In different religions, a special place is occupied by the tombs of revered kings, people, saints. These sanctuaries were built as homes for the souls of the dead, to which they could return to remember their lives, observe and help their descendants in difficult situations. For Christians, one of the most ancient and highly revered shrines is the tomb of the Virgin, which is located in modern Israel, on the territory of Jerusalem.
Who is the Mother of God
Theotokos, she is the Virgin Mary, according to the Christian faith - a saint and a virgin who gave birth to Jesus Christ, the son of the Most High God, whose coming the people of the whole world have been waiting for for thousands of years. Her parents, known as Saint Joachim and Saint Anna, went through many trials prepared by the Lord to test the strength of their faith in God. The couple could not conceive a child for a long time. Such a misfortune was also subjected to cruel ridicule from society. But the family did not lose faith in God andcontinued to serve him faithfully. Finally, God gave them a long-awaited daughter, whom Joachim and Anna named Mary. She became the Mother of God.
Messenger of God
As the legends say, one day the Archangel Gabriel, the keeper of the divine treasury, descended to earth. God Himself entrusted him with an important mission: to talk to the chaste girl Mary, who from childhood grew up surrounded by deeply religious people serving God. During a visit to earth, the Archangel had to ask Mary for permission if she agreed to endure and give birth to a divine child who would save humanity.
The girl at that time was engaged to Joseph, an elderly Christian who unconditionally believes in God. Joseph, asking for her hand, promised to treat the girl like a daughter, not touching her integrity, understanding her choice to serve God and supporting her.
When Gabriel began to tell Mary about the divine plan, the girl silently listened to him and courageously accepted the proposal of the Archangel, humbly, without fear and doubt, entrusting her fate into the hands of God. Thanks to the upbringing and genetics laid down in her by generations, she had an exceptional purity of thoughts. Growing up in a family of saints and brought up according to biblical laws, and living in a monastery from the age of three, Mary did not cloud her mind with pride because of the new status of the Mother of God, she remained a sane, pious, spiritual girl who raised the beautiful son of Jesus with her husband Joseph - Savior.
Birth of a son of God
Ancient Jerusalem at that time was under the rule of the Roman Empire, led by Octavian. He suggested organizing a census. The nearest place from Israel where Joseph and Mary could have checked in for listing was the blessed city of Bethlehem. When the couple finally reached the city, they could not find a single free room in a tavern, hotel or inn. They had to settle down for the night in a barn.
Maria was in her last month of pregnancy. The long journey did its job: the girl went into labor, and the baby Jesus was born. Then an angel descended from heaven and announced to people that God's son was born and that he would save mankind from destruction.
The shepherds were the first to bow to the newborn savior. Behind them appeared the wise men from the East, the magi, and brought their gifts. The wise men found the child by a star that appeared directly above the birthplace of Jesus. They recognized him as King, God and mortal man, and gave him the appropriate gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
First martyrs for Jesus
Unfortunately, about 14 thousand innocent children became the first martyrs for the son of God. King Herod, ruling Judea at that time, was afraid of the news of a miracle child and ordered to exterminate all babies under the age of two years. Mary and Joseph managed to hide and save their son from death, and for a long time protected him, hiding from the king.
Where Mary is buried
Historical information dating back to the 4th century reports thatMary, after the execution of her son, lived in poverty and loneliness, and died in Jerusalem. Her body was buried by the apostles in the village of Gethsemane. The tomb of the Blessed Virgin was located near the Mount of Olives in the east of the city, in the tomb of her holy parents. Later, the Church of the Assumption was built over that place to glorify her name.
The history of the foundation of the tomb of the Virgin
The city in which the tomb of the Virgin was founded - Jerusalem - the prosperous capital of Israel, which has a rich culture and glorifies the three leading world religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Among the people, the capital is called the "city of three religions" for good reason, because there are many architectural monuments and attractions related to these three religions.
On the initiative of Empress Elena, who ruled at the beginning of the 4th century, the Temple of the Assumption was erected over the tomb of Mary's family. It was a small church where people in need of help came to ask for blessings. It is believed that with the help of appeals to the Mother of God, one can reach out to all the ruling and non-ruling celestials. If Mary, blessed among wives, hears pleas for help and turns to God, Jesus, archangels and other saints with a request, they will certainly ease the suffering of a needy person, heal him, give him a happy and he althy life, and bless his family. Therefore, the temple was known and worshiped by thousands of people.
Unfortunately, the church began to collapse from time to time. In the 21st century, the building was restored by order of Melisandre, the daughter ofthe then ruling Baldwin II. The girl was actively engaged in decorating the temple. Thanks to her faith in the saint, initiative, the shrine seemed to be transformed: the artists painted the walls with frescoes, and the tomb of the Most Holy Theotokos itself became suitable for visits and services. At Melisandre's request, after her death, the girl's body was buried in the tomb of the Virgin.
12th century tomb interior
Thanks to the curiosity and education of the Russian abbot Daniel, a description of the interior of the 12th century tomb has survived to this day. The pilgrim described the decoration in his own handwritten essay. He said that the church built over the tomb of the Virgin, in Gethsemane, practically at the foot of the mountain, right above the tomb of the heavenly mother, was "ravaged by the filthy".
The tomb itself looked like some sort of ancient chapel framed in marble. Inside it was a small cave, where the body of the Blessed One rested in a coffin on an ordinary bench.
Modern view of the tomb
On the Mount of Olives, where the tomb of the Virgin is adjacent to the Church of the Assumption, is always crowded. This place has been revered and prayed for by thousands of girls, women, mothers for centuries. Those wishing to get acquainted with the shrine do not have to come personally to the tomb of the Virgin. Photos from online sources will help you get acquainted with the contents of the cave.
You can enter the tomb of the Virgin from two entrances: western and northern. Schematically, the tomb is a cross. Fromthe entrance door descends 50 steps, overcoming which, on the right, a view of the chapel of Mary opens. Here hangs an ancient icon of the Mother of God, called "Jerusalem". There is a legend that the apostle Luke himself wrote it. For better preservation, the icon is framed in pink marble.
Here is the tomb of the parents of the Blessed One, Joachim and Anna. On the left side is the tomb of Mary's husband, Joseph. In addition, the tomb contains the thrones of the Coptic and Syriac Orthodox churches, the First Martyr Stephen and St. Nicholas.
The tomb of the Virgin Mary is of great importance in the development culture of the Orthodox Church. The shrine has a huge positive energy and is considered one of the most revered and most visited religious places in the world. She is worshiped and asked for protection and help by people who want to learn peace, establish a happy family life, protect relationships from being fed up with boring family life, protect a child from troubles and illnesses, direct their thoughts to the true path, make them pure and pious.
