Monday, April 26, 2010

Tomb or Resurrection?

Same church, two names depending on perspective... we spent virtually all our group time today (except meals) in this magnificent Christian pilgrimage destination - with a real aficionado as our guide. Canon John Peterson is known in Episcopalian circles. He had us imagining missing walls (from Queen Mother Helena's church built over the place where she discovered parts of The Cross in the 300's) because that ediface was completely destroyed. Rock quary (the site of Golgotha) lies under the whole thing. We saw the monument/shrine adored as Jesus' tomb (empty, of course), and discussed the funerary practices of 1st Century Jews. It was crowded and filled with incense and imposing arches, pillars, thick walls, and domes - interesting art too. Overload for this Presbyterian but interesting too as a site where ancient Christian groups are still represented today. So which would you expect to visit: the Church of the Sepulchre or Church of the Resurrection?
A nice stop for refreshments afterward at the American Colony Hotel - one of "1001 things to see before you die" - checked off that one!

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