450 - Jerusalem (Mount of Olives) - Eleona

41. (1) (Constantine) took in hand here other sites venerated for their two mystic caves, and he adorned these also with rich artwork. On the cave of the first divine manifestation of the Saviour, where he submitted to the experience of birth in the flesh, he bestowed appropriate honours; while at the other he dignified the monument on the mountain-top to his ascension into heaven. (2) These also he artistically honoured, perpetuating the memory of his own mother, who had bestowed so much good on human life.

...

43. (1) (Helena, mother of Constantine) immediately consecrated to the God she adored two shrines, one by the cave of his birth, the other on the mountain of the ascension. For the God with us allowed himself to suffer even birth for our sake, and the place of his birth in the flesh was announced among the Hebrews by the name of Bethlehem. - - - (3) Again the Emperor's mother erected on the Mount of Olives the monument to the journey into heaven of the Saviour of the Universe in lofty buildings; up by the ridges at the peak of the whole mountain she raised the sacred house of the church, and constructed just there a shrine for prayer to the Saviour who chose to spend his time on that spot, since just there a true report maintains that in that cave the Saviour of the Universe initiated the members of his guild in ineffable mysteries. (4) There also the Emperor bestowed all kinds of offerings and ornaments on the great King.

(transl. Cameron and Hall)

Hence, you go up the Mount of Olives, where the Lord taught the apostles before his passion: here a basilica has been built by command of Constantine.

(transl. Di Segni)

(8) Just after seven in the morning <of the first day of Epiphany>, when the people have rested, they all assemble in the Great Church on Golgotha. And on this day in this church, and at the Anastasis and the Cross and Bethlehem, the decorations really are too marvellous for words: All You can see is gold and jewels and silk; the hangings are entirely silk with gold stripes, the curtains the same, and everythmg they use for services at the festival is made of gold and jewels. You simply cannot imagine the number, and the sheer weight of the candles and the tapers and lamps and everything else they use for the services. - - - (11) On the fourth day <of Epiphany> they decorate everything and celebrate in the same way on the Eleona (the very beautiful church on the Mount of Olives). - - - The decorations and rejoicing continue for eight days in all these places I have mentioned.

(transl. Wilkinson)

<Palm Sunday>

30. (2) When the service in the Great Church has taken place in the usual way, before the dismissal, the archdeacon makes this announcement: "During this week, starting tomorrow, let us meet at three in the afternoon at the Martyrium" (that is, in the Great Church). And he makes another announcement: "At one o'clock today let us be ready on the Eleona." After the dismissal in the Great Church, the Martyrium, the bishop is taken with singing to the Anastasis. They do in the Anastasis the things which usually follow the Sunday dismissal in the Martyrium, and then everyone goes home and eats a quick meal, so as to be ready by one o'clock at the Eleona church op. the Mount of Olives, the place of the cave where the Lord used to teach. 

31.(1) At one o'clock all the people go up to the Eleona Church on the Mount of Olives. The bishop takes his seat, and they have hymns and antiphons suitable to the place and the day, and readings too. When three o'clock comes, they go up with hymns and sit down at the Imbomon, the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven.

<Holy Thursday>

35. (1) Thursday is like the other days from cock-crow till morning in the Anastasis, at nine o'clock, and at midday. But it is the custom to assemble earlier than on ordinary days in the afternoon at the Martyrium, in fact at two o'clock, since the dismissal has to take place sooner. The assembled people have the service.; on that day the Offering is made in the Martyrium, and the dismissal takes place at about four in the afternoon. Before the dismissal the archdeacon makes this announcement: Let us meet tonight at seven o'clock in the church on the Eleona. There is a great effort ahead of us tonight!" - - - (2) Then everybody hurries home for a meal, so that, as soon as they have finished it, they can go to the church on Eleona which contains the cave which on this very day the Lord visited with the apostles. (3) There they continue to sing hymns and antiphons suitable to the place and the day, with readings and prayers between, until about eleven o'clock at night. They read the passages from the Gospel about what the Lord said to his disciples when he sat in the very cave which is in the church. (4) At about midnight they leave and go up with hymns to the Imbomon, the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven.

<Octave>

39. (1) The eight days of Easter they celebrate till a late hour, like us, and up to the eighth day of Easter they follow the same order as people do everywhere else. The arrangements and decorations for the eight days of Easter are like those for the season of Epiphany in the Great Church, and also in the Anastasis, At the Cross, on the Eleona, at Bethlehem, the Lazarium, and elsewhere. (2) On the first Sunday, Easter Day itself, they assemble in the Great Church, the Martyrium, and similarly on the Monday and Tuesday; and when they have had the dismissal, there they always go with singing from the Martyrium to the Anastasis. But on the Wednesday they assemble on the Eleona, on the Thursday in the Anastasis, on the Friday on Sion, on the Saturday Before the Cross, and on the eighth day, the Sunday, they assemble once more in the Great Church, the Martyrium. (3) On each of the eight days of Easter the bishop, with all the clergy, the "infants" who have been baptized, all the apotactites both men and women, and any of the people who wish, go up to the Eleona after their meal (the Eleona contains the cave where Jesus used to teach his disciples) and in that church they have hymns and prayers, and also at the Imbomon (the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven). - - -

40. (1) On the eighth day of Easter, the Sunday, all the people go up with the bishop immediately after midday to the Eleona. They start in this church, taking their places for a time and having hymns and antiphons, and prayers appropriate to the day and place. Then they go up to the Imbomon and do as on the Eleona.

<Pentecost>

43. (3) They have the reading (on Mt Sion) from the Acts of the Apostles, and afterwards the service proceeds as usual, and they make the Offering there. Then as the people are dismissed the archdeacon makes this announcement: “Let us all be ready today on the Mount of Eleona at the Imbomon immediately after midday.” (4) So all the people go home for a rest, and, as soon as they have had their meal, they go up Eleona, the Mount of Olives, each at his own pace, till there is not a Christian left in the city. (5) Once they have climbed Eleona, the Mount of Olives, they go to the Imbomon (the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven), where the bishop takes his seat, and also the presbyters and all the people. They have readings, and between them hymns and antiphons suitable to this day and to the place. Also the prayers which come between are concerned with subjects appropriate to the day and the place. They have the Gospel reading about the Lord's ascension, and then the reading from the Acts of the Apostles about the Lord ascending into heaven after the resurrection. (6) When this is over, the catechumens are blessed, then the faithful. It is already three o'clock, and they go down with singing from there to the other church on Eleona, containing the cave where the Lord used to sit and teach the apostles. By the time they get there it is after four, and they have Lucernare. The prayer is said, the catechumens are blessed, and then the faithful, and they go out. All the people, every single one of them, go down with their bishop, singing hymns and antiphons suitable to that day, and so, very gradually, they make their way to the Martyrium.

(transl. Wilkinson)

The feast ranks with Easter or Epiphany, and during Encaenia they decorate the churches in the same way, and assemble each day in different holy places, as at Easter and Epiphany. On the first and second days they assemble in the Great Church, the Martyrium, on the third day in the Eleona Church on the Mount from which the Lord ascended into heaven after his passion (I mean the church which contains the cave where the Lord taught the apostles on the Mount of Olives).

(transl. Wilkinson)

Also on the Mount of Olives is a splendid cave with an altar in it, where the Lord used to teach his disciples, and over the cave a large holy church.

(transl. Wilkinson)

After her brother <Pinian>, whom we have mentioned, fell asleep in the Lord <late 431 or 432>, Melania remained in the Aposteleion that she had constructed a short time before and in which she had also deposited the remains of the blessed man. She remained here for about four years, very much wearing herself out in fasting, vigils, and constant sorrow. After these things occurred, aroused by divine zeal, (Melania) wished to build a monastery for holy men that they might carry out their nightly and daily psalmody without interruption at the place of the Ascension of the Lord and in the grotto where the Savior talked with his holy disciples about the end of time. - - - And when, under God, she began this project, the Lord who worked with her in all things completed the vast undertaking in one year, so that everyone was astounded to learn that truly it was by a heavenly influence that the work had been accomplished. She lodged there holy men, lovers of God, who cheerfully performed the divine service in the Church of Christ's Ascension and in that of the Apostles, where the blessed ones were also buried.

(transl. Clark)

Round Jerusalem the country has a rough hilly character, and on the east the city looks out at the Mount of Olives. On this there are two very famous churches, one sited at the spot where Jesus addressed his disciples, and the other at the spot where it is said that he ascended into heaven.

(transl. Wilkinson)

From the Mount of Olives the Lord ascended into the heavens. Near that place is a cave called the Matzi, which means "of the disciples", where my Lord used to rest when he was preaching in Jerusalem. In it Saint John the Evangelist lay on the Lord's breast.

(transl. Wilkinson)

ANOTHER CHURCH BUILT ON THE RIGHT OF BETHANY

(1) We have decided to give a brief description of another famous church which is south of Bethany, and built on the spot where it is said the Lord addressed his disciples on the Mount of Olives. (2) But this means we must take care to ask what address this was, when it took place, and to which particular disciples the Lord was speaking. - - - (8) In the place where this address was held, a church has been built in memory of the event, and it is held in great reverence.

(transl. Wilkinson)

There is a third church on (Mount Olivet) to the south of Bethany, were the Lord before his passion spoke with his disciples about the day of judgement.

(transl. Wilkinson)

And further on to the east there are 2,340 steps going up to the Place of Teaching in which Christ taught the apostles saying, "I am about to be taken up. And as for you, go and teach the things I have taught you".

(transl. Wilkinson)

On the holy Mount of Olives, three churches: - - - a second, where Christ taught his disciples, where there are 3 monks, 1 priest. - - -

(transl. McCormick)