A few of us ventured out into the old city of Jerusalem last night. The side streets were empty with dark streets lit by some low wattage bulbs.
The Garden of Gethsemane is mentioned at least twice in the gospels; once in the Gospel of Matthew where it is said: "and they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray", and once more in the Gospel of Luke where it is written: “Jesus' anguish at Gethsemane was so deep that his sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground”.
It is believed to have been an olive garden in Biblical times too, the present day Garden of Gethsemane gets its name from the Hebrew Gat Shemen, meaning an olive press. As its namesake indicates, the garden is lush with ancient olive trees creating a shaded Mediterranean-style forest that is perfect for those in search of a little seclusion and isolation.
It is commonly held by archeologists and botanists who have studied the garden's olive trees that these are the original Biblical trees described in the Gospel of Matthew. While there has been some controversy to this effect, it is a known fact that olive trees can grow to be tens of thousands of years old, a fact which determines their Biblical ancestry.
I snapped this picture a very common scene all over Jerusalem. Only ultra-orthodox do this. It is because of the commandment not to cut the corners of their beards. The orthodox believe that th sideburns are the corners of their beards and should be allowed to grow and grow. Leviticus 19:27 "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."
