+ Latin calvary

Adjacent to this chapel is the second room—the Greek Orthodox Calvary—the spot where Christ was crucified and covers the actual Rock of Golgotha. For the other Christian Churches this is also known as Station 12 of the Via Dolorosa. The entire rock can be seen through the glass covering on either side of the altar, and beneath the altar is a small opening that allows pilgrims to touch the rock.

+ The chapel of Adam is located immediately beneath Golgotha. This is a small area of worship that used to be known as the "Area of the Skull" and also the chapel of "Melchizedek." In accordance with tradition, the name of 'skull' and 'Adam' is derived from the fact that this is the spot where they found the skull and relics of Adam. The theology of the Orthodox Church believes that this location is not a coincidence since the purpose of the crucifixion is directly connected to the story of Adam and his expulsion from Eden. Having found the bones of Adam underneath Golgotha symbolises the cleansing of the bones of the man who committed the first sin by the blood of Christ dripping down from the cross.

• The Chapel of the Crowning of the Thorns or "Derision" (Greek) is located at the base of Golgotha, immediately to the right. There is a small fragment of the column, brought from the Prison of Christ, where the soldiers put on Christ a purple robe and a crown of thorns (cf. John 19:2).

• The Chapel of St. Helen, also known to the Armenians as the Armenian Chapel of St. Gregory, is located at the base of the 29 stairs near the Crowning of the Thorns. Inside the chapel is her throne and the pilgrim of the good thief; an large area has been preserved that has the original mosaic from the church.

• The Chapel of St. Vartan (Armenian) can be accessed through a door on the north side of the Chapel of St. Helen. In the 1970s, this area was discovered and excavated and the findings include remnants of walls built by Hadrian in the second century. One of these walls has a stone etched with a merchant ship and an inscription "DOMINE IVIMVS" which translates "Lord, we shall go." It is estimated that this stone dates from before the completion of the Byantine church, ca. 330 AD. This chapel is locked and not normally available to the public.

• The Chapel of the Finding of the Cross, according to tradition, is the area where St. Helen discovered the True Cross during the course of the Church's excavations around 330 AD. She discovered three crosses. To discern which of the three crosses belonged to Christ, and which belonged to the thieves, a sick man was brought to touch each one in turn. He was miraculously healed by only one and this is the one that has since been distributed to all Christian Patriarchates across the world.

• The Chapel of the Division of the Robe (Armenian)

John 19:24

• The Chapel of the Division of the Robe is the location at which the soldiers parted His raiment amongst themselves and casted lots for his vesture (cf. John 19:24).

• The Chapel of St. Longinus' (Greek) is dedicated to Longinus the Centurion (October 16), a Roman soldier who served in Judea under the command of the governor, and headed the group of soldiers escorting Christ to Golgotha (cf. Matthew 27:54).

• The Prison of Christ is a small dark area where those crucifying Christ put him temporarily before crucifying him.

• The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene

... and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus beheld where he was laid (Mark 15:47).

On the north side of the Rotunda, there is a small Franciscan chapel called "Mi mou aptou" ("Touch me not") dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. In accordance with the tradition, Mary of Magdala accompanied Jesus on his way to the cross and burial and the circular marble plaque that is at this spot marks the location where she and Mary beheld where he was laid but also the spot where Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection (cf. John 20:11-17). This chapel belongs to the Catholic Church and is named "Mi mou aptou," in honour of Christ's words.

• The Syrian chapel is located on the east end of the Church of the Sepulchre. This area was used for burials in Christ's time.

• The "Catholicon" is the main Orthodox church facing the Tomb of Christ. It is a large rectangular building with a basilica dome. In the middle of the church is the "navel of the earth" which symbolises the spiritual centre of the Earth (cf. Ezekiel 38:12). The church has two Patriarchal thrones: the left throne is for the Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and the throne on the right is for the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.

• The small Coptic chapel is located on the west side of the "edicule" with a separate entrance to the chapel.

• The Chapel of the Angel is immediately outside the Tomb of Christ; the first room inside the "edicule." According to tradition, the altar that is in this room contains a stone which is part of a larger stone that was rolled away from Christ's tomb on the day of the resurrection. On this stone is an imprint of a hand; it is believed to be the imprint of one of the angels who sat on the stone and announced the resurrection. There is always a Greek monk in this room who "guards" the Tomb of Christ and who symbolically represents this angel. (source: OrthodoxWiki)

+ Stone of Anointing - Just inside the entrance is The Stone of Anointing, also known as The Stone of Unction, which tradition claims to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. However, this tradition is only attested since the crusader era, and the present stone was only added in the 1810 reconstruction.[21] The wall behind the stone was a temporary addition to support the arch above it, which had been weakened after the damage in the 1808 fire; the wall blocks the view of the rotunda, sits on top of the graves of four 12th-century kings, and is no longer structurally necessary. There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is the 13th Station of the Cross, which others identify as the lowering of Jesus from the cross and locate between the 11th and 12th station up on Calvary. The lamps that hang over the stone are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins.

+ Rotunda and Aedicule  -   The Aedicule The Rotunda is located in the centre of the Anastasis, beneath the larger of the church's two domes. In the center of the Rotunda is the chapel called the Aedicule, which contains the Holy Sepulchre itself. The Aedicule has two rooms, the first holding the Angel's Stone, which is believed to be a fragment of the large stone that sealed the tomb; the second is the tomb itself. Due to the fact that pilgrims lay their hands on the tomb, it was placed in the fourteenth century a marble plaque on the tomb to prevent further damage to the tomb.

Under the status quo, the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic Churches all have rights to the interior of the tomb, and all three communities celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass there daily. It is also used for other ceremonies on special occasions, such as the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch.To its rear, within a chapel constructed of iron latticework upon a stone base semicircular in plan, lies the altar used by the Coptic Orthodox. Historically, the Georgians also retained the key to the Aedicule.

Beyond that to the rear of the Rotunda is a rough-hewn chapel containing an opening to a chamber cut from the rock, from which several kokh-tombs radiate. Although this space was discovered recently,[when?] and contains no identifying marks, many Christians believe[vague] it to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and it is where the Syriac Orthodox celebrate their Liturgy on Sundays. To the right of the Sepulchre on the southeastern edge of the Rotunda is the Chapel of the Apparition, which is reserved for Roman Catholic use.

Catholicon and Ambulatory -   The "Christ Pantocrator" mosaic in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Cross of Golgotha The omphalos and the north wall of the Catholicon  

Further to the east in the ambulatory are three chapels (from south to north):

• Greek Chapel of St. Longinus – The Orthodox Greek chapel is dedicated to St. Longinus, a Roman soldier who according the New Testament pierced Jesus with a spear.
• Armenian Chapel of Division of Robes –
• Greek Chapel of the Derision – the southernmost chapel in the ambulatory.

The Journey to Pascha 2024: On my second or third visit to the Holy Land, a driver took me to Galilee for a day-trip. When I came back to the hotel in East Jerusalem in an Arab area, the front-desk manager asked how was the day. I said, "beautiful." She replied, yes! this is why everyone fights for it. -- As we all know, this land has had conflicts through the ages, and many invaders due to the history, the culture and what this place called The Holy Land means to the world and to history. -- Solidarity with the innocent. -- Have a blessed Lenten season -- Καλή Ανάσταση

Image: the main hall of the Greek Orthodox Church of Annunciation in Nazareth old city in northern Israel. -- Nazareth is currently considered an Arab community.

Bill Stathakis

(A) A selfie from Holy Saturday in Jerusalem - The Holy Fire 2017 … Photo taken after running to two security crowd control points (for those unable go to The Church or courtyard). I was standing against a security control railing after receiving the Holy Fire, when a policeman grasped my arm and kept saying, "go, go, go" ... First I thought, I was going to jail and then he pointed the crowd at the first check point near The Church to lite the people's candles. And the policemen point to the second group, yelling, "go, go" -- So this year, I'm the guy who carried the Holy Fire to the streets. -- Bill Stathakis from Anderson, SC

(B) 

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, also known as the Church of St. Gabriel or St. Gabriel's Greek Orthodox Church, is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nazareth, Israel. Likely first established in Byzantine-era Palaestina Prima, it was rebuilt during the time of the Crusades, and again in the 18th century under the rule of Daher el-Omar, the Arab governor of the Galilee.

Known colloquially among the Greek Orthodox worshippers of Galilee whom it serves as Kniset el-Rûm, or Church of the Eastern Romans in Levantine Arabic, the church is located over an underground spring, which according to Eastern Orthodox belief is where the Virgin Mary was drawing water at the time of the Annunciation. Water from the spring still runs inside the apse of the church and also fed the adjacent site of Mary's Well, located 150 yards (140 m) away.


The Church of St. Gabriel is the Orthodox counterpart to the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. According to Orthodox tradition, the Virgin Mary first received the news from Gabriel that she would bear the Savior while she was out fetching water. The Orthodox Church of St. Gabriel is therefore located over the spring that fed Mary's Well, the traditional place where Mary fetched water for her household.


Biblical tradition In Christian tradition, the event by which Mary was informed by the angel Gabriel of God's intention to make her the mother of Jesus is known as the Annunciation. In the New Testament of the Bible, in the Book of Luke (1:27-35), it is written that Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth,

to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with you!": But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will be great, and be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
And of his kingdom there will be no end."
And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be called holy,
the Son of God."

While it mentions the town of Nazareth, the Book of Luke omits mention of details that might help to identify the precise location of this event therein. However, the Protoevangelium of James, a 2nd-century apocryphal text, states that, "She took the jar and went out to fetch water. Then a voice spoke to her: 'Greetings, you who have received grace. The Lord is with you, you blessed among women.'"The text continues to state that having looked around and seen no one, Mary returned home, placed the jar of water aside, and began to spin, whereupon the angel appeared before her to continue to inform of her appointed role.[1]

There are 18 churches of the Annunciation in Nazareth. The Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation is located over the cave that is believed to have been Mary's home. The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciiation is located over the spring where it is believed that Mary first heard the angel Gabriel's voice. This spring, which is mentioned in the writings of pilgrims to Nazareth over the centuries, is also thought to be where the six-year old Jesus was sent by his mother to fetch water, as is recorded in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas.

• The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth is a modern Catholic church built over the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches. It incorporates the cave in which the Virgin Mary received the news from Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. The site has been a pilgrimage destination since earliest times and remains an important stop for Holy Land pilgrims today.History of Basilica of the Annunciation Early sources on Nazareth's history are scarce, but Eusebius says Nazareth was a small Jewish town in the Roman and Byzantine periods. Evidence of Jewish converts to Christianity in Nazareth is provided by the historian Africanus in the 3rd century and pilgrimage to Nazareth is first attested in the late 4th century.

The cave that is enshrined inside the basilica was identified no later than the 4th century as the place of the Annunciation. It is not known when the first church was built here, but one probably existed by the early 4th century. An altar is referred to in c.384 AD and a church is mentioned by c.570 AD.

A Byzantine church has been excavated beneath the current church, which dates from the 4th or 5th century. It had three aisles, a single projecting apse and a large atrium. A small monastery was built south of the church. Inc.680, the pilgrim Arculf recorded seeing two churches in Nazareth, one at Mary's spring and the other on the traditional site of the Annunciation, where the basilica stands today.

The Byzantine church on the site of the Annunciation survived as late as the 9th century, when 12 monks associated with the church are mentioned in the Commemoratorium of 808 AD. The church was apparently destroyed before or during the Crusades; the Abbot Daniel recorded in 1106-08 that it had been laid waste but thoroughly rebuilt by Tancred and the Franks.

The Crusader church was larger than the Byzantine church over which it was built. The church had three aisles and six bays, probably with a crossing covered by a dome fronting three apses. An edicule in the north aisle covered the House of Mary on a lower level. Much money and effort was put into the decoration of the Crusader church, which included magnificent capitals carved with scenes from the lives of the Apostles by French craftsmen. There were monastery buildings on the south side and a bishop's palace on the north side.

After the Battle of the Horns of Hattin in 1187, the Christian inhabitants of Nazareth took refuge in the church but were slaughtered. The church was thereby profaned, but it was left standing. In 1192, Salah al-Din allowed a few clergy to return and granted Christian access to the shrine. St. Louis made a pilgrimage here in 1251.

However, in 1263, an emir of Baybars attacked Nazareth and razed the church to the ground. Pilgrims were still allowed to visit the grotto (which was venerated also by Muslims), but in 1283 Christians were explicitly forbidden to rebuild the church. By the 14th century, pilgrims were charged an entrance fee by the Muslims guarding the grotto. The site of the church was filled with garbage and was later used for stabling cattle.

The Franciscans established a monastery in Nazareth in the 14th century and appear to have gained control of the holy site for a period in the mid-16th century. They restored and occupied the former bishop's palace and began to repair the church in 1620. However, they were expelled several times throughout the 1600s. In 1730 the Franciscans finally completed a new church, which was enlarged in 1871.

The Franciscan church was demolished in 1955 for the construction of the present church, which was built over the Crusader and Byzantine foundations. It was consecrated in 1969. Today, the Basilica of the Annunciation is the parish church for 7,000 Catholic Christians in Nazareth and the focal point of Catholic and Protestant pilgrimages.

Pilgrims at The Stone of the Anionting in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Holy Saturday, 2024. -- photo credit: Limor Zadok

Russian Orthodox convent - "Gorny Convent" in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem -- under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Holy Wednesday 2016, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophillos III - photo: Jerusalem Patriarchate

Holy and Great Thursday, 2014: His Beatitude Theophilos, The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Washing of the Feet of priests to commemorate Jesus' washing. and Christ’s last hours prior to his arrest in Gethsemane. photo credit: Jerusalem Patriarchate

Palm Sunday 2015, Existing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, His Beatitude Theophilus, Patriarch of Jerusalem

Holy Saturday, 2024 -- photo credit: Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem/Heba Hrimat

Procession of The Holy Fire on Holy Saturday, 2024 -- photo credit: אסף אברס

View looking down from the rotunda inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that shows the Tomb of Christ as the miracle of the Holy Fire occurs on April 23, the day before Easter. Eastern Orthodox Christians believe the Holy Fire, which emenates from within the Tomb of Christ and quickly spreads around the church and outside to Jerusalem and even to foreign countries, represents the flame of the Resurrection power, as well as the fire of the Burning Bush of Mount Sinai. Abir Sultan/EPA, 2011

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 2024, photo credit: Armenian Apostolic Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The Chapel of Saint John the Evangelist and Baptistry, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Greek Orthodox.