Angel's chapel, Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Edicule

Archaeologists who examined the shrine of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem after the marble slab covering it was removed for the first time in 450 years found that the burial Bed of Christ remained intact. National Geographic magazine reported this on Monday.

The slab from the Holy Sepulcher in Old Jerusalem was removed on October 26 (for the first time in 450 years). Specialists from the National Technical University of Athens, with the support of Israeli and Armenian archaeologists, conducted research papers in Edicule for the next 60 hours.

The Holy Sepulcher is a tomb carved into natural rock from the Second Temple period, which contains a stone burial bed (200 by 80 cm, height from the floor 60 cm). The current room, like the previous cave destroyed in 1009, is called the Holy Sepulchre. This room, located in the Edicule, symbolizes the cave in which the Body of Christ was buried. Only the bed itself, part of the cave walls and part of the entrance have survived to this day. By the middle of the 16th century, the bed was badly damaged by pilgrims who tried to break off a piece of the relic. To prevent these attempts, it was covered with a slab of white marble in 1555.

When scientists removed the marble lining and a layer of stone fragments from the coffin, they saw underneath another marble slab with a cross carved on its surface. Historians suggest that it was made during the Crusades.

The burial bed itself turned out to be completely intact, despite the fact that the walls of the cave in which it was located were destroyed along with the original building of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the 11th century.

Archaeologists then brought the slab to the surface to clean and digitize it before reinstalling it. “It's absolutely amazing. My knees are shaking because I did not expect this... We cannot say with one hundred percent certainty, but at first glance, there is clear evidence that the tomb has not been damaged during all this time. After all, scientists and historians have been asking this question for many decades,” said archaeologist Fredrik Hiebert in an interview with the magazine.

In addition, archaeologists confirmed the presence of limestone in the walls of the cave inside Edicule, and also made a small window so that believers could see the shrine for the first time in several centuries.

In the Gospels, we recall, it is reported that Jesus was buried outside of Jerusalem, not far from the site of his crucifixion on Golgotha. A few years after the burial, the borders of Jerusalem were significantly expanded so that Golgotha ​​and the nearby tomb were within the city.

In the 4th century St. queen equal to the apostles Helena ordered the beginning of excavations at Golgotha. As a result, the cross on which Jesus was crucified was found. The queen ordered the foundation of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on this site.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Church of the Resurrection) is another must-see for all tourists and pilgrims in Jerusalem. There is no such temple anywhere else on earth. It lacks pretentious pomp, but its greatness lies in its undeniable holiness.

In biblical times, it was in this place that drops of the Savior’s blood watered and forever sanctified the sinful land. The temple, like many great buildings, took centuries to build.

The history of the construction of the temple begins in 325, when the mother of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine, Queen Helena, visited Jerusalem. She was looking for the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Everything pointed to a pagan forum in the garden outside the city wall, which, on her orders, they began to explore.

Among the many graves located in this place (previously there was an ancient cemetery here), it was still possible to find the cave of Christ’s burial. They also found Golgotha, on which the Savior was crucified. In the 4th century over sacred place After the burial, on the orders of Helena, a temple was erected, which was called “Anastasias” (Resurrection).

It was destroyed twice, but then rebuilt. The temple became the way we see it today in the 12th century.

Large columns and massive walls were built by the Crusaders. It is interesting that during construction they used both their own stones and stones from the times of Constantine and Helena. Now under its arches there was not only the Cave of the Resurrection, but also Golgotha, and several other Christian shrines associated with the anointing, crucifixion and burial of the Savior. Together they are called “The Way of Sorrow” (via dolorosa). A street with the same name runs through the entire old city.

Every day, a Muslim key holder opens the doors of the temple with a large key, weighing half a kilogram. Twice a week he fully checks the serviceability of the lock and, if necessary, repairs it himself.

By God's providence in the 7th century, the Lord entrusted the protection of the temple to Muslims. When the city fell into the hands of the Saracens in 638, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Saphronius, handed over the keys to the shrine to Caliph Omar and asked him to guard it and be the honorary keeper of the keys. The Caliph entrusted this responsibility to his closest associate Nuseib. Since then, all his descendants have considered it an honor to be the custodians of the keys. The key keeper also plays the role of a mediator in disputes between Christians over the right to patronize the Temple of the Resurrection.

Today the custodian is Wajih ibn Nuseibeh. This representative of the Arab family speaks many languages ​​and often gladly conducts educational tours for honored guests.

The order in the temple and the observance of all religious ceremonies, as hundreds of years ago, are monitored by Kavass - guards who are also Muslims.

Representatives of different Christian denominations For a long time there were disputes about which of them had more rights to own the shrine. In 1852, Orthodox, Catholics, Syrians, Armenians, Copts (Christians from Egypt who consider themselves the most ancient Christians) and Ethiopians managed to agree on the territorial distribution of the temple.

In first place in importance is the Orthodox Church, which owns almost half of everything in the temple. Second place is occupied by Catholics and Armenians. Their meaning is almost the same. Copts and Syrians are subject to the influence of the Armenian Church.

All activities in the temple (including repairs) and services are strictly scheduled between representatives of different faiths. It is forbidden to make changes to the interior decoration, so everything here has remained in place for more than 160 years. But every year a miracle occurs in this place, uniting all Christians.

On Holy Easter Saturday, divine fire descends on the Temple of the Resurrection. Scientists have been struggling with the mystery of the nature of its origin for many centuries, but all their efforts in this matter have so far been in vain.

Fire appears in a different guise each time: this and fireballs, and fiery dew, and flashes of lightning and light. The ceremony of the descent of the divine fire is called the Litany.

In the first minutes, the flame is so harmless that you can even wash your face with it. From here the fire goes to Christian churches around the world, where it is maintained all year until next Easter.

The temple itself can accommodate no more than 10,000 people. Therefore, believers gather at its gates from the very morning. Leading the ceremony Patriarch of Jerusalem, through whose prayers he descends holy fire.

Today no one disputes his right to do this sacred rite. But in 1579, the Orthodox were forbidden to pray in the temple. And then the divine fire descended not inside, but outside the shrine. Heavenly lightning struck the column standing at the door and lit the candles in the hands of the Orthodox Christians who were at the gate.

This column, as a mute witness to the Miracle of the Lord, is still in the same place today. It is believed that the year when the divine flame does not descend to earth will be the last for people. Therefore, the pilgrims on the eve Easter Saturday unction and communion, as if before death.

The chapel itself, where the blessed flame descends, is divided into two parts: the Angel's Limit and the Holy Sepulcher. A part of the stone that closed the entrance to the cave of the Savior’s tomb is kept in the Angel’s Limit. Further in a small room lies the slab that covered the three-day bed of Christ. It is on it that the blessed fire is born, from which all the lamps and candles of the temple are lit.

The temple has existed in its current form since 1810. When entering it, all the main shrines can be looked at at the same time. As for the external walls, today, in fact, only one of them is visible, facing the southern square, preserved from the times of the Crusaders. Of the two passages in it, only the left one is open to entry.

The first thing to do when entering the temple is to ascend to Calvary using the stairs on the right. The Catholic site of Golgotha ​​is where Jesus was nailed to the cross. This scene is depicted here in the mosaic.

In the Orthodox part there is an altar, under which there is a hole considered to be the place of Christ’s execution. Therefore, all believers strive to touch this place. But the cross stood a little further away. Where the Orthodox crucifix is ​​now located.

All icons in this range are made in the Orthodox style. Calvary is separated from the Holy Sepulcher by 33 steps, symbolizing the number of years Jesus lived on earth.

Often on icons and frescoes of the crucified Christ there is an image of the skull of Adam.

According to legend, Noah took him onto his ark and then interred him on Mount Golgotha, where the atonement for the sins of the descendants of the first Adam by the second Adam subsequently took place. A crack runs down the entire mountain, at the end of which a human skull was actually found. Golgotha ​​is translated from Aramaic as skull or head.

There is an assumption that the shape of the hill resembled this part of the human skeleton, which is why it was called that.

Directly below Golgotha ​​is the limit of Adam, which belongs to the Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate. Here, through a special glass opening, you can see part of the mountain with the famous crack.

As legend has it, on the day of the crucifixion, a crowd of onlookers around went wild and gloated. And only two were able to understand who was in front of them. The first one is crucified by right hand from Jesus the criminal Dismas, who a second before his death recognized Christ and asked to be remembered in his kingdom. And the second criminal, Gestas, mocked and demanded proof of his divine power in the form of saving the three of them.

That is why the bottom crossbar christian cross tilted. With one of its raised ends it points to Dismas, who went to Heaven, and the second to Gestas, who went to hell.

Centurion Langin also believed in Christ. After his death, seeing the torment of the Savior, he exclaimed, having received his sight: “Truly this man is the son of God!” Today in the temple there is a Langin limit, where people with vision problems come.

At the entrance to the temple there is a marble slab protecting the stone of anointing. Every Christian strives to touch it. After all, it was here, according to legend, that Christ lay taken down from the cross.

Above the stone there are lamps that symbolize the spheres of influence in the temple: four of them belong to the Greek Orthodox, two lamps belong to the Armenian denomination, one to the Coptic, and the last to the Catholic.

Today, the stone constantly streams myrrh with a mixture of 40 components that does not exist in nature. Myrrh was the name given to the incense and oils with which in ancient times the body was washed before burial.

Attempts have been made repeatedly to find out the nature of this phenomenon. They did everything they could: they installed hidden cameras and watched closely. But the answer to this question was never obtained. Today, you can consecrate any object on a myrrh-streaming stone by simply touching it.

In front of the stone of anointing is the central wall of the temple, decorated with a huge panorama made of mosaics. It depicts the savior being taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.

The cave into which the body of Christ was transferred from the stone of anointing was cut down during construction. In its place today stands the Chapel of Edicule.

It is so small that only a couple of people can visit it at a time. Since there are so many pilgrims, they are only allowed in for a couple of seconds. During this time, you need to have time to kneel down, touch the stove and pray. Services at the Holy Sepulcher are divided by time. At night it is carried out by the Orthodox, then by representatives of the Armenian Church, and in the morning by Catholics.

After the conquest of Jerusalem by the Turks, they took away much from the temple. One of the governors decided to move the slab from the Holy Sepulcher to his home. The Jerusalem priest imperceptibly ran a ring over it, after which it cracked.

The governor was amazed and, considering this a bad omen, left her in place. To this day, a marble slab, consisting of two parts, covers the Holy Sepulcher, protecting it from pilgrims trying to take a piece of the shrine with them.

To the right of the Edicule there are lamps with the blessed fire, burning all year until next Easter. Believers light a bunch of 33 candles from them and immediately extinguish them, thus taking a piece of the flame with them. If you light these candles in your home, it is believed that their flame will drive away all misfortunes.

Closing the Church of the Resurrection is also a special ritual: the key holder climbs the ladder brought out by the priest, closes the doors of the temple and passes it back through a special opening.

Not just an ensemble, this is a textbook of history and art under open air. The magnificent buildings, squares, courtyards and parks, built over several centuries by the Habsburg dynasty, have long become the hallmark of Vienna.

Useful information for tourists

A common mistake is the custom of lighting a candle for health right at the foot of Golgotha. There are candles here only for repose, and for health they are placed nearby on the right.

If you want your loved ones to be mentioned in prayer, you can write a note with names in Cyrillic in the nominative case and no more than 10 names and give it to the monks. Don't write unnecessary words. After all, the notes are read by Greek clergy who do not know Russian.

The best times to visit the temple are 8.00 or 17.00. At this time there are a minimum number of tourists here.

Women have the right to enter the temple in trousers, but only with a headscarf.

With the permission of one of the representatives of the three faiths, it is possible to stay in the temple overnight.

How to get to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

You can get to the Jaffa Gate by buses No. 3, 19, 13, 41, 30 and 99. The rest of the journey will have to be done on foot.

Opening hours and prices for visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The visiting time depends on the month in which you decide to visit here. From April to September it is open from 5.00 to 20.00. And from October to March from 5.00 to 19.00. Visiting the temple is free.

The underground Church of the Finding of the Life-Giving Cross, the Church of St. Helen of the Apostles and several chapels. There are several active monasteries on the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; it includes many auxiliary rooms, galleries, etc.

The temple is divided between six Christian societies representing the three main faiths represented in the Holy Land - Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anti-Chalcedonian. In order to avoid misunderstandings, the interested parties in the distribution of property and the order of services observe the historically established status quo, determined by the Khatt-i-Sherif of the year, confirmed by the firmans and years. The legal, property and territorial boundaries assigned to each religious society are strictly specified (not a single icon, not a single lamp can be added or removed without general consent). The Anointing Stone is in common possession. “The guardians and keepers of the doors of the temple” have been the Muslim Nusseib family since the year.

Distribution of parts of the temple

Column of the Holy Fire– one of the marble Corinthian columns decorating the portal on the left. It was miraculously split almost in half on Holy Saturday of the year. In connection with the disputes that arose about Easter (the Orthodox celebrated Easter that year on April 6, a week earlier than the anti-Chalcedonite Armenians), the Ottoman authorities, at the insistence of the Armenian governor, locked the temple, not allowing the Orthodox to attend the service of the Holy Fire. Through the prayer of the Orthodox believers gathered at closed doors led by Metropolitan Parthenius of Bethlehem and Archbishop Athanasius of Gaza (Patriarch Theophan IV was not in Jerusalem at that time), from the raided thundercloud lightning struck and Holy Fire appeared from the crack of the split column.

In the right, north-eastern corner of the courtyard, an external staircase leads to a small chapel that served as the vestibule of the Calvary chapel. Nowadays it is called Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows or "Chapel of the Franks", sometimes referred to as the Chapel of the Removal of the Robes in remembrance of how Roman soldiers divided the clothes of the Crucified One among themselves. Under the Roman Catholic chapel, on the 1st floor, a separate entrance leads to the Orthodox parecklision of St. Mary of Egypt.

Inside the temple, opposite the entrance, lies the Stone of Anointing, covered with a red polished marble slab 30 cm thick, on the sides of which the Greek text of the troparion to St. Joseph of Arimathea is carved around the perimeter. The corresponding Gospel text (John 19:38-40) is written in Greek on a marble plaque hanging on the right. The removal of the Cross from the Lord, the anointing of the body with incense and the position in the coffin are depicted on a large mosaic panel, stylized as a Byzantine pattern, on the wall directly behind the Stone of Anointing. The mosaic was completed with the blessing of Patriarch Diodorus in the year V. Tsotsonis. Above the Stone there are 8 lamps (4 - Orthodox, 2 - Armenian, 1 - Latin, 1 - Coptic).

There is no evidence reaching us about exactly where the body of the Lord was prepared for burial. But since the century, the rite of the Burial of the Shroud has been prominent in the observance of Good Friday. In the temple it is performed as follows: the shroud covered with rose petals is transferred by 6 bishops from Golgotha ​​to the Stone of Anointing; after the litany at the Stone, the shroud is solemnly transferred with a threefold litany around the Edicule and placed on the Triday Bed, then taken to the altar of the catholicon.

Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher (Edicule)

The Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, or Edicule, stands to the left of the Stone of Anointing, under the arches of the rotunda. On the sides of the entrance to the Edicule there are low marble barriers with benches, behind which there are tall candelabra belonging to the Roman Catholics. Above the door there are lamps hanging in 4 rows (13 each for Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian). One of the decorations of the Edicule is a Russian carved silver canopy from the 1st half of the 19th century with 12 icons of the holy apostles using the Rostov enamel technique. In the year, by order of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the ancient enamel was replaced with new ones, manufactured using modern technology by the Rostov company A. Rudnik.

Edicule(8.3x5.9 m) consists of 2 parts: western, hexagonal in plan (2.07x1.93 m), where the Holy Sepulcher is located, and eastern (3.4x3.9 m), where the Angel's chapel is located . A pedestal with a part of the sacred stone rolled away by an angel is located in the middle of the chapel and serves as a throne during the performance of the bishop's Orthodox liturgy on the Holy Sepulcher (in this case the Triday Bed itself becomes the altar). There are 15 lamps in the chapel (in 3 rows, according to the number of main confessions). In the northern and southern walls– oval windows for the transfer of the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday (northern - for Orthodox, southern - for Armenians). The entrance from the Angel's chapel to the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher is decorated with a marble portal. On the left at the entrance are depicted the myrrh-bearing women, on the right is the Archangel Gabriel stretching out his hand to them (according to the inscription), at the top of the portal is a marble canopy with an inscription in Greek, reproducing the words of the angel: “ Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen».

Attached to the edicule in the western part Chapel of the Chapter, belonging to the Coptic Church. According to legend, the second angel sat here (“at the head”) (John 20:12). Since Byzantine times, a small throne existed on this site. The Crusaders called the chapel "cavet" ("head" in Norman dialect) because it was located at the head of the Edicule. According to Armenian sources, the chapel was built by the king of Cilician Armenia Etum II in the year. Subsequently, the Armenians gave this chapel to the Copts, receiving in return one of the monasteries in Egypt. In the year, the Orthodox Greeks reconstructed the Edicule without the Coptic chapel, restored 30 years later at the direction of the then ruler of Palestine, Ibrahim Pasha, son of the Egyptian Khedive Muhammad Ali. Coptic monks cite a legend that during the reconstruction of the edicule in 1997, the niche of the Holy Bed was truncated in the western part, so that the place where the head of the Savior rested ended up in the Coptic chapel.

Rotunda

Church of the Resurrection of the Lord (Katholikon)

Previously, the temple complex of the Holy Sepulcher consisted of several separate sanctuaries: a rotunda directly containing the Edicule, Calvary (Orthodox and Roman Catholic) chapels and the cathedral church of the Jerusalem Orthodox Patriarchate. The Crusader Basilica united these objects in a single internal space. Nowadays, the katholikon (cathedral church) of the Resurrection of the Lord is called the “middle” volume of the temple complex, enclosed by special walls that do not reach the vaults, built after the fire of the year. The Greek reconstruction of that time changed the composition of the structure: in addition to the side walls, a high iconostasis appeared. From a liturgical point of view, the unity of the temple space was achieved, and the necessary prayerful atmosphere for Orthodox worship was created.

Dome The katholikon, the smaller of the 2 domes of the temple, is located above the western part. Precisely under the dome, on a special vase-stand, a marble hemisphere is placed, indicating a place called “mesomphalos” - “the navel of the Earth”. The idea of ​​Jerusalem as the center of the earth and the economy of salvation has been known since ancient times (Ps 73:12), but this building appeared in the temple no earlier than a year ago. The dome contains a mosaic image of Christ the Pantocrator blessing him, surrounded by the Mother of God, St. John the Baptist, Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and 12 saints. Between the 8 windows of the drum, in the niches, there are images of seraphim and cherubim. The mosaic work in the dome of the catholicon was completed in the year.

The Catholicon is cathedral Patriarchate of Jerusalem, why there are 2 throne seats in its eastern part - the thrones of the Patriarch of Jerusalem at the southern pillar and his representative, the Metropolitan of Petro-Arabia, at the northern one. Above the iconostasis is a gallery with 3 pulpits (small balconies) protruding into the church, from where, according to the ancient Byzantine rule, the deacon should read the Gospel. The entire eastern part of the catholicon, including the iconostasis, the solea with 4 steps, 6 columns on it, the northern and southern entrances to the altar, is a single ensemble of pink marble.

Katholikon Galleries

The catholicon, like the rotunda, is surrounded by spacious galleries that house several chapels.

In the northern gallery of the temple there is a place called Arcade Virgo: huge 4-sided pillars bearing high vaults, interspersed with columns, between which stands out a white marble fragment of the building of Emperor Hadrian. It is assumed that of the 7 columns, the 4 central ones belong to the Triporticus of Constantine.

At the eastern end of the gallery there is an Orthodox chapel, indicated on ancient plans as Chapel of the Ouse or Prison of Christ, first mentioned in sources at this place no earlier than a century. This is not an archaeological reconstruction, but an architecturally designed “liturgical model” of the original Prison of Christ. Before entering it, under the throne, there is a stone slab with 2 holes for the feet, where the condemned were put, made by analogy with the shackled stone bench in Pretoria. The Greeks usually call this room the Chapel of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women, and Russian pilgrims have recently called it the Chapel of the Weeping Mother of God, after the 19th-century icon of Our Lady of Tenderness located in it, which has been revered as miraculous ever since. The original purpose of this room is unknown; presumably at the time of the Crucifixion there was an ancient Jewish tomb here; according to another version, the holy myrrh-bearing women came here to the abandoned cave.

At the outpatient clinic, behind altar apse Catholicon, there are 3 more chapels. The first, Orthodox, is dedicated to Saint Longinus the Centurion. On its marble balustrade is inscribed a verse from the Gospel: “ The centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him, seeing the earthquake and everything that happened, were greatly afraid and said: Truly this was the Son of God."(Matthew 27:54).

The next aisle located in the gallery belongs to Armenian Church and dedicated to the Division of Robes (John 19:23-24); according to legend, it was at this place that the legionnaires who crucified Christ divided His clothes (at the same time, there is a Roman Catholic throne of the same dedication on Golgotha).

Near the stairs leading down to the Church of St. Helena, there is a chapel of the Crown of Thorns. In the center of the chapel, under the altar, under glass there is a fragment of a thick, round column of gray marble, called the Column of Reproach. According to legend, the Savior sat on this column, no more than 30 cm high, at the moment of His crowning with thorns (Matthew 27:29). According to the testimony of Russian pilgrims of the mid-19th century, a part of the crown of thorns was preserved right there “in the wall behind glass and behind bars.”

Underground temples

Underground Church of St. Helena now belongs to the Armenians, who acquired it, according to one version, from the Georgian Orthodox community, according to another - from the Ethiopians. The temple has 2 altars: the northern altar is dedicated to the Prudent Thief; the main, central one - to Queen Saint Helena and her contemporary Saint Gregory the Illuminator. According to Armenian legend, when Saint Gregory, after a long feat of prayer came to venerate the Holy Sepulcher, he was honored with the descent of the Holy Fire. The small cross-domed temple (20x13 m) was originally the crypt of the basilica of Emperor Constantine. The dome in the center is supported by 4 ancient monolithic columns; the vaults were erected no earlier than the 12th century. The plane of the floor between the columns is covered with mosaics with scenes from the history of Armenia. A special niche and stone seat mark the place in the temple behind the altar dedicated to Saint Helena, where the queen sat during the excavations. There are 3 unquenchable lamps burning in the window.

The Church of St. Helena is connected by 13 steps to the Roman Catholic Church Church of the Finding of the Cross, located at the lowest point of all temple complex. Behind the stone throne stands on a high pedestal a large bronze statue of St. Helena with the Cross she found in her hands, donated by the Austrian Archduke Maximilian. In the right corner of the aisle, under a low hanging rock, lies a small marble slab with a white 8-pointed Orthodox cross on a black background, indicating the location where it was discovered Honest Tree. The Cave of the Finding, according to A. A. Dmitrievsky at the beginning of the century, “ is now almost the undivided property of Catholics, but back in the city the Greek throne stood here". On the Feast of the Exaltation Orthodox clergy led by the patriarch, a solemn litany called the parousia was performed: the procession of the cross left the southern doors of the catholicon and passed through the outpatient clinic to the stairs of the Temple of Helen. Then the procession descended into the Cave of the Finding, where the troparion of the holiday was performed and the Patriarch performed the rite of the Exaltation of the Cross in 4 places - at the ends of the imaginary Cross. Then religious procession headed to the Edicule and, having walked around it three times, ascended to Golgotha, where the rite of the Exaltation of the Cross was repeated.

To the left of the Orthodox slab at the site of the Finding of the Cross, from a hole in the wall one can hear, according to the pilgrims, “a hellish buzzing.” " In essence, this phenomenon occurs because opposite this excavation there is a huge, now empty cistern under the temple.". In the year, with the blessing of the Armenian Patriarch, the space to the northeast of the apse of the Church of St. Helena was explored. We discovered a room to which access had been closed since ancient times. This newly acquired part of the temple was named Chapel of St. Vardan the General or Armenian warrior-martyrs with a passage from St. Helen's Church. In the center of the chapel there is an altar with a khachkar in the name of 1036 Armenian martyrs who died during the Armenian-Persian war in the year.

Calvary

The most important place of worship in the entire Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the Church of Golgotha, which contains the site of Christ's crucifixion. Golgotha ​​acquired its modern architectural appearance as a result of the renovation of the temple in the year. At the holy place of the Crucifixion there is only the rock itself, which builders and restorers of different eras truncated, leveled, and hewn; today its dimensions are 4.5x11.5x9.25 m. There are 2 staircases leading to the rock: the right one starts immediately from the doors of the temple (“Latin rise” leads to the Roman Catholic side chapel), the left one - from the side of the catholicon (“Greek rise” leads to main Orthodox chapel). 2 naves, separated by squat massive pillars with an arch between them, form the Orthodox and Catholic side chapels of Calvary, which in Byzantine times they formed a single temple.

Orthodox throne, one meter high, made of pink marble; under the throne there is a hole into which the Crucifixion was placed. The surface of the rock is hidden by a marble floor; only to the right and left of the throne in the glazed openings can one see the gray stone of Golgotha ​​itself and the crack that passed through the entire rock as a result of the earthquake at the time of the Savior’s death (Matt. 27:51).

South aisle of Calvary Church - Nailing to the Cross- belongs to the Roman Catholic Franciscans. He acquired modern look as a result of restoration in the late 1930s according to the project of A. Barluzzi, after the earthquake of the year. From the mosaics of the Crusader period, only a fragment of the composition “Ascension of Christ” on the vault of the central arch has survived. The silver altar (master D. Portigiani from the monastery of San Marco in Florence) was donated to the temple in the year by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando de' Medici. It is believed that the altar was placed on the spot where the hands and feet of the Savior were nailed to the Cross. It was originally intended for the Stone of Anointing, which explains its elongated shape, but due to friction between denominations, the Franciscans were forced to place it in the chapel of the Church of Calvary.

Under the arch separating the Roman Catholic part of Golgotha ​​from the Orthodox, there is Roman Catholic altar "Stabat Mater"(according to the first words of the prayer of the 14th century Italian Franciscan poet Jacopone da Todi). Behind the throne is a sculpture of the Blessed Virgin with a sword in her chest in accordance with the prediction of Simeon the God-Receiver (Luke 2:35) (the sculpture was donated by the Portuguese Queen Maria I of Braganza and brought to Jerusalem from Lisbon in).

Located under the Rock of the Crucifixion aisle of Adam's head, otherwise known as the chapel of Melchizedek, who, according to legend, buried the head of the progenitor of the human race here. From here you can see a chasm in Golgotha ​​about 15 cm wide.

From this aisle the door on the right leads to office-cell of the epitrope of the temple(former chapel of St. John the Baptist), from where you can go to Orthodox sacristy, where a cross-reliquary with a particle of the Life-Giving Tree and many particles of the relics of saints are kept.

Yard and its buildings

The territory of the square in front of the entrance to the temple almost entirely belongs to the Jerusalem Patriarchate. In the left corner of the yard rises

: Mf. , Mk. , OK. , In. . According to their story, it belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, was located in a garden not far from Golgotha ​​and was new, that is, no one had yet been buried in it.

This place is mentioned in the following gospel episodes:

• The authorities placed a guard at the coffin out of fear that the disciples would steal the body;
• Appearance of an angel to the myrrh-bearing women;
• “Touch Me Not” - the first appearance of the risen Jesus Christ (to Mary Magdalene).

History of the opening of the Holy Sepulcher

The search for the cave in which the body of Jesus was buried was undertaken in the 4th century at the direction of Emperor Constantine. In 326, his mother Empress Helena arrived in Jerusalem for the purpose of pilgrimage and search for Christian relics: “ ...divine Constantine sent blessed Helen with treasures to find the life-giving cross of the Lord» .

Eusebius of Caesarea was the first church historian to report the opening of the Holy Sepulcher in his work “ Life of Constantine" He reports that a pagan temple was built by the Romans on the site of the cave where Jesus was buried:

Some atheists and wicked men intended to hide this saving cave from the eyes of people, with the insane intention of hiding the truth through this. Having used a lot of labor, they brought earth from somewhere and filled the whole place with it. Then, raising the embankment to a certain height, they paved it with stone, and under this high embankment they hid the divine cave. Having completed such work, they only had to prepare a strange, truly tomb of souls on the surface of the earth, and they built a gloomy dwelling for dead idols, a hiding place of the demon of voluptuousness Aphrodite, where they brought hateful sacrifices on unclean and vile altars .

Eusebius of Caesarea, " Life of Constantine" III, 36

By order of Constantine, the embankment of the temple was torn down and “suddenly in the depths of the earth, beyond all hope, an empty space appeared, and then the Honest and All-Holy Sign of the saving Resurrection. Then the most sacred cave became for us the image of the Savior returning to life.” .

Research 2016

In 2016, Kuvuklia hosted restoration work, during which on October 27, the marble slab covering it was removed from the Lodge for the first time since the 16th century and the original surface of the stone on which the body of Christ is believed to have rested for three days was examined. Under the removed marble slab they discovered a second slab with an image of a cross, which, according to scientists, was placed during the time of the Crusaders. Under the second slab, a Lodge was discovered, which, according to archaeologists, remained intact.

Icons, lamps and decoration

Catholic bas-relief (left) and orthodox icon(right) above the Holy Sepulcher

Lamps over the Holy Sepulcher

Everything inside is decorated with white and yellow-pink marble, except for a small section of natural rock in the entrance arch. Around the perimeter of the Lodge, at a height of approximately 30 cm from it, there is a small marble cornice. On the northern wall above the cornice is an Orthodox icon of the Resurrection of Christ with the Angels approaching. The image is partially hidden by a gilded frame and, in addition, the angels on it are obscured by two icons standing on the cornice. On the left is a Catholic bas-relief image, on the right is a picturesque Armenian image of the Resurrection, as a sign that they have the right to serve at the Holy Sepulchre. On the cornice, in addition, there are candlesticks with candles from different Christian denominations, as well as vases with fresh flowers, which change every day. On the western wall, opposite the entrance, hangs an Orthodox icon of the Mother of God, behind which there is a niche.

On the walls around the entire room is carved in Greek the troparion of St. John of Damascus: “Like the life-bearer, like the reddest of Paradise, truly the brightest of every royal palace, Christ, Thy tomb, the source of our resurrection” .

Above the funeral Bed, at a height slightly higher than human height, 43 silver lamps are hung in rows, thirteen of which belong to the Orthodox, another thirteen to the Catholics, thirteen to the Armenians and four to the Copts. IN weekdays Only a few of them are lit, and all the lamps are lit only on major holidays. There is a hole in the ceiling for ventilation.

First description in Russian

- “The Life and Walk of Abbot Daniel from the Russian Land”.

Angel's Chapel

Angel Chapel, pilgrims at the entrance to the Holy Sepulchre. In the foreground is a pedestal with a sacred stone

According to legend, the Archangel Gabriel announced the Resurrection of Christ to the myrrh-bearers. It is his name that is inscribed on the white marble bas-relief that adorns the entrance from the Angel's chapel to the Holy Sepulchre. To the left of the entrance, the bas-relief depicts small figures of myrrh-bearing women, and to the right is the figure of an Angel stretching out his hand to them. Between them above the entrance along the marble folds there is an inscription in Greek “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He has risen" .

In the northern and southern walls of the aisle there are two oval holes with a diameter of approximately 30-40 cm. They are used on Holy Saturday to transmit the Holy Fire from the chapel to the outside. Through the northern hole, the Patriarch supplies fire to the Orthodox, and through the southern opening, the Armenian Archimandrite gives fire to the Armenians. There are 15 lamps suspended under the ceiling of the aisle.

Stone rolled away from the door of the Tomb

Pedestal with part of the sacred stone

According to the Gospel this stone was "very large"(Mk.), but only fragments of it have survived to this day, because it was split into pieces during the last capture of the Temple by Muslims in 1244. In addition, later, according to the 16th-century Russian merchant-traveler Trifon Korobeinikov, pilgrims “that stone was taken for blessing on the relics”, that is, they simply carried it away piece by piece. Today, one of the parts of this sacred stone is kept under glass in a special marble pedestal in the center of the Angel's chapel. This pedestal also serves as a place for installing a portable holy throne during the celebration of the bishop's Orthodox liturgy. Another surviving part of the stone is placed in the throne of the Church of the Savior of the Armenian Zion Monastery, which, according to legend, stands on the site of the house of the high priest Caiaphas, outside the walls of the Old City, to the right of the Zion Gate.

Edicule

Edicule, modern view

Story

The first Edicule was built under Emperor Constantine the Great in -335 and was completely destroyed by Muslims in 1009. The Edicule was rebuilt for the second time in -1048 by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomakh, then in the 12th century it was renewed by the Crusaders. In 1555, the Edicule was rebuilt by the Franciscan Boniface of Ragusa, and it stood until 1808, when it was destroyed by a devastating fire. The existing Edicule was restored in -1810 according to the design of the Greek architect Nikolai Komin (Greek. Κομιανός , 1770-1821) from Mytilene. It was subsequently damaged in the 1927 earthquake and was reinforced from the outside on the sides with steel beams and ties. In 2016-2017, archaeological research and restoration of the Edicule were carried out, after which the external reinforcing structures were removed.

Coptic chapel

Altar in the Coptic aisle

Coptic chapel (also Head of the Grave) - a small chapel attached to the Edicule from the west, on the side where the Head of Christ was facing.

The altar first appeared here in -1048 years, when the Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomachos restored the temple after its destruction by Al-Hakim. Later, the crusaders preserved this altar, made a wooden canopy over it and called it Head of the Grave. Subsequently it was in the hands of the Franciscans and then passed to the Coptic Church, which owns this chapel from -1540. Today, this chapel is the only Coptic possession in the temple. As a rule, the chapel is always open and a Coptic monk is on duty nearby.

Divine service at the Holy Sepulcher

Catholic throne installed on the Holy Sepulcher for the celebration of the liturgy

The Holy Sepulcher is the main altar of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. Regular Christian services at the Holy Sepulcher began in 335 at the latest and continue to the present day. There is a known break in worship from 1009 to 1020, after the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher by Al-Hakim.

Today, only Orthodox, Armenians and Catholics have the right to alternately serve here, since it is these faiths that jointly own the Holy Sepulcher. Three liturgies are celebrated daily at the Holy Sepulcher. The Orthodox celebrate the liturgy first, at midnight; they have the right to serve from 11 pm to 3 am. Armenians serve the liturgy behind the Greeks, from 3 to 6 am. Catholic liturgy takes place from 6 to 9 am.

Features of worship

The Catholic solemn mass is celebrated on an altar set in front of the Edicule

On ordinary days, Orthodox Christians perform the liturgy directly on the top slab of the Tomb, the surface of which serves as a throne, and its left side altar. In this case, the priest performs the entire liturgy on his knees, standing only for censing, at the Small and Great Entrances, for reading the Gospel and for carrying out the Holy Gifts. The Small and Great Entrances take place around the entire Edicule, and the Gospel is read on the sacred stone in the chapel of the Angel. On solemn occasions, during the performance of the bishop's Orthodox liturgy, the throne is placed in the chapel of the Angel, securing it on a pedestal with a sacred stone, in this case the Holy Sepulcher serves as an altar. The bishop's liturgy is served three to four times a week, during these services the Temple is open to worshipers; on the remaining days of the week, the liturgy is served by the priestly rite; these are closed services and only members of the Holy Sepulchre brotherhood can attend them.

During the celebration of the Liturgy, Armenians are obliged to bring and place on the Holy Bed a special wooden board. Catholics place a special table on the tombstone for the liturgy, and sometimes, when celebrating a solemn mass, the altar is placed directly in front of the entrance to the Edicule. Catholics have an organ in their church and constantly use it in worship.

Access to the Holy Sepulcher

Entrance to Edicule

The Holy Sepulcher is accessible to any pilgrim or visitor during those hours when the temple is open and no service is performed directly at the Sepulcher. An Orthodox Greek monk is constantly on duty at the Holy Sepulcher. When there are many people willing, the monk urges the pilgrims to come. There is an established Orthodox custom worship of the Holy Sepulcher, according to which one must first pray in the chapel of the Angel and venerate part of the stone rolled away by the Angel. Then, having kissed the low entrance and reading to yourself the prayer: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ...”, slowly and reverently enter the Life-Giving Tomb. Upon entering, light the candles, then kneel and pray. You can place the icons, crosses and medallions you brought with you on the Bed for consecration. Many try to touch with their lips and forehead the head, western, part of the Lodge farthest from the entrance. It is customary to go back, walking backwards, so as not to turn your back to the Sepulchre.

The fight for the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher

Gallery

See also

Notes

1. Feofan, Chronography, year 5817 (Alexandrian era) (/ AD)

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, under its domes, six Christian denominations protect the holy places where Jesus was crucified and then resurrected.

The Armenian, Syriac, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Coptic and Ethiopian churches shared the Temple chapels and prayer hours. The Edicule, the site of the annual descent of the Holy Fire, is in common use. Orthodox, Armenians and Catholics alternately serve the liturgy at the Holy Sepulchre.

So, you are in the square in front of the Temple.

Behind you will be the Gethsemane courtyard (metoch) and the minaret of the Omar Mosque.

To the right of the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the Chapel of the Franks. Once upon a time this was a separate entrance to Golgotha.

Below it you will see an inconspicuous door to the chapel of Mary of Egypt.

To the right is the door to the Armenian chapel of the Apostle John.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher on video

The temple includes three main parts: the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher, the Church of the Resurrection and the Church of Calvary.

In order to avoid discord between faiths, according to tradition, the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher are kept in the Muslim family, and only one person, a representative of another, has the right to use these keys - to close and open the Temple Muslim family. This right has been inherited in families from generation to generation for nine centuries.

It must be said that the struggle between faiths for influence and control over Christian shrines Jerusalem and in particular those located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Israel continued for centuries. The matter was not limited to denunciations and reproaches, but sometimes it even came to a fight between the monks.

During the Ottoman rule, in order to prevent bloodshed and even the destruction of the temple, the government and the Pasha personally had to constantly intervene and regulate relations between faiths. Pasha decrees of 1604, 1637, 1757 and 1852 are known. The last two decrees are a set of rules and divisions of rights and are called the Status Quo of the Holy Land. These rules are still followed today.

You will immediately remember the differences between confessions as soon as you approach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is eloquently reminiscent of ladder, standing on the facade of the second floor and leaning against the right window.

The fact that it stands there has long been evidenced by an engraving by Edward Finden from 1834. It remains in the same place to this day. Today this ordinary staircase is a symbol of compliance with the Status Quo - nothing in the Temple can be changed, moved or repaired without the consent of all six faiths.

How did it get there and for what purpose was it used? Most likely, monks who did not want to pay the Turkish guards located inside at the entrance made their way into the Temple along it. On the diagram of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this place is indicated №4 – a sofa of the Turkish guard standing to the left of the entrance.

You will also see the second reminder of the strife between faiths before you enter. This is the Column of the Holy Fire located to the left of the entrance to the Temple. According to legend, in 1579, the Armenians bribed the Ottomans and they locked the Temple on Easter, in Holy Saturday April 6th.

The Orthodox were standing at a loss at the locked entrance when a cloud flew in and lightning struck this column. The Holy Fire descended this time too.

Seeing the burning column, one of the shocked Turkish guards standing above jumped down to the Christians with shouts of praise. Christian faith. After the jump, the soles of his feet sank into the marble slab as if into wax. His traces in front of the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem can still be seen today.

The first church on the site of Christ's crucifixion was built by St. Queen Helena. Then the Temple was repeatedly destroyed and restored in the form of separate chapels. The Temple united the places of execution and resurrection of Christ under one roof in 1147.

Survived an earthquake in 1545 and a fire in 1808.

Plan - diagram of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

1 Square in front of the Temple. 2 Place where Holy Virgin and St. John stood during the crucifixion. 3 Church entrance door. 4 Divan of the Turkish Guard. 5 The place where the three Marys stood. 6 Tomb of Joseph of Arithame. 7 Coptic chapel. 8 Tomb of the Savior. 9 Angel's Chapel. 10 Altar of Apparition Holy Mother of God. 11 The place where Mary Magdalene stood. 12 The place where Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene. 13 The cave where Jesus awaited execution. 14 Chapel of Longinus. 15 Chapel Division Riz. 16 Chapel of St. Helena. 17 Cave of the Finding of the Cross. 18 The place where Saint Helen prayed. 19 The Navel of the Earth. 20 Stone of Confirmation. 21 Entrance to the Adam's Chapel. 22 The place where the cross stood. 23 Golgotha. 24 Altar of Stabat Mater, the place where Our Lady stood at the crucifixion. 25 The place where Jesus was nailed to the Cross.

As mentioned in the Via Dolorosa article, the last five stops Way of the Cross Jesus are located under the arches of the Temple.

Tenth stop marked by the Chapel of Disclosure, chapel of the Division of Reese. The guards, having brought Jesus, cast lots and divided his clothes among themselves. The Armenian church conducts services in the chapel.

Eleventh stop. This is where Jesus was nailed to the cross. At this place there is an altar, above it is depicted what happened here. On the plan №25 .

Twelfth stop. The death of Jesus on the cross. The silver disc under the altar marks the place where the cross stood and where Jesus died.

Calvary

At Golgotha ​​you will see a Catholic and Orthodox chapel, under the altar of which there is a hole in the ground. There was a cross here. Through the hole marked with a silver circle you can touch Golgotha ​​with your palm.

The two black circles are the places where the crosses of the thieves who were executed along with Jesus stood.

To Mount Golgotha ​​( №23 ) there are steps on the right after entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

According to legend, he was buried under this mountain Adam, the same progenitor of the human race, who lost immortality and was expelled from Paradise due to the Fall and passed on sinfulness to his descendants, that is, to the entire human race.

Mount Golgotha ​​received its name from the Aramaic Galgolet - Skull Mountain.

Some icons depict Jesus crucified on the cross, and under the cross is the skull of Adam.

As you know, Jesus was crucified on Friday and died on the same day. To make sure that Christ is dead, Longinus pierces his body with a spear. At this moment, an earthquake begins and Golgotha ​​splits apart. The rain that begins washes away the blood from the body of the crucified man, and this blood, together with the water, rushes through the crevice into the depths of the hole. The blood of Jesus washes over Adam's skull, washing away the original sins of all mankind.

Directly below Mount Golgotha, under the place where the cross stood, there is the Adam Chapel ( №21 on the diagram). The crevice formed during the earthquake and through which the blood of Jesus leaked along with rainwater and washed Adam’s skull has been preserved. You will see it on the wall covered with glass. In nearby Greco - Orthodox Church a part of the cross on which Jesus died in agony is kept.

In the Adam Chapel, a crack in the rock caused by an earthquake is covered with glass.

Longinus, the Roman soldier who struck the crucified Jesus in the ribs with a spear, subsequently preached the teachings of Christ and was killed by order of Pilate. The chapel of St. Longinus is indicated on the plan №14 .

Thirteenth stop marked by a Latin altar. Descent from the Cross.

The Altar of the Standing of Our Lady at the Crucifixion of Jesus is located on Calvary, between the Catholic and Orthodox thrones.

This place is indicated on the map - diagram №24 – above the statue of the grieving Virgin Mary it is written “Stabat Mater dolorosa” - the grieving Mother stood.

"... and a weapon will pierce your own soul..." From the prophecy of Semeon the Receiver of God (Luke 2.35)

Stone of Confirmation

Here Joseph and Nicodemus took the body down from the cross and laid it on Stone of Confirmation (№20 ), anointed him with myrrh and aloes, and wrapped him in a shroud.

Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned by all four Evangelists. They mention him as rich, but kind person, who accepted the faith of Jesus and, after his execution, begged Pilate to give him the body of Christ.

Tomb of Joseph of Arifomea

Burial place of Joseph of Arimathea ( №6 on the plan of the Temple) is located in the western part of the Temple. The entrance to the chapel is opposite the Coptic chapel, with reverse side from the entrance to Edicule. In a small room there is an altar that was badly damaged during the fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in 1808. To the right of the altar there is an entrance to a small cave. This is the burial place of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

Fourteenth stop. Position in the coffin. At this place, Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of Jesus in a new coffin carved into the rock that belonged to him, and rolled a stone to the entrance.

Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Stands above the Holy Sepulcher Edicule, a marble chapel in which the Holy Fire is lit on Holy Saturday. It consists of two parts - the Angel's chapel ( №9 on the plan) and the Cave of the Holy Sepulcher ( №8 ).

The Holy Sepulcher was exposed to earthquakes and fire. Therefore, the Edicule is reinforced on the outside with a metal structure.

The carved canopy with images of the Apostles above the entrance to the Edicule required restoration by the end of the last century. Greek craftsmen took up the work, but they were unable to reproduce the original in detail. After which the canopy was made in 2005 by Russian artists in Rostov.

Coptic chapel ( №7 ) it is no coincidence that it is located on the reverse side of the Edicule, where only a wall separates it from the Holy Sepulcher. It is believed that after the reconstruction of the Edicule, it was in this part that it decreased in size and now the chapel of the Copts is located exactly where the head of Jesus was after burial.

Finding the Cross

In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the chapel of the Finding of the Cross ( №17 on the plan) there is a marble slab marking the place where the cross was found.

As legend says, the cross on which Christ was crucified was found by St. Queen Helena in 326. The search led her to Golgotha, where there was a regular landfill nearby. Here the queen sat and threw coins into the dump to increase the zeal of the workers for the excavations. Three crosses with nails and a wooden sign with the inscription were found at this place INRI(Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews). As you know, robbers were crucified on two of the three crosses. Wanting to find out which cross belonged to Jesus, they began to apply them one by one to the deceased person. When touched by the cross on which Jesus was crucified, the man came to life.

Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, did a lot for the development of Christianity. She organized excavations, which resulted in the discovery Life-giving Cross and the Holy Sepulcher. She built the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, where the Holy Fire descends, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the temple on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended to Heaven. Queen Helena was canonized as Equal-to-the-Apostles.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulcher there is a chapel of St. Helena. ( №16 )

Church of the Resurrection of Christ- one of the three most important parts of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Navel of the Earth

In its center, directly opposite the entrance to the Edicule, stands a modest stone vase called “ Navel of the Earth