An important and personal request from me (followed by information about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre): unfortunately as a tour guide I have not worked since February 2020. Please subscribe to my site and let me show you the Holy Land through it
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I would be happy if you could share the site with your other friends who are interested in the rich and sacred history of the place
Thanks
Zahi Shaked
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the holiest and special sites in Christianity. Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the church is home to two of the holiest sites in Christianity - the site where Jesus was crucified, known as Calvary, and the tomb where Jesus was buried and then resurrected. Today, the tomb is enclosed by a shrine called the Aedicula. The final four Stations of the Cross, or Via Dolorosa, are also located inside the church.
The New Testament tells that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, “the place of the skull”. This is commonly thought to be an area of stone quarries outside the city’s walls at the time. Around a decade after Jesus’s crucifixion, a third wall was built to enclose the area of his execution and burial within the city. This provides validation for the Holy Sepulchre’s location inside today’s the Old City of Jerusalem.
After he had a vision of a cross in the sky in 312 AD, Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and sent his mother, Empress Helena, to Jerusalem in search of Jesus’s tomb. She found a relic of the cross near a tomb, leading her to believe she had found Calvary. In 326 AD, Constantine ordered a church built at the site. All the soil and debris over the centuries was removed from the cave, revealing a rock-cut tomb identified as the burial site of Jesus.
The Church now stands over the two holy sites. The great basilica or Martyrium encloses the traditional site of Calvary in one corner. Across the way, the Anastasis (“Resurrection”) encloses the cave tomb of Jesus’s burial. The church was finally consecrated on September 13, 335 AD. The wooden doors of the church’s main entrance are still the original doors from 326 AD. This puts into perspective the ancient grandeur of this holy church.
GETTING TO THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Like with all of Israel, exploring this site solo is completely doable. Once in Jerusalem, navigating it is easy with public transport or taxi. However, with so much history and spiritual significance, the best way to take in this iconic church is with a tour. There is no match for an experienced guide taking you through and explaining all the noteworthy points.
Zahi Shaked A tour guide in Israel and his camera zahigo25@walla.com +972-54-6905522 tel סיור עם מורה הדרך ומדריך הטיולים צחי שקד 0546905522
My name is Zahi Shaked
In 2000 I became a registered licensed tourist guide.
My dedication in life is to pass on the ancient history of the Holy Land.
Following upon many years of travel around the world, which was highlighted by a very exciting emotional and soul-searching meeting with the Dalai Lama, I realized that I had a mission. To pass on the history of the Holy Land, its religions, and in particular, the birth and development of Christianity.
In order to fulfill this "calling" in the best way possible, I studied in depth, visited, and personally experienced each and every important site of the ancient Christians. I studied for and received my first bachelor's degree in the ancient history of the Holy Land, and am presently completing my studies for my second degree.(Masters)
Parallel to my studies, and in order to earn a living, I was employed for many years in advertising. What I learned there was how to attract the publics' attention, generate and, increase interest, and assimilate information. All this I use as tools to describe, explain and deepen the interest in the sites that we visit. From my experience, I have learned that in this way, the Holy Land becomes more than just history and that the large stones that we see scattered about in disarray, join together one by one until they become - a Byzantine Church. This also happens when I lead a group of Pilgrims in the Steps of Jesus. We climb to the peak of Mount Precipice, "glide" over the land to the Sea of Galilee, land on the water, and "see" the miracle which enfolds before us. This is a many-faceted experience. Not only history which you will remember and cherish, but an experience which I hope will be implanted in your hearts and minds, and will accompany you all the days of your life.
7 май 2021
