What to see in Israel | Garden of Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane is a remarkably beautiful garden, across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus went with His disciples to pray after the Last Supper just before He was betrayed and arrested (Mark 14:32-41).

“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” – Mark 14:32 (NKJV)

What is the meaning of Gethsemane?

The name “Gethsemane” is made up of two Hebrew/Aramaic words “Gat Shemanei” which means “olive press”, suggesting that the garden was an olive grove complete with an olive press where harvested olives were processed, crushed and the olive oil extracted.

Today, the garden has manicured and tended flower beds surrounding a protected area that includes eight magnificent ancient olive trees, with some said to be at least 900 years old, still producing olives.

Adjacent to the garden is the Basilica of the Agony, also known as the Church of All Nations, that enshrines a slab of rock where Jesus is believed to have been praying before His arrest. The church was constructed with support from 12 different nations, thus the name “the Church of All Nations”.

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