THE LADDER AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

THE CHURCH AND THE LADDER: FROZEN IN TIME

Historic Photo Gallery

The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was a favorite subject for 19th century illustraters and photographers in Jerusalem. Most old drawings and photos show the ladder. Here are a few examples:

This 1834 illustration is the earliest I have found in which the ladder appears.
It is resting on the ledge below the right hand window above the entrance.

The photo on the left was taken about 1875 by Felix Bonfils, a noted 19th century Holy Land photographer. The closer view on the right focuses on the entrance and the window with the ladder.

The photo on the left appeared in the Jerusalem section of "John L. Stoddard's Lectures," Vol. II, published in 1897. The same photo has appeared elsewhere with a date of 1868. The main part of the entrance in the Stoddard photo is shown enlarged on the right.

The photos shown below are from www.corbis.com, an internet source for old photos. In each pair of photos, the original photo is on the left with an enlargement of the entrance on the right.

This photo, dated 1870s, is very similar to the Stoddard photo, above. However, a close examination shows subtle differences, e.g., the shadows, the figure at the door, and a different arrangement of pots on the balcony next to the ladder.

This photo, dated 1870-1910, was taken from the same location as the previous two photos. In this instance the entrance door was open slightly.

Each year, a sacred event called the Descent of the Holy Fire occurs in the Edicule inside the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In this photo, dated mid-20th century (but possibly from an earlier period), a man carrying the holy fire is borne aloft by a crowd of Russian pilgrims (far left side of left photo) as they depart from the church after observing the ceremony.

In each of the above drawings and photos, covering nearly a century, the ladder is always present. It obviously has a special meaning.

The Church and the Ladder: Frozen in Time
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