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Home , Kidron Valley, Mount of Olives, The Garden Tomb

The Mount Of – Place of ’ Death, Resurrection & Ascension

by Paul & Nuala O’Higgins

Introduction was slightly down slope The Temple at For centuries from the southern summit was patterned believers have debated over of the in after the Tabernacle of where exactly Jesus' full view of the Temple Moses, which was a resurrection and crucifixion from the west portable Temple. The Book took place. Now in the of Hebrews calls the light of a greater Confirmation that Temple that Herod understanding of Jewish Jesus was crucified near refurbished “the Tent.” The traditions, closer scrutiny the summit of the Mount of Temple or Tent had three of the scriptures Olives, about a half-mile main sections and three themselves, and east of the altars. Most people only archaeological research, the is found in the New mention two altars, but the mystery is removed and we Testament itself, in the third is the most important can confidently declare that Book of Hebrews. It states when discussing Jesus’ Jesus was crucified and that the crucifixion crucifixion. resurrected on the Mt. Of occurred “without the Further east from the Olives camp” and “without the altar of burnt offering was gate” of Israel (Heb. the third section of the Evidence From Hebrews 13:11-13). Temple called “the court of Ezekiel 43:71 refers These geographical the Israelites”. Outside the to an altar located east of references may mean little three main sections was a the Temple ''without the to us today, but to first vast enclosure built by sanctuary.” Here the century Jewish people in Herod called “The Court of important sacrifice. of the the Jerusalem area they the Gentiles". This court was performed. could only mean one thing had an eastern wall with Where is this altar in - Jesus was crucified on the only ONE gate – a gate relationship to the Temple? Mount of Olives "without leading to the East from the Jeremiah records that it THE gate" and without Temple Mount over the was located near the THE camp.” This refers to to the Mt of southern summit of the a special gate - the gate to Olives. In the time of Jesus Mount of Olives directly the eastern region outside there was a double tiered "east of the Temple," the city limits of Jerusalem. arched bridge supporting 'outside the camp' of Israel Golgotha was located at the roadway which led from some 2000 cubits (about southern summit of the the Eastern gate of the 1000 yards) east of the Mount of Olives. Temple to the top of the central part of the Temple. Mount of Olives It was In the time of Jesus this built by the priests and was

1 known as “the bridge of the ashes in accordance with The Mount of Olives red Heifer." It connected the Law of Moses. (Lev. was the most sacred the Eastern gate to a 4:12) location outside the walls sanctified road that led up of Jerusalem, because it to the third altar of the Ezekiel 43:21 calls it faced the . Temple which was near the the appointed place' located From here one could look summit of the Mount of “without the sanctuary” westward over the Eastern 01ives. It is this altar that is and “the outward Wall of the Temple, referred to in the Book of sanctuary” . (Ezekiel 44) directly into the sanctuary. Hebrews and that was Unfortunately this altar is The Eastern Wal1 was associated with the death of forgotten by most made lower than the other Jesus (Hebrews 13: 10-13 ) Christians. Recognizing its walls to allow full view ``We have an altar from existence and importance into the sanctuary exterior, which those who serve the plays a key role in including the curtain hung Tabernacle have no right identifying the place of in front of the Holy Place. to eat For the bodies of Jesus' crucifixion. The The purification water of those beasts whose blood is sacrifices of this third altar the ashes of the Red Heifer brought into the sanctuary are the prime ones could only be obtained in by the High Priest for sin; mentioned in the Book of Jerusalem opposite the are burned outside Hebrews. (Heb. 13:12-13) eastern entrance of the the camp. Therefore Jesus Temple - the 'clean place' also that He might sanctify Early Christians were on top of the Mount of the people with His own familiar with this outside Olives. blood suffered outside the altar. They knew that the gate. Therefore let us go location' of these offerings Jesus was crucified forth to meet Him, outside was to be “in a clean on the Mount of Olives to the camp bearing His place” “outside the camp”. purify not only the earth reproach." (Lv. 4:12). There was only but the heavens themselves one place outside near the spot where the We must recognize Jerusalem in the time of purifications for Israel were that this was a literal altar. Jesus where these offerings ordained to take place. lt The statement about 'the were burnt to ashes – the was here that Jesus, the bodies of those beasts burnt Mount of Olives greatest of all sin offerings, outside the camp" is was crucified for us. litera1, referring to literal Jewish records from The Garden Tomb & The animals and the third altar the period show the precise Church 0f the Sepulcher is a literal altar of the location of this ‘clean Excluded Temple which was place’ where the third altar The Church of thc associated with the sin was situated is stated in the Sepulcher, built by Helena offerings. This altar near Book of Hebrews - east of the mother of Constantine, the summit was where the the sanctuary i.e. on the in the 4th century, and the Red Heifer was killed and Mount of Olives. Garden Tomb north of the burnt and where special sin Damascus Gate, have offerings were burnt to nothing to do with the

2 rituals of the Old Covenant. circular camp, extended time of Jesus, were well The Eastern Gate and the 2000 cubits (about 3000 INS1DE the camp and Mount Olives, on the other feet) almost to, the summit therefore could not hand, are closely associated of the Mount of Olives. possibly have been sites of with them in the Book of Anything within that 2000 execution, since Jesus was Hebrews. cubit circle would have crucified outside the camp. been considered 'inside the (N.B. It was an important During the Crusader camp' No executions could principle of Temple ritual period the rocks in the area take place "inside the that all 'unclean things', just' north of the Damascus camp", (Numbers 15:35), animal and human, had to Gate were known as and the scriptures be dealt with and disposed “Jeremiah's Grotto." It has specifically state that Jesus of to the east.) no connection with the Old was executed "outside the Temple types or ritual. camp." For a site to be Evidence In Roman Law considered as a possible Roman Law often The hill outside the site of Jesus’ crucifixion it required that the place of Garden Tomb With its cave could not be within a 2000 execution was to be as holes does resemble a skull cubit radius of the Holy of close as possible to the today and so was hailed as Holies. The summit of the scene of the crime or the a possible sites for Mount of Olives was scene the arrest. Since Golgotha “The Place of outside this 2000 cubit Jesus was arrested and The Skull” of the . radius. executed by the Romans on However in the time of the grounds that He Jesus these 'eye sockets’ Hebrews 13:11 says claimed to be a king, the were not there. A traveler “the bodies of those beasts site of his 'crime' would be in 1610 drew detailed whose blood is brought the most likely site of His pictures of the area and his into the sanctuary by the crucifixion. The site where pictures show no skull-like High priest, for sin are He permitted the crowd to formations. Over the past ALL burned '`without the hail Him as King was the 20 years archaeologists camp.” Hebrews 13:12 Mount of Olives. have identified all the says that Jesus also Gethsemanie, the site of tombs around the Garden suffered "without the gate". His arrest was also on the Tomb area, including the Mount of Olives,. It would Garden Tomb itself, as The camp area was a be logical therefore on the being from the Iron Age circle with a boundary that basis of their law for the i.e. 700 years before Jesus. was 2000 cubits in radius Romans to crucify Jesus The Area of The Camp from the inner Temple. It there. In the first century extended therefore beyond the Jewish authorities the walls of the City of On Palm Sunday “as established a ‘camp area’ Jerusalem. This means that He drew near to Jerusalem, surrounding the temple and the area of the Garden near Bethpage and the City of Jerusalem in the Tomb and Church of the on the Mount of Olives” He circular fashion that Moses Sepulcher, though outside let the people proclaim ordained. The area of this the walls of the city at this Him King of Israel and the

3 world. (Mark 1 I: 1) a place where census were revered as Jesus’ tomb. The Bethpage where He taken. It does no' imply a tomb of Joseph of mounted the donkey was place with a skull-like Aramathea had been a cave on the southern summit of configuration. In the early or grotto that had been the Mount of Olives (close Christian era the top of the enlarged and in this same to the altar of the sin Mount of Olives Was area many of the early offering). This became the known a the "rosh" or bishops of Jerusalem were site of His 'crime' against 'head' of the mountain buried. Rome. When He was in Jerusalem, Jesus lived on Evidence From Early Evidence in the the Mount of Olives. (Luke Perhaps the greatest 21:37; 22:39, Jn. 18:2) After the fall .of proof that the Mount of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. the Olives was the site of the Golgotha summit of the Mount of crucifixion and resurrection Thc word 0lives was regarded as the of Jesus comes from the "Golgotha" is the Hebrew headquarters of the early accounts word for “skull”. It is not Christians. This was the themselves. identical in meaning to the case, until the time of English word. It does not Constantine. During the “Jesus when He had necessarily mean the entire three and a half centuries cried out again with a loud head, but "the top of the before Constantine there is voice, 'yielded up His head”, nor does it only one tradition of any Spirit. And behold the veil necessarily mean the head 'holy place' which was of the temple was torn in of a dead person. The esteemed by Christians – two from top to bottom: Greek word 'krainion' is the Mount of Olives". In and the earth quaked and usually translated 'skull' but the Days of Constantine, the rocks were split, and it too refers to the bony top the Church of the the graves were opened; of the head. The word Sepulcher was a shrine to and many bodies of the 'golgolet' was also used as Venus! saints who had fallen census term equivalent to asleep were raised ... NOW the English idiom 'head , the Bishop when the centurion" and count' or 'poll'. We do of Jerusalem, in thee days those who were with him, know that for Temple tax of Constantine, and a great who were guarding Jesus, and other purposes head historian, stated that saw the earthquake AND counts of pilgrims were Christians from all around the things that had made on the Mount Of came to visit the cave near happened, they feared Olives before they entered the summit o£ .the 0lives greatly, saying, ‘Truly this the Temple area. It is and regarded it as the site was the Son of God!’” possible that the word of Jesus' resurrection. The (:51-54) The "Golgotha" comes from focal point of pilgrims’ scriptures plainly state that these polls. interest in the early the centurion and the "Place of the skull” centuries was a cave just guards of Jesus saw Him could mean either the west of the skull (head) of die and at same time saw summit of the mountain or the Mount. This cave was the veil of the Temple split

4 in two. The only place the place of His from which one could see resurrection, the place of both – events was if one His Great Commission, and were standing on the promise of the Holy Spirit, Mount Of Olives This is the place of His Ascension, virtually conclusive proof and the place to which He from the gospels will return in glory!! It is themselves that the death no wonder it is called the of Jesus took place on the Mount of Olives, the Mt 0f 0lives. Mount of the anointing or the Mount of the Messiah. During the Red It echoes with the past and Heifer and other quivers with future purification sacrifices that promise. took place on the Mount of Olives, the priests had to be The above is based on ‘The able to overlook the Secrets Of Golgotha’ by Temple. According to Dr. E.L. Martin. Available the outer curtain from Box 25000, Portland, in front of the Holy Place Oregon 97225. was about 82 feet high and Adapted with permission 24 feet thick. It hung from a stone lintel and weighed about 30 tons or more! It was this curtain that was torn from top to bottom at the time of Jesus' death. From the Mount Of Olives the centurion and his party just like the priests With the Red Heifer sacrifices, had a clear view of what was taking place in the courts of the Temple.

Conclusion The Mount Of Olives is the place of Jesus' end-time teaching, the place of His prayer for Jerusalem, the place where He was hailed as Messiah, the place of His arrest, the place of His crucifixion,

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