Dominus Flevit Church, Jerusalem
The Church of Dominus Flevit, Jerusalem. Photo: Dominus Flevit Church.
View of Temple Mount from a window in Dominus Flevit. Photo: moncay.
Dominus Flevit Church is a small Fransciscan church located on the upper western slope of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Bible trivia buffs know that the shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35, when "Jesus wept" over the death of Lazarus. But Dominus Flevit, which means "the cry of the Lord," commemorates a different occasion on which Jesus was moved to tears.
According to Luke 19:41, "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it" because "the days will come upon you when your enemies will... dash you to the ground." (Christians believe this was fulfilled in 70 CE, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.) Dominus Flevit Church is believed to mark the place where Jesus' mourning over Jerusalem occurred.
The current Dominus Flevit Church was commissioned by the Franciscans, who still run the site, and designed by Italian architect Anton Barluzzin. Constructed in 1954, the church is in the shape of a tear drop to symbolize the Lord's tears.
The current church stands on the ruins of a 7th-century church, some mosaics of which still remain. The western window in Dominus Flevit provides a beautiful view of the Temple Mount.
During the construction of the modern church, an ancient Jewish tomb dating to as early as the first century BC was discovered beneath. The tomb and several ossuaries (bone boxes) can be seen by visitors.
Map
Location map and satellite view of Dominus Flevit Church in Jerusalem (center marker). Using the slider on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore all of from space on our Jerusalem Satellite Map or on Google Earth.
| Names: | Dominus Flevit Church; Church of Dominus Flevit |
| Type of site: | Franciscan church; biblical site |
| Date: | 1954 |
| Hours: | Daily 8am-12, 2:30-5. |
| Etiquette: | Wear modest dress (shoulders and knees covered). |
| Other: | There are rest rooms available. |
- Dominus Flevit Reviews - TripAdvisor
- Dominus Flevit – Christus Rex Fransciscan Cyberspot
- Dominus Flevit – Near East Tourist Agency
