MOUNT OF ZION
Jerusalem, the city of gold, the city of Zion, the city of David, so many names have been given to the city where all religions meet, and where the spirit is in every stone. This paragraph will take you around mount of Zion just like a private tour guide. See our tour
Mount Zion along with several other sites in Israel such as Jaffa or Capernaum was the early Christian Community – or where first Christians stayed and prayed.
Tomb of king Daivid
As soon as you enter the tomb complex, you will be greeted by Jewish Orthodox…. These are the trustees of the complex, who try in every way to gain power in the place.
In Jerusalem – right on the outskirts of the city of Eliyah Capitolina (the pagan city founded by emperor Adriano) – a regular community life existed in the Mount Zion area without interruption by the Roman government.
Scholars disagree as to whether the structure today is originally from the Late Roman period (2nd century AD (Byzantine), 2nd-7th century CE (Crusader), 12th-13th century) or from the Mamluk or Ottoman period (12th-15th century). The identification of the place as a synagogue or a Judeo-Christian church indicates mainly the great power of the religious tradition to shape the narrative of a holy place.
1 Kings, chapter 2, verse 10: “And David lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.” Most kings buried a child with their parents.
The new study raised the possibility that at least the last kings in the House of David dynasty who are known not to have been buried in the City of David, were indeed buried on Mount Zion. According to another view, it should not be ruled out that even some of the kings of the House of David who were buried in the City of David were later transferred for re-burial on Mount Zion.
It is easy to see that there is no cave in the bedrock and there are no characteristics of a tomb from the First Temple period.
On the tomb there is a round decoration, a well know characteristic of the crusaders
An Italian engineer named Meremete Piarotti tells that he found a cave in the Orthodox cemetery that reaches to David’s tomb. Also, James Berkeley tells of the presence of a cave or a ground room, and according to a ground penetrating radar something is found!!! Under the window he finds coins from 1948. This was Yaakov Pinkerfeld’s excavation pit, who excavated in the same place in 1936.
Remember when you came to David’s tomb, so there’s a lot of mystery under the tomb.
The Last Supper Room
Just as you enter the Hagia Zion or Dormition complex, continue straight and on the left you will see a sign for the Last Supper room.
Going up the stairs past a corridor, you are inside the Last Supper room. Strange and sacred feeling, there is no resemblance to that painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
The room you are in has gone through so many upheavals that it’s hard to keep track … but let’s sort the layers and understand.
To begin the journey through time we must understand that in 390 the Hagia Zion or, Holy Zion Church, was built here, one of the most important churches in Jerusalem, destroyed in 996.
In its place the Crusaders built the church “Our Lady of Mount Zion” also destroying two remaining chapels.
This Chapel of the Dormition is the place of Mary’s death … and another chapel is the one where we are in the Sanctuary, this is the King David building.
Later, the Muslims turned this whole complex into a mosque.
What is seen today is the Crusader’s archetecture, and we can see the pillars and the Gothic construction left over from those Crusader chapels.
40 days later, according to the Christian faith, the Holy Spirit will descend on the believers in Christ.
From here late at night as is the custom of the Jews, Jesus will continue to the winepress of oils.
Mark 14 [NIV]
[vs: 13] So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.
[vs: 14] Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
[vs: 15] He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”
[vs: 16] The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
[vs: 17] When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.
Acts 2 [NIV]
[vs: 1] When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
[vs: 2] Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
[vs: 3] They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
[vs: 4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
[vs: 5] Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
[vs: 6] When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
[vs: 7] Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
[vs: 8] Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
[vs: 9] Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
[vs: 10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
[vs: 11] (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
[vs: 12] Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
[vs: 13] Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
[vs: 14] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
[vs: 15] These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
[vs: 16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
[vs: 17] “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
