Walking In the Footsteps of Jesus Tour

Our tour starts at Mount of Olives with a visit to the Church of the Ascension where Jesus is said to have ascended to heaven (Luke 24:50 – 51). A rock with a footprint believed to be of Jesus is preserved here. Originally built in 390, most of the current chapel was rebuilt during the Crusades (1150). The Church of the Pater Noster (Sanctuary of the Eleona) nearby, also preserved by the Crusaders, is where Jesus is said to have taught the Lord’s Prayer and foretold his disciples of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd coming. The walls here carry plaques with the Lord’s Prayer written in more than a hundred languages. A Crusader cloister also exists in the premise. The Mount of Olives overlooks the City of Gold across the ancient Jewish cemetery, the Old City and Temple Mount.

Next, we drive to the Church of Dominus Flevit (“the Lord Wept”). Designed by Antonio Barluzzi, the architecture of the Church resembles a teardrop. It is believed that Christ cried here as he envisioned the destruction of Jerusalem. From the window, we can see the walls of the Old City where the Second Temple once stood.

We then drive to the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane. It is famous as the site where Jesus prayed before his arrest (Mark 14:32-46). The present building of the church was funded by twelve nations. Each nation’s coat of arms is displayed in decorative glass on the ceiling. The entrance has tall columns supporting a mosaic which shows Jesus as the connection between God and man.

From here we cross the Kidron Valley to reach Jerusalem’s Old City. We enter via the Lion’s Gate and see the pools of Bethesda, mentioned in the Gospel of John, before visiting the Crusader Church of Saint Anne. The grotto here is considered the birthplace of Jesus’ mother Mary. We then visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion where we see the water cistern in the cellar dating back to the Second Temple era. We also see the Lithostratos. These engraved Roman flagstones were excavated from beneath the convent. It is believed that Pontius Pilate stood in judgment of Jesus in the courtyard of the Praetorium.