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bethphage

Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem, is known as the starting point of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Jewish author Matthew in the New Covenant recorded how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.

Matthew 21:1-7 says,

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.

triumph road

Jesus rode a donkey down this road from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

other view

This Triumph Road also is the place that Jesus wept over the city and predicted the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

Luke 19:41-44 “⁴¹As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴²saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.'”

ossuary

A number of Second Temple tombs were discovered on the Mount of Olives. These bone boxes called Ossuaries were found inside the tombs.