Jerusalem: Garden of Gethsemane in the 1920s
Garden of Gethsemane Image Gallery
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Gethsemane is a Greek form of the Hebrew phrase for "oil press" (gat shemanim). Mark and Matthew describe a "place" called Gethsemane located near the Mount of Olives. John describes Jesus' betrayal as occurring in a "garden" located across the Kidron valley east of Jerusalem and thus on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Christians have ever since sought out a "Garden of Gethsemane" east of Jerusalem and on the Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har ha-Zetim).
The Mount of Olives is a mile-long ridge of limestone that parallels the eastern wall of Jerusalem and turns west as it reaches the northern corner, partially enclosing Jerusalem. It rises 320 feet above the Temple Mount, making it an excellent site for attackers. During his siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, Roman commander Titus located his headquarters on the northern extension of this ridge, naming if Mount Skopus ("Lookout Hill") because of the excellent view of the city which it gave him. From here he likely had massive Roman catapults wreak havoc in the city below.
The photograph above shows a walkway leading down away from Jerusalem and towards the most popular site thought to be the Garden of Gethsemane, located in the middle of the photo. Just to the right is the Church of All Nations. Rising up in the backgrounds is the Mount of Olives. To the left and out of the photo is the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. Farther up the valley and to the right are some of the more famous tombs around Jerusalem.
