Israeli wall severs ancient pilgrimage route
Israeli wall severs ancient pilgrimage route that follows Jesus'
footsteps
to Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Apr. 18, 2006 (CNA) - An ancient pilgrimage route that
follows in
Jesus' footsteps, from the place where he raised Lazarus from the dead
to
Jerusalem, is about to be severed by the construction of Israel's 30-ft
wall, reported the U.K Telegraph.
According to the British newspaper, the cutting of the two-mile path,
from
Bethany over the Mount of Olives and down past the Garden of Gethsemane
into
the Old City, will end a 1,600-year tradition begun by early Christian
pilgrims.
The wall stands above the site revered as the place where Jesus
performed
the miracle of Lazarus a few days before his crucifixion. The Gospel of
John
describes how the miracle led many Jews to walk from Jerusalem to see
what
had happened. Exactly the same route was used by 4th-century
Christians, who
traveled in large numbers to Bethany, located east of Jerusalem, for a
service on the second Sunday before Easter.
Archaeological evidence also shows that Bethany was a thriving Jewish
town
in Jesus' time, reported the Telegraph. The remains of ancient homes
with
ceremonial Jewish bathing cisterns were found near Bethany when the
wall was
being erected, and the route of the wall was diverted to protect the
Jewish
artifacts.
But today, Bethany is a Palestinian town, outside the wall, with a
large
Arab population. The wall has made life extremely difficult for
thousands of
Bethany residents who used to commute into Jerusalem for work.
Furthermore,
the local economy has suffered. The short drive from Jerusalem to
Lazarus's
tomb now requires pilgrims to make a one- hour detour. Consequently,
the
thousands of pilgrims who used to come monthly have trickled to a few
hundred
Israel is increasingly referring to the wall as the country's new
eastern
border. When the border is formalized, pilgrims will have to cross an
international frontier.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague has declared the wall
illegal, saying that it is being built on occupied land, but Israel
continues to argue that it is a necessary defense against suicide
bombers.