Mount Zion

(31.772, 35.229)

Mount Zion is hill just to the south of the Old City walls in Jerusalem. Suleiman the Magnificent (who built the existing old city walls in the 16th century) reputedly had the two architects of the wall executed because they did not include Mount Zion. A Mount Zion is mentioned in 2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings and 1/2 Chronicles, although whether this is the same geographical location has been questioned. Regardless it is home to a number of traditional holy sites.

King David was buried in "The City of David" (1 Kings 2:10) and medieval pilgrims placed the Tomb of David on what is today called Mount Zion, although contemporary archeology hints that the actual burial location may be further east. Nevertheless, this is still the sanctified site and it is marked with a cenotaph (stone marker) draped with a velvet cloth. There are separate men's and women's entrances to view the cenotaph, and you have to negotiate your way around a lot of Jewish folks saying prayers.

The second site is the Cenacle or Coenaculum, a 14th century room directly above the Tomb of David that is traditionally identified as the geographic location of the Upper Room, the place where Jesus had his final Passover meal, the last supper (Mark 14). It is also identified as the site where Jesus' disciples were "filled with the Holy Spirit" seven weeks after Jesus' crucification (Acts 2). The Arabic inscriptions in the stained glass windows call attention to an interfaith veneration of the location as the traditional burial place of prophet David.

Mount Zion is also the location of Hagia Maria Sion Abbey, a Benedictine abbey formerly known as the Abbey of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The church itself is known as the Basilica of the Assumption and celebrates a local tradition that marks this location as the place where Jesus' mother passed into eternity.

05/26/2011 14:14 IDT Disembarking	05/26/2011 14:16 IDT Gardening rehab project sign
05/26/2011 14:17 IDT Stairway	05/26/2011 14:17 IDT Stairway
05/26/2011 14:28 IDT Pathway	05/26/2011 14:28 IDT King David's Tomb entrance sign
05/26/2011 14:28 IDT Stairway	05/26/2011 14:29 IDT Cat
05/26/2011 14:29 IDT Entrance	05/26/2011 14:31 IDT King David's Museum sign
05/26/2011 14:31 IDT Shrine	05/26/2011 14:31 IDT Tomb entrance
05/26/2011 14:32 IDT Men's prayer section	05/26/2011 14:33 IDT Men's line
05/26/2011 14:33 IDT Oil lamp	05/26/2011 14:35 IDT Signs
05/26/2011 14:34 IDT Tomb centotaph	05/26/2011 14:34 IDT Women's section
05/26/2011 14:37 IDT King David statue	05/26/2011 14:37 IDT Courtyard
05/26/2011 14:38 IDT Hagia Maria Sion Abbey	05/26/2011 14:38 IDT King David statue
05/26/2011 14:39 IDT Room of the Last Supper entrance	05/26/2011 14:41 IDT Room of the Last Supper entrance
05/26/2011 14:42 IDT Room of the Last Supper entrance	05/26/2011 14:46 IDT The upper room
05/26/2011 14:47 IDT The upper room	05/26/2011 14:48 IDT Muslim stained glass windows
05/26/2011 14:52 IDT Sacred vs profane	05/26/2011 14:53 IDT Entrance
05/26/2011 14:53 IDT Courtyard	05/26/2011 14:54 IDT Courtyard
05/26/2011 15:01 IDT Unused fountain alcove	05/26/2011 15:02 IDT Descending
05/26/2011 15:02 IDT Artist	05/26/2011 15:02 IDT Pathway
05/26/2011 15:03 IDT Art	05/26/2011 15:03 IDT Path along old city wall
05/26/2011 15:03 IDT Hagia Maria Sion Abbey	05/26/2011 15:04 IDT Back to the bus
05/26/2011 15:05 IDT Zion Gate	05/26/2011 15:07 IDT Renovation credit sign
05/26/2011 15:07 IDT Zion Gate	05/26/2011 15:08 IDT Zion Gate

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