Bethphage

Bethphage, at the eastern end of Jerusalem.

The suburb of Jerusalem towards Bethany.

Inhabitants or natives

Cleanthes, the Greek cheese merchant, a healed leper, the owner of the colt on which Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Description

The colt of Bethphage - James Tissot - Brooklyn Museum.

Village near Bethany on the east side of the Mount of Olives. This mount, also called "Olivaie", is a ridge 3.5 km long that stretches from north to south, a short distance east of Jerusalem, on the other side of the Kidron. The highest of its three peaks reaches 826 m.

There are two roads from Jerusalem to Bethany. Bethphagé is located on one of them. Jean Aulagnier places it on the northern route passing near Gethsemane. Based on the indications of the entry into Jerusalem, it could rather be located on the southern route. The mount on which Jesus climbs to weep over Jerusalem would then be the Mount of Scandal which is at the altitude of the upper city (about 760 m) and slightly overlooks the Temple and the lower city.

Notable events

A leper was healed near there on a Sabbath day - This is the place where the apostles go to fetch the colt for the triumphant entry on Palm Sunday.

Its name

Bethphage - Bethphague - means "place of young figs" or "The house of figs".

Today El-Tour.

Where is it mentioned in the work?

GRM 47
GRM 461 GRM 486
GRM 550 GRM 581 GRM 588 GRM 590
GRM 632

Learn more about this place

Excerpt from the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel According to Maria Valtorta, by Jean-François Lavère:

This village is mentioned more than twenty times in the work. Jesus stays nearby, with Simon the Zealot (Apostle), just before meeting Lazarus. "You can see, Master, that the distance was within the prescription of the Law.”. Indeed, they were less than a kilometer from Lazarus' house. It is also at Bethphage that Jesus arranges to meet the disciples, to go to the Temple: "I will pass through Bethphage and enter Jerusalem and I will go up to the Temple in a solemn way.” And it is again from there that the triumphant procession towards Jerusalem begins. "It is not easy to pass through Bethphage, along its narrow twisted streets [...]” observes the seer. Victor Guérin located Bethphage "on a kind of ridge that separates the Mount of Olives from the one overlooking Bethany”. This location, authenticated nowadays by archaeology, corresponds exactly to the place described by Maria Valtorta.

Explore

• 31° 43’ 33’’ N / 35° 15’ 04’’ E

• +760m

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Kilometres. 1 km = 0.621 miles. 1 mile = 1.609 km.