Note: This is the seventh chapter of a book my father, Rev. Matt W. Leach, wrote in 1955 about a miraculous trip to the Holy Land.
-Michael Leach
Sunday morning we went by car to the Mount of Olives. We could see the Mount of Olives from our room — across the city, across the temple area, across the Kedron Valley. On the top of the Mount of Olives is the Chapel of the Ascension. From there we looked out over Israel. The top of the tower is used by the Jordan Army to watch the border.
Jerusalem is divided into two parts. Fortunately for Christianity, the old Jerusalem with the wall is in Jordan, but the new city of Jerusalem is in Israel.
The border is marked by a stone wall bordering a “no-man’s” land. Any man who enters this “no-man’s” land from either side is immediately shot. It is impossible to enter Jordan after having been in Israel. It was because of this that we were unable to visit the Sea of Galilee.1
Looking away from Jerusalem to the other side of the Mount of Olives we saw Bethphage, where Jesus often stayed.
Descending the Mount of Olives we visited the Garden of Gethsemane at its foot. A church has been built here and the garden around it is kept very beautiful — there is Zaki, our guide. In the garden is an Olive tree over 2,000 years old, and it is said that Christ prayed under this tree.
Looking across the Kedron Valley towards Jerusalem we saw the Golden Gate, now walled up, opening into the temple area, through which Jesus made His triumphant entry (the original gate was destroyed).
On our return from Jericho we stopped at Bethany to see the church that has been built over the traditional site of Lazarus’ tomb.
The Road to Bethlehem
The road to Bethlehem was originally only 5 miles long, but since the division of Jerusalem part of the road is held by the Israelites, and our trip was now 14 miles long.
As we entered Bethlehem we looked out across a valley to distant fields where “and in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”2 Here we see the sheep and the goats together, and the flocks of several shepherds grazing together.
We can appreciate Jesus’ words, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.” — John 10:27
Again a church has been built, and we have lost a real concept of what Christ’s birthplace might have looked like. It was certainly far different from our western concepts. Not only did the animals live in the cave, but the people too. Examples of these caves are to be found everywhere.
The family usually lives in a house hewed out of the rock directly above the cave, or else on a higher level of the cave. It is not difficult to think of Jesus being born in such a cave-house, perhaps in this very spot.
The highest point of our visit in Jerusalem came Sunday morning. Even before going to Jerusalem we had heard of a place called “Gordon’s Tomb,” or the “Garden Tomb.” It hadn’t entered our minds to make any special effort to visit it until a new friend spoke to us about it Sunday morning.
Some believe the Garden Tomb to be the real burial place of Jesus. It is just outside Damascus Gate. History tells us that the place of Roman execution was just outside this gate, on a hill that rises above the city wall, where the whole city could see.
The Garden Tomb, That Afternoon
Our guide led us to a door in the wall and rang the bell. A key turned in the lock and the door was opened.
“Come in. Wait just a minute and I will call my father,” said the smiling and very charming young woman who stood in the doorway.
We entered.
Out of all the noise and hubbub of the city I had suddenly stepped into a beautiful garden — quiet, and with a Peace I had not found in all of Jerusalem. No — not even in the Holy Sepulchre.
The sun warmly and tenderly caressed the trees and flowers, playfully darting in and out of the shadows, now darting across the little bridge, now hiding in the crevices of a rock. In the trees the birds echoed a soft music.
I turned, and in front of me lay stone steps leading down about four feet to a lower level paved in rock. My eyes followed the worn stones, which led but a few steps to a tomb hewed out of the solid rock wall.
Standing in front of the tomb was a man talking with two women and their children.
“What do the Catholics believe about this tomb? Do they think it is Christ’s tomb?” one woman asked.
“No, the Catholics do not believe in this tomb. Ma’am, it doesn’t matter if this is Christ’s tomb or not. That is unimportant. It is what He did.
Christ came into this world and suffered on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sins and my sins. He died to set us free. We worship a Risen Savior. It isn’t relics or a spot or a tomb we worship — it is the Risen Lord.””
When Mr. Mattar had finished showing his guests through the garden he came back to talk with us. We immediately began to ply him with questions, and patiently he answered them.
Several years ago General Gordon1 — a man of prayer, a great Bible student and a very humble man — when he was sure of his ground, spoke his convictions: that this was the real Calvary. Truly General Gordon studied the site most carefully, but he was by no means the first to believe in it, and many sincere Bible students today are of the same opinion as he.
The location of Gordon’s Calvary is founded not upon guesswork, tradition or superstition, but upon solid rock; to wit: the position of the North Wall of Jerusalem, Damascus Gate, and the inspired statements in the Bible, which is the Word of God.
While Mr. Mattar spoke to us I felt a sense of adventure as I explored the Tomb and found each thing to be true.
What “Each Thing” Was
“There is no proof,” Mr. Mattar said, “that this is the tomb of Christ, but here we can see how it must have looked.”
From the tomb we walked to Golgotha. My mind swept back 2,000 years. The murmuring in the city seemed to cry out, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”
Back at the entranceway we talked more with Mr. Mattar. He told us the garden was very beautiful in the moonlight, and invited us to come back in the evening.
Lydia, the charming young woman who had opened the gate for us, assembled a group of pictures and booklets for each of us, that we might have them to take with us.
We left the garden tomb feeling satisfied for the first time since we had come to Jerusalem, and in great anticipation of our return there in the evening.
North to Samaria
Sunday afternoon we again visited the country, this time going north. We visited the recently excavated ruins of Samaria and saw the place where Salome danced (see Micah 1:6)3 — and then asked for the head of John the Baptist.
On our way back we stopped to visit the present day church of the Samaritans. They believe only in the five books of Moses. They don’t seem to trust each other, for there are 3 locks on their door and 3 different people each have one key.
Last we stopped at Jacob’s well, where we had a refreshing drink of water. The well is kept by a grouchy old monk who, while not married and supposedly leading a pious life, had managed to become quite rich. When Palestine was divided he lost his fortune, and the church in Jerusalem decided that the only place for such a grouchy old disagreeable man was the harmless position of watcher-of-the-well.
In the morning we sadly left Jerusalem — Ferris and I to return to Straubing, and Mr. Benton to return to the United States and his home.
Notes
The division of Jerusalem described here was the reality of 1955. The city was divided between Jordan and Israel, with a no-man’s-land along the armistice line. My father’s account reflects the restrictions he encountered during that trip, including his inability to travel from Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. His passport records visas for Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, with no Israeli visa or stamp. ↩
Luke 2:8, Revised Standard Version. My father gives no reference for this quotation. He does give the reference for the following quotation from John 10:27. ↩
My father’s reference to Micah 1:6 concerns Samaria itself: the passage describes the judgment of Samaria. The account of Salome’s dance and the request for John the Baptist’s head is found in Mark 6:21–28 and Matthew 14:6–11. The name Salome comes from the historical tradition surrounding Herod’s family. ↩
General Charles George Gordon was one of the early advocates of identifying the area near the Garden Tomb with Calvary. My father was recording the explanation he received from Mr. Mattar during his visit. ↩
