Garden of Gethsemane (Pic-1)
Today, Avir, who is behind the camera, is visiting the Garden of Gethsemane. These two beautiful photos are taken from within the Garden. The season is springtime following Passover and in the left picture one sees part of the garden with its well-kept paths, old and some ancient olive trees, rows of rose bushes and other native flora. The Garden has been an important feature in Jerusalem’s landscape and several key events in the life of Yeshua took place here. Avir takes in the view of the ancient walls and the famous double-arched Golden Gates that have existed for over 2000 years and through which Yeshua probably gained access to the city after visiting friends in the village of Bethany on the Mount of Olives and through which He most likely entered on ‘Palm Sunday’.
At that time these gates which are called Sha’ar Harachamim in Hebrew, allowed easy access to Herod’s Temple. However, Jerusalem was all but destroyed in 70 A.D. leaving nothing but ruins and desolation until the walls were re-built in about 520 A.D. and the Golden Gate once again open. But, about 300 years later, they were closed again in 810; reopened in 1102 by the Crusaders but closed again by Saladin after he retook Jerusalem in 1187. Then, in 1541 an Ottoman sultan rebuilt the city walls and purposely sealed up the Golden Gates and which have remained sealed.
According to tradition, the Messiah will enter Jerusalem from the East. The Complete Jewish Bible says in Ezekiel 44:1-3: “Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looks toward the east; and it was shut. Then said Adonai unto me; this gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Adonai, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Adonai; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.”