- Dominus Flevit Church
-
Dominus Flevit Church 
View from the Courtyard
Basic information Location Jerusalem Affiliation Roman Catholic Leadership Franciscan Order Architectural description Architect(s) Antonio Barluzzi Completed 1955 Dominus Flevit is a Roman Catholic church located on the Mount of Olives immediately facing the Old City of Jerusalem.
Contents
History
Dominus Flevit, which translates from Latin as "The Lord Wept", was fashioned in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ. Here, according to the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, while walking toward the city of Jerusalem, becomes overwhelmed by the beauty of the Second Temple and predicting its future destruction, and the diaspora of the Jewish people, weeps openly. (Luke 19:37-42)
One of the newest churches in Jerusalem, Dominus Flevit sits atop an ancient site. During construction of the sanctuary archaeologists uncovered artifacts dating back to the Canaanite period, as well as tombs from both the Second Temple and Byzantine eras.
The site of Christ's weeping was unmarked until the Crusader era. It was during this time that people began commemorating the site. Eventually a small chapel was built there. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the church fell into ruin. In the early sixteenth century a mosque or madrasah existed at the site, presumably built by the Turks, from the remains of the earlier church, although the exact use is disputed. This place was known as el Mansouriyeh (The Triumphant) and also el Khelweh (The Hermitage).
View through the window of the church
Construction
The Franciscans were unable to obtain the ruins, so, in 1891 they purchased a small plot of land nearby and built a small chapel there. In 1913 a small private home was built in front of the Franciscan chapel by one Miss Mellon. This home eventually passed to the Sisters of St. Joseph, who eventually sold it to a Portuguese woman. In 1940, the Benedictine Sisters, being in financial hardship, sold a part of the property to the Franciscans, the old boundary wall was moved at this time to make the division. The sisters were not content with the quality of this wall and in 1953 the Franciscans began construction of a more suitable one. While digging the foundations for the wall workers unearthed ancient tombs. Excavations imemdiately began at the site, led by Fr. Bellarmino Bagatti, OFM.
A late bronze era tomb from the Canaanite period, as well as a necropolis used from 136 BC to 300 AD were discovered. The necropolis spanned two separate periods, characterized by differing tomb styles. The earlier Second Temple era tombs were of the Kokhim style. While the Byzantine era section was composed of tombs with arcosolium from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. A Byzantine monastery from the 5th century was also discovered. Mosaics from this monastery still remain at the site. The current church was designed and constructed between 1953 and 1955 by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi and is currently held in trust by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.
-
Interior with view to the Mount Moriah
-
Mosaic and cross on the floor
-
View from west
External links
Media related to Dominus Flevit Church at Wikimedia Commons- Virtual Tour of Jerusalem @ jerusalem360.com - Interactive Panoramas from Israel
- Dominus Flevit: history of the site
- Dominus Flevit — Jerusalem Photos Portal
- The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land
- VR Panoramic Images of Dominus Flevit Church
Further reading
- Bellarmino Bagatti and Milik, 1968. Gli scavi del Dominus Flevit An account of the excavations, 1953-55.
Coordinates: 31°46′41″N 35°14′30″E / 31.77806°N 35.24167°E
Categories:- Churches in Jerusalem
- Franciscan churches
- Mount of Olives
- Religious buildings completed in 1955
- 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings
-
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
