Via Dolorosa

In search of the Pool of Bethesda we met this young man. He is a Christian of Armenian descent, but living, and operating a shop with his family, in the Muslim quarter, on the Via Dolorosa.

They buy Icons and other expensive religious artwork from Russian immigrants. These immigrants can only take a small amount of cash with them, so they bring valuables, and sell them for money when they arrive in Israel. There are more than a million people in Israel with Russian ancestry

The wall of the shop used to be part of the Antonia Fortress in Roman times.

Roman first century glass for sale

The Young man took us to the first stop on the Via Dolorosa: the Franciscan monastery.

A "game board" has been found in the pavement here to play the "King game." In this game, one person was chosen to be the King. He got a scepter and a crown and a robe. They would then gamble for his money, his wife and his clothes. In the end, the "King" died. Soldiers used to play it with each other, and later with condemned prisoners.

From the monastery we could see the top of the Temple mount, with the Dome of the Rock, through a barred window. This is taken from the North side of the Temple Mount.

Walking from the monastery, we went down the Via Dolorosa again...

...to the second station of the cross: the flagellation.

The Antonia Fortress was big, so many of the buildings in this area are on top of it.