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Pilgrimage in the Holy Land

St John Phocas, tr. Stewart, 1889

Chapter 14

From Samaria to the Holy City is reckoned eighty-four stadia; the road is all paved with stone, and, albeit the whole of that region is dry and waterless, yet it abounds with vineyards and trees. The Holy City is placed in the midst of ravines and hills, and the sight thereof is wondrous; for at the same time the city appears on a height and low-lying, being high when compared with the country of Judæa, but low as compared with the hills with which it is connected. This holy place is divided into two parts: the Holy City is built upon the lower part of the hill on the right-hand, and its circuit reaches up to the ravine; the upper part of this is all overgrown with vines, wherein took place the stoning of the protomartyr Stephen. To the left of this, and on the other side of the ravine, is the Mount of Olives, where the Lord often loved to walk, and has hallowed the whole place by His prayer, His teaching, and finally by His wondrous Ascension to the Father. The holy Sion is in front of the Holy City, lying towards the right-hand side of it. Now the description of it is as follows: There is a castle, wherein is the Holy Sion, the mother of the Churches; this church is of great size, with a vaulted roof. When one has entered the beautiful gates thereof, on the left side is the house of St. John the Evangelist, wherein the thrice-blessed Virgin dwelt after the Resurrection, and where she fell asleep. In that place there is a small cell surrounded by an iron railing, and two bosses on the spot where the Blessed Virgin yielded up her soul to her Son and to God. On the right side of the church, on the right-hand side of the altar, there is an upper chamber, having a stair of sixty-one steps leading to it. This church has four arches and a dome. On the left side of the upper chamber may be seen the place where the Lord’s Supper took place; in the apse¹ took place the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. In the lower part of this church took place the Washing (of the Apostles’ feet); and opposite it is a church on the spot where the building stood into which Christ entered to the Apostles, although the doors were closed. Here, after his stoning, the protomartyr Stephen was buried, and was removed by Gamaliel to another place. On the north side of the city stands the tower which is called the Tower of David, and it is a very great tower; but, though it be declared to be David’s Tower by all men who dwell in Jerusalem, yet, as it seems to me, there is a plausible objection to this; for Josephus tells us that this tower was built of polished white marble—both it, and the church, and the other two towers which were afterwards built by Herod and named after Phaselis and Mariamne; yet this tower may be seen to have been built of common stone. Perhaps the tower which we see at the present day has been built upon the foundation of a very ancient one. Near this tower is a gate leading into the city, by which, if you enter, you will proceed along a wide street, on the right-hand of which, near the Royal Palace, stands the hospice of our holy father Sabba.² Passing about an arrow-shot along the street, you will find the celebrated Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the appearance of which is as it has been described by many writers. The grotto which serves as a sepulchre for the Lord’s Body is double, and in the one part of it lies the stone which was rolled away (from the mouth of the sepulchre), protected by a casing of white marble; and in the other part, on the north side, is a hewn rock, rising about one cubit above the pavement, whereon was laid the naked corpse of the Giver of Life, which is now to be seen ornamented round about with pure gold, through the love and faith of my lord and master, Manuel Comnenus, Porphyrogenitus.³ Near it is the site of Golgotha, wherein is the Place of a Skull, and the socket wrought in the stone for the Cross, and the rent of the stone that was rent at the time of the Passion of the Cross. Beneath the rent is a hollow place in the rock, in which is Adam’s skull, and the stains of the blood of our Lord which were shed over it. The church built over Golgotha is formed of four arches and a dome; and near this church is a vast subterranean church, wherein was discovered the venerable and life-giving Cross of Christ our Lord. Towards the eastern side of the city is a church, which is the Holy of Holies. This church is most exceedingly beautiful, having a vaulted roof, and standing upon the ancient foundation of the renowned Temple of Solomon, decorated both within and without with variegated marbles and mosaics. On the left side of this church are two vaulted chambers, in one of which is depicted the Presentation of our Lord Christ, because in that place the just man Simeon received our Lord Christ into his arms, and in the other the wondrous ladder which Jacob saw reaching up to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending it; and beneath the picture of this ladder is to be seen the stone upon which Jacob laid his head. On the right-hand may be found an opening leading down to a grotto beneath the church, wherein is buried the prophet Zacharias, whom the Jews slew, according to the Gospel, between the Temple and the altar. Without the church is a large paved court, being, I imagine, the ancient floor of the Temple. Near the gate which leads to the holy Gethsemane is the Church of St. Joachim and St. Anna, wherein the birth of the immaculate Virgin took place, and near to this the waters of the ‘pool which is near the Sheep-gate’⁴ spring forth.

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