Church Of The Holy Sepulchre

The Catholics and the Orthodox jointly maintain the sepulchre. Each one thinks the way they take care of things is the only way. What a shame!

Just inside the entrance is the Stone of Anointing, believed to be the spot where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial. To the left, or west, is the Rotunda of the Anastasis beneath the larger of the church’s two domes, in the center of which is the Educule of the Holy Sepulchre itself. Under the status quo the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic Churches all have rights to the interior of the tomb, and all three communities celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Mass there daily. It is also used for other ceremonies on special occasions, such as the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire celebrated by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. To its rear, within a chapel constructed of iron latticework upon a stone base semicircular in plan, lies the altar used by the Coptic Orthodox. Beyond that to the rear of the Rotunda is a very rough hewn chapel believed to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea in which the Syriac Orthodox celebrate their Liturgy on Sundays. To the right of the sepulchre on the southeastern side of the Rotunda is the Chapel of the Apparition which is reserved for Roman Catholic use.
       

The entrance to the church is through a single door in the south transept. The key to the entrance is held by the Muslim Nuseibeh family who were entrusted with guardianship by Saladin in 1192 to keep the peace between the various Christian factions. After periods of tension between the Nuseibeh family and the Ottoman authorities in the 18th century, the Ottoman authorities appointed the Joudeh family to assist the Nuseibeh’s in their task. Today, the Joudeh family still assists the Nuseibehs by bringing the key of the church to a member of the Nuseibeh family who unlocks and locks the door on a daily basis.
       

The church was really neat and while I was in Jerusalem I went often to pray. A tip though – come early (before 10:00) so you can avoid the large tourist groups that come through.

Great place for people-watching!

I understand that Muslims hold “the keys” since the various Christian divisions cannot agree about access, etc.