41) The sacred olive tree in the 'Monastery of Holy Archangels' or the 'Convent of the Olive Tree', Armenian Quarter, Jerusalem. This olive tree according to Armenian tradition (15th century) is where Jesus was tied during his trial under Annas, the High Priest.

The venue marks the House of Annas where Jesus was judged. The tree is believed to be which Christ was fastened during his trial under Annas. The convent area containing the olive tree is not easy to access and require special permission from the Armenian Patriarchate.

40) Northern Gate of Aelia Capitolina, the Roman Jerusalem built by Hadrian Caesar in 2nd Century AD. Present Damascus Gate is from 16th century AD and is built by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman over this ancient gate.

The original Roman gate complex had 3 arched entrances, 2 massive guard towers and a large open plaza with a high column topped by a statue of Emperor Hadrian. The columned plaza was connected to the main highway, cardo of Jerusalem. Today, the full eastern arched entrance and its guard tower, parts of open plaza and cardo remain. The Roman gate and plaza can be reached by descending a small bridge in the side of the modern Damascus Gate. One can use original stairs inside the plaza to climb to Old City walls and do the Rampart's walk.

Eastern Arched entrance of the Northern Roman Gate of Hadrian's Jerusalem.

Remains of the Guard Tower in Roman Plaza.

Remains of Cardo from the Roman Plaza.

Guard rooms and other remains from the Northern Gate of 2nd century Jerusalem

39) Remains of ancient streets inside the old city of Jerusalem from 1) Second Jerusalem Temple period (100 BC-100 AD) and 2) Late Roman period (3rd-4th century AD).

Second Temple Period (100 BC-100 AD)-located near Damascus Gate, Muslim Quarter.

Roman Period (3rd-4th Century AD)-located in Christian Quarter

38) Remains of Herodian era Shops, Stones and Street from the Second Jerusalem Temple (1st Century BC).

Overall view of the area

Shops: this building with 4 shops served as the base for a large staircase (Robinson's Arch) that lead people into the Temple in first century.

 

Street: this paved Herodian street parallel to the 'Western Wall' was much active at the time of Jesus. Notice the crushed portions on the street is a result of the impact of the massive stones pushed over by the Roman soldiers from the Temple in 70 AD.

Stones: these massive stones were thrown by the Roman soldiers into the paved Herodian street from the Temple after Jerusalem was captured and destroyed in 70 AD.  

37) Remains of the monumental Herodian (1st century BC) staircases to the Temple Mount from south through Huldah Gates. It is certain that Jesus and His disciples used these steps to enter the temple precinct.

Today, most of the fine steps you see are reconstructed.

36) The five chapels associated with the stations of 'Via Dolorosa' that you may miss.

35) Chapel of St. John the Baptist, Mount of Olives-inside the Russian Orthodox Convent of Ascension in Mount Olives is this small chapel built over the ruins of a 6th Century Armenian church. Under the carpet is a beautiful 6th century mosaic and the adjacent round cavity represents the place where according to tradition the head of John the Baptist was rediscovered in 452 AD.

The place where according to tradition the head of St. John the Baptist was found.

34) Tombs of the Prophets, Mount of Olives-traditional burial spots of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the last three prophets of the Bible who lived during 5th-6th century BC. The tomb complex is owned by the Russian Orthodox Church today.

There are 38 burial niches in the complex.

33) Tiferet Israel Synagogue or Nissan Beck Synagogue-Built in 1872, the Tiferet Synagogue was considered to be one of the most beautiful in Jerusalem. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the Jordanian army blew up the synagogue into rubbles and what remains today is only ruins from its western wall.

32) Western side (interior) of the sealed 'Eastern Gate' or 'Golden Gate' of Jerusalem. A 6th-7th century AD structure built on the top of a previously existing gate (1st century BC?), the Golden Gate is the oldest of all Jerusalem gates existing today. The western side of Golden Gate is only visible from the Temple Mount.

Eastern Side of the Golden Gate below is perhaps the most photographed side of a Jerusalem gate today.

31) Remnants of the Single, Double and Triple Gates of the southern wall of Temple Mount. The Double and Triple Gates are Herodian (1st century BC) and they provided access to the Jerusalem Temple from the southern side. Single Gate is a Crusader structure (12th century AD), an access point to the caverns below the Temple Mount called 'Solomon's Stables'.

Double Gate

Triple Gate

Single Gate