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Gethsemane is the olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed on the night of his arrest.
Gethsemane sits at the base of the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley from the Old City walls. The name means oil press, and for centuries this hillside fed the presses of Jerusalem. A handful of the olive trees here are among the oldest living olive trees known, their trunks gnarled and split by time.
The Church of All Nations stands beside the garden today, built over the rock where tradition says Jesus prayed. Its dark interior and deep blue ceiling were designed to hold the mood of that night.
Here Jesus prayed in agony before his arrest, asking that the cup pass from him, yet surrendering to the Father's will.
The Gospels place the agony in the garden here, the hours of prayer before the arrest. "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." (Matthew 26:39) Standing among these ancient trees, that scene stops being a page and becomes a place.
Many pilgrims describe Gethsemane as the most quietly powerful stop of the whole journey. It rewards stillness. A few minutes of silence here often says more than any words.
At the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, beside the Church of All Nations, just across the Kidron Valley from the Old City.
Yes, from the edges of the garden. The oldest trees are protected, so the grove is viewed rather than entered.
Morning, before the buses arrive and while the light is soft. Your guide plans for this and builds in reflection time.
Holy Sites
Tell us which sites you hope to see and we will shape a journey around them.
