Garden of Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane sits at the foot of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley from the Old City of Jerusalem. The Gospels say Jesus came here with his disciples after the Last Supper. On this night he prayed in deep distress while his friends fell asleep, and here he was arrested before his trial and crucifixion. Some of the olive trees in the garden are extremely old, and scientists have shown that their root systems may go back more than a thousand years, so visitors today walk among trees that stand where olive trees grew in the time of Jesus. Next to the garden stands the Church of All Nations, built over the rock where Christian tradition says Jesus prayed. The garden is a quiet place, and many pilgrims come here to sit, pray and remember the events of that night. The site has been cared for by Christians for many centuries and remains one of the most moving stops in Jerusalem.