Christian Quarter & Via Dolorosa

In the northwest quadrant of the Old City, the Christian Quarter surrounds the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site traditionally believed to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Many small chapels and churches of various Christian denominations lie near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,The Via Dolorosa (Path of Sorrow) is the route Jesus followed from the site of his condemnation to his crucifixion site and grave-from the Praetorium to Calvary. Each stop along the route marks an event, one of the “Stations of the Cross” on Jesus’ final journey. The present route along Via Dolorosa was established during the Crusader period, but modern New Testament scholars have suggested alternate routes based on more recent archeological and historical reconstructions.

One spat involves establishing exactly where Jesus began his walk. Everyone agrees that Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator, for judgment. A Roman governor ordinarily resided and fulfilled his duties in the palace of Herod the Great, south of Jaffa Gate and the Citadel area. This evidence places the starting point on the opposite end of the city from the traditional beginning on Via Dolorosa. On feast days when the temple area was hectic, however, the governor and his soldiers presumably based themselves temporarily at Antonia’s fortress (also built by Herod) to be closer to the Temple Mount. As Jesus was condemned on a feast day (Passover), the Tower of Antonia, near St. Stephen’s (Lion’s) Gate, remains the traditional First Station, although you may see small groups, notably the Catholic Dominican Order, setting out from Jaffa Gate.