Mount of Olives - Garden of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane - Mount of Olives

Garden of Gethsemane is located at the foot of Mount of Olives, directly east of Jerusalem. Garden of Gethsemane was where olives from the Mount of Olives were pressed into oil ("Gethsemane" is derived from the Hebrew words "Gat", which means "a place for pressing" and "Shemanim", which means "oils").

After the Last Supper, Jesus came to the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples to pray and let himself be arrested (John 18:2-12), setting in motion the events that led to his crucifixion the next day. Today, Garden of Gethsemane is a Franciscan monastery with a small garden of eight olive trees, including a few that are said to be 2,000 years old and still bear olives.

Travel Tip
To get to the Garden of Gethsemane on foot, exit Old Jerusalem eastward via Stephen's Gate, and then simply walk down to and across the Kidron Valley. If coming by taxi and visiting Mount of Olives as well, getting off at the top of the Mount of Olives and walking down to the Garden of Gethsemane will be easier on your legs than getting off at the Garden and hiking up the Mount.