Jerusalem: The Room of the Last Supper


 
Jerusalem, the most sacred city in the world, the Axis Mundi: Iherusalem umbilicus est terrarium. We had great expectations, and they were fulfilled; except that a two-day visit could only be a taster. It was a little stressful at times, as the security situation was rather  fraught.
    So much to see!  The Western Wall,  the Holocaust Museum, the Museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  In the available free time that we had we focussed on Christian sites, and I'm going to write about these here.                                                                          

The Room of the Last Supper

  Otherwise known as the Cenacle. Many legends swirl around this building, though there is little archaeological evidence for any of them; the building has been rebuilt many times since the days of the Bible events.  Here, it is claimed, is the site of the Last Supper, Pentecost, appearances of the resurrected Christ, and of the Dormition (death) of the Virgin, which is marked by the church of the Dormition outside the Zion gate nearby. Another legend associates the building with the burial of King David, but a preferred site these days is also outside the gate next to the church. It is claimed that the very first Christian church stood here. It is sacred to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: it became a mosque, and there is a mihrab, or prayer niche, on one wall of the room. For more on the history of the building, search for Cenacle on Wikipedia - a good article.


 




Mihrab



Church of the Dormition



  Holy Land page 1 



On to Gethsemane