Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations

Gethsemane (Hebrew: גת שמנים, meaning “oil press”) is an orchard in Jerusalem, located in the Kidron Valley at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It is now within the modern city of Jerusalem. Tradition holds that this was a place where Jesus Christ often prayed and meditated, which is why Judas knew where to find him. It’s believed that the eight massive olive trees in the garden today date back to the time of Jesus.

According to the New Testament and Christian tradition, on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus went here to pray with his disciples after the Last Supper. The Gospel of Luke (22:43–44) records that Jesus was in such anguish in Gethsemane that “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Gethsemane is also the place where Jesus was betrayed by his disciple, Judas Iscariot. Gethsemane was an early focal point for Christian pilgrims. In 333 AD, an anonymous pilgrim from Bordeaux visited the site, leaving the earliest known record of a Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

A church was built here early on but was destroyed several times. The current church was rebuilt on the original site in 1919. Construction was halted for a time due to insufficient funds, but it was eventually completed with assistance from 14 different countries: the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Poland, and Australia. This is why it is also known as the Church of All Nations. The Franciscan friars have been protecting and managing the Garden of Gethsemane from the 17th century to the present day. The Church of All Nations is a must-visit for any Christian in Jerusalem, commemorating the night Jesus was betrayed and spent in fervent prayer.