Travelogue: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary Texts: 

Acts 9:1`-9

John 15:9-17

Psalm 98 (UMH 818)

When I began this Monday travelogue, I assumed I would spend one blog of each location. Jerusalem was a logical place to start. What I didn't anticipate was that I'm now on the third blog on Jerusalem, and I don't think I'll finish it today.

The old city of Jerusalem lies within city walls built by the Seljuk Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1517. It is about one square mile. The new city with all its modern buildings is several times as large as the old and surrounds the old. The old city is divided into four quarters: the Muslim quarter, the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter, and the Armenian quarter. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is in the Christian quarter, crowded all around by other buildings--residences, shops, etc. Except for its three domes, none all that high, Holy Sepulchre is barely noticeable in the hubbub of East Jerusalem. It is about half a mile from the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall.

Holy Sepulchre, despite its rather drab appearance, is to my mind the most remarkable church in the world. It is built over the the traditional location of the tomb of Jesus. It is now shared totally by six different branches of Christianity: Greek Orthodox. Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Orthdox, Roman Catholic, Coptic Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox (no Protestants). No church is the world is more ecumenical

In the early fourth century, St. Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine and a Christian, made a journey to the Holy Land. Her purpose was to identify and visit every place Jesus went. She was a bit naive, tending to believe everything the locals told her. Nonetheless, all her locations are reasonable. For example, the small Church of the Multiplication on the Sea of Galilee is said to be built on the place where Jesus did the miracle of the loaves and fishes. A fourth century mosaic marks the spot. The many times rebuilt church is on top of it. The custom was to build a church on top of the place where Helena located something Jesus had done. I've been to all of them.

In 325 Constantine authorized the building of a large church over what his mother had identified as the tomb of Jesus. It was built over about ten years. In 612 A.D. the Persians invaded the Holy Land wreaking destruction on Christian sites. They destroyed almost all of Holy Sepulchre. The only church spared was the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Persians came, destroyed, pillaged, and went home. Holy Sepulchre was repaired where needed and rebuilt where needed. It would stand for another 300 years before its next destruction. 

Arab Muslims took took the Holy Land by force in 632 A.D. Over the next centuries there were several fires and earthquakes, but Holy Sepulchre remained. In 1009, Fatimid Caliph Al Hakim bi-Amr Allah had the church completely destroyed. After the Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1098 A.D., the church was completely rebuilt. What we have now is that 12th century building. Very little of the original building remains. 

 

During the rule of the Ottomon Empire (1517-1918) Turks ran the administration of the building. To this day it is a Muslim Turkish government appointee who has the only keys and, with his assistants, opens and closes the doors of the church ever day,

 

Enough for now. Next Monday we'll talk about the annual Easter Eve miracle at Holy Sepulchre, "The Descent of the Holy Fire." Tomorrow we will be back in our Acts Bible Study.

 

God who raised Jesus from the tomb,

You have blessed us with faithful forebears who have livened and kept alive our ancient heritage. We give you thanks for St. Helena, her faith and her courage in exploring and preserving the land called Holy. Amen.

 

Faithfully,

Christian