Israel, and especially Jerusalem, are places of pilgrimage for followers of various faiths. Much has been said about the shrines of these God's chosen lands, and we will dwell in more detail on the sacred mountains of these places.
Favor: etymology of the word, mountain history
The place of the Transfiguration of the Lord is a mountain in Israel. Tabor (Tabor) is her second name. There are several versions of the origin of this oronim:
- Heb. הַר תָּבוֹר ("Har Tavor") - Mount Tabor;
- Greek Όρος Θαβώρ;
- Arab. جبل الطور ("Jebel At-Tor") - Mount Tour.
"Tavor", "tour" - the central place, navel. This name was not given to the hill by chance - it stands in a distance from the mountain chain, and also has a somewhat rounded shape.
Traditionally, religious scholars believe that the Transfiguration of the Lord happened here. However, some researchers argue that the miraculous action took place a little north - on Mount Hermon. Someone is inclined to assume that the true mountain of the Transfiguration was even in the Upper Galilee. In the Gospel itself there is no mention of Tabor.
Our ancestors cited this mountain as an example when they talked about something powerful and sublime, for example, the Egyptian king. The first mention of this Lord’s mountain can be read in the book of Joshua - it was considered a conditional border between the allotments of the lands of Israel.
Religious attractions Tabor
Tabor is located in the Lower Galilee, in the east of the Jezrell plain, 11 km from the Sea of Galilee. The height of the mountain is 588 m. Its slopes are covered with olives, oaks, acacia, wild roses, oleander, hazel and jasmine.
On this mountain is a monastery and the Catholic Basilica of the Transfiguration. The buildings were erected on the site of the destroyed Church of the Transfiguration, built, according to legend, St. Helena.
Eleon - Mount Ascension
Mount of Olives - the highest in the vicinity of Jerusalem. It was here that Christ prayed nightly, talked with his disciples about the end of the world, and it was from here that He ascended into heaven, into the Kingdom of his Father. An amazing temple without a dome was built on the site of Ascension by St. Helena - so that believers during prayer can raise their eyes to heaven, where now their Savior is. Now only ruins remained from the building - in 614 the Persians demolished it.
The Mount of Olives (Geleon) is also called the Mount of Olives, since its slopes have been planted with olive trees since ancient times. It is located east of the Qedron Valley and from the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
It is also believed that it was here that David previously worshiped God, and Solomon built the temple for his wives. However, for Christians, this place is best known from the lines "Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord ..."
Olivet places of worship
The mountain has three peaks: on Skopus (northern), the Hebrew University campus is located, on the central - the Lutheran Center named after Augusta Victoria, in the south - Russian Orthodox Ascension Monastery. It is decorated with the highest 60-meter bell tower in these places, called the “Russian Candle”. Near the Russian temple, which was also built nearby, a stone is enclosed, on which the Virgin stood during the Ascension of her Son. Behind the temple is the chapel of St. John the Baptist, decorated with icons by Russian masters.
On Eleon you can find the octagonal chapel of the Ascension - inside it is a stone on which the foot of Jesus Christ is imprinted. At the place where the angels appeared to the Galilean men during the Ascension of the Lord, a holy throne was erected.
Zion - Location and History
The mountain of the Lord is primarily called Zion, a hill in the south-west of Jerusalem. Its name comes from Hebrew. צִיּוֹן ("Ziyon"), which most likely means "fortification on a hill", "citadel". The height of the mountain is 765 meters. For the Jewish people, this elevation is of particular importance - Zion became for them a symbol of all Israel, to which Jews sought to return from the time of the dispersal in 70, when the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed.
In the Bible, Mount Zion is called the “holy mountain,” “the dwelling place of God,” the “royal city of God.” It is also synonymous with the city of Jerusalem, and with all of Judea and the Jewish people. Zion is also the Kingdom of God in the whole breadth of this concept - both on earth, and in heaven, and forever and ever. The mountain is considered the place of revelation of God, because from there He is in all His Glory, and it is there that the redeemed Lord will come in their joy.
Attractions in Zion
On the mountain you can admire the ancient Zion Gate (1540). It is also here that O. Schindler was buried, who saved 1,200 people of Jewish nationality from the Nazis during World War II. Pilgrims strive here to get acquainted with the following shrines:
- Tomb of King David . The location of the burial of the biblical ruler is still the cause of controversy among historians. However, Mount Zion today is the universally recognized location of the tomb - a draped sarcophagus in the hall with the inscription: "King David is alive and exists."
- Chamber of the Last Supper . In the same building with the tomb of David, you can see with your own eyes the place where the last dinner of the Savior took place with his disciples. It was here that the first communion happened, it was here that the Holy Spirit appeared to the apostles and the Virgin Mary.
- Church of St. Peter in Gallicant (lit. "cry of a rooster"). According to one version, it is believed that the church was erected at the place where Peter renounced Christ, according to others - at the site of the palace of the evil Caiaphas. Here is an observation deck from which Jerusalem is visible, the Rock of Santa and the ancient staircase to Kedron are visible. Near the church you can find the entrance to the caves, where services were carried out in the 5th century.
- Monastery of the Assumption . It is located on the site of the house of St. John the Evangelist, where the Blessed Virgin Mary died. The monastery is surprising in that both its Muslim and Byzantine influences are felt in its architectural style. In his church is stored a stone on which the Holy Virgin died.
The Lord’s Mountain is a place somehow connected with the life of the Savior on earth. The most famous such elevations near Jerusalem are Zion, Eleon and Tabor.