Via Dolorosa—Day Nine
The Damascus Gate is known as a flash point in Israeli/Palestinian tensions. A point our guides made sure to impress upon us as we drove past the heavy security outside the gate. The road we travel once to mark the border between Israel and Jordon prior to the 1967 war to reunify Jerusalem, known as the Six Day War, when Israel also annexed the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Sinai. Opposite this infamous gate sits an Israeli police station which still shows the scars of gunfire and mortar shells suffered in the war.
Our tour through the Muslim Quarter led us to the Via Dolorosa or the Way of Suffering. It is a street within the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be the path that Jesus walked on His way to the Cross. Traditionally it winds a little less than a half mile from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There are various versions of the route marked by the Stations of the Cross. Since the late 15th century, there have been fourteen stations designated, with the final five marked inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In the Muslim quarter, we saw evidence of families who were making the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj. One of the Five Pillars of Islam, it is a matter of family honor celebrated by decorating one's home.
The streets narrow rapidly as we make our way through this quarter of the Old City. Most of our early trek is through residential neighborhoods, but that soon transitions to commercial marketplaces as we approach the site of the Antonia Fortress. We catch glimpses of high spires and other landmarks through the arches and alleyways. Our group is large and we spread out as we snake our way through the narrowing streets.
Before long we arrive at the Church of the Flagellation, the traditional site where it is believed Jesus was scourged by His Roman guards. What was once open to the daylight is now buried deep beneath ground level. The darkness that surrounded our descent seemed to compliment the barbarity of the practice.
In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion, and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. Such a device could easily cause disfigurement and serious trauma, such as ripping pieces of flesh from the body or loss of an eye. In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would approach a state of shock due to loss of blood.
The Romans reserved this treatment for non-citizens. The poet Horace refers to the horrible flagellum (horrible whip) in his Satires. Typically, the one to be punished was stripped naked and bound to a low pillar so that he could bend over it, or chained to an upright pillar so as to be stretched out. Two lictors (some reports indicate scourgings with four or six lictors) alternated blows from the bare shoulders down the body to the soles of the feet. There was no limit to the number of blows inflicted—this was left to the lictors to decide, though they were normally not supposed to kill the victim. Nonetheless, Livy, Suetonius and Josephus report cases of flagellation where victims died while still bound to the post. Flagellation was referred to as "half death" by some authors, as many victims died shortly thereafter. —From the Wikipedia article on flagellation.
As we made our way into the ruins, a solemn mood gripped the entire group. It seemed fitting to read from Isaiah and observe a moment of silence. The stillness was punctuated by the soft sobs of those whose hearts were moved at the Savior's love and His willingness to offer Himself on their behalf. After a moment, one in our group began to sing softly the hymn Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
—Isaiah 53:2-12
From there, we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church is in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. According to traditions dating back to at least the fourth century, it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the place where Jesus was crucified, known as Calvary or Golgotha, and His empty tomb, where He was buried and resurrected.
This church is built on the traditional site where the final stages of the Cross occurred: Jesus is stripped of his clothes. He is nailed to the cross, dies, and is taken down from the cross. After which He is placed in the tomb. The site has been the object of Christian pilgrimage since the 4th Century when a church was commissioned by Emperor Constantine.
From the church, we strolled through the Christian Quarter passing a myriad of shops along the way. Not to be outdone by their Muslim neighbors, Jerusalem's Christians offered a dizzying array of wares. Fresh juices and fruits. Dried cakes made of figs, nuts, and honey. Clothing that blazed with color even in the darkened alleyways. Finally, we made our way with the group and most of our funds intact to our exit, the Jaffa Gate.
Our next stop was a study in contrast to our recent visits. We left behind ornate churches complete with their incense and darkened silence, trading them for the cool, open embrace of the Garden Tomb. This site has been proposed by Protestant supporters as an alternative to the traditional place of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection since the middle of the 19th Century. As early as the 8th Century though, critics of the Empress Helena's designation of the traditional site troubled over its enclosure within the city walls. The Gospels are quite clear that Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem. And scholars debate to this day where the walls of Jesus' day lay.
The Garden Tomb property is owned and maintained by an Evangelical charitable trust in the UK, and has become a popular destination for Christian pilgrims. It has much to recommend it, including features that seem to match details in the Gospel narratives. The guides are all Christians, volunteers, and committed to the trust's mission: to proclaim the Risen Christ.
After visiting the tomb, we gathered for a communion service led by Pastor Randy. The Garden Tomb Trust offers sheltered gathering places for services, and we availed ourselves of the opportunity to worship, hear an encouraging word, and share communion. Each of us received a small carved olive wood cup courtesy of our guides. The peace and sweetness of the garden fed our souls.
And then there was this on the way to our buses :-)
Leaving the Garden Tomb, we concluded our day with a trip the Valley of Elah, the place of David's epic confrontation with Goliath. It took decades for the Philistines to recover from their defeat at the hands of Saul and Jonathon (1 Samuel 14: 15 and following). But when they had finally prepared, they marched from the coastal plains into the hills of Israel to the south of Saul's capital, deep into Israeli territory. The valley is named after the large and shady terebinth trees indigenous to the area. It's one of the most fertile places in the region. In David's time, the Israeli forces were arrayed to the north, seen on the right side of the picture below. The Philistine army would have encamped about a half mile away on the other rim of the valley.
We could almost hear the giant's daily taunts echoing from the hillsides, "“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” (1 Samuel 17:10). No such challenge rang through the empty valley on this day. David had won that battle long before he ever faced Goliath as Pastor Dan reminded us in his teaching.
As a waning sun hung low in the sky, we hiked back to our buses and boarded for the ride back to Jeruslaem, where a hot meal and a soft bed awaited us.
 |
| The Damascus Gate into the Old City |
 |
| Israeli paratroopers who liberated the Old City during the Six Day War celebrate their comrade's wedding at the Western Wall. |
 |
| Our group entered the Muslim Quarter through Herod's gate, also known as the Flower Gate. |
Our tour through the Muslim Quarter led us to the Via Dolorosa or the Way of Suffering. It is a street within the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be the path that Jesus walked on His way to the Cross. Traditionally it winds a little less than a half mile from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There are various versions of the route marked by the Stations of the Cross. Since the late 15th century, there have been fourteen stations designated, with the final five marked inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
 |
| Our destination passing through the Muslim Quarter |
In the Muslim quarter, we saw evidence of families who were making the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj. One of the Five Pillars of Islam, it is a matter of family honor celebrated by decorating one's home.
 |
| A Muslim home welcoming and celebrating a family member on Hajj. |
The streets narrow rapidly as we make our way through this quarter of the Old City. Most of our early trek is through residential neighborhoods, but that soon transitions to commercial marketplaces as we approach the site of the Antonia Fortress. We catch glimpses of high spires and other landmarks through the arches and alleyways. Our group is large and we spread out as we snake our way through the narrowing streets.
 |
| Colorful apparel abounds in the tiny shops, many of which aren't much larger than a closet. You can buy all manner of clothing, food, and trinkets from accommodating merchants. A few of our party even tried their hand at the art of Near Eastern haggling. |
 |
| The streets surprise us with a stretch of First Century, Roman paving stones. |
Before long we arrive at the Church of the Flagellation, the traditional site where it is believed Jesus was scourged by His Roman guards. What was once open to the daylight is now buried deep beneath ground level. The darkness that surrounded our descent seemed to compliment the barbarity of the practice.
In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion, and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. Such a device could easily cause disfigurement and serious trauma, such as ripping pieces of flesh from the body or loss of an eye. In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would approach a state of shock due to loss of blood.
The Romans reserved this treatment for non-citizens. The poet Horace refers to the horrible flagellum (horrible whip) in his Satires. Typically, the one to be punished was stripped naked and bound to a low pillar so that he could bend over it, or chained to an upright pillar so as to be stretched out. Two lictors (some reports indicate scourgings with four or six lictors) alternated blows from the bare shoulders down the body to the soles of the feet. There was no limit to the number of blows inflicted—this was left to the lictors to decide, though they were normally not supposed to kill the victim. Nonetheless, Livy, Suetonius and Josephus report cases of flagellation where victims died while still bound to the post. Flagellation was referred to as "half death" by some authors, as many victims died shortly thereafter. —From the Wikipedia article on flagellation.
As we made our way into the ruins, a solemn mood gripped the entire group. It seemed fitting to read from Isaiah and observe a moment of silence. The stillness was punctuated by the soft sobs of those whose hearts were moved at the Savior's love and His willingness to offer Himself on their behalf. After a moment, one in our group began to sing softly the hymn Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
—Isaiah 53:2-12
 |
| A long vaulted gallery leads to the chamber we sought. |
 |
| The artifacts and paving stones are typical of where the flogging would have occurred. |
From there, we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church is in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. According to traditions dating back to at least the fourth century, it contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the place where Jesus was crucified, known as Calvary or Golgotha, and His empty tomb, where He was buried and resurrected.
 |
| The entrance to the church features massive wooden doors under twin arches, the keys of which are held by a Muslim man known as The Keeper of the Keys. It is his right to keep the keys according to a provision in a 150-year-old agreement between religious communities about holy sites within Jerusalem and Bethlehem. |
 |
| A view of the doors as pilgrims transit the threshold. |
 |
| A 19th Century shrine marks the traditional place of the Crucifixion. |
 |
| Pilgrims kiss a large slab that signifies the site of Jesus' burial and Resurrection. |
This church is built on the traditional site where the final stages of the Cross occurred: Jesus is stripped of his clothes. He is nailed to the cross, dies, and is taken down from the cross. After which He is placed in the tomb. The site has been the object of Christian pilgrimage since the 4th Century when a church was commissioned by Emperor Constantine.
From the church, we strolled through the Christian Quarter passing a myriad of shops along the way. Not to be outdone by their Muslim neighbors, Jerusalem's Christians offered a dizzying array of wares. Fresh juices and fruits. Dried cakes made of figs, nuts, and honey. Clothing that blazed with color even in the darkened alleyways. Finally, we made our way with the group and most of our funds intact to our exit, the Jaffa Gate.
 |
| Heading north, we left the Old City via the Jaffa Gate, with its famous "Eye of the Needle." |
 |
| As we waited for our buses, we were treated to a view east along the Old City's wall toward Jaffa Gate. |
Our next stop was a study in contrast to our recent visits. We left behind ornate churches complete with their incense and darkened silence, trading them for the cool, open embrace of the Garden Tomb. This site has been proposed by Protestant supporters as an alternative to the traditional place of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection since the middle of the 19th Century. As early as the 8th Century though, critics of the Empress Helena's designation of the traditional site troubled over its enclosure within the city walls. The Gospels are quite clear that Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem. And scholars debate to this day where the walls of Jesus' day lay.
The Garden Tomb property is owned and maintained by an Evangelical charitable trust in the UK, and has become a popular destination for Christian pilgrims. It has much to recommend it, including features that seem to match details in the Gospel narratives. The guides are all Christians, volunteers, and committed to the trust's mission: to proclaim the Risen Christ.
 |
| On the right side of this image, one can make out the features of a skull on the rock face. |
 |
| A short distance from the cliff is a tomb that was in use during the First Century. The surrounding area gives evidence of ancient wine production which would correspond to John's description that Jesus tomb was in a "garden." |
 |
| The tomb's interior features a preparation area directly opposite the entrance and a burial space to the right. |
 |
| The layout of the interior matches the Gospel narratives where eyewitnesses looked to the right in the tomb. |
 |
| A stone similar to that used to seal the tomb sits opposite its entrance. |
After visiting the tomb, we gathered for a communion service led by Pastor Randy. The Garden Tomb Trust offers sheltered gathering places for services, and we availed ourselves of the opportunity to worship, hear an encouraging word, and share communion. Each of us received a small carved olive wood cup courtesy of our guides. The peace and sweetness of the garden fed our souls.
And then there was this on the way to our buses :-)
 |
| They say a man in uniform is kind of irrestistable... This patient policeman obliged our group, posing for some pictures. The sight of Israeli security was always a welcome one in this troubled corner of the world. |
Leaving the Garden Tomb, we concluded our day with a trip the Valley of Elah, the place of David's epic confrontation with Goliath. It took decades for the Philistines to recover from their defeat at the hands of Saul and Jonathon (1 Samuel 14: 15 and following). But when they had finally prepared, they marched from the coastal plains into the hills of Israel to the south of Saul's capital, deep into Israeli territory. The valley is named after the large and shady terebinth trees indigenous to the area. It's one of the most fertile places in the region. In David's time, the Israeli forces were arrayed to the north, seen on the right side of the picture below. The Philistine army would have encamped about a half mile away on the other rim of the valley.
We could almost hear the giant's daily taunts echoing from the hillsides, "“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” (1 Samuel 17:10). No such challenge rang through the empty valley on this day. David had won that battle long before he ever faced Goliath as Pastor Dan reminded us in his teaching.
 |
| Should you encounter a Philistine giant, you can still find smooth round stones in the dry wash that runs through the valley. |
As a waning sun hung low in the sky, we hiked back to our buses and boarded for the ride back to Jeruslaem, where a hot meal and a soft bed awaited us.
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