The Mount of Olives is a ridge running north to south, located opposite the eastern wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of the Kidron Valley.
Since ancient times, it has been covered with olive trees, which gave the mount its name. It is also home to an ancient Jewish cemetery, where burial is considered a great honour due to its proximity to the Kidron Valley.
According to the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, in the end of days the Messiah will stand upon the Mount of Olives, and from here, at the sound of the trumpet described by the Prophet Ezekiel, the resurrection of the dead will begin.
The Mount of Olives is also home to many important Christian sites, including:
Garden of Gethsemane
The Mount of Olives witnessed many events described in the Gospel, and today it is home to numerous churches, monasteries, and sacred sites.
According to the Gospels, it was to Gethsemane that Jesus Christ came with his disciples. Here he prayed on the night before his arrest, was betrayed by Judas, and taken into custody.
The Garden of Gethsemane is venerated as one of the key sites of the Passion of Christ, marking the place where Jesus prayed in the hours leading up to his arrest.
Dominus Flevit Church
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus Christ paused at this place and foretold the tragic fate of the city.
Dominus Flevit translates from Latin as “The Lord Wept.” According to Christian tradition, it was here on the Mount of Olives that Jesus wept over Jerusalem, foreseeing its destruction.
By that time, he had already been rejected by Nazareth, Chorazin, and Capernaum—and now, as tradition holds, Jerusalem too would face its fate.