Jerusalem has been a primary destination for Christian pilgrims for almost 2000 years. Few cities played such a major role in the life of Jesus, and no other city contains as many significant Christian sites.

Foremost among these revered sites is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher—the central shrine of Christendom. Located within this church are Calvary, the sight of the Crucifixion; the Stone of Unction (John 19:38-40), where Jesus’ body was anointed before burial; and the monument built around the tomb where Jesus was buried (John 19:41-42). During the lifetime of Jesus, this site was probably a disused quarry outside the city walls. After the expansion of the walls in 41-43 AD, the area came within the boundaries of Jerusalem proper, and the early Christian community held liturgical celebrations on the site of the church until 66 AD. Because of this early tradition, Constantine chose this site to build the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The building was destroyed several times by earthquake and fire and more than once fell to marauding conquerors. Th church is now under the shared patronage of the Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox Catholics, Armenian Orthodox Catholics, Ethiopian Orthodox Catholics, and Coptic Catholics.

Leading up to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the "Street of Sorrows", known today as the Via Dolorosa. On this street are memorials of fourteen different events (Stations of the Cross) that happened during the Passion of Jesus and his long walk to Golgotha. The street begins near the Ecce Homo Arch at St. Stephen’s Gate, proceeds east on David Street, north by the triple souk, and then west up to the top of Golgotha Hill (Matthew 27:33). The stations are marked and pilgrims are frequently seen praying along the way.

Another significant site in Jerusalem is the Citadel, built by Herod the Great in the 1^st century BC. The Romans used the fortress as an official residence for the Procurator and as the court of the city. This is the place where Pontius Pilate judged Jesus (John 18:28-19).

St. Anne’s church, near the Sheep Pool of Bethesda, is a site long known for its miraculous medicinal baths. According to John (5:2-9), this is where Jesus cured the man who had been sick for 38 years. The Byzantines built the first church on this site in the 5^th century AD because they believed that the Virgin Mary and her parents, Joachim and Anne, had lived here several hundred years before.

The Western Wall, built by Herod the Great in 20 BC, is part of the wall that once surrounded the second temple. What is visible today is all that is left of that great building. Jesus, like all devout Jews, would have gone to this temple often when he was in Jerusalem, and it was from this temple that he cast out the merchants and the money changers (Matthew 21:12-13).

Just outside the city walls is Mount Zion. Here, in the shadow of the Church of the Dormition, is the Cenecle—thought to be the place where the apostles received the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ Ascension. Nearby is the Church of St. Peter’s of the Cock, on the site thought to have been the house of high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was taken after his arrest (Mark 14:53). Here Peter denied Jesus three times, and then wept when he realized what he had done (Mark 14:66-72). Some believe that the Last Supper may have been here as well, but there is no evidence to support this claim.

The Field of Blood (or Bloody Acre) is traditionally located in the Hinnon Valley, just outside the city walls. Now the site of a monastery, the field became a burial place for strangers after the chief priests bought the land with Judas’ thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:7-10). According to Luke (Acts 1:18-19), this is the place where Judas hanged himself after he betrayed Jesus.