Garden of Gethsemane: The Olive Trees Beneath the Mount of Olives

Where Gethsemane actually is

Gethsemane sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives, on the eastern slope of the Kidron Valley, directly across from the eastern wall of the Old City and the Temple Mount. The name in Hebrew, Gat Shmanim, means "oil press", and the garden was almost certainly an olive grove used for centuries to press oil for the temple lamps. The location has been venerated as the site of Jesus' agony and arrest since the fourth century, and the current garden is maintained by the Franciscan order, who have held the site since 1681.

To get there on foot, leave the Old City through St. Stephen's Gate (also called the Lions' Gate) on the eastern wall, descend into the Kidron Valley for a few hundred metres, and turn right at the bottom. The garden gate is on your left. The walk is fifteen minutes from the Old City and is one of the most atmospheric short walks in the Holy Land, particularly in the early morning, when the light comes over the Mount of Olives and the eastern wall of the Temple Mount is at its most photogenic.

The ancient olive trees

There are eight olive trees in the garden that are widely considered to be among the oldest living trees in the world. Radiocarbon dating published in 2012 by the National Geographic Society dated the rootstock of the oldest of them to somewhere between 1092 and 1250 AD at the surface, but noted that older root systems beneath could be considerably older, with some researchers suggesting the rootstock may be two thousand years old. The trunks themselves have been repeatedly cut back and regrown over the centuries, and what you see when you stand in the garden is the same olive grove the gospels describe, rooted in the same ground, with a continuity that no other site in the Holy Land can match.

The trees are fenced off at the centre of the garden to protect the root systems, but you can stand within a few feet of them. The gnarled trunks, the silver-green leaves, the slow movement of the branches in the valley wind. Take your time. Most pilgrims circle the fence in two minutes and leave. Spend ten. Sit on one of the stone benches. Let the place tell you what it is, rather than the other way around.

The Church of All Nations

At the head of the garden, just inside the gate, stands the Church of All Nations, also called the Basilica of the Agony. It is a low, dark, octagonal church built in 1924 with donations from twelve different countries, which is where the name comes from. The interior is deliberately kept dim, with deep purple-blue stained glass covering most of the windows, so the only light comes from the ceiling lanterns. The atmosphere is hushed, almost funereal, and the architects did it on purpose. They wanted a building that did not shout.

The focal point is the rock of the agony, a flat limestone outcrop in front of the main altar, set into a low iron fence. Catholic tradition holds that this is the rock on which Jesus prayed in agony on the night of his arrest, sweating blood. The rock is unremarkable to look at, which is part of its point. It is a piece of ground. It has been venerated here for sixteen centuries. The whole church is built around it.

Entry is free, but the church is small and there is usually a queue. A respectful silence is requested inside. The ceiling mosaics on the four pendentives are worth looking up for, each showing a scene from the gospels linked to Gethsemane, including the kiss of Judas, the sleeping disciples, and the angel who strengthens Jesus in his agony. Take ten minutes. You will not regret it.

The rest of the Mount of Olives

Once you have spent time in the garden and the church, the rest of the Mount of Olives is directly above you, and worth a slow climb. The dominant landmark from the top is the golden Dome of the Rock, directly across the Kidron Valley, and the panoramic view back to the Old City is one of the best in the Holy Land. On the slope itself, the Jewish cemetery cascades down the hill in front of you, with graves dating back over 3,000 years. It is the oldest continuously used cemetery in the world, and the position, directly facing the eastern wall of the Temple Mount, is the most desired burial location in traditional Jewish eschatology. Walk slowly. Read the names on the headstones. The view from the top of the hill is one you will remember for a long time.

When to go

Early morning is best. The garden opens at 8:00 or 8:30 depending on the season, and the first hour is the quietest, with the light coming in over the Mount of Olives and the tour buses still in Jerusalem having breakfast. Late afternoon, around an hour before sunset, is also good. The church can get very crowded in the middle of the day, particularly during Holy Week, when the Franciscans hold services in the garden and the queue for the rock can stretch down the path.

What to wear

The garden is outdoors and the church is inside. Modest dress applies in the church (shoulders and knees covered), but the garden itself has no dress code. Bring a head covering for the sun, water for the climb up to the top of the Mount, and comfortable shoes for the uneven paths. The walk from St. Stephen's Gate to the top of the Mount and back is around 90 minutes at a slow pace.