November 13, 2005: Photos from the Mt. of Olives
A little more about the Convent of the Ascension at the Mount of Olives....
I've included some photos that I took from the top (6 stories) of their tower, both of the convent property which is sizeable considering how densely populated the area has become. I also included a shot of the Old City of Jerusalem. You should be able to make out the wall (which I used for my right & left border of the shot) running just below the Dome of the Rock. The rock dome in the foreground, surrounded by a circular high wall (half way down the photo b/w the Dome of the Rock & the bottom, just above the red roof of a neighboring building) is the former church of the Ascension (now a Mosque) where there's a 
stone marking the site of the Lord's Ascension with a footprint in the Rock (photo included, although it's hard to make out the shape of a foot in the photo...it appears as a depression in the rock).
I've also included the photo of the spot where the first two findings of St. John the Baptist's head was. His head was buried here by Herod Antipas, seperate from his body in Sebaste by his disciples, because he feared that if they were buried together that John would/could rise from the dead. It was later discovered in the 4th century by a monk who lived in the area, and it was
revealed to him in a vision to whom it belonged. He reburied it before his death, fearing that it would fall into Muslim hands, until another two monks uncovered it later after its location & identity were revealed to them in mutual dreams on three occasions.
Lastly, I included a photo of the original floor of the ancient main church. It was the site of the martyrdom of many nuns by the Persians in 614 (which occurred at most of the monasteries in the area that year during their invasion). The church was set fire to after the nuns were slaughtered, burning the blood into the floor. Reminders of this kind are remarkable in their
own right, but to have them incorporated into the house of worship makes it all the more powerful to pray there recalling that others have literally spilt their blood for their love of Christ & the Faith!
I've included some photos that I took from the top (6 stories) of their tower, both of the convent property which is sizeable considering how densely populated the area has become. I also included a shot of the Old City of Jerusalem. You should be able to make out the wall (which I used for my right & left border of the shot) running just below the Dome of the Rock. The rock dome in the foreground, surrounded by a circular high wall (half way down the photo b/w the Dome of the Rock & the bottom, just above the red roof of a neighboring building) is the former church of the Ascension (now a Mosque) where there's a 
stone marking the site of the Lord's Ascension with a footprint in the Rock (photo included, although it's hard to make out the shape of a foot in the photo...it appears as a depression in the rock).I've also included the photo of the spot where the first two findings of St. John the Baptist's head was. His head was buried here by Herod Antipas, seperate from his body in Sebaste by his disciples, because he feared that if they were buried together that John would/could rise from the dead. It was later discovered in the 4th century by a monk who lived in the area, and it was
revealed to him in a vision to whom it belonged. He reburied it before his death, fearing that it would fall into Muslim hands, until another two monks uncovered it later after its location & identity were revealed to them in mutual dreams on three occasions.Lastly, I included a photo of the original floor of the ancient main church. It was the site of the martyrdom of many nuns by the Persians in 614 (which occurred at most of the monasteries in the area that year during their invasion). The church was set fire to after the nuns were slaughtered, burning the blood into the floor. Reminders of this kind are remarkable in their
own right, but to have them incorporated into the house of worship makes it all the more powerful to pray there recalling that others have literally spilt their blood for their love of Christ & the Faith!
Labels: Holy Land
posted by Justin Daniel at 7:49 PM
1 Comments:
You write very well.
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