The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge to the east of Jerusalem. It is named for the olive groves on its slopes. At the foot of the mountain lies the Garden of Gethsemane. In the book of Zechariah, the Mount of Olives is cited as the place where the dead will be resurrected in the days of the Messiah. For this reason, Jews have always wanted to be buried there, and from biblical times until today, the mountain has been used as a Jewish cemetery. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including the tomb of Zechariah. Many important rabbis are buried there as well as Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin.
There were many interesting things about this particular site. Scattered throughout the MANY gravestones were the most beautiful red poppies! On top of the graves were rocks. These are placed there instead of flowers because they are cheaper and more abundant.
One can clearly see the Golden Gate of the Old City from the Mount of Olives. The Golden Gate (also called the Gate of Mercy) is the oldest of the current gates in Jerusalem. According to Jewish tradition, the Shekhinah glory of God used to appear through this gate, and will appear again when the Messiah comes. The gate is located in the middle of the eastern side of the Temple Mount. The portal in this position was believed to have been used for ritual purposes in biblical times.
In Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I sealed off the Golden gate in 1541 to prevent the Messiah's entrance (like that would stop Him!). The Muslims also built a cemetery in front of the gate, in the belief that Jesus would not walk through a Muslim cemetery! Ha! The Golden Gate is one of the few sealed gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls, along with the Huldah Gate.
One can see the Dome of the Rock from the Mount of Olives, but more on that later!
