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What is the Mount of Olives?
        MOUNT OF OLIVES or OLIVET
        a noted mountain or range of hills east of Jerusalem. Names and Scripture History. - The mountain derives its name from the olive trees which formerly abounded on its sides, some of which are still found thereon. It is called "Olivet'" and "Mount of Olives" in the O.T., 2 Sam 15:30; Zech 14:4, and is also alluded to as the "mount," Neh 8:15, the mount facing Jerusalem, 1 Kgs 11:7, the "mountain which is on the east side of the city," Eze 11:23; and the "mount of corruption " probably refers to a portion of Olivet. 2 Kgs 23:13. It is also called, in the N.T., "Mount of Olives" and "Olivet," and was a scene of several of the most interesting events in the life of our Lord. Matt 21:1; 1 Sam 24:3; Acts 26:30; Mark 11:1; Gen 13:3; Mark 14:26; Luke 19:29, 2 Kgs 18:37; Josh 21:37; Luke 22:39; John 8:1; Acts 1:12. The modern Arabic name is sometimes Jebel ez-Zeitun, or "mount of olives," but more usually it is Jebel et-Turs, or "mount of the summit." The mountain is first mentioned in connection with David's flight from Jerusalem to escape from Absalom. 2 Sam 15:30, 2 Sam 15:32; 2 Sam 16:1. Upon it Solomon built high places for the gods of his numerous wives, but these idolatrous places were destroyed by King Josiah. 1 Kgs 11:7; 2 Kgs 23:13-14. When the captive Jews celebrated the feast of tabernacles, the olive, pine, myrtle, and palm branches used in building their booths were brought from this mountain. Neh 8:15. The greatest interest, however, in this mountain is in connection with the closing scenes of our Saviour's ministry. At Bethany, on the eastern slope of the mountain, lived Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and here he performed his last and greatest miracle; from Olivet he made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem; upon it he spent the nights during the week of his passion; from its slopes he looked down upon .Jerusalem and wept over the ungrateful city as he foretold its fearful doom; on the night of his betrayal he retired to a garden at its foot, and spent those hours of prayer and agony; and after his resurrection, in the presence of his disciples, he ascended from Olivet to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father in his glory. John 11:1; Neh 12:1; Matt 21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29-38; Josh 21:37; Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32; Luke 22:39; Luke 24:50; Acts 1:12. Physical Features. - Olivet, or the Mount of Olives, is not a single peak, but a ridge having not less than four separate summits. Osborne describes six prominent heights in the Olivet range, but he includes Scopus, on the north, and the hill of "Evil Counsel," on the extreme south, of the ridge. The Olivet range extends north without any marked depression to the portion called Scopus, and the general elevation of the ridge is a little less than 3000 feet above the sea-level. It lies directly east of Jerusalem, and is separated from the city by the valley of the Kedron. The four chief peaks south of Scopus are:(1) The northern summit, called Viri Galilaei, from a tradition that the angels stood upon it when they spoke to the disciples. Acts 1:11. It is about half a mile north-east from the city, and is 2682 feet above the sea. (2) The central summit, or the "Mount of Ascension," 2665 feet in height, is situated directly east of the temple-area, and is the Mount of Olives proper. Three paths lead to this summit - one by a nearly direct ascent, another winding around the southern shoulder, and a third path leading around the northern shoulder. On the top of this peak is a chapel built upon the site of a church erected by Helena, the mother of Constantine, since tradition points out this spot as the place of the ascension of Christ. The monks point out even the footprint made by the ascending Lord, and the spot, a little south of this, where Christ is said to have taught the disciples the model, or Lord's, prayer. The true place of the ascension, however, was beyond the summit of Olivet, and near Bethany. Luke 24:50. (3) The third summit, about 600 yards south-west of the former, and three-fourths of a mile from Bethany, is called "the Prophets," from a curious catacomb called the "Prophets' Tombs" on its side. (4) The fourth summit, Olivet from the West. about 1000 yards from No. 3, is the "Mount of Offence," so called from the idol-worship which Solomon established there. None of the depressions which separate these summits are very deep; some are to be regarded as quite slight. It is evident that in ancient times this mountain-ridge was covered with olives, myrtles, figs, cypresses, and some species of the terebinth or oak, and also abounded in flowers. "The olives and olive-yards," says Stanley, "from which it derived its name must in earlier times have clothed it far more completely than at present, where it is only in the deeper and more secluded slopes leading up to the northernmost summit that these venerable trees spread into anything like a forest. And in those times, as we see from the name of Bethany ('house of dates'), and from the allusions after the Captivity and in the gospel history, myrtle-groves, pines, and palm trees - all of which have now disappeared - must have made it a constant resort for pleasure and seclusion. Two gigantic cedars, probably amongst the very few in Palestine, stood near its summit, under which were four shops where pigeons were sold for purification. The olive and fig alone now remain - the olive still in more or less abundance, the fig here and there on the roadside, but both enough to justify the Mussulmans' belief that in the oath in the Koran, 'By the olive and the fig,' the Almighty swears by his favorite city of Jerusalem, with this adjacent mountain." - Sinai and Palestine, p. 184. As our Lord must frequently have looked over the city and the surrounding country from the top of this mount, it will be interesting to describe the scene now presented to the eye of the traveller from this spot. The view from the top of the minaret upon the central summit, or Mount of Ascension, is extensive and magnificent. "Beyond the valley of the Kedron extends the spacious plateau of the Haram esh-Sherif, where the Dome of the Rock and the Aksa mosque present a particularly imposing appearance. The spectator should observe the direction taken by the temple-hill, the higher site of the ancient Bezetha, to the north of the temple, and the hollow of the Tyropoeon, which is plainly distinguishable, though now filled with rubbish, between the temple-hill and the upper part of the town. The dome-covered roofs of the houses form a very peculiar characteristic of the town. Toward the north, beyond the olive-grove outside the Damascus Gate, is seen the upper (western) course of the valley of the Kedron, decked with rich verdure in spring, beyond which rises the Scopus. The view toward the east is striking. Here, for the first time, we perceive that extraordinary and unique depression of the earth's surface which few travellers thoroughly realize. The blue waters of the Dead Sea, lying at the foot of the mountains which bound the eastern horizon, and apparently not many hundred feet below us, are really no less than 3900 feet below our present standpoint. The clearness of the atmosphere, too, is so deceptive that the mysterious lake seems quite near, though it can only be reached after a seven hours' ride over barren, uninhabited ranges of hills. The blue mountains which rise beyond the deep chasm, reaching the same height as the Mount of Olives, once belonged to the tribe of Reuben, and it is among these that Mount Nebo must be sought. To the extreme south of that range a small eminence, crowned by the village of Kerak, is visible in clear weather. On the eastern margin of the Dead Sea are seen two wide openings:that to the south is the valley of the river Arnon, and that to the north the valley of the Zerka. Farther north rises the Jehel Jilad, once the possession of the tribe of Gad. Nearer to us lies the valley of Jordan, the course of the river being indicated by a green line on a whitish ground. Toward the south-east we see the course of the valley of the Kedron, or 'Valley of Fire,' and on a hill-plateau, to the left, the village of Abu Dis. Bethany is not visible. Quite near us rises the 'Mountain of Offence:' beyond the Kedron that of 'Evil Counsel,' and farther distant, to the south, is the summit of the 'Frank Mountain,' or 'Hill of Paradise,' with the heights of Bethlehem and Tekoah; to the south-west, on the fringe of hills which bounds the plain of Kephaim on the south, lies the monastery of Mar Elyas, past which winds the road to Bethlehem. That town itself is concealed from view, but the large village of Bet Jala and several villages to the south of Jerusalem, such as Beit Sufafa and Esh-Sherafat, are distinctly visible." - Baedeker's Palestine and Syria, p. 219. The slopes of Olivet are terraced and cultivated, but the vegetation is not luxuriant. The principal trees now are the olive, fig, and carob, with here and there a few apricot, almond, terebinth, and hawthorn. At the western base of the mountain is Silwan, a miserable little village. Jewish tradition declares that the shekinah, or divine presence, after retiring from Jerusalem, dwelt three years and a half on Olivet, to see whether the Jews would repent, but when they would not, retired to his own place. See Jerusalem and Gethsemane.


Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'mount of olives' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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