Here we see Avir posing as a statue at the entrance to the Lion’s Gate. This road leads from the Old City of Jerusalem to many place including the Mount of Olives. Avir is trying to look as fierce as a lion, ready to pounce. If you look closely, you can see a pair of lions embedded in stone on both sides of the gate. The road, inside the wall, approximately one hundred metres distance, becomes the Via Dolorosa Road.
The symbol of Lions is well-known in Jewish history and in the Bible. The Lion of Judah identifies the Jewish people with Jerusalem, King David, the Nation of Israel and Messiah. Many surrounding nations at one time or other throughout history have also identified with an image of the lion. The lions which appear on the upper wall of both sides of this gate were added by the Ottomans in honuor of the Mameluke Sultan, Bybars (1223-1277), who was known as the “The Lion of Egypt and Syria”, a great warrior who conquered the Middle East, defeating both the Crusaders and the Mongols.
The Bible text attributes the characteristics of a lion, being fierce and forceful, to the Kingdom of Judah and the Messiah who would come from the line of Judah as part of the promises to the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Y’hudah is a lion’s cub;
my son, you stand over the prey.
He crouches down and stretches like a lion;
like a lioness, who dares to provoke him? (Genesis 49:9)