To begin with, let us recall again - literally in a nutshell - what is a pilgrimage. In the Orthodox sense, pilgrimage means visiting holy places, honored monasteries and temples. However, in its original sense, the pilgrimage is a visit to the Holy Land. The very concept originated in Orthodoxy precisely in connection with travel for worshiping places associated with the name of the Savior.
Holy Land. It is difficult to find another such place on the planet that will be equally appealing to millions of people - pilgrims and travelers, clergymen and scholars - like this small space enclosed between the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the outskirts of the Galilee and Dead Seas and the Jordan River. This land became Holy to all Christians, Muslims and Jews, since all the most significant events in the history of all three religions occurred right here.
The name of the Holy Land has the most direct meaning: it is the earthly homeland of Christ the Savior .The Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ, the Presentation of the Lord, the Baptism of Jesus Christ, His appearance in the light of the Transfiguration of Transfiguration occurred here .On this earth the paths of the Savior followed, his sermons were heard here, his great miracles were performed, the Last Supper was held .In these places, the Savior was betrayed to Judah, suffered, went through the Cross to Golgotha and was crucified on the Cross .Here the Resurrection of Christ took place - as the prototype of our resurrection, and the Ascension of the Savior to Heaven, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, the life of the Mother of God and its glorious Assumption .
In winter, on the eve of a bright Christmas holiday, the Holy Land becomes especially attractive for pilgrims, believers and simply people interested in the history of mankind.
The duration of pilgrimage tours around Israel can be very different, but the most popular option is an eight-day tour. There is also a more "secular" version of the trip, in which the pilgrimage is complemented by rest on the shores of the Red Sea (in Eilat) or treatment at the Dead Sea. In addition, visits to the Holy Land are often combined with two more countries that are interesting not only from the point of view of rest, but also as places of pilgrimage - these are Egypt and Jordan.
The program of the pilgrimage tour to Israel includes visiting the main Christian shrines. Depending on the composition of the group and the church calendar, programs can be modified, preserving, nevertheless, their basic elements.
For Russian pilgrims, a pilgrimage usually begins with a visit to the Russian Spiritual Mission - the official representation of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land. Here the pilgrims receive a blessing for the pilgrimage, hence the path begins in the footsteps of the Lord.
Jerusalem
While making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, pilgrims see places connected with the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. First of all, this is, of course, the holy Mount of Olives. Here are the Mount of Olives, the Church of the Ascension, the Place of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (Stupochka), the Gethsemane Convent, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. And also the Garden of Gethsemane, the tomb of the Mother of God, Mount Zion, the Temple of the Assumption of the Mother of God and the tomb of King David.
The Mount of Olives, with its amazing view of the Old City, is a sacred place for Christians. It was here that Jesus Christ preached and prayed, from here he entered the Jerusalem through the Golden Gate and finally ascended in glory to heaven forty days after his resurrection. The legend claims that it happened at the highest point of the mountain, where the chapel now stands. However, the Russian Orthodox Church believes that the true place of Jesus' ascension is close to the Russian Church of the Ascension and the Monastery.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus loved to retire with his disciples for prayer and rest, in which he prayed after the Last Supper and was seized by the guards. In the chamber of the Last Supper the last meal of Christ with the disciples took place, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was established. Here the feet were washed by the apostles, the beginning of a farewell conversation with them, in the garden they mourned the death of the Teacher, and the glad tidings of the Resurrection were brought in.
The exact location of Mount Zion is not yet determined. One way or another, the hill, known today under this name, acquired the symbolic meaning of the heart of the historic homeland of Jews around the world. Here is the tomb of King David, the legendary Jewish king, who won the giant Goliath in combat and turned the small Canaanite city of Jerusalem into the capital. Christians revere the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God located on Mount Sion - a place where according to legend the Virgin Mary fell asleep forever.
Ein Kerem is the birthplace of John the Baptist (Forerunner), who was called the Prophet of the Most High, because he went before the Lord to prepare His way to give the people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. In the Gornenskoye Russian abode, the Mother of God met with the righteous Elizabeth. And in the monastery of the Holy Cross, the righteous Lot planted three sprouts (pine, cedar and cypress) miraculously fused into one tree, from which the cross of the Lord was made, to expiate his sin.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, travelers will look at the Temple Mount, the Wailing Wall, the house of Joachim and Anna (the birthplace of the Virgin) and Pretoria - the place of imprisonment of Jesus.
The Savior's way of the Cross is traced today in Jerusalem very roughly, in view of the repeated destruction of the city. In total, there are fourteen stops on the Crossroads (nine are described in the Gospel, and five are legendary). The latter are within the Temple of the Holy Sepulcher - the greatest shrine of the Christian world. In its environs there are also such holy places as Golgotha, the Stone of Chrismation, the Life-giving Coffin of the Lord, the place of finding the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.
| Gateway to Armageddon |
| View from the Annunciation Church in Nazareth |
| Old Jerusalem |
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (Church of the Nativity of Jesus Christ) is a small Arab town located 10 kilometers from Jerusalem on the territory of the present Palestinian Autonomy. According to legend, King David was born here. But Bethlehem received a loud glory in the Christian world through another event - the birth of Jesus Christ.
Tiberias
The holy places of Tiberias are the Monastery of St. George Hozevit and the ancient city of Jericho, the Mount of Temptations and the Forty-Day Monastery. According to tradition, in the desert near Jericho in a cave on top of the mountain for 40 days, fasted after the baptism of Jesus, and Satan tempted him. In memory of this event, before the entrance to the cave, there is an Orthodox monument - a Greek Forty-day monastery - adhered to the rock.
Here, pilgrims will also visit the monastery of St. Zacchaeus, Mount Tabor, the Jordan River - the place of Jesus' baptism and the place of ablution of pilgrims and the Russian monastery in Magdala, where pilgrims bathe in the spring. This is exactly the place where the Lord healed St. Mary Magdalene, driving her out of demons.
In the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee are Capernaum, the Church of the Twelve Apostles, Tabha, the Church of the Miracle of the Multiplication of Bread and Fishes, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of the Sermon on the Mount. Almost the entire Evangelical history unfolded on this sea. On the shore of it were called the main of the apostles, there was a sermon of peace and love from the mouth of Christ, on these waters He walked. Here the Lord healed many sick people, then a miracle of multiplying bread occurred. At this point, the Savior ascended the mountains for a conversation with the Heavenly Father.
And Kanna Galilee - the place where Christ first manifested his miraculous power, having made a marriage ceremony simple water in wine.
Nazareth
In Nazareth, Archangel Gabriel was sent to tell the Virgin Mary of the birth of the Savior of the world from her. In modest housing of this city spent his childhood, adolescence and youth Christ. The Church of the Archangel Gabriel and the Temple of the Annunciation standing here are a remembrance of these events.
Netanya and Haifa
At the top of Mount Carmel is a cave in which St. Prophet Elijah of God during the last three and a half years of ravages. There is a tradition that the Virgin Mary visited the cave of Elijah with the baby Jesus during their residence in Nazareth. In memory of these events on the mountain stands the monastery of the Carmelites, the cave of St. The Prophet Elijah and the Russian Church of St. Of Elijah the Prophet on Mount Carmel.
Jaffa and Lidda
The city of Jaffa, according to legend, is the most ancient city in the world. Here on the seashore Noah built his ark, and his son Japheth became the founder of the city. In Jaffa, the apostle Peter lived for a long time: here, according to legend, he resurrected the righteous Tabitha. Pilgrims will be able to visit the Russian Church of St. Jaffa in Jaffa. Apostle Peter, Chapel of St. of the righteous Tabitha.
Lydda (Lod) - the birthplace of St. George the Victorious, here is also the church of St. Great Martyr George the Victorious. In Lida, a miraculous icon of the Virgin is preserved, according to legend, miraculously in her lifetime.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material of Yuri Akhmetovich Minulin, the director of the Pilony Service "Radonezh"
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