Mount of Olives

Sometimes called Olivet. It is not really a mountain but rather a rounded ridge east of Jerusalem that stands higher than other parts of the city. The Valley of Kidron lies between the city walls and this mountainous ridge. The ridge is about a mile long with four small peaks on it.

In this wooded area, people came to get away from the heat and crowds of the city. Jesus often taught His disciples there. The garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion, is somewhere on the hill. Jesus began His triumphal entry into Jerusalem from this place on the Sunday before His crucifixion. He also returned to heaven from this place.

The ridge was important in the defense of Jerusalem. When the Romans destroyed the city in AD 70, the soldiers camped on this hill, where they could get a good view of the city. Today, the Mount of Olives is heavily populated with hotels, homes, businesses, and Hebrew University.