Garden of Gethsemane
Episode 37
The Garden of Gethsemane has an important place in the Easter story because it’s where Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas, a man who had spent a great deal of time with him.
Experts don’t know exactly where the Garden of Gethsemane
which Jesus visited was because the area has changed so much
since Jesus’ time and new roads have been built across the land.
But we do know that it is somewhere on the lower slopes of the
Mount of Olives - just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem.
The name Gethsemane comes from the Hebrew words ‘Gat Shemanin’,
which mean ‘olive press’ because olives from the area were
pressed there to make olive oil.
It wouldn’t look like the kind of garden you would find around a
house today. It was more like an orchard, probably with a wall
around it. You can see where it was on the map on the right hand
side of this page.
Jesus regularly went to the Garden of Gethsemane and went there
for the final time, with three of his disciples, soon after The
Last Supper. He asked them to wait for him whilst he went
further into the Garden to pray. When he came back, the
disciples had all fallen asleep! He went back to pray twice more
and when he came back they had fallen asleep again! Then Jesus
heard someone coming and knew that it would be Judas with the
Roman guards. The soldiers knew which man to arrest when Judas
kissed Jesus – it was their secret signal.
You can read and hear the story about Jesus being betrayed and
arrested along with the stories of The Last Supper and Peter
denying that he knew Jesus here. (Mark 14:17-19, 29-46, 53,
66-72) and watch the story in episode 37, Betrayal.
Click the pictures to see a larger version - you might want to save or print them too!
To find out more, read...The Last Supper and Jesus’ arrest – Mark 14:17-19, 29-46, 53, 66-72
and watch Friends and Heroes...
The Last Supper and Jesus’ arrest – Series 3 Episode 37, “Betrayal”