Outside the Walls, Jerusalem

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The Russian Compound, a few hundred metres from Jaffa Gate, gained its name from the thousands of Russian pilgrims who came to Jerusalem throughout the 19th century - the biggest number from any other country. Such were their numbers that the Russian Church acquired the site and it became virtually self-contained compound including a cathedral, hospices, residences and the consulate offices.

Sold back to the Israelis in the 1960s (for oranges!), the area is dominated by the Church of the Holy Trinity, consecrated in 1872 (but which sadly remains closed to the public). The large twin crenellated-towered building a 100 metres away is the Sergei Building - a luxurious hostel for visiting nobility. Post-1917 Revolution, the number of pilgrims moreorless stopped and the building was acquired by the British during the Mandate and turned into offices. It is now the Israeli HQ for the Israeli Society for the Protection of Nature.

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This is the room where christians believe that Jesus had his last supper. It is not so far from the western wall gate and it'snext to the tomb of King David.
In the room up west from the tob of king David, you find a candelabra with three branches which are supposed to rapresent the main three monotheist religions: islam judaism chirstianity.The candelabre was donated by the founder of San raffaele hospital in Milan, don Verzè which, before dieing was incriminating for stealing public money.

We did not enter, as by the time we arrived, 16.00 on Wednesdays they close, we try too to visit also the Israel Museum at that time ... snif snif No luck!

This museum focus on the history, cultures and civilisations found in the Bible and displays artefacts from ancient times

Ok so i found this brilliant site - fun in jerusalem, it has on it a whole list of cool idea's on what to do outside of the typical attractions - i've been here for a while now and i was getting a bit bored of doing the same attractions, I was sure that there has to be so much history all around jerusalem and after looking at all the activities on the site I have found that there is an incredible amount of things to do!!

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In the potted histories we grew up on, Jerusalem was always equated with the Old City. Now, after years of digging, archaeologists say that the core of Jerusalem is not there at all, but outside the Old City walls, on a rocky ridge opposite Mount Moriah (famous for being the place where Abraham planned to sacrifice his son Isaac but luckily had second thoughts). After conquering the Jebusites, a Canaanite people, over 3,000 years ago, it was this spot – Ir David - that King David chose to establish his monarchy and build a palace. Walls, passageways, water channels, seals, coins and other artifacts unearthed at the site have changed our whole conception of where and how Jerusalem was born.

Excavations in Jerusalem are always problematic. Wherever you stick your spade, evidence of the past pops up and invariably disturbs the life of the people living there now. This is particularly true in and around the Old City, where thousands of years of history have been covered over with a dense patchwork of slums, plastered on top of whatever was there before.

A few years ago, Ir David (David’s City) was declared a national park and opened to the public. Excavations are still going on, but underneath the asphalt and the concrete lie an astounding maze of ancient roads, water conduits, the homes of priestly families, even a biblical era toilet and post-office.

Kids and adventure-loving (non-claustrophobic) adults will love the First Temple tour, which includes wading through an ancient water tunnel in the pitch black (flashlights and appropriate footwear are required for this). We went on the information-packed Second Temple tour (2 hours). The grand finale was walking on a Roman road with a staircase presumed to lead all the way up to the Temple Mount (that is the theory - meanwhile the dig goes on), and exiting through an ancient sewer. Guided tours begin with a 3-D historical movie that provides some background (Hint: Don’t expect Avatar). The cost is 35-45 shekels per person, depending on which tour you choose.

Fascinating stuff. Don’t miss it!

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You will find the Mary's Crypt in the Basilica of the Assumption (or Dormition).
The present church is a circular building with several niches containing altars, and a choir. Two spiral staircases lead to the crypt, the site ascribed to the dormition of the Virgin Mary, and also to the organ-loft and the gallery, from where two of the church's four towers are accessible.

You can watch my 3 min 26 sec HD Video Jerusalem Dormition Abbey out of my Youtube channel.

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The Cenacle is also known as the "Upper Room". It is the term used for the site of the Last Supper. The word is a derivative of the Latin word cena, which means dinner.
In Christian tradition the "Upper Room" was not only the site of the Last Supper but the usual place where the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
While the church was destroyed sometime after 1219, the Cenacle was spared. In the 1340's, it passed into the custody of the Franciscan Order of Friars, who maintained the structure until 1552, when the Ottoman Empire took possession of it. After the Franciscan friars' eviction, this room was transformed into a mosque, as evidenced by the mihrab in the direction of Mecca and an Arabic inscription prohibiting public prayer at the site. Christians were not allowed to return until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Out of regard for the nearby Muslim sacred place of Nabi Da'ud, which now occupies the building in the Upper Room where traditionally the Last Supper took place, the belltower is set far enough away that its shadow does not touch Nebi Da'ud, and is therefore not directly accessible from the church.

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According to local tradition, it was on this spot, near the site of the Last Supper, that the Blessed Virgin Mary passed into eternity. This gave the original monastery its name; the church itself is called, as it has always been, the Basilica of the Assumption (or Dormition).