The Garden Tomb

The Garden Tomb was the most peaceful place in all of Israel for Casey and I. We really loved it. The park was so beautiful and nice. It was an ancient garden with a huge underground chamber for water so beautiful plants could grow. Skull Hill was next to the garden which served as the ancient rock quarry for the Jews. Since the rock quarry was right outside of Damascus Gate which was the road to Damascus many people passed by. It was like a main highway into Jerusalem. The Jews would use the area around the quarry to stone people and the Romans used it for Crucifixion b/c it was visible to a high number of travelers and seeing someone on the cross would deter criminals.

Today the area hasn't changed much. It is one of the busiest areas of the old city and at the base of skull hill is a bus station. It was weird to see something so ancient and famous the back wall to a bus station. All the buses parked along the wall of the cliff type hill. Then, as I learned of this was the same in ancient times I realized wagons, camels, donkeys etc.. were merely replaced by buses. Somethings never change. Anciently it was a center for mingling travelers from distant lands to buy/sell good, or to set out on a journey, and toady it is about the same with markets and the transit station.

There are features in the face of the hill that caused it to be named skull hill. When Casey and I looked at it we were surprised to see the features of the skull in the side of the hill. The tomb was not far from the hill. It was carved out of a single rock and the chamber was on the ride-hand side. There was also a channel for a large rock to roll over the entrance. Although all the little facts were fun and interesting to see, the garden was centered on the memory of his resurrection. It was the only place in Jerusalem so focused on Christ and not on all the traditions, jewels, relics and material things. It was such a humble place. There was no magnificent church or denominations boasting ownership. A British foundation bought the land a very long time ago and has kept the garden beautiful meek and peaceful. I felt it was in the true spirit of Christ. He lived such a humble life and was buried in such a humble place. The son of a carpenter who bore the sins of the world yet didn't even have his own grave, as he was buried in a friends. It felt like the garden was more like the true depiction of what Christ would have wanted. All the signs, scriptures, and words posted throughout the garden were in remembrance of the fact that he had risen and lives. It was wonderful to be able to spend time away from the contention of Jerusalem and feel the peace and love of God in this peaceful garden.