Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Church of The Holy Sepulchre

On Friday Josh and I made our way to the Old City to see The Church of The Holy Sepulchre.

This church, or the land it is built on, is believed by many to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Although it looks plain-ish from the outside, inside it is a mysterious space that feels like an never-ending labyrinth of huge, stone, semi-dark rooms. And the place smells really really good. Like 2000 of frankincense.


The entrance to the church.

Josh at the sepulchre

One of the cupolas.


The entrance to the cave of resurrection.


One of the many places to pray. This one is my favorite as people individually crawl into that little alter/fireplace to pray.

This church is intense. It is carved into the side of a mountain and heavily adorned with candles, gold, crosses, and people with hats/scarves tied around their head. I was briefly chastised by a lovely elderly nun for not covering my shoulders. She was very happy (beaming!) when I put on my cardigan. I really liked being in this weird and mysterious place. I think that's what struck me the most--the mystery of Jesus. Booya, next manuscript title!

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