Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher sits on the traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. The Emperor Constantine's mother oversaw its construction in the fourth century. As with most ancient churches in Israel, it is cold and dark inside, not what people expect in such a revered location.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is at the end of the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus took en route to the Cross. Thousands of Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims retrace His steps each year, carrying a cross and worshipping at each of the stations of the cross in turn. In the crowded, narrow Old Jerusalem streets, we experienced a "traffic jam" of pedestrians caused by worshippers struggling through the crush with their large cross. We escaped to the Ethiopian chapel on the roof of the church until the pilgrims passed.