Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be one of the Jerusalem crowds witnessing the triumphant entry of Jesus into the city? Right here, in front of you, stands the Franciscan Church of Bethphage, built on the foundations of a 12th-century crusader chapel. This is the traditional location where Jesus sent his disciples to find a donkey and its colt for his ride into Jerusalem. The name “Bethphage” means “house of unripe figs” which is thought to reference the fig tree that Jesus cursed for not bearing fruit. This event serves as a metaphor for spiritual fruitfulness. The site of Bethphage holds immense cultural significance for Christians because of its strong association with Jesus. From here, he rode down the Mount of Olives, where he would later weep over the city’s fate, and into Jerusalem, where he would ultimately be crucified. Close to the Church of Bethphage is the Greek Orthodox Holy Monastery of Palm-bearing Bethphagea. This place is where the annual Palm Sunday walk into Jerusalem begins, a tradition that has been observed since the time of the Crusades.
Yeusefiya Cemetery
Were these once vibrant lives, now commemorated beneath our feet? We stand before the Yeusefiya Cemetery, a place where history