Church of Bethphage
Encyclopedia
The Church of Bethphage, also spelled Beitphage, meaning "house of the early figs", is a Franciscan church located on the Mount of Olives
in Jerusalem. It contains a stone traditionally identified as the one which Jesus
used to mount the donkey at the start of his procession into Jerusalem.
chapel which was located in the ancient village of Bethphage
, which is now a part of Jerusalem, but two thousand years ago would have been a separate village between Bethany and Jerusalem. The crusader era chapel itself was built on the foundations of a 4th century Byzantine
shrine commemorating the meeting between Lazarus
' sister Martha
and Jesus, after Lazarus had died. In 1867, during construction of a Franciscan monastery on the grounds, a stone, cube shaped and covered in plaster, was discovered. This stone, now called the Stele
of Bethphage, was an integral part of the 12th century crusader chapel and now lies near the northern wall of the church. The Crusaders had decorated the stone and inscribed upon it in Latin
, descriptions of biblical events which occurred in the area of Jerusalem and Bethphage. In 1950 the decorations on the stone were restored and five years later, in 1955 frescos were drawn on the walls and ceiling of the sanctuary. Today, as in the 12th century, pilgrims hold a Palm Sunday
procession which begins at the Bethphage Church.
. Behind the altar is a fresco depicting Jesus riding a donkey to the Temple
, accompanied by his disciples
. The church ceiling features drawings of flowers and leaves. Colored in shades of brown, the wall frescos portray New Testament
era people preparing for the procession. On one wall a group of rabbi
's hold a scroll which contains the second part of the verse from . Written in Latin around the windows are the words which Jesus spoke during the procession into the city. The main focus of the church is the Stele of Bethphage, which is set apart by wrought iron railings. There is a mirror behind the stone so that visitors can easily see the drawings on all four sides. The drawings depict the meeting between Jesus and Martha; two disciples bringing Jesus an ass and a colt, Lazarus rising from the dead, and on the side facing the altar, a drawing of a crowd of people holding palms
.
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
in Jerusalem. It contains a stone traditionally identified as the one which Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
used to mount the donkey at the start of his procession into Jerusalem.
History
The modern church, built in 1883, rests on the foundations of a 12th century crusaderCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
chapel which was located in the ancient village of Bethphage
Bethphage
Bethphage was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem....
, which is now a part of Jerusalem, but two thousand years ago would have been a separate village between Bethany and Jerusalem. The crusader era chapel itself was built on the foundations of a 4th century Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
shrine commemorating the meeting between Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
' sister Martha
Martha
Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem...
and Jesus, after Lazarus had died. In 1867, during construction of a Franciscan monastery on the grounds, a stone, cube shaped and covered in plaster, was discovered. This stone, now called the Stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
of Bethphage, was an integral part of the 12th century crusader chapel and now lies near the northern wall of the church. The Crusaders had decorated the stone and inscribed upon it in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, descriptions of biblical events which occurred in the area of Jerusalem and Bethphage. In 1950 the decorations on the stone were restored and five years later, in 1955 frescos were drawn on the walls and ceiling of the sanctuary. Today, as in the 12th century, pilgrims hold a Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
procession which begins at the Bethphage Church.
Design and Layout
Foundations from the crusader chapel can easily be seen near the floor of the apseApse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. Behind the altar is a fresco depicting Jesus riding a donkey to the Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
, accompanied by his disciples
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
. The church ceiling features drawings of flowers and leaves. Colored in shades of brown, the wall frescos portray New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
era people preparing for the procession. On one wall a group of rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
's hold a scroll which contains the second part of the verse from . Written in Latin around the windows are the words which Jesus spoke during the procession into the city. The main focus of the church is the Stele of Bethphage, which is set apart by wrought iron railings. There is a mirror behind the stone so that visitors can easily see the drawings on all four sides. The drawings depict the meeting between Jesus and Martha; two disciples bringing Jesus an ass and a colt, Lazarus rising from the dead, and on the side facing the altar, a drawing of a crowd of people holding palms
Palm branch (symbol)
A palm branch , usually refers to the leaves of the Arecaceae ....
.