Holy Fire

April 28, 2008 - 7:37 AM by

Lest we forget: Living in Israel is a truly multi-cultural, pan-religious experience rife with enough facets to keep us all busy for a stretch of future to come.

Checkpoint Jerusalem blogger Dion Nissenbaum drives that point home with his latest entry highlighting Ethiopian Christian Holy Fire ceremonies held in Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre Church.

According to tradition, on the Saturday before Easter, the Greek Patriarch enters the tomb where Christ is said to have been buried. While inside alone the holy spirit is said to light a bundle of 33 candles carried by the Patriarch. The Patriarch then carries the holy fire out of the tomb to light the candles of thousands of worshipers that crowd into the church for the ceremony.

Ethiopian Christians were long ago kicked out of the church and relegated to space on the roof (I was told it was because they didn’t pay taxes or dues, but I’m not quite sure…), where they perform their own Holy Fire ceremony later in the evening.

Pics from Checkpoint Jerusalem…

Tags: • Category: Blogging, History and Culture, Holidays, Israeliness 

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