Greek Orthodox Chapel (Prison of Christ)

By the Editors of the Madain Project

The Greek Orthodox Chapel is a small chapel built on a site where Christians believe Jesus was imprisoned by Roman soldiers ahead of his crucifixion inside the Holy Sepulchre Church. It is located on the north-eastern side of the Holy Sepulchre, walking around the northern ambulatory, is a Greek Orthodox chapel also believed to be one of the several locations claiming to be the Prison of Jesus, once he was arrested from Gethsemane.

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Overview

According to the Greek Orthodox it is in this prison that Jesus was detained after he carried the cross along the Via Dolorosa. A view of the chapel at the end of the northern walls is seen below. According to tradition, Jesus and the two thieves were housed here before the crucifixion. The small wooden enclosure to the right is believed to house two holes (inspect) dug into rock that were used, according to tradition, to bind the feet of Jesus.

Affiliation

circa 100 CE

The chapel is under the sovereignty of the Greek Orthodox Church. The site is also revered by the Armenian Church, as well as by representatives of the Catholic Church. According to tradition, the Holy Sepulchre stands on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.

Renovations

circa 100 CE

The site — in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — was repaired over a period of several years after a fire caused major damage. The Greek Orthodox allege that the real place that Jesus was held was the similarly named Prison of Christ in their Monastery of the Praetorium, located near the Church of Ecce Homo between the Second and Third Stations of the Via Dolorosa.

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