Roman Temple Remains in a Russian Church
The Alexander Nevsky Church is a Russian church located in the Christian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, close to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.
The church, inaugurated in 1896, is named after Alexander Nevsky, a 13th century Russian prince who fought against the German and Swedish invaders and drove them from the land of Russia. Thanks to this, the prince became a saint and patron of Tsar Alexander III, who initiated the construction of several buildings throughout the Old City of Jerusalem during the second half of the 19th century.
The Russian consulate in Jerusalem was supposed to be built at the same location of the church. When construction began in 1857, archaeological excavations took place and important historical findings were discovered, which changed the plans of the Russians. The excavators discovered a section of the Byzantine Cardo, as well as the remains of a gate that led to the Roman forum. Remains of walls, a staircase and an arch were also uncovered, which according to researchers were part of the entrance to the pagan temple of Aphrodite built by the Romans, on which the Byzantine Church of the Holy Sepulchre was later built. Christians identify this complex as the "Judgment Gate" through which Jesus went outside the city walls to the Calvary before he was crucified, hence its importance. Due to the findings that were discovered, it was decided to build a church at the site, and the Russian consulate was moved to another location outside the city walls.
The church is located in the complex called "Alexander's Court", where there is also a monastery and a small museum. Several rooms in the corridor leading to the church have preserved the Russian imperial appearance, and you can be confused for a moment and think that this is a palace of a Russian nobleman in St. Petersburg at the 19th century.
The ownership of Alexander's court is in dispute, and Russia is trying to transfer it to the possession of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to media publications, the Israeli government promised in 2020, during the Naama Issachar affair, to settle the issue, however it remains open to this day.
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
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