Mount of Olives cemetery 8

The Mount of Olives is covered with graves of Jewish people today, but in the biblical era, olive trees and vineyards dominated the landscape. The “mount” is a long hill on the very top of the ridge of the Judean Mountains. Look to the east and you’ll see the Judean Wilderness and the Dead Sea, just 15 miles away. Bethlehem is five miles to the south. Only the Kidron Valley separates the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount. Jesus descended this hill on Palm Sunday, often spent the night at the base of the hill (in Gethsemane), and was known to teach on the slopes as his followers took in the sight of the great city.