It was late evening when Jesus had finished His Last Supper with His disciples. He knew the moment of His suffering and death was coming close so He wanted to spend some alone time praying.
The Garden of Gethsemane seemed the ideal place. It was surrounded by olive trees and offered the perfect environment for some quite reflection. Three of His disciples accompained Him to the garden.
The painting below is seen today at The Basilica of the Agony also known as the The Church of All Nations. It is located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Basilica enshrines the rock on which Jesus prayed before His arrest. It is said that Jesus was so deep in prayer and agony that he even sweated drops of blood which fell over the rock.
The incident of Jesus praying to God and sweating blood is also known as ‘The Agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane’
The Latin term for this is Dominus Flevit – When Jesus wept. A rock sculpture near the garden depicts the agony of Jesus.
The Basilica is characterized by a domed roof, thick colums and a facade of a mosaic painting depecting Jesus, God and men.
The Garden of Gethsemane is besides the Basilica. There are several ancient olive trees seen in the garden. The garden is fenced in so visitors can view the trees and the garden from outside.
The olive trees still bear olives and the garden is well maintained.
What happens after Jesus is done praying? Read more about this in my next post. For some more stories about my visit to the Holy Land read – HOLYLAND
