Jerusalem on Good Friday

I have lived in Israel and visited most of it, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Megiddo, (supposed to be the eventual site of Armageddon) Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron and Masada.

I've also walked the length of the Via Dolorosa at Easter - which I found to be both awe inspiring and ethereal at the same time. The stone alleyways carry thousands of devout Christians each year, but not more than those seen at Easter, to mark Good Friday.

With sober expressions, they come to walk the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Some cried at the thought of Jesus having walked the same route while bearing the great weight of the cross on his back. Yet other pilgrims actually carried large crosses, falling to their knees at the same place Jesus did along the Via Dolorosa.

I've never been sure if it was to suffer as Jesus suffered, or whether they did it as repentance for sins committed during the year.

The Way of Sorrows or, Via Doloroso also claims the beautiful, ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is known as the place where Jesus died, was buried and resurrected. Naturally, the area was not a church at the time.

Claims:

1: There are all manner of artifacts kept inside the Church, including a piece of the wood from Jesus' cross, which is kept safe inside the Tabernacle and rarely seen;

2: There is also a smooth stone slab, which is meant to be the marker where Jesus' body lay after he was removed from the cross.

At the time I was in Israel, security, soldiers and police definitely had an overt presence, especially wherever crowds gathered over Easter. However, the Israeli police and security would be on high alert and roaming through the people today in large numbers, in case Hamas (or insert any terrorist agency!) or a suicide bomber were attracted by the burgeoning crowds.

To Christians, the narrow, ancient, pebbled street known as the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is meant to be the Holy Grail of all places to visit in Israel.