Jerusalem — Mount of Olives Photo Gallery

Jerusalem Overview

Region: Judean Mountains
Biblical Territory: Benjamin (adjacent to Judah; later capital of the united kingdom and Judah)
Modern Site: Jerusalem, Israel
Nearby Landmark: Temple Mount
Scripture References: Gen. 22:2; 2 Sam. 5:6–10; 1 Kgs. 6–8; 2 Kgs. 25:8–10; Neh. 2–6; Luke 2:41–52; Matt. 21–28; Acts 1–2

Introduction

Rising above the Kidron Valley on the eastern side of Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives offers one of the world's most recognizable views. From its slopes, visitors look across the Temple Mount, the walls of the Old City, and the ancient landscape where many of the Bible's most significant events unfolded. For thousands of years, this ridge has served as a place of worship, pilgrimage, burial, and prophecy, making it sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

For Christians, the Mount of Olives is closely associated with the final week of Jesus' mortal ministry. Here He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, taught His disciples the Olivet Discourse, wept over the city, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and, following His Resurrection, ascended into heaven. The mount preserves many of the places that commemorate these events, surrounded by churches and monuments built over centuries of Christian devotion.

This gallery follows the principal sites found along the Mount of Olives, beginning with its panoramic overlooks and continuing to the Garden of Gethsemane and other important landmarks. Along the way, you'll discover not only the history and archaeology of these sacred places, but also gain a deeper appreciation for why this hillside has remained one of the most meaningful destinations for pilgrims visiting Jerusalem for nearly two thousand years.

Slide Presentation Major Events

Temple Mount - Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens

Travel Journal

In addition to documenting archaeological sites, I occasionally include journal entries from my travels in the Holy Land. These experiences often reveal aspects of the land and its people that photographs of ancient ruins cannot capture.

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Major Events at Jerusalem

Melchizedek, king of Salem, blesses Abraham — Gen. 14:18–20
David captures Jerusalem and makes it the capital of Israel — 2 Sam. 5:6–10
Solomon builds the First Temple (c. 957 BC) — 1 Kgs. 6–8
The Assyrian army fails to capture Jerusalem during Hezekiah’s reign (701 BC) — 2 Kgs. 18–19; Isa. 36–37
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple (586 BC) — 2 Kgs. 25; 2 Chron. 36:17–21
Jewish exiles return from Babylon and rebuild the Second Temple (dedicated 516 BC) — Ezra 1–6
Nehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem’s walls — Neh. 2–6
Herod the Great enlarges the Temple Mount and renovates the Second Temple (begun 20–19 BC)
Jesus is presented at the temple as an infant — Luke 2:22–38
At age twelve, Jesus teaches in the temple — Luke 2:41–52
Jesus cleanses the temple — Matt. 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:13–22)
Jesus teaches daily in the temple during His final week — Matt. 21–25; Mark 11–13; Luke 20–21
Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph — Matt. 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–44; John 12:12–19
The Last Supper is observed in Jerusalem — Matt. 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–38
Jesus prays in Gethsemane and is arrested — Matt. 26:36–56; Mark 14:32–52; Luke 22:39–53; John 18:1–12
Jesus is tried, crucified, buried, and resurrected — Matt. 26–28; Mark 14–16; Luke 22–24; John 18–20
The Holy Spirit is poured out on the Day of Pentecost — Acts 2
Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr — Acts 6:8–7:60
The Jerusalem Council meets — Acts 15
Romans destroy Jerusalem and the Second Temple (AD 70)
Hadrian rebuilds Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina (AD 132–135)
Constantine builds the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (dedicated AD 335)
Muslims capture Jerusalem (AD 638)
The Dome of the Rock is completed (AD 691)
Crusaders capture Jerusalem (AD 1099)
Saladin recaptures Jerusalem (AD 1187)
Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilds Jerusalem’s city walls (AD 1537–1541)
Jerusalem comes under Israeli control during the Six-Day War (1967)

Mount of Olives

Viewed eastward from the Palace of Caiaphas on Mount Zion, this panorama spans the Kidron Valley, the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, the Mount of Olives, and Mount Scopus beyond. Three prominent landmarks stand out on on or near the skyline: the arched façade of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies (left) on Mount Scopus, the tower of the Augusta Victoria Hospital (skyline center left), and the bell tower of the Russian Orthodox Ascension Convent (skyline right). The shallow ravine of Wadi el-Joz separates the Mount of Olives from Mount Scopus, while the Kidron Valley divides the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem’s Old City. Together these ridges form one of the most recognizable and historically significant landscapes in Jerusalem.

Mount of Olives

Viewed from the eastern slope of the City of David, this panorama looks across the Kidron Valley toward the Mount of Olives. The densely built Arab neighborhood of Silwan occupies the right side of the valley, while the Mount of Olives is covered by Jerusalem’s ancient Jewish cemetery, one of the oldest and most revered burial grounds in the world. The walls of Jerusalem’s Old City appear in the upper left, marking the western edge of the Kidron Valley. For thousands of years, this dramatic landscape has formed the natural boundary between the City of David and the Mount of Olives, linking many of Jerusalem’s most significant biblical and historical sites.

City of David

Viewed from the Mount of Olives, this panorama looks west across the Kidron Valley toward the southern end of Jerusalem’s Old City. In the foreground lies the ancient Jewish cemetery, one of the oldest continuously used burial grounds in the world. Beyond it, the Arab neighborhood of Silwan covers much of the ancient City of David, where Jerusalem first developed during the time of King David. Above the City of David on Mount Zion stand the traditional site of the Palace of Caiaphas and the distinctive bell tower of Dormition Abbey. The massive Old City walls stretch across the center of the photograph, enclosing the Jewish Quarter and other historic neighborhoods that have formed the heart of Jerusalem for centuries.

Mount of Olives - Wadi Joz

Looking north from the Mount of Olives, this view spans Wadi el-Joz, the shallow ravine that separates the Mount of Olives from Mount Scopus. The ridge beyond is home to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of Israel’s leading centers of higher education. Photographed in September, at the close of the long Mediterranean dry season, the hillsides are covered with golden grasses and dusty olive groves. Within a few weeks, the autumn rains will transform this landscape into the vibrant green that visitors often associate with the hills surrounding Jerusalem.

Mount of Olives - Kidron Valley

Looking east across the Kidron Valley, this view centers on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. The terraced hillside is home to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, dedicated in 1979 by President Spencer W. Kimball in honor of Elder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Hyde visited Jerusalem in 1841 and offered a dedicatory prayer for the return of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland. Today, the peaceful gardens provide beautiful views of the Old City and commemorate one of the earliest Latter-day Saint connections to Jerusalem.

Temple Mount - Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens

Viewed from the summit of the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden on the Mount of Olives, this panorama looks west across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem’s Old City. The Golden Gate stands at the center of the eastern wall, with the Dome of the Rock rising above the Temple Mount. Along the skyline are several of Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmarks, including Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion, the white dome of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, and the King David Hotel farther to the west (upper right). In the foreground, the red-domed Greek Orthodox Church and Monastery of Saint Stephen overlooks the Kidron Valley, while the historic Muslim cemetery extends along the base of Jerusalem’s 16th-century Ottoman walls.

Augusta Victoria Hospital

Built between 1907 and 1910 as a hospice for German Protestant pilgrims, the Augusta Victoria complex was commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II and named in honor of his wife, Empress Augusta Victoria. Perched atop the Mount of Olives, it later became a military headquarters during both World Wars before being converted into a hospital. Today, Augusta Victoria Hospital is operated by the Lutheran World Federation and serves as a major medical center for Palestinians, specializing in cancer care and kidney dialysis. Its distinctive 165-foot (50 meter) bell tower is one of the three prominent landmarks that dominate the Mount of Olives skyline and serves as a familiar landmark for travelers approaching Jerusalem from the east.

German Protestant Church of the Ascension

The German Protestant Church of the Ascension stands at the heart of the Augusta Victoria complex on the Mount of Olives. Built between 1907 and 1914 under the patronage of Kaiser Wilhelm II and named for Empress Augusta Victoria, the Romanesque-style church was designed to serve German Protestant pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. Its soaring bell tower, one of Jerusalem’s most recognizable landmarks, is visible from many viewpoints around the city and dominates the Mount of Olives skyline. Today, the church remains an active place of worship alongside Augusta Victoria Hospital, both operated by the Lutheran World Federation. Although many visitors refer to the entire property simply as “Augusta Victoria,” it is actually a church-hospital complex, with the iconic tower belonging to the church.

August Victoria Church

The main entrance to Augusta Victoria Hospital reflects the Romanesque architecture that characterizes the entire Augusta Victoria complex. Decorative stone carvings and rounded arches echo the design of the adjacent Church of the Ascension, emphasizing that both buildings were conceived as parts of a single German Protestant pilgrimage center. Today, Augusta Victoria Hospital is one of the leading medical institutions serving Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, specializing in cancer treatment, kidney dialysis, and other advanced medical services. During the Christmas season, festive decorations add a warm reminder that this historic complex continues to serve both the physical and spiritual needs of the community.

Judean Wilderness - August Victoria Hospital Grounds

Few visitors discover the peaceful promenade behind the Augusta Victoria complex on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. The trail offers panoramic views across the rugged Judean wilderness, whose barren ridges descend eastward toward the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Away from the crowds, it provides one of Jerusalem's finest places to appreciate the natural beauty of the Holy Land and the stark wilderness that has served as the backdrop for countless biblical events.