|
Church of
the Holy Sepulchre site of traditional Calvary
By TERRY HOUSHOLDER
 The holiest site of Christiandom,
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem,
lacks visual appeal from the exterior. But the ancient structure
has an impressive interior that leaves many Christian pilgrims
awestruck.
After attending a service at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
next door on Sunday, Nov. 15, our group of 21 Lutherans from
Indiana and Minnesota visited the great basilica that encompasses
what remains of the rock of Calvary and the traditional site
of Jesus' tomb.
Before entering the church, we were led by our Palestinian Lutheran
guide through the Via Dolorosa - The Way of Sorrows - also known
as the Stations of the Cross.
That is the traditional route Jesus took from his condemnation
before Pontius Pilate to crucifixion at Calvary.
Nine of the stations are along the Via Dolorosa while the last
five are within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The route of the Stations of the Cross is not well suited for
meditation by Christian pilgrims. It winds through noisy shops
and backgammon hangouts. Many of the stations are not well marked.
But the Lutheran pastor who led our group, the Rev. Rick Rittmaster
of Bloomington, Minn., did an admirable job of reading appropriate
Bible passages and commenting along the route, making the experience
more meaningful.
The present-day basilica, the fourth on the site, was built by
Crusaders in the 12th century. The original church was erected
by Roman Emperor Constantine in 335 A.D. after it was discovered
by his mother, Empress Helena, who had converted him to Christianity.
There is early archaeological evidence that the basilica is built
on the site of Calvary, which 2,000 years ago existed outside
the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Oral tradition after the death and resurrection of Jesus marked
the site for decades. In 135 A.D., Roman leaders erected a statue
of Jupiter and a temple to Venus at the site to prevent the Christians
from venerating it. That heathen church flourished and was found
intact by St. Helena when she made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
in 325 A.D.
Consequently, work started on the demolition of the old Roman
temple and the building of a Christian basilica covering the
holy sites. A magnificent building was consecrated in 335 A.D.
before a gathering of 300 bishops.
For the last 1,663 years, it has been a venerated shrine of the
Christian faithful.
The churches of four branches of Christianity - Armenian, Coptic,
Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic - share the building. Each
branch jealously guards its rights to worship within the structure.
Other Eastern Orthodox churches within the Holy City also have
privileges to conduct worship in the facility.
The holiest two sites are the traditional site of the crucifixion,
which is surrounded by an ornate altar, and the area known as
the Anastasis, the resurrection tomb.
Visitors to the tomb take time to bow before the altar and reach
into it to touch what remains of the rock of Calvary.
A line of people formed at the tomb, which was strictly guarded
by Greek Orthodox priests who carried incense to the entrance
at intervals. One by one people enter through a low doorway to
the marble burial chamber.
There are other notable Christian sites in and around Jerusalem,
including the peaceful Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus and
his disciplines prayed and rested; Mount of Olives, the place
of Jesus' ascension; and the Garden Tomb, which existed at the
time of Christ and may have been the true site of his grave.
The Garden Tomb contains a rock-hewn grave and gives a clear
idea of what the burial place of Jesus looked like. It is a simple,
meaningful place for prayer and meditation.
|
