Did you know that the Chapel of the Ascension in Jerusalem stands on a site believed to be where Jesus ascended to Heaven? It is an amazing place. Today, we’ll uncover its long history.
The Chapel of the Ascension sits on the Mount of Olives. This is across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem’s Old City. Tradition says that Jesus ascended here forty days after his resurrection. Luke 24:51 tells us about this event.
In the late 4th century, Empress Helena marked this site. She was Emperor Constantine’s mother. Helena identified many biblical sites in the Holy Land. A Byzantine church was built here. It had a circular design with columns and an open roof.
But the story does not end there. Persians destroyed the Byzantine church in the 7th century. It was rebuilt but Arab conquerors destroyed it again in the 10th century.
In the 12th century, the Crusaders rebuilt the church. They used the earlier Byzantine design. This church also had two circles of columns. These were built on the old Byzantine base.
Jerusalem then changed hands in 1187. Saladin turned the Chapel of the Ascension into a mosque. He added a stone dome and mihrab. Later, the Ottomans allowed Christians to pray here. In 1620, the mosque moved to a building next to the chapel. In 1835, the Crusader structure got a new roof and enclosed walls.
The Chapel of the Ascension still stands in an enclosed courtyard. Only slight changes have been made since the Crusader era. Nearby is the Russian Orthodox Church of Ascension. They have their own tradition about the ascension site.
Inside the Chapel of the Ascension, you will see a stone slab. It is said to hold Jesus’ right footprint. People believe he left it as he ascended to heaven. The left footprint is now in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Early Christians first gathered secretly in a small cave on the Mount of Olives. This was almost 300 years after Jesus’ death. In 313, the Edict of Milan allowed Christians to worship freely.
By 384, the spot of veneration moved to the present location. A wealthy Roman woman named Poimenia financed a Byzantine-style church here between 384 and 390 AD. This first complex was called Imbomon. It was a rotunda open to the sky.
Arculf, a Frankish bishop, described the 7th-century church. He said it was a round building open to the sky. It had three porticoes and eight lamps. The lamps faced Jerusalem. Inside was an edicule with Christ’s footprints in the dust.
Saladin made the Mount of Olives a waqf after capturing Jerusalem in 1187. He had a second mosque built nearby. This allowed Christians to keep visiting the Chapel of the Ascension.
Today, the Chapel of the Ascension is under the Islamic Waqf of Jerusalem. People of all faiths can visit for a small fee. The main structure is from the Crusader era. Muslim additions include the stone dome and octagonal drum. The arches and marble columns are original. The entrance faces west. The south wall has a mihrab for Muslim worshippers.
The Chapel of the Ascension has been a site of worship for centuries. It blends Christian and Muslim traditions. It stands as a testament to faith and history. The footprint stone reminds us of Jesus’s last moments on Earth. This small chapel on the Mount of Olives holds a powerful story. It continues to inspire visitors from around the world.