{N}MOUNT ZION{/}

{C}For the Lord has chosen Zion,
he has desired it for his dwelling{/} [Ps_132,13].
In the beginning Zion was none other than the{N} Ofel{/} a promontory 
situated between the valley of the Kidron and the valley of {N}Tiropeon{/}, 
above which Jerusalem towers. It is the city that David overpowered in 
order to convert it into his capital. Only after the second century of 
our era will the texts attribute the name of Zion to the very vast and 
highest hill that rises to the west of the {N}Tiropeon{/}. By extending 
Jerusalem to the west of the Tiropeon valley, the ambiguity is produced 
with the word "Zion", with which many of the prophetic texts and the 
psalms designated the old city of David, also called {N}Ofel{/}. The 
confusion and the forgetfulness of the time in which the development of 
the city towards the west is produced, were the origin of some new 
localizations: that was what occurred with respect to David's tomb.
{K}DAVID'S TOMB{/}

David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. This 
text from the first book of Kings [2K_2,10] leaves no doubt, David was 
buried over the Ofel and not on the western hill. However, at the time of 
the crusades, among the Muslims the belief was spread according to which 
the western hillside held the tomb of David, worshipped by Islam as one 
of the prophets, "servant of Allah, endowed with power, a man of 
forgiveness, sent by God to earth (Koran 38,17 and 26). With the passage 
of time the erroneous placement of the tomb on the western hill ended up 
by imposing itself.
{K}THE CENACLE{/}

The new budding Church situated on this hill the place of the {N}Cenacle{/} 
where Jesus instituted the Eucharist. Also in this place, the {N}risen{/} 
Jesus revealed himself to his disciples. And in this same place the 
"Sign" of Pentecost occurred; finally it was here where the first Church 
gathered. Besides, according to christian tradition, Mary, the mother of 
Jesus would have established her home on Mount Zion after the passage of 
her son from this world to the Father. And in the same place she would 
have rested before sharing, by her Assumption, in the resurrection of the 
Lord.
All of this seems to indicate that one of the first churches in the Holy 
Land, even more, possibly the first of all the churches, had been 
established in this place. The destruction produced by the two attacks 
which culminated with the fall of Jerusalem (in 70 and 135 A.D.), left 
the area in such a state that it must have been very difficult to find 
the exact situation of the house and room on the upper floor, where the 
events told in the New Testament took place. For this reason, surely, it 
was necessary to accept an approximate location.
Saint Epiphany informs us that in the year 135, when the emperor Adrian 
took over Jerusalem, "the Christians still possessed the small church in 
the place of the Cenacle where the apostles gathered together after the 
ascension of the Savior."
One could think that the first memory linked to this place would be the 
institution of the Eucharist. However, it was the miracle of Pentecost 
that was venerated there from the beginning, while the celebration of the 
Last Supper was celebrated in Gethsemane. But since the term {C}Cenacle{/} 
comes from a latin word that means "eating room" or room destined to 
supper, from very early times, the tradition saw in this room the place 
chosen by Jesus to have his last supper, the Supper, with the small 
community of the Twelve; the ritual supper which is rooted in the ancient 
Passover and the memorial of his death and resurrection.
{K}CAIAPHAS' HOUSE{/}

Where should one look for the house of Caiaphas? And the house of Annas? 
Here there are two questions, which are practically impossible to respond 
to with certainty, keeping in mind the actual state of our knowledge. If 
the place where the church of "Saint Peter" in Galicanto is found, which 
is on the hillside, has been considered as authentic during a time, it is 
likewise necessary to admit that the place does not correspond in any way 
to what the ancient texts say: Eusebius of Caesarea situates the house of 
Caiaphas at the top of Mount Zion. 
It is for this reason that the localization proposed by another 
tradition, between the Cenacle and the gate of Zion, must be more exact: 
precisely there remains of rich rooms from the herodian epoch have been 
found. In one of these rooms, it may be, they had gathered, around 
Caiaphas - the high priest that year - and his father in law Annas, with 
the members of the Sanhedrin who decided on the death of Jesus: {C}Then the 
chief priests and the Jewish authorities gathered together at the palace 
of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas, and they agreed to trap Jesus 
and kill him {/}

{K}- THE FORTRESS OF HEROD - THE PRETORIUM{/}

The citadel of Jerusalem, to the south of the gate of Jaffa, has been the 
object of important archeological excavations. This citadel was in its 
time the Pretorium of Pilate; there is where Jesus was condemned and from 
there he left to go towards Calvary.
{K}HEROD'S PALACE{/}

In a first time, Herod the Great ordered the building of the fortress 
Antonia to the northeast of the Temple. This had as its function to 
protect the accesses to the Temple. A wall, that Flavius Josephus called 
the "second wall", connected the Antonia on the western hillside with the 
actual fortress. In this strategic location, Herod had a second fortress 
erected, incorporating into the construction the fortifications that were 
found there. There is where he built three massive towers, which he 
called Fasael, Marianme, and Hipico, in honor of his brother, his 
favorite wife and his beloved best friend.
What we do know about the splendors of the palace of Herod - adjoining 
the fortress - we know only through the admiring descriptions of Flavius 
Josephus; it seems, it had taken on the aspect of a stronghold main 
square, protected by the three towers and by powerful walls. Herod lived, 
in effect, in constant distrust in front of his subjects, and the roman 
procurators, later, will adopt, with all rights, the same attitude.
After Augustus destituted Archelaus, Herod's son, the roman procurators 
appropriated the palace. They made it into their residence for when they 
went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem: from then on the old palace of Herod 
received the name of pretorium, as the gospels confirm as well as the 
profane texts from the epoch. Here Jesus will be led by the high priests 
to be condemned by Pilate.
{K}JESUS BEFORE PILATE{/}

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the court of the Roman 
governor. It was now morning. The Jews did not enter lest they be made 
unclean by coming into the house of a pagan and be unable to eat the 
Passover meal. So Pilate went out and asked, "What charge do you bring 
against this man?"  They answered, "If he were not a criminal, we would 
not be handing him over to you." Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and 
judge him according to your own law." But they replied, "We ourselves are 
not allowed to put anyone to death." It was clear from this what kind of 
death Jesus was to die, according to what Jesus himself had foretold 
[Jn_18,28] - [Jn_18,32].
Just to the south of the octagonal tower of the fortress, a group of 
walls are conserved crudely coupled together. This structure in the shape 
of a honeycomb, had as a function to contain the material of the 
embankment constructed in order to elevate the level of the interior 
patio, and on top of this the pavement rested. Therefore, here we can 
localize with sufficient certainty the scenes of the mockery and jeering 
that developed in the pretorium during the process of Jesus before 
Pilate. 
Close to forty years after Pilate condemned Jesus, Titus, who had just 
triumphed over Jerusalem, began the dismantling of the walls and of the 
fortress.
