A Morning Walk up the Mount of Olives

Today in Jerusalem I took advantage of the cool morning air to hike to the top of the Mount of Olives.

Looking up toward Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives

After a light Israeli breakfast my journey began by turning right out of the door at the Abraham Hostel.

Rothschild Hospital in Jerusalem

I walked down HaNevi’im Street, or the street of the Prophets.

An Italian Hospital, now Israel Ministry of Education in Jerusalem

There are many interesting old buildings from the British era and before.

Shops near the Damascus Gate

I turned onto Sultan Suleiman Street, where I saw several markets selling fresh food.

Small shop with fresh fruit

Sultan Suleiman is an Ottoman ruler who built the current walls of Jerusalem about 500 AD.

Man with cart near the Damascus Gate

I came up to the wall at the Damascus Gate,

Approaching the Damascus Gate

Where an old Roman gate can be seen below the entrance.

The Two Damascus Gates

I walked through the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and passed Zedekiah’s Cave.

Zedekiah's Cave

The walls are built on high bedrock in this area.

Walls of Jerusalem on Bedrock

Vendors were setting up the market at Herod’s gate (Flower Gate) as I passed.

Herod's Gate

Then I took a walkway through an Islamic cemetery.

Mount of Olives from Islamic Cemetery

I got a great view of Lion’s Gate from the cemetery which stood above the gate.

Stephen Gate in Jerusalem

From there I went into the Kidron Valley,

Kindron Valley, Absalom's Tomb in the valley

And passed the Church of St. Mary. There is a grotto here where Jesus prayed on the night he was arrested.

Grotto of the Virgin Mary

Also an Orthodox church, which is supposedly the place where the Virgin Mary was buried. This cave is quite ornate.

Tomb of the Virgin Mary

The Church of All Nations with its ancient Olive Trees is across the street.

Church of All Nations - Old Olive Trees

I found a set of stairs and walked up.

Stairs leading to top of Mount of Olives

The walk afforded great views!

View of Jerusalem from Olivet's Steps

There was a trail through an Olive Grove where I could picture King David and Jesus walking as they traversed the Mount of Olives.

Path through the Olive Orchard

The stairs were like a road with homes along the way.

Doorway along the steps

At the top I reached Pater Noster Church, which is reported to be a place where Jesus taught. This might have been the place he prayed on his last night.

Pater Noster Church from Entrance

There was a 10 shekel charge to get in, and my wallet was back at the Hostel, so I looked from the entrance, and decided to come back at some time.

Mosque of the Ascension

I walked over to the Church of the Ascension.

Dome of the Ascension

I listened to a guide inside,

The Place where Jesus ascended to heaven - Acts 1:8

Who explained the footprint of Jesus left at this spot.

Heel mark can be seen on the left

It was an interesting walk. I saw many of the tings I wrote about in my book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey. (If you have not bought one yet, now is the time to click the link and order your copy.)

The Meeting at the Golden Gate

"In the records of the twelve tribes of Israel was Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double, saying: There shall be of my superabundance to all the people, and there shall be the offering for my forgiveness to the Lord for a propitiation for me." (Gospel of James 1)

View of the Golden Gate from the Mount of Olives

According to an ancient legend a beautiful love story takes place between Joachim, a shepherd who tended flocks near Nazareth, and Anne, the daughter of Matthan the priest at the Golden Gate. The tale about the couple relates that they had been married a long time, and loved each other deeply. They were happy and their lives seemed perfect in every way, except that the they were childless. The Joachim and Anne had hoped and prayed for a child, but over the years had become satisfied, because of their love for God and for each other. The accepted as fact that it was not the God’s will for them to have children.

The Vision of Joachim

The Golden Legend, a book of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine completed in about 1260 AD, tells the story of Joachim and Ann. It relates how one day when Joachim went to the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles in order to offer a gift to God, a priest told him his offering was not acceptable because of his wife’s barrenness. The shepherd, who was very dedicated to God was highly distraught, for his relationship with God was pure. He wondered why the Lord would not accept an offering given in love.

The Golden Gate entrance to Temple Mount

Joachim went to pray, and read the stories of Abraham, Elkanah, and Manoah, Each of these men’s wives, although barren for many years, bore sons in old age. Upon understanding the Biblical record of these couples, Joachim realized his offering was acceptable, and immediately returned home. He selected ten of his best lambs and went to make an offering at the Temple.

View of Jerusalem from Mount Scopus

At the same time Joachim’s wife Anne became depressed, went out to the garden and sat down under a laurel tree to pray. While she was in prayer, an angel of the Lord came to her and said, “Anna, Anna, the Lord God has heard your prayer. You will conceive and give birth to a child who will become famous in the world.”

Map of Jerusalem in Temple times

Immediately Anne arose and went to the Temple to pray. As she approached the Golden Gate and was about to enter, she saw Joachim arriving at the same gate with ten lambs from the flock. The two embraced, and Anne asked her husband why he was bringing the offering. He said he had seen an angel who told him, “Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer.” The pair entered the Temple in order to give thanks to God.

Joachim meets Anne at the Golden Gate

Nine months later Anne gave birth to a daughter and gave her the name Mary because the years of bitterness and waiting had come to an end. The elderly couple cared for their daughter and brought her up in the Lord. When she became a young woman she was betrothed to a carpenter named Joseph, and from this holy couple was born the Child named Jesus.

Over 250 great stories about Israel

More about this anecdote, and other stories related to the Holy Land can be found in the new book, Israel: Stories for Your Journey, available on Kindle for $1.99.

The Gate into Jerusalem

The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.” (Ezekiel 44:1-3)

The Golden Gate into Jerusalem

Originally the gate was built during the reign of King Solomon. It was placed to the east of the new Temple because the sole entrance for the Tabernacle was placed on the east, in the direction of the rising sun. The priests used the gate to send the scapegoat away from the Temple and to take the Red Heifer to the Mount of Olives. After the first Temple was destroyed, Ezekiel said the Messiah would eventually enter through this gate.

The Golden Gate and the Dome of the Rock

In about the year 30 AD, Mark tells us, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven’ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts.” (11:8-11)

The road from Mount of Olives to Jerusalem

The Messiah entered the gate on a donkey according to the prophecies of Genesis 49:11, Psalm 118:22-29; Ezekiel 46:12; and Zechariah 9:9. He spent the week teaching in the Temple, and then he gave the gift of life, according to the prophecies, on the cross. Jesus was buried in the tomb for three days. Then he arose from the dead, walked among his disciples for forty days, and ascended to heaven east of the Temple and its Golden Gate, on the Mount of Olives.

A bird's eye view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

It is believed that Jesus will enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate when He returns in what is called the second coming. This is because when the Spirit left the Temple in Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar deported Israel, the Spirit flew above the Golden Gate and over the Mount of Olives.

An inside view of the Golden Gate

“Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God.” (Ezekiel 11:22-24)

Looking from Temple Mount past the Golden Gate to Olivet

I have written much more about the Golden Gate and its stories in a kindle book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey. This $2 book is an excellent resource for anyone traveling to Israel. It goes beyond the normal guide books to tell over 250 stories about the sites most tourists visit.

An excellent guide book for travelers to Israel

I learned a lot about the land of the Bible through three visits and by writing Israel: Stories for Your Journey (1.99 on Kindle), Many questions and ideas I formed about stories in the Bible were answered through seeing and studying the geography of the land. I invite you to visit Israel or read my book to learn more.