THE PLACE OF THE LORD'S ASCENSION, AND THE CHURCH BUILT THERE
(1) Nowhere on the whole Mount of Olives does one find a higher place than the one from which it is said that the Lord ascended into the heavens. A great round church stands there, which has round it three porticoes with vaulted roofs. (2) But there is no vault or roof over the central part; it is out of doors and open to the sky. At the east of it has been built an altar with a small roof over it. (3) The reason why there is no roof over the inner part of this building is so as not to hinder those who pray there from seeing the way, from the last place where the Lord's feet were standing, when he was taken up to heaven in a cloud, to the heavenly height. (4) At the time when they were building this church we have been describing, it was impossible, as you will find written in other documents, to extend the paved part over the place of the Lord's footprints. Indeed the earth was unused to bear anything human and cast back the flagstones in the face of those who were laying them. (5) Moreover the dust on which God stood provides a testimony which is permanent, since his footprints are to be seen in it, and even though people flock there, and in their zeal take away the soil where the Lord stood, it never becomes less, and to this day there are marks like footprints on the earth. (6) Holy Arculf was a constant pilgrim at this place, and reports that it is situated, as we have explained, inside a large circular bronze railing, which is about the height of a man's neck, according to the measurements. (7) In the centre there is a sizable opening through which one looks down and sees the Lord's foot prints plainly and clearly impressed in the dust. (8) On the west of the circular railing is a kind of floor, which is always open, and enables people to go in and approach the place of the holy dust, reach their hands down through a hole in the railing, and take grains of the holy dust. (9) Thus our friend Arculf's account of the place of the Lord's footprints agrees exactly with what others have written, namely, that it cannot be covered either with a roof, nor with any other sort of covering, high up or low down, in order that it shall always remain visible to pilgrims, and that the prints of the Lord's feet can clearly be pointed out there. (10) A great lamp hangs above the circular railing from a pulley, and lights the footprints of the Lord, burning day and night. (11) On the west of the round building described above are eight upper windows paned with glass. Inside the windows, and in corresponding positions, are eight lamps. positioned so that each one of them seems to hang neither above nor below its window, but just inside it. (12) These lamps shine out from their windows on the summit of the Mount of Olives with such brilliance, that they light up not only the part of the Mount to the west, near this round stone church, but also the steps leading all the way up from the Valley of Jehoshaphat to the city of Jerusalem, which are lighted, however dark the night. Most of the nearer part of the city is lighted as well. (13) The remarkable brilliance of these eight lamps shining out by night from the holy Mount and the place of the Lord's Ascension brings to believing hearts a readiness for the love of God, and brings awe to their mind and deep reverence to their soul. (14) We must also pass on the reply which Arculf gave about this round church when we were discussing it, and I questioned him in more detail. (15) "Every year, on the anniversary of the Lord's Ascension, when it is noon, and the holy ceremonies of the Mass in this church are over, a violent storm of wind bursts in, so violent that no one can either stand or sit in the church or anywhere near it. People remain lying on their faces until this terrifying storm has passed over. (16) The Lord's footprints are clearly to be seen in the opening in the middle of the circular railing we have described, and this remains open to the sky. But this terrible gale accounts for the fact that there can be no roof over this part of the building. (17) Any one who tried to construct a roof over it would find that the beams were destroyed by the force of this wind which God sends." (18) Telling us about this fearsome storm, holy Arculf said to us that he himself was there in this church on the Mount of Olives on the Day of the Lord's Ascension at the time when this gale burst upon it. (19) The shape of this round church is represented helow, admittedly in rather a poor sketch, and also the circular railing in its centre. (20) We also learned from what holy Arculf told us that, on the night of the feast of the Lord's Ascension, they add innumerable other lamps. there, besides the eight which burn in this round church every night. Their solemn and marvellous brilliance pours out through the window panes not only to illuminate the Mount of Olives, but also, as it seems, to set it on fire and to light up the whole area of the city below and its surroundings.
(transl. Wilkinson)
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