Chagall Windows

at the Hadassah Medical Centre

November 26th - Day 14

Hilary and I visited the Hadessah Medical Centre today, where we saw an architectural jewel in Jerusalem, windows a gift from the world renowed artist Marc Chagall . But before we went there, I managed to visit the most revered Christian site in the world, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It was a fascinating morning.

On the way to the Old City at 5:00 am to avoid massive crowds that come every day.

Still walking in near darkness, I found this, birds projected onto a building giving the impression they are flying through the air.

The Old City wall near Jaffa Gate

At the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, identified as the place both of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, and considered by millions to be the most sacred site in the Christian world. The photo is of the Stone of Unction, on which pilgrims believe Christ's body was was laid and anointed after his crucifixion.

The traditional site of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, located directly over an alter under which pilgrims must crawl under to view it. The site is located on a 'hill' which has been covered by a second floor in the church, and is made accessible by steep stairs. Surrounded by intricate religious motifs and centuries of tradition, it is difficult to imagine what this site might have been like over two thousand years ago.

The Holy Sepulcher. A small doorway, located to the right, leads into a small chamber believed to be where the body of Jesus was laid to rest.

The entrance to the tomb.

A Catholic service underway while visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The service I happened across was attended at this very early hour by over 70 church leaders from around the world, approximately thirty brown robed Franciscan monks, and a handful of visitors.

Part of the ancient Cardo Maximus, simply called "the Cardo", described on Day 12.

The market was built in the 2nd century CE during the Roman and Byzantine times, forming an Arab market place that formed the 'heart', or "cardio" of the city. This is a more recent mural at the Cardo market, located on the site .

Chagall Windows

Hilary and I were shown these windows during a tour while we were visiting the Hadessah Medical Centre. Each of the twelve windows represent one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and are rich in religious symbolism. Chagall donated these windows in 1962 after two years of painstaking research.

Perhaps it was because of the day, but light showing through the windows rendered them to be somewhat more brilliant than the ones shown on the Hadassah website. The effect was a beautiful interplay of color and light. Links to the Hadassah site, provided below, describe their meanings.

Note, the Haddassah website is pretty slow, so some of the links below may take some time to load.

Left to right:

Left to right

Judah: interpretation
Zebulon: interpretation
Ishachar: interpretation

Left to right:

Napthali: interpretation
Joseph: interpretation
Benjamin: interpretation

Chgall wrote this at the time, reflecting on the Holocaust, a fresh, burning memory among many Jews who had lost their loved ones during the Holocaust:

"All the time I was working, I felt my mother and father looking over my shoulder; and behind them were Jews,

millions of other vanished Jews -- of yesterday and a thousand years ago, "

Chagall designed the twelve windows around the twelve tribes of Israel, using the Bible, in particular, Genesis 49, where Jacob blesses his 12 sons, and Deuteronomy 33, where Moses blesses the Twelve Tribes. The dominant colors in each window were inspired by these blessings as well as by the biblical description of the breastplate of the High Priest in Exodus 28:15, with colors of gold, blue, purple and scarlet with 12 distinct gems.