Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Part I

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem is considered by Christians the holiest of all churches in the Holy Land. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was erected in 325 AD over the site where it is believed Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead. Upon approaching the structure, you could not possibly imagine what you might find inside. The church is managed by five very competitive Christian denominations: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic and Syrian Orthodox. There is also small Ethiopian Orthodox chapel on the roof.

For centuries, two families have been caretakers of the keys: one man from the Joudeh family and another from the Nuseibeh family. The two Jerusalem Palestinian families have been the custodians of the entrance to the Holy Sepulchre since the 12th century. Christians believe that this church is the location of the Rock upon which Jesus was crucified.

Photo: The iron locks are very unusual and every night the huge doors are locked. The story behind the key is fascinating. Read on!

Photo: Wajeeh Nuseibeh. The Joudehs, a Muslim family, holds the key to the Holy Sepulchre and for centuries the Nuseibeh family and their ancestors have opened the doors to the church every morning at 4:30 a.m. I took some photos off the websites of the two families shown below.

Photo:  A member of the Joudeh family is holding the key. Come rain or shine, Abeed Joudeh walks from his apartment outside the walls of the Old City to bring the key to the church, just as his father and forebears did before him. Once there, Abeed entrusts the key which looks like a 12-inch long iron wedge to Wajeeh Nuseibeh, who knocks at the gate to call the priests and the pilgrims who have spent the night praying inside.

From inside the church, a wooden ladder is passed through a port hole. The photo shows Wajeeh's father on the ladder so he could unlock the upper part of the enormous door.

Every evening at nightfall, after three raps of an iron doorknocker spaced out over half an hour, Wajeeh closes up the church and gives the key back to Abeed Joudeh for safekeeping overnight. It's intriguing to know that two Muslim families are entrusted to safeguard the key and to be the doorkeepers for such a famous, holy sight for Christians. About 100 years ago, the key was stolen. Although it was eventually recovered, a spare key is now kept in a locked room inside the church.

Wajeeh, age 55, explained that this responsibility is passed down from father to son or one generation to the next. He first opened the church when he was only 15 and at that time he thought it was a fun thing to do. However, as he grew up, he realized it was truly an honor and a job other Christians denominations would fight for. He inherited this job from his father and grandfather, in tradition going back more than 1,300 years.

Sometimes the tensions over the right to clean or to pray in a particular area of the Church spills over into violence. Wajeeh's family has helped keep the peace between them since Caliph Omar Ibn Kattab first conquered Jerusalem for the Muslims in 638. The only gap was during 88 years of Crusader rule in the 12th century.

For Wajeeh's labor, he receives $15 every month, an income he supplements by giving tours of the church and I would speculate that Abeed receives the same. He said the honor is worth more to him than the token payment. When tensions boil over between the denominations, Wajeeh is the one who calms the waters. He calls people from the Christian churches his "brothers" and said sometimes they have problems. The two Muslim families are neutral people in the church and he explained they help preserve peace and settle disputes in this "holy place."

Wajeeh said, "I know every stone. It is like my home, but I go to pray at the Omar Mosque next door." The Omar Mosque is adjacent to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Nuseibeh said he is deeply touched by the Christian rituals and feels a close affinity with the church but he does not pray there. As we have visited mosques and synagogues, we have also recognized that those are also "holy places" and it feels good to watch others pray and show reverence to a Higher Power.

Wajeeh becomes anxious when there are special ceremonies in the church or large crowds and he worries the doors will not unlock but that has never happened in the 20 years since he took over from his father. He hopes that one day his son Obadah, now 21, will step into his footsteps, but that's not certain. His son is in college studying to be a sports trainer and said, "Maybe he will not follow me and then my brother or my cousin will take over."

Even though The Joudeh and Nuseubeh families are the doorkeepers, each of the three major sects receives the key for one day during the Holy Week (Easter). On Holy Thursday the key is held by the head of the Franciscan Monastery. On Good Friday the key is held by the Greek Orthodox Monastery. On Holy Fire Saturday it is held by the Armenian Orthodox Church. Other sects may use the church but only these three may hold the key. TO BE CONTINUED . . . .