Traveling down Palm Sunday Road

This week, we're going to some of the places Jesus went to (or might have been to, depending if the experts are correct) that final week before His death and resurrection.

First, Palm Sunday Road!

In John 12, Jesus leaves Bethany (still on my "to visit" list!) and travels to Jerusalem, traveling up and over the Mount of Olives to enter the city through the Eastern Gate, which is now closed. It's almost Passover, and the city is teeming with people. He instructs His disciples to go find a specific young donkey He ride into the city. The crowds filled the streets and laid their robes and palm branches on the ground for Him to travel over, just as they would a king. 

As He drew near the city, Luke 19, another account of the same event, says that He wept over Jerusalem, because the people there didn't realize who He really was, and because of that, He knew what was coming in about 35+ years.

So, the first stop of Palm Sunday Road is the Dominus Flevit, which is Latin for "The Lord wept". 

It's a Catholic church dedicated to where Jesus wept as He entered Jerusalem, and has an incredible view!

I don't have a photo of the outside of the church, but it has a really unique shape (I blame the heat for addling my brain that day). This church is only a few hundred years old, as it was built on the remains of a Byzantine church that was eventually destroyed when Jerusalem fell in 1187 AD.

On this site is are also some tombs dating back to the Canaanite era (a looooong time ago), and some relics from that time period were found as well.

That's it for Dominus Flevit! Let's head back to Palm Sunday road and head down towards the Garden of Gethsemane.

Where Lazarus was buried (the 2nd time!)

I interrupt this series on historical places in Israel to talk about where I went last month: Cyprus!

This was my first time to this beautiful country, and it did not disappoint!

My first stop in Larnaca was to see the promenade... and I was pleasantly surprised to immediately find a castle!

It's not too far from the crown jewel of Larnaca: the Church of St. Lazarus.

It's said that after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven, Lazarus had to flee for his life. So, he went to Cyprus, and lived there until he died (again) 30 years later. He was buried in this church in Larnaca, but his grave was lost over the centuries... until the 8th century, when a tomb was uncovered that said, "Lazarus, 4 days dead, friend of Christ." The remains were moved and later stolen, but a church was later built over the site of the tomb.

It's a Greek Orthodox church, built in the 9th century AD. The inside is really ornate, and it's free to enter.

In addition to a Greek Orthodox church, the Church of St. Lazarus has also been a Catholic church, and for a few years under Ottoman rule, a mosque.

I love historical places, especially Biblical ones. And I so wish I could have gone to Paphos, because it was the birth place of Barnabas—and he and Paul went there on one of their journeys—but getting to see a place where someone who knew Jesus as friend (who was raised back to life!) lived and died is still pretty cool!

And you don't even have to guess: going to Bethany and where Lazarus died (the first time) and was raised back to life by Jesus is 100% on my list!