The Mount of Olives is the ridge just east of Jerusalem, separated from the city by the Kidron Valley. It appears throughout the Gospels as on of Jesus’ regular places of prayer and teaching. From its slopes, Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse about the end times (Matthew 24-25). At the foot of the mount is the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night before his arrest.
The Mount of Olives is also where Jesus ascended into Heaven after the Resurrection.
Couple of cool details about the image:
–That huge white area on the slope is the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
–It’s one of the oldest and most important burial sites in Judaism
–Many Jews believe the resurrection of the dead will begin there when the Messiah comes – a moment Christians associate with the Second Coming
…which is kinda wild when you realize:
–Jesus taught there
–Jesus prayed there
–Jesus ascended there
