The Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem

This blog is a continuation of the recent entry on the Tour of Israel in late May to early June 2014 (Read here). 

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On 31 May 2014, we entered the old city of Jerusalem through the Lions' Gate or St. Stephens' Gate. Immediately upon entering the gate, we saw at the right, the Church of Saint Anne, a French Roman Catholic Church. This Church which is in the Muslim Quarter is at a location just before the first Station of Via Dolorosa.

The Lions' Gate or St. Stephen's Gate.

In front of the Lions' Gate.

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The Church of St. Anne was built near the ruins of a Byzantine Basilica between AD 1131 and 1138. The site by tradition is believed to be the childhood home of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

The Church was not destroyed by Saladin when he conquered Jerusalem in the late 12th century. The Church was later converted into an Islamic educational institution. In 1856, in gratitude of the French support during the Crimean war, Sultan Abdulmecid I of the Ottoman presented the church building to Napoleon III. It was subsequently restored by the French Government in 1862. The bulk of what we see today is original. Bethsaida Pool which is next to the Church was discovered eleven years after the restoration.

The Church of St. Anne is recognized to have one of the best choral acoustic in the world. We were asked by the tour guide to gather at the front to sing and try out the acoustics. It was indeed awesome. The notes as they bounce from the stone walls around the hall is like thousand strong angels singing! Unfortunately, we didn't managed to record the singing. Listen to this solo to feel the effect.

St. Anne's Church, Jerusalem.

The background is the central apse with the main altar.

The group sang at the central apse of the Church.

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A short distance from the Church of St. Anne is the Pool of Bethesda described in the Gospel of John 5. At this Pool, Jesus healed a man who had been invalid for 38 years. The Gospel records that the Pool of Bethesda is near the Sheep Gate rather than the Lions' Gate as it is known today. 

According to the Gospel, the Pool in Jesus' time was covered in five colonnades or porticoes. That must have been destroyed when the area was overran and destroyed by the new conqueror. Over the years, new city was built on top of the destroyed city by new invaders. The current base of the Pool is now very much below the current ground surface level.