Jerusalem, Israel.
Travel & Tour
Pictures, Photos, Information, & Reviews.

Eve & George DeLange
May 2014.

Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. For Christians, the "Son of God" gave us all freedom from the chains of death by his resurection. In memory of Jesus Christ, Christian pilgrims from all over the world walk the Via Dolorosa in Old Jerusalem, from Antonia, Pontius Pilate's seat of government, to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, built on Golgotha, the "hill of the Skull." The Via Dolorosa, is then, the route that Jesus took; between his condemnation by Pilate, his crucifixion, and his burial. The Via Dolorosa pilgrimage is followed by Christians of many denominations; especially Catholics, and the Orthodox. The route that it is thought Jesus traveled as He bore his cross is called, "The Via Dolorosa" or "Way of Sorrow." Archaeology, & history have shown that many of the places shown to the pilgrims who visit these sites; did not exist at the time of Jesus Christ, and that they were built later on. Today there are 14 stations of the cross. Nine of the 14 stations are based on Gospel references. The other five � Jesus� three falls, his meeting with his Mother, and Veronica wiping his face � are traditional. We will present a brief history of pilgrimages to the Via Dolorosa. Via Dolorosa History: Shortly after Constantine legalized Christianity (mid-4th century), pilgrims began walking the Via Dolorosa. At first, Byzantine pilgrims followed a path similar to the one taken today, however did not stop along the way. But then, over the centuries, the route has been changed several times. In about 725 AD the route was changed; the pilgrams would begin at the Garden of Gethsemane, and then turn south to Mount Zion, they would then double back by going around the Temple Mount to the Holy Sepulchre. Then in about the time of the Middle Ages, with the split in the Latin Church, pilgrams of the western faith went westward and those with churches in the eastern faith went eastward. Then during the 14th to 16th centuries, pilgrims usually followed the Franciscan route, which always began at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and only had eight stations of the cross. Also during this same time period, the tradition of 14 Stations of the Cross was developing in Europe. To avoid disappointing the pilgrims from Europe, six more stations of the cross were added. Even today there are disagreements among the different Christian faiths as to which route to take. Most take the route along the Via Dolorosa of the early Byzantine pilgrims, with 14 stations. However, Anglicans believe Jesus would have been taken north towards the Garden Tomb, while the Dominican Catholics beleive they should start from Herod's Palace near the Jaffa Gate. For most pilgrims who visit the Holy Lands, the exact location of each of the events, along the Via Dolorosa is unimportant; their pilgrimage along the Via Dolorosa has great meaning to them due to their close proximity to the original events, and their reflections upon them as they walk the Via Dolorosa. There are fourteen stops on the Via Dolorosa, known as, the "Fourteen Stations Of The Cross." All of the 14 Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa is marked with a plaque, but their very small signs are difficult to find. The Fourteen Stations of the Cross in the Old City of Jerusalem are as follow: First Station: (Mt 27:11-24; Mk 15:1-15; Lk 23:1-25; John 18:28-19:16): Under pressure from the High Priests and the crowd, Pontius Pilate condemns Jesus to death by crucifixion, then washes his hands of the matter. There seem to be three sites where this could have occured. It is commonly said to have occurred at the site of Madrasa al-Omariya, a present day college, about 1000 feet west of the Lion's Gate. This used to be the Antonia Fortress, a vast military garrison built by Herod the Great north of the Temple compound. This is currently marked Station One. A second location could be Herod's Palace south of the present Jaffa Gate. A third location could be the Palace of the Hasmoneans. It was built before Herod�s time for the rulers of Judea. It it thought to have been located halfway between Herod�s Palace and the Temple, in what is today known as the Jewish Quarter. Second Station: (John 19:17): After flagellation Jesus is crowned with thorns and clothed in a scarlet robe as a mark of derision, by the soldiers, who along with crowd, mocked Jesus as the "king of the Jews." Jesus then begins his walk to the place of his execution, outside the city gates. Near the Second Station of the Cross is the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, where a flight of steps descends about seven feet below the present street level to a section of paving stones that for years have been shown to visitors as the "stone pavement" or "Lithostratos" mentioned in John 19:13 where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate. However, the stone pavement did not exist in Jesus' time. The location of the Second Station is near where an Arch was built by the Romans in about AD 70, the arch spans the Via Dolorosa and is now part of the structure of the Convent of the Sisters of Zion. It has been said that the arch was where Pontius Pilate presented Jesus to the people. Archaeological studies have shown the pavement under the arch to be part of a second century A.D. marketplace dating it over a hundred years after Jesus was crucified. Third Station: Jesus falls down for the first time. Fourth Station: Jesus sees his mother. Fifth Station (Mt 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26): Simon of Cryene helps Jesus to carry His cross; a gesture symbolizing the Christian conviction, "Thy brother is Christ". Sixth Station ( A tradition dating from the 14th century. ) (No Reference Can Be Found In The Bible.): Veronica wipes the sweat of blood from Jesus' face. Seventh Station: Jesus falls down a second time. About 75 metres further uphill, at the junction of the Via Dolorosa with Souq Khan al-Zeit, two Franciscan chapels, one above the other, mark the Seventh Station. Eighth Station: (Lk 23:27-31): Jesus gives advice to the women of Jerusalem. "Do not cry for Me, cry rather for yourselves and your children." Ninth Station: Jesus falls down a third time. Tenth Station: (Mt 27: 35.)(John 19:23): Jesus is striped of his clothes. Then Jesus speaks to his father as was said in Psalms - "You wanted neither sacrifice nor obligation, you gave me one body, you did not agree on either holocaust or sacrifice, so I said, 'Here I am I come...'in order that thy will be done O lord." Eleventh Station: (Mark 15:24): Jesus is placed on the cross. Twelfth Station (Mk 15:34): Jesus then freely gives up his life. Jesus cried out: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?". Then "Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up his ghost". Thirteenth Station: (Luke 23:53): Jesus, is brought down from the cross and placed in his mother's arms. Fourteenth Station (Mk 15:46): Jesus is then placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, Then the tomb was closed with a stone rolled across the opening, and Roman soldiers were ordered to guard the tomb. (Mt 27: 57. 60. 64.) For many of the Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, the most important and meaningful thing they will do, while in the city, is to walk the "Via Dolorosa." A weekly procession along the "Via Dolorosa" is led by Franciscans. It starts at 3:00 pm on Fridays, which is about the same time and day of the original events. The procession begins at the Pilgrims' Reception Center, about 1,000 feet inside of the Lions' Gate in the Muslim Quarter. A most popular time to follow the "Via Dolorosa" is during Holy Week, when thousands of pilgrims, led by Franciscans, follow the route to the crucifixion. After all of this is said; very strong evidence shows that the streets of the Via Dolorosa were never traversed by Jesus. The roads of the Old City of Jerusalem follow the line (but at a level some ten to fifteen feet higher) of the ancient town built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian after 135 AD � a century too late for any Christian Messiah to have actually walked on the Via Dolorosa. This statement does not even imply that the events in Christs ministry did not happen. They just did not happen on the Via Dolorosa. When pressed, even the tour guides will admit so. Several of the events that are said to have happened on the Via Dolorosa also are not mentioned at all in the Bible. They are said to have happened by tradition, such as at Station Six. We have placed Bible references at the stations where the events are described in the Bible. Any informed Christian could easilly agree though, that while the Via Dolorosa and its fourteen stations are not historically correct; they are highly symbolic of the undeniable truth. As we left the area we went to "The Church Of All Nations", which is located in Gethsemane. We have included a few photos of that place on this page.

The easy way to get to Jerusalem, the location of the Via Dolorosa, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is close to Jerusalem, which is about 5 miles away. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. There are several hotels in or near Jerusalem. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem, Israel and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Priceline.Com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem, Israel area.