In Jesus's Footsteps 
跟随基督的脚步

Via Dolorosa

 

 

The Via Dolorosa (Latin,"Way of Grief", "Way of Sorrows", "Way of Suffering" or simply "Painful Way")

 

Is a street, in two parts, within the Old City of Jerusalem, held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion, and ultimately, his bodily resurrection from the dead three days later.

 

The winding route from the Antonia Fortress west to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher—a distance of about 600 meters (2,000 feet)—is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage.

 

The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions. 

 

It is today marked by nine Stations of the Cross; there have been fourteen stations since the late 15th century, with the remaining five stations being inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

 

The traditional route starts just inside the Lions' Gate (St. Stephen's Gate), at the Umariya Elementary School, near the location of the former Antonia Fortress, and makes its way westward through the Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

 

The current enumeration is partly based on a circular devotional walk, organised by the Franciscans in the 14th century; their devotional route, heading east along the Via Dolorosa (the opposite direction to the usual westward pilgrimage), began and ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, also passing through both Gethsemane and Mount Zion during its course.

 

Whereas the names of many roads in Jerusalem are translated into English, Hebrew, and Arabic for their signs, the name Via Dolorosa is used in all three languages