Garden Of Gethsemane Treasures

The garden of Gethsemane, located at the foot of the Mount of Olives, is amazing. Located in this magnificent garden are eight majestic Olive Trees, said to be over 1,000 years old. Their trunks are impressive in size, and their beautiful twists and knots are out of this world. The Garden of Gethsemane is believed to have been the garden where Jesus prayed on the night that he was betrayed.  The Garden of Gethsemane is a garden filled with peace and tranquility. What a peaceful place to come to pray!

The Garden of Gethsemane means the garden of oil in Hebrew. Even to this day, the oil is still pressed from all these beautiful and ancient Olive Trees. Not only are these magnificent tress beautiful and impressive, they are productive. Imagine the peace and quiet in this garden! It is a garden of harmony! 

Off to the side of the Garden of Gethsemane is the Church of All Nations. This beautiful church is  built over the rock where it is thought that Jesus prayed the night before his was crucified. It is also believed that this is where he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. The Church of All Nations is a major Holy site for Christian pilgrims from many denominations.

A short distance to the north of the church is the Grotto of Gethsemane. It is also known as the Cave of the Olive Press. It is believed that it was here that Jesus and his disciples came many times to camp during the night. In this beautiful and majestic grotto, it is believed, that the disciples slept while Jesus was in prayer that last night. The Grotto is filled with many native trees and shrubs, and certainly would be an awesome place to camp for the night. 

Near the grotto is a tomb that is believed to be the tomb of Mary.  According to tradition, the mother of Jesus was laid to rest here when she died. This certainly would be a tranquil place for a garden tomb. It is a tomb in the midst of many gardens and grottos. What beauty surrounds this site,

Today, the beautiful ancient trees are surrounding by a black iron fence in order to protect them. They are spectacular to gaze upon. The church, gardens , and grottos are kept up by the Franciscan Monks who live onsite. The ancient trees provide a spiritual atmosphere for pilgrims who visit here each year. While these trees are not the same trees that were in the Garden of Gethsemane at the time that Jesus came here to pray, it is quite possible that they are descendants of the original trees. This is believed to be possible since when an olive tree is cut down, small shoots will come back from the existing roots to create a new Olive Tree.

As I stand in The Garden of Gethsemane, awe comes over me. Here you will find natural beauty, peace and harmony, and a spiritual place to sit and relax. This is one of the Holy sites revered by Christian Pilgrims, and should be on every itinerary.