I have been to the Holy Land twice, in 2017 and once earlier.
The first was magical as I recall we rushed to enter the wailing wall compound before security closed the area for Jewish Sabbath.
The second was equally memorable as we recalled and retraced our steps.
Each trip we grew from spiritual strength to spiritual strength.
Words cannot adequately describe one’s feelings walking the same path as the Lord Jesus and seeing in person the sights we read in the four Gospels.
One of the most beautiful sights as I descend the gently sloping road from the Mount of Olives down to The Garden of Gethsemane is the Russian Convent, also known as the “Gorny Convent”.
Sadly, we have yet to visit this beautiful convent. It is in an isolated area away from the main sights.
The convent is a Russian Orthodox monastery located in Ein Kerem, a neighborhood in Jerusalem.
The convent was founded in the late 19th century by Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, a member of the Russian royal family, and her husband, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.
The structure with the 5 “onion style” domes started construction in 1905 and was completed only in 2005.
Later, its domes were painted in gold. That is why the picture here from the book Churches and Monasteries in the Holy Land by David Rapp shows the domes in grey.
Lwh @ Easter
20 April 2025.