why do christians go to pilgrimage to Jerusalem and what is there to do for a pilgrim there?

Question

10 points will be rewarded for the most detailed one.

Answer 1

To see the places where Jesus walked and walked his talk and performed his miracles. The beautiful ancient churches including the church of the Nativity, the garden of Gethsemane, the pool of Siloam, Via Dolorosa(path of Christ to the crucifixion), Lithostrotos (Pilate's Court), the empty tomb of Jesus and to experience the spirituality of Jerusalem, coveted by the followers of atleast three major religions today, encompassing 3/5ths of the world's population.

For the Christian, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is the pilgrimage par excellence. It is a journey to the very source of Christianity, to the very place where "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us". Visiting this pre-eminent spiritual destination is truly an experience of a lifetime and something not to be missed.

Attesting to its powerful impact on the visitor; William Johnston, author of the acclaimed handbook on the Holy Land, says: "Here the pilgrim who is open to God's grace will be deeply enriched in the Faith, for the mind will be filled with the awesome wonder of so many sacred shrines and this will be cemented in the heart never to fade".

And this! The Miracle of the Holy fire at the tomb of Christ at Easter

http://www.holyfire.org/eng/velich.htm

Muslims, who deny the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, tried to put obstacles in the way of the miracle. Well known Muslim historian Al Biruni wrote: "… a (Muslim) governor brought a copper wire instead of a wick (note: for the self lighting oil lamps), in order that it wouldn't ignite and the whole thing would fail to occur. But as the fire descended, the copper burned."

Just the fact that no-one can really stop God makes the spine tingle and hope surge eternal!

If you are going to Jerusalem, be sure you don't miss Galilee where Jesus did most of his preaching, the Jordan river, where he was baptized, the tomb of John the Baptist, Nazareth(where he grew up) and Bethlehem (where Jesus was born ), the halls of the crusaders and Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Answer 2

Pilgrimage To Jerusalem

Answer 3

Jerusalem Pilgrimage

Answer 4

Christians go not only to Jerusalem for pilgrimage but also to Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernum, the Jordan river and other places mentioned in the Gospels. The reason is to walk in the literal footsteps of Christ.

In Jerusalem, of course, are the shrines of the Holy Sepulchre (which has the tomb from which Jesus rose, and the spot where he was crucified), Gethsemani, Dominus Flevit (where Jesus wept over Jerusalem), the Holy Cenacle (where the last supper took place), and many many more.

In Bethlehem there is the Birth place of Jesus. In Nazareth, the place where the Annunciation to Mary took place and the home where Jesus Mary and Joseph was.

For more details, see this website run by the Franciscans who have care of many of the shrines in the Holy Land:

http://198.62.75.4/opt/xampp/custodia/tsancta/00sanctENG.php

Edit: The Biblical Archaeology Society, not affliated with any particular denomination, stated in a book they offer online that no serious scholars today consider the Garden tomb to be the tomb of Jesus. However it is still a nice example of a Jewish tomb.

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why do christians go to pilgrimage to Jerusalem and what is there to do for a pilgrim there?
10 points will be rewarded for the most detailed one.

Answer 6

It makes the Biblical stories seem more memorable and more real, when you get to see the actual, tangible places that they took place. And some Biblical stories make more sense to you when you see the layout of the land of Israel for yourself -- you can see why certain people did certain things.

Not to mention the fact that a lot of the world's history took place here in Israel. There are ruins from almost any time period that you might be interested in, Crusader castles, Greek & Roman ruins, bronze age cities, etc. Many are not in the best condition, but since cities tend to be built over each other, you can go back thousands of years in time at a single archeological dig site. And Israel has some good museums -- including the Dead Sea scroll museum. Strolling through the old medieval city of Jerusalem has its charm, and when you are tired of the old city markets, modern Jerusalem has one of the largest malls in the middle east.

And the land itself is beautiful to see. And the Dead Sea spas, the caves of the Dead Sea scrolls, and the ruins of Masada are just a day trip from Jerusalem. And you can take a trip to the resort on the Red Sea, which is considered to be some of the best diving & snorkeling areas in the world to see unspoiled coral reef (although you probably can see more from the Egyptian side). And the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, where they filmed "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" is just across the border. A whole roman city is carved into the side of narrow canyons, and is a world heritage site.

Answer 7

They "pilgrimage" to Jerusalem for the same reason that a person who is an Elvis fan goes to Graceland or a movie star fan visits the sites in Hollywood and steps in the foot prints.

They want to see the spots spoken of in the Bible, walk the same street that Jesus and the others did, visit the sites of his birth, death, burial and resurrection. Take picture, buy t-shirts and coffee mugs, and do all the other things that anyone would do when visiting a place that is important to them.

Answer 8

to see the origin of christianity, to walk where jesus walked, to see the remains (roman theater) from herod and paul's imprisonment, to see the ancient port city of Jaffa where jonah set sail, to see Elijah's cave and 'the horns of carmel', to see the bahai temple or the persian gardens, to visit Cana, Nazareth, or the home of Joseph and Mary, to visit the church of transfiguration, to visit mary magdalene's house, and see the mount of the beattitudes, and Tabgha (traditional sight of loaves and fishes feast), to visit the sea of Galiliee and the rock of the mensa christi, to see Capernaum, the house of Peter, the Tiberius baptismal sight, the Mount of Olives and the holy city of Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the chapel of ascension, the church of all nations, rthe valley of Kidron and Mount Zion, to see King David's tomb and the supposed room of the last supper, to see the church of the nativity built on the sight where Jesus was born, to see the western wall, the wailing wall, the temple mount and the muslim shrines, the pools of bethseda, to walk the via dolorosa (the path of the cross), to see calvary, and the resurrection tomb, to see where John the baptist was born, to visit the Israel Museum with the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, to see the dead sea and the caves around it, to visit Masada, Qumran, Jericho and Bethany. To visit Ashkelon, Gat, and Ashdod, the knight's halls and the underground city, the church of St. Peter,
There is probably more, but that is what I can think of.

Answer 9

Christians are NOT commanded to make a pilgrimage anywhere, nor do they need to live by a legalistic system for their salvation. The book of Romans lays it out in detail...no need to paste the entire book here, though I am tempted ;)

Answer 10

It boosts a Christian's faith to see the places where Jesus lived and worked. Jesus was a real historical figure and Christians appreciate that history.