Church of All Nations, Gethsemane, Jerusalem

pllgrims church of nations gethsemaneOne of the things that's most struck me since we've been in Jerusalem is the way that Christians have thrown themselves down on various holy sites, like this one at the Church of All Nations at the Garden of Gethsemane just outside of Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane, next to the church, is the site of Jesus' betrayal by Judas, according to the gospels. The church is also known as the Church of the Agony of Christ.

So, here, along with Bethlehem, which we also saw today, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre within the old city of Jerusalem, you'll find pilgrims doing more than the usual kneeling and offering a prayer. It seems that the closer you get to the actual sites where Jesus lived, the more passionate his followers become.

church of nations gethsemene_The current church was built to replace two earlier iterations, dating back the fourth century and the Crusades. This church is less than 100 years old, and was built with the contributions from Catholics from all over the world. Hence the name. The neo-Byzantine mosaics at the altar and cupolas are colorful and lovely.

garden gethsemaneThe garden, of course, is preserved, at least as much as you can preserve living olive trees. (Gethsemane means olive press, btw.) I overheard a guide say that the oldest olive tree in the garden is about 700 years old, which is impressive, but doesn't exactly connect it to Jesus.

Ready to travel more, better, and for less?

Everything here is something we actually use. No fluff, no filler.

Get our best travel tips: Join 4200+ travelers over 50 getting our best travel advice every week – and get our best travel tips sent to you immediately. Send Me the Tips →

Travel Accessories: Everything we carry to make getting there and being there easier.

Flights: The best flight deals as we find them at Thrifty Traveler..

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices with Booking.com.

Travel Insurance: Don't skip this — especially after 50.

Travel With Us: Join one of our small group tours.

Our Amazon shop: Gear, books, and everything we actually travel with.

If you use any of the links in our posts to purchase our recommended products, we'll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get our travel tips!
Subscribe to our email list and join 4200+ travelers getting our best advice right in their inbox. And get our 50 best travel tips for travelers over 50 sent to you right away!

If you liked this post, please share it.

Thanks.