One of the most significant sites for human history is the Upper Room, located in the Mt. Zion area of Jerusalem. It was in this room that Jesus ate the Last Supper with the Apostles. It was here that Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, when they were hiding behind closed doors. And it was in the Upper Room that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples at Pentecost. The original building is no longer there, but in the 12th century, the Crusaders, who worked hard to preserve the holy sites of Christianity in the Holy Land, erected a new structure in its place.
Today, the Upper Room is under the control of the state of Israel. Pilgrims and tourists are welcome to visit the building, but Christians are usually not permitted to hold services there. One rare exception was Pope Francis, who was allowed to say Mass in the room. Today, Christians are limited in their access to this holy place; whereas the first disciples were afraid to leave it, for fear of being arrested.
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Photo Credit: Church of the Divine Mercy, bird's eye view from Wikimedia Commons.
