P R O L O G U E
Gold. Silver. Graves. Caves. Walls. Gates. Angels. Kings. Relics. Rocks. Jesus Christ! My name is Edwin Nikkels. I am a filmmaker and digital artist working out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After being in lockdown for two years, it was time for me to spread my wings and my destination of choice was a seven day trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank in April 2022.
Why Jerusalem? I've always been fascinated by the ancient city and when I recently saw a documentary by National Geographic on the restoration of the Tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the coin dropped: I was in need of a perfect blend of leisure and adventure.
What you are about to see, is what happened during my weeklong stay in the Holy Land and with this journal – comprised of personal experiences, facts, immersive photography and one–minute–videos – I want to share the sights ánd sounds of the Kingdom of Heaven. Thanks for joining me.
DAY I – THE OLD CITY
On my first day, I entered the Old City through the Damascus Gate. The Damascus Gate is one of the seven main open gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. Instantly it felt like walking onto a huge movie set, populated by a colourful and plentiful cast of 'extras'...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to the Old City.
(For the best experience, use headphones and watch the videos in full screen.)
The Old City is a one–square–kilometre walled area within the modern city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key importance to the three major Abrahamic religions: the Temple Mount and Western Wall for Judaism, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christianity, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Islam. Traditionally, the Old City has been divided into four quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Jewish Quarter.
Left: One of the many streets in Old Jerusalem. Middle: One of the many old passages in the Old City. Right: One of the many arched gates within the Old City.
During my visit to the Western Wall that day, it was the Jewish holy day of Shabbat, so I was not allowed to film and take pictures. The Temple Mount was also closed. After leaving the heavily guarded Western Wall Plaza – tensions between Jews and Muslims had been rising – I had my first glimpse of the glorious golden Dome of the Rock. When I saw the Golden Crown on the city of Jerusalem for the first time with my own eyes, I felt a tingling down my spine: the view was magnificent.
The view overlooking the plaza, the Dome of the Rock (left-middle) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque (right). (Click on the image to experience panorama-photos in full screen.)
DAY II – THE MOUNT OF OLIVES & MOUNT SCOPUS
On this day I was on a mission: David, a good friend of mine, asked me to drop off a stone on a random grave at the Mount of Olives to commemorate his deceased father (of Jewish descent). This had to be done, so I took a taxi and I went to the Mount of Olives...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to the Mount of Olives.
The exact location of the grave on the hilltop was shared with David, so when he visits Jerusalem himself one day, he knows where to find the stone. Mission accomplished.
The Mount of Olives lies on the opposite side of the Kidron Valley, facing the Temple Mount and the Old City. A grave costs at least $30,000.– as it is prime real estate for the Day of Resurrection (when the Messiah will re–enter the city of Jerusalem through the Golden Gate, which is also opposing the burial mount).​​​​​​​
The panorama overlooking the Old City from the Mount of Olives.
MOUNT SCOPUS
On my way back to the city, I had a stop off at this breathtaking view at Mount Scopus, overlooking Jericho.
DAY III – MOUNT ZION
THE ROOM OF JESUS' LAST SUPPER & KING DAVID'S TOMB
The Cenacle is a chamber located on Mount Zion, just outside the Old City-walls, traditionally known to be the site of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus consumed with his Apostles. The reason for me visiting, was the link with Leonardo da Vinci's famous fresco of the Last Supper, which he painted in a church in Milan, Italy.
The same complex houses the tomb of the Biblical King David. It is situated in a crypt underneath the Cenacle. My curiosity was triggered, so down into the vault I went...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to Mount Zion.
'The Last Supper' as painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Interesting detail: the three symmetrical arches depicted above the scene, mimicking the three symmetrical arches in the actual chamber.
DAY IV – JESUS' TOMB, WESTERN WALL & THE TEMPLE MOUNT
For 2.4 billion Christians, the holiest place on earth is the Tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. After seeing the documentary on its restoration, it was at the top of my list of sights I had to visit during my trip. And to be ahead of the herd of Easter-pilgrims, I had set my alarm clock at 5:30 a.m...​​​​​​​
Press 'play' to watch my introduction video of Jesus' Tomb.
Press 'play' to watch my visit to Jesus' Tomb.
The tomb of Christ is enclosed by a 19th–century shrine called the Aedicule. When I walked into the main rotunda of the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – which dates back to the fourth century – I found the Aedicule at its centre.
During the restoration in 2017, tests were done on the rock and mortar constituting Jesus' Tomb, which confirmed that the first foundations coincide with the timeline described by historians of the time, making this the actual tomb of Christ more plausible.
This is how the Aedicule looks from the inside. Top left: The Tomb of Jesus where he was laid to rest after the crucifixion, with (I) now being the Chapel of the Angel and (II') the Holy Tomb containing the stone bed hewn out of the bedrock. As mentioned above, in 2017, through scientific analysis, scholars learned that the bedrock on which Jesus was laid to rest is still a fundamental part of the floors and walls of the Aedicule.
THE WESTERN WALL
When I passed the security checkpoint I walked upon the square that leads up to the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall and on this particular day, I was allowed to film and take photos. The Jews who were praying there at that moment did their rituals in complete silence, making the atmosphere incredibly peaceful, giving me the opportunity to do my 'Note-to-God-ritual'...
Press 'play' to watch my introduction video of The Western Wall.
The Western Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient wall; it was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple, commissioned by King Herod, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount.
Press 'play' to watch my visit to the Western Wall.
THE TEMPLE MOUNT
Finally walking up to and entering the Temple Mount was close to a divine experience and it is sad to see such a truly beautiful, even magical and tranquil place to be the stage of excessive violence every year around Easter and/or Ramadan. When it's as tranquil as on the day I visited the Temple Mount, it truly is Heaven on Earth...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to the Temple Mount.
The Temple Mount is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a holy site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike. The terraced plaza is dominated by three monumental structures: the Al–Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain and can be reached through eleven gates, ten reserved for Muslims and one for non-Muslims. In light of the dual claims of Judaism and Islam, it is one of the most contested religious sites in the world.
Left: The Bab al–Silsila Minaret, one of the four minarets guarding the elevated complex.
Middle: An idyllic see-through of the Dome of the Rock. Right: The Bani Ghanim Minaret.
The amazing 360°–panorama on the Temple Mount.
DAY V – THE WEST BANK
Making headlines daily, yet – to me and most of us – the West Bank remains a mystery. And to get to my next destination – the monastery of Mar Saba – I had to enter the West Bank and under guidance of my trustworthy driver-fixer Raed we passed the Israeli checkpoint...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to the West Bank.
The West Bank is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north. The West Bank is under Israeli military occupation since 1967, having its area being split into 165 Palestinian enclaves that are under the civil administration by the Palestinian National Authority, and 230 Israeli settlements ruled under Israeli law, making it – like Jerusalem itself – one of the most contested regions in the world.
The panorama overlooking the West Bank.
THE MONASTERY OF MAR SABA
It has been more than 10 years since I first got to know about the Mar Saba-monastery. When I found an image on Google Images by accident, it instantly took my breath away; this was like the best film location I've ever seen, yet it was real and it had been there for almost 1400 years, sitting against the wall of the canyon in the middle of nowhere. Seeing it in real life was truly magical...​​​​​​​
Press 'play' to watch my visit to Mar Saba.
The Greek Orthodox monastery of Mar Saba overlooks the Kidron Valley in the West Bank, at a point halfway between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. Currently 20 monks – called Sabaites – inhabit the monastery. Mar Saba is one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries in the world.
The panorama of Mar Saba.
HERODIUM – THE PALACE & TOMB OF KING HEROD
Another archeological find that recently made the news was the discovery of the long lost tomb of King Herod. It was thought – by many search teams – to be found at various locations throughout the West Bank, yet the actual tomb was right under their noses all the time: at the hilltop palace called Herodium...
Press 'play' to watch my visit to Herodium.
Herodium is a cone-shaped hill, 12 kilometres south of Jerusalem and 5 kilometres southeast of Bethlehem, in the West Bank. Historian Josephus described a palace fortress and a small town, named after Roman king Herod the Great and was built between 23 and 15 BC. Herodium is 758 meters above sea level, the highest peak in the Judaean desert.
Main: A maquette of the palace as it ones was. Insert: An artist impression of the palace as it was situated on the hilltop.
A 360°–panorama of the inner courtyard.
The panorama overlooking the West Bank.
BETHLEHEM – THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
We all have heard (or seen) the story a thousand times: Jospeh and pregnant virgin Mary – on the run – on their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem and when in need of shelter, they parked their donkey outside a stable where inside Mary eventually gave birth to baby Jesus. On that spot, the Church of the Nativity was built. Contrary to my spine-tingling experience at the Tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem, somehow this location didn't work for me at all: it felt like one big charade, to a point I even did not feel the urge to film here.
The facade of the Church of the Nativity, with on the right the Door of Humility, a door so low,
you have to bow to enter the church.
The Church of the Nativity is located in Bethlehem in the West Bank, Palestine. One of the grottos it contains, holds a prominent religious significance to Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.
Left: The Grotto of the Nativity, the place where Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. Middle: The silver star marking the spot where Jesus was born, inscribed in Latin, 'HIC DE VIRGINE MARIA JESUS CHRISTUS NATUS EST', 'Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born'. Right: The Grotto of the Manger, where Jesus' cradle was situated.
DAY VI – RELIC HUNTING
One of my passions is collecting antiques, and on my last day I went relic hunting. And by doing some research, I ended up at renowned local antiques dealer Bassam Barakat. Barakat is a fifth generation-family dealer in antiquities and is located at 78, David Street, in the Old City since the 1930s. The quantity and quality of items like ancient coins, jewellery and artefacts from all periods of (local) history, was beyond belief. When entering the shop, I felt like a kid in a candy store.
What to take home as a souvenir? A silver tetradrachm of Alexander the Great (left)? An Islamic silver talisman from the 18th century (middle)? I chose a 'phalera', a brass cartouche of a breastplate of a Roman officer, depicting Medusa to ward off evil (right).
WALLS & GATES
After my hunt for relics was done, I had a few hours to spare, so I decided to investigate the outside of the walls which surround the Old City. While strolling, I contemplated on my visit: one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb, was the segregation between the Jews and the Arabs. What it comes down to, is that the Arabs are clearly treated like second-class citizens, like latinos in the United States.
But there is so much more at play here – come to think of it – my visit to Jerusalem was one analogy of 'walls' and 'gates', bricked–up or heavily guarded, open or closed to some; at times it felt genuinely uneasy. And when seeing that wall in the distance, separating two lands and its peoples, I can only hope that soon, a new and rational generation of Israeli politicians will realise the biggest P.R.–disaster in modern history has to end. Salem.
Visible in the far distance on the hilltop is the wall separating East and West Jerusalem.
DAY VII – TIME TO GO HOME
On the last day I woke up to explosions and gun shots in the far distance; at the Temple Mount, rioters clashed with police as was broadcast live by CNN. It was surreal. Yet, I had a wonderful stay at Arthur Hotel on Dorot Rishonim St. 13, in Jerusalem. The weather in April was terrific and so was the local street food. With a suitcase packed with wonderful memories and a hard drive filled with photos and footage it was time for me to go home...
Press 'play' to watch my farewell to Jerusalem.
Room 506, in Hotel Arthur in the Rehavia-district, was a perfect base of operations.
E P I L O G U E
As a lasting souvenir, I wanted to get a tattoo of the Jerusalem-cross on my arm. I could only think of one tattoo-artist to set the piece: none other than Amsterdam based  tattoo-legend Henk Schiffmacher. Henk himself had visited the Holy Land on several occasions, and during our session he shared his extensive knowledge of the tattoo-traditions in the Middle East.
So this tattoo marks - hopefully - the end of a two year dark chapter in my life (like for all of us), and symbolises not only an unforgettable journey, but also a new beginning – a fresh start – as a modern crusader, always on the lookout for new horizons and opportunities, personal and/or creative. Rise a Knight!
Left: An original pilgrim tattoo design from 1612 (top), and my interpretation of the design (bottom). Middle: Henk Schiffmacher working his magic. Right: The final result.
SPECIAL THANKS
TOVALE for a lovely evening at restaurant WINO, RAED for being my trustworthy fixer-driver, BASIM for the amazing tour of MAR SABA, all employees of ARTHUR HOTEL for their hospitality, BARAKAT ANTIQUITIES for its expertise and HENK SCHIFFMACHER for the ink.
CAMERA, EDITING, GRADING, MIX, TEXT & DESIGN
EDWIN  NIKKELS
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