION AND ITS CHRISTIAN TRADITION

Christianity's connection with Mount Zion dates from almost 2,000 years ago.

It is impossible to identify the place of Jesus' last supper from the New Testament, but Christian tradition holds that Jesus celebrated his last supper together with his disciples on Mount Zion on the first night of Passover. During the meal he told his disciples that the wine and bread they were eating would symbolize his flesh and blood. He also reappeared to his disciples on Mount Zion on the Feast of Pentecost 7 weeks after being crucified.

When the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity and made Jerusalem their holy city, a large church was built on Mount Zion in the 5th century called the Church of Holy Zion (Hagia Sion Church). An upper room of this church was set aside as the chamber of the Last Supper, or in Latin "the Cenaculum" (the Supper Room). What was here prior to the church being built is unknown, and may have been a Roman building.

The Byzantine church was destroyed by the Persians when they captured the city in 614 CE, and the church was not restored until Crusader times when a new church was built in the 12^th century on the ruins of the Byzantine one. A gallery was set aside in this church to memorialize the Last Supper in the same location as in the Byzantine church. This Crusader building is still intact and the Last Supper Room is that designated by the Crusaders.

The tradition that the tomb of King David is located here dates from the 10^th century, and possibly even earlier (see next but one article). The Crusaders continued this tradition and included David's tomb as part of their church. Thus, the Last Supper Room and King David's tomb are on different levels of the same church, although there is no direct connection between them. The Crusaders also built a large monastery around the church. After the Crusader were defeated by the Muslims, some of this area again became ruins.

In the Ottoman period, Suleiman the Magnificent took over this Christian site, and since David is regarded as a prophet in the Quran he built a small mosque within the chamber of the Last Supper. This prayer niche can still be seen. The Ottomans also repaired the Tomb of King David. The Franciscans monks in the church were expelled from Mount Zion. 

The Ottomans and the German Kaiser William II were allies, and the Kaiser visited Jerusalem towards the end of the 19^th century and he was allotted three plots of land to build churches for the Christian denominations in his country. At this time, the great powers were vying with each other to obtain a foothold in Jerusalem and this was pursued through their religious institutions. One of the buildings built by the Kaiser was the Protestant Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter of the Old City, another was the German Protestant Augusta Victoria on the Mount of Olives, and the third was the Catholic Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. It was built in 1910 for the German Order of the Benedictines in the same location where part of the Church of Holy Zion once stood. There is a Christian tradition that the site of the Dormition Abbey is where Jesus’ mother Mary fell into an eternal sleep after Jesus’ crucifixion. She was then buried in Gethsemane. 

During the 1948 War of Independence the Old City was captured by the Jordanian Arab League, but Mount Zion remained in Jewish hands. The Muslim family responsible for Mount Zion was expelled. Since Jews were no longer allowed into the Old City, thousands began flocking to Mount Zion, since it overlooked the Temple Mount. It was at this time that the Diaspora Yeshiva was allowed to take over buildings for a yeshiva.

Unlike the Old City where people of different religions live in separate Quarters, all the communities here have to co-exist on one hill. It has not always been smooth, but Mount Zion is now a place of calm and mutual respect.



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HOW COME THERE IS AN ARMENIAN QUARTER IN THE OLD CITY? 

The Armenians belong to the oldest Christian church in Jerusalem, and their church has been continuously in the Old City longer than any other Christian church. 

Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 CE, 70 years before Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. The Armenian Church was also the first to split off from the rest of Christianity in the First Council of Dvin in 506 CE when it rejected the belief in the dual nature of Christ. 

Armenian monks from northeast Turkey and Russia began settling in Jerusalem in the 4^th century CE when it was ruled by the Byzantines, and Armenian churches were built inside and outside the Old City in the 5th century, including St. James Monastery. 

Many Armenians living in Jerusalem were killed during the Persian invasion of 614 CE and those who survived decided to live together for protection in what is now the Armenian Quarter in the southwest corner of the Old City. They were granted permission by the Mamlukes to build a wall around their quarter in the 1340’s. 

Following the large-scale massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire by the Ottomans between 1915 to 1917, most Armenians moved to the autonomous republic of Armenia. However, many came to Palestine, and the number of Armenians living in Palestine rose to as high as 20,000, with most of the immigrants living in Jerusalem. This was a major increase, since throughout the 400 years of Ottoman rule the Armenian population in the Old City had never been more than about 640 people, and had been as low as 189. However, following their immigration to Palestine many left for Soviet Armenia. Thus began the slow decline of Jerusalem's Armenian population, which now numbers about 500 people.  

The Armenians zealously retain their culture. About two-thirds of those living in the monastery are non-ecclesiastic and are descendants of people who moved to Jerusalem during the Ottoman massacre. To live in the monastery they have to abide by its rules, including the closing of its gates by 11.00 PM. Other Armenians live in the Armenian Quarter but outside the monastery walls and these are families who have lived here for many centuries. The Armenians have always remained politically non-aligned and this is the situation today. 

The Armenian population of the Old City is gradually disappearing. The wealthy have moved to other parts of Jerusalem, while those previously living in the monastery have moved to Beirut or the West.

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IS KING DAVID REALLY BURIED ON MOUNT ZION?

The tradition that King David is buried on Mount Zion is a late one. Benjamin of Tudela visited Mount Zion in 1173 CE and he mentions that 15 years earlier the Crusaders found a burial crypt beneath the church they were building and identified it as the burial place of King David. A Muslim historian recorded this tradition even earlier in the 10^th century, although it is not clear what he meant by Zion. 

Is this tradition compatible with the Bible? According to I Kings 2;10 “David slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.” A Rabbinic tradition accords with this and relates that the only graves to be found within the city were those of the Davidic kings and the prophetess Hulda. Everyone else was buried outside the city walls. Searches by archeologists has identified caves within the City of David (the Weill excavations, which can be viewed). However, these caves are not of the grandeur one would expect for a burial sepulcher from First Temple times, and certainly not for royalty. They also contained no material from First Temple times and may have been storage caves.

It is possible that King David and later Davidic kings were buried outside the City of David, on the current Mount Zion, and as the Upper City became populated during the reigns of the kings of Judah the sepulcher of the kings became surrounded by the population of the Upper City. This location may still have been regarded as part of the City of David by the authors of the Book of Kings. 

Another possibility discussed is that David's tomb was by the Jaffa Gate in the location of the Citadel. Josephus relates that the Hasmonean John Hyrcanus and Herod broke into the Davidic royal tombs and found riches there, although he does not mention its location (Antiquities of the Jews 13:249). However, it could have been where the Citadel is now located, since both the Hasmoneans and Herod built fortresses here. A First Temple necropolis has been located in the Citadel area, and it is possible that David and his descendants were buried here, and may even have been moved from another earlier location. 

The reality is that we have no idea where King David was buried. The tradition that he is buried on Mount Zion is over a thousand years old, but there is little to support it other than tradition.

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The walk: 

• After purchasing a ticket for the ramparts, exit the Jaffa Gate  and turn left onto the plaza in front of the Citadel. At the far end of this plaza enter a grey gate marked by the sign "The Southern Ramparts Walk ENTRANCE". After passing through a small office to have your ticket checked, turn right towards the fairly steep staircase to the rampart.

In contrast to the northern rampart, the views of outside the city wall are more impressive than those of inside the wall. In fact, the first part of this walk overlooks undeveloped areas in the Armenian Quarter. 

• As you begin the rampart walk, the Citadel  is behind you: 

The Citadel has gone through many reincarnations. The Hasmonean John Hyrcanus I was the first to construct a fortress here, which was needed to protect the westward expansion of the city, and he built it at a strategic location on the highest section of the most western hill. Herod considerably improved the fortress and included it as part of a magnificent palace he constructed along the western wall of the city. This palace, equal in length to the Temple Mount, was a magnificent building with pools, fountains, gardens and lodgings for guests. (See the reconstruction in the photo below). The palace was used by the Romans after Herod's death and was destroyed by the Jews during the Great Revolt because of its  associations with Rome.

Herod's Citadel had three massive towers. Following the custom of that time, Herod named them after people significant in his life whom he wished to memorialize. One tower was named after his dead and beloved brother Phasaeal, another after Mariamme his former wife whom he had put to death because of a suspected insurrection but whom he was very fond of, and the Hippicus tower was perhaps named after a friend and commander of the fort. Which tower is which we are not sure. The Romans left the towers standing after they conquered the city during the Great Revolt as a demonstration of their military prowess. The fort was restored during the Byzantine period, severely damaged during the Persian invasion of 614 CE, and rebuilt by the Mamlukes.

Only one of the towers is extant. As you can see from its building stones, it is no longer entirely Herodian, and the upper part of the tower is from the Mamluke period. The moat around the Citadel was added by the Crusaders who reconstructed the Citadel as a fortress and also built a palace to the south of the Citadel. Other than the tower, most of the Citadel evident today is Ottoman, and was built by Suleiman based on its previous Crusader design. It remained a Turkish military installation until the time of the British. The Ottomans added a minaret in the 16^th century. This is known as David’s Tower, but other than its name it has nothing to do with King David. The Citadel now appropriately contains a museum illustrating the history of Jerusalem.  

• The roof of the "Kishle"  is in front of you. 

The Kishle was built by the Egyptian Muhammad Ali and his son as a summer palace in the southernmost part of the moat of the Citadel following their rebellion against the Turks in 1834. It was built on arches so that it could be entered from the Old City at ground level. When the Ottomans regained control of the city they used it as army barracks - hence the name "kishle", which means barracks in Turkish. During the British Mandate it was used as an early detention center for prisoners from the Jewish underground. After the Six Day War, it was taken over by the Israeli police. 

• As you walk along the rampart, you will see some well-known landmarks outside the Old City, including the high-class neighborhood David’s Village, the Mamilla Mall, the King David Hotel further to the left, and beyond this the YMCA building. 

• From the southwest corner of the city wall, you are overlooking the earliest settlement built outside the city walls, Mishkenot Sha’anamim, constructed in 1860 by Sir Moses Montefiore. He built the windmill to help the residents of his settlement make a living. To its right is the neighborhood of Yemin Moshe.

• Walk around the corner of the rampart. Take this opportunity to look at the Kidron Valley below, the town of Silwan rising up the side of the valley, the Mount of Olives, and the protective wall in the far distance separating Israel from the Palestinian Authority. Descend to the Zion Gate  by the exit marked “Zion Gate Exit”. 

• [Alternatively, you may wish to continue along the rampart for more wonderful views. It extends to close to the Western Wall plaza. You can return to Zion Gate either by going back along the rampart or by taking the road inside the Old City parallel to the rampart. Remember that once you have gone through the green turnstyle or taken the Zion Gate exit, you cannot get back on the rampart.]

In Ottoman times, Zion Gate was at the end of the main north-south market street from the Damascus Gate. Suleiman intended that it be an elaborate gate similar to the Damascus Gate. However, there were time constraints, and decorations for Zion Gate were never completed. The gate was renamed Bab Nabi Da’ud, Gate of the Prophet David, thereby acknowledging that King David was buried on Mount Zion. This name was previously attached to the Jaffa Gate. 

Bullet holes on the outside of the Zion Gate are a reminder of the fighting that took place here during the War of Independence. The Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem was under siege by the Jordanian Arab Legion, which had taken over the rest of the Old City, and the Jews, who were fighting valiantly, had insufficient food, water and arms. A relief force of the Palmach was sent to help them and it succeeded in capturing the Zion Gate and entering into the Jewish Quarter. However, its commander Uzi Narkiss decided that his force was inadequate and unprepared, and he withdrew to the Zion Gate, although he remained in control of Mount Zion. The Jews in the Jewish Quarter surrendered shortly thereafter and were taken as prisoners by the Arab Legion. The Old City remained in Jordanian hands until the Six Day War. By this time Uzi Narkiss was a general of Central Command with seven brigades under his command. At his insistence, his forces captured the Old City, thereby reversing the failure that had haunted him for 19 years.

• After exiting Zion Gate, continue straight ahead onto Mount Zion. At the first fork by the entrance to St. Francis Convent  keep to the right. This will soon take you to another fork. The right fork will take you to the entrance to the Dormition Abbey and the left fork to the room of the Last Supper and King David’s tomb.

• To visit the Church of the Dormition  take the right-hand fork and soon on your left is a black gridiron gate. The entrance to the church is at the left-hand corner of the building and to the left of the main entrance. Almost immediately on your left after entering the church is a doorway leading down to the crypt where Christian tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, died. To exit the building, follow the exit signs  past the gift shop and cafeteria. 

The Dormition Abbey is a German Benedictine abbey, and its circular church with its towers and bell tower are landmarks on the Jerusalem skyline. The abbey was built on the ruins of the Byzantine basilica Hagia Sion. A representation of the Hagia Sion can be seen on the Byzantine Madaba map in the Cardo. According to Christian tradition, this is where Mary the mother of Jesus died. The site for this abbey was allocated to Kaiser Wilhem II when he visited Jerusalem in 1898 to dedicate the Protestant Church of the Redeemer in the Old City. The abbey was constructed by Theoder Sandel from the German Colony and dedicated in 1910. 

• After exiting the church, turn right onto the alley and head back to the fork in the road. Take the left-hand fork towards the Last Supper Room and David's Tomb. One can visit the Last Supper Room, the rooftop observation area, and David's Tomb  sequentially, or just visit David's Tomb and the rooftop observation area. 

Visiting the Last Supper Room and rooftop observation area:

• The entrance to the Room of the Last Supper  is on your left. Climb up the stairs. The architecture in this room is one of the best-preserved examples of Crusader architecture in the country. In the Ottoman period, Suleiman the Magnificent forbade Christians from entering the building and made the Last Supper Room into a mosque. This explains the Islamic prayer niche pointing towards Mecca that covers the Crusader window. 

• Follow the exit sign from the Room of the Last Supper and descend to the courtyard. At this point, it is worth going up to the rooftop observation area  from the courtyard. The 3 flights of stairs are on your right. For details about this observation area see below.

• Return to the ground level courtyard. To visit King David's tomb, turn right and then right again and go through the small wrought iron gate. The entrance to the tomb is immediately on your left and is indicated by a sign "קבר דוד, King David’s Tomb" . 

 

Visiting King David's Tomb and the rooftop observation area:

• To just visit King David’s Tomb , continue to the end of the road. Take the first turning on your left through the small wrought iron gate. The entrance to the tomb is immediately on your left indicated by a sign "קבר דוד, King David’s Tomb". The tomb is the headstone of a burial chamber. There is a separate prayer area for men and women.

• To continue to the rooftop observation , take the steps on the left just beyond the passageway to David's Tomb. From the courtyard you can see additional flights of steps to the rooftop.

The Jewish Quarter surrendered to the Jordanians during the War of Independence, but Jewish fighters did not withdraw from Mount Zion and it has been part of the Jewish state since the War of Independence. Neither the Temple Mount nor the Western wall could be visited by Jews and this rooftop became a popular place to view the Temple Mount. From this observation point you can see the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and beyond this the Mount of Olives. The dome and minaret on this roof are part of the mosque that was erected in the building. The dome is directly above the Last Supper Room, which in turn is directly above David's Tomb. The small room on the roof is called the President’s Room. Prior to Jerusalem’s reunification during the Six Day war, it was used by Yitzhak ben-Zvi, the second president of Israel, as a room for study.

 

Visiting the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu: 

• You may wish to visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Take the road just in front of Zion Gate towards the main road and cross Ma’ale Hashalom St. The entrance to the church grounds is directly opposite and is indicated by a brown sign. Go down the road to its end. There is a ticket office here, as there is a charge to enter the church. Outside the church and close to the ticket office is a balcony that provides a splendid view of the surrounding area. It has helpful signs indicating the places you are viewing. There is also a model of Jerusalem from Byzantine times in the church grounds.

The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu was built in 1931 by the Assumptionist Fathers, a 19th century French order, on the ruins of a Crusader church. According to the New Testament, Peter was one of the disciples of Jesus who thrice denied knowing Jesus but then regretted doing this. This had been prophesized by Jesus who had said to him: “before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will disown me three times..."

There are three levels to the church. The first level is the church itself, below this the chapel, and in the lowest level a series of caves from the Second Temple period. Catholic tradition holds that this site was the location of the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, in which case Jesus may have been held here in a dungeon. 

The Byzantines first erected a church here to commemorate Peter’s remorse. This was destroyed by the Muslims, and subsequently rebuilt by the Crusaders in 1102 CE and called St Peter in Gallicantu. It subsequently fell into ruin after the defeat of the Crusaders and was not rebuilt until 1931. Gallicantu means “cock’s crow” in Latin, and appropriately there is a golden rooster on the roof of the church. An ancient staircase on the north side of the church leads down towards the Kidron Valley, and Jesus may have been led down this path to Gethsemane when he was arrested. 

 

Returning to the Jaffa Gate:

• Return to Zion Gate and make your way back to the Jaffa Gate via Armenian Patriach Rd. On the way, it is worth turning into the Armenian Monastery to look at the outside of St. James Church by taking the first entrance on your right just before the second arch. The church will probably be closed. You are also not permitted to go further into the monastery. The church is named after two Christian saints who died for their faith, the brother of Jesus and the apostle James the Greater. The wooden boards and iron sheets outside the church were used to summon people to prayer, as the Ottoman authorities forbade the ringing of church bells.

 

Nearby places of interest:

Tower of David Museum is located in the medieval citadel known as the Tower of David, which is close to Jaffa Gate, and it contains exhibits on the history of Jerusalem. The exhibits are in the medieval guardrooms and present the main events of the city’s history in a chronological sequence beginning with the Canaanite period and continuing until Jerusalem became the capital of the State of Israel. The museum is open 9.00 AM-4.00 PM (9.00 AM-5.00 PM in August), 9.00 AM-2.00 PM on Friday (until 4.00 PM in August), and 9.00 AM-4.00 PM on Saturday (until 5.00 PM in August). Tours are offered in English on Sundays to Thursdays at 11.00 AM, and on Fridays at 11.00 AM in July and August. There are no tours on holidays or holiday eves. The tour is included in the admission price and you can sign up on line for this. In the event there is no escort guide, visitors are provided with a complementary audio guide. This has 35 stops and takes 60 to 90 minutes. A large part of the exhibition is accessible for people with mobility problems and wheelchairs.

The Sound and Light Night Spectacular at the Citadel shows the story of Jerusalem through virtual reality images. It runs for 45 minutes. There is a charge. To avoid disappointment, book online or reserve in advance by calling (02) 626-5333 or *2884. Times of the show are also provided at this phone number. Tickets on the night of the show are subject to availability. The show is wheelchair accessible.

 

The Tower of David, the Citadel, Herod's palace, the Kishle - are you confused? These photos may give you a better understanding.

 

A reconstruction of Herod's palace and his fortress from the model in the Tower of David Museum. Herod's palace extended along the western wall of the city. The 3 towers were part of the palace and provided protection to the city and the palace itself. Only one of these towers is now standing. The palace was destroyed by Jews during the Great Revolt. (Photo courtesy of the Tower of David Museum).

 

 

 

These are the ruins inside the Citadel. The Citadel is mainly Ottoman and was built on Crusader ruins. The mosque seen in the center of the photo was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, and is called the Tower of David. The Citadel was formerly known as the Tower of David as a result of a Byzantine error. This name was later transferred to the mosque. Neither of them have anything to do with King David.

 

This is a picture of excavations in the moat of the Citadel. The moat was constructed by the Crusaders. Unlike many moats in Europe, this moat was dry. The walls of the Citadel adjacent to the moat (on the left of the photo) are sloping as a protective measure. This also permitted defendents to view the moat without exposing themselves unduly. A wall built across the southern part of the moat prevented entry into the city. The Kishle was built on top of the southern most part of the moat. 

 

This is a view from the southern rampart. To the left is the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion and to the right its belltower adjacent to the Catholic cemetery. The belfry was built at a distance from the Abbey so that its shadow would not overlie David's Tomb. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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