The
Cathedral
of
St.
James,
the
jewel
of
the
Armenian
Patriarchate
of
Jerusalem,
lies
just
beyond
its
entry
gate.
It
has
been
built
on
the
site
of
the
tombs
of
St.
James,
the
Apostle,
and
St.
James
the
brother
of
the
Lord.
A
magnificent
edifice
dating
from
the
12th
century
with
mostly
18th
century
decoration
because
of
the
renewal
work
carried
out
by
the
late
Patriarch,
Gregory
the
Chainbearer
(1715-1749),
it
ranks
as
one
of
the most awe-inspiring in all of the Middle East.
At
the
entrance
to
the
Cathedral,
a
large
plaque
marks
the
site
of
the
grave
of
Jerusalem's
94th
Armenian
Patriarch,
the
late
Archbishop
Guregh
Israelian.
One
of
the
city's
most
popular
and
charismatic
men
of
the
cloth.
Israelian
died
in
1949,
of
a
broken
heart
it
is
said,
after
witnessing
the
intolerable
suffering
of
his
war-ravaged
flock,
caught
in
the
crossfire
of
war-time.
hostilities.
More
than
once,
he
would
cradle
in
his
own
arms,
the
shrapnel-
shredded
body
of
an
Armenian
who
had
been
the
latest
casualty
in
the
unrelenting war.
Another
unpretentious
grave
sits
under
an
archway
a
few
paces
away,
at
the
other
end
of
the
vestibule.
This
one
is
the
last
resting
place
of
the
Armenian
Patriarch,
Abraham,
a
contemporary
of
Saladdin.
Upon
entering
t
h
e
Cathedral,
one
is
immediately
captivated
by
the
interior
bedecked
by
centuries
old
"ganteghs"
(oil
l
a
m
p
s
)
dangling
from
the
soaring
vaulted
dome
and
t
a
l
l
o
w
candles
dotting
the
three
altars.
The
only
source
of
light,
the
oil
lamps,
are
still
lovingly
tended
by
altar
boys
who
replenish
them
with
oil
at
regular
intervals.
The
candles,
made
by
the
Patriarchate's
own
candle-maker,
try
vainly
to
dispel
the
elemental
darkness
that
pervades
the
church,
imparting
a
mystical
significance
to
Armenian
church
rites.
To
the
left
of
the
entrance
are
three
small
chapels.
The
first
from
the
entrance
contains
the
tomb
of
Makarios,
the
bishop
of
Jerusalem
in
the
fourth
century.
The
third
from
the
entrance
is
the
shrine
where
the
head
of
St.
James
the
Apostle
is
entombed.
Armenians
believe
that
he
was
buried
here
in
the
first
century
after
his
execution
by
King
Herod
Agrippa
I.
In
the
chancel,
beyond
the
fence,
are
two
thrones.
The
one
closest
to
the
pier
with
the
canopy
is
the
symbolic
throne
of
St.
James,
the
brother
of
the
Lord,
and
first
bishop
of
Jerusalem,
who
is
buried
beneath
the
high
altar.
The
Patriarch
stands
in
front
of
this
throne
once
a
year
on
the
feast
of
St.
James
in
early
January
to
symbolize
his
place
in
the
succession
of
the
bishops
of
Jerusalem.
The
other
throne
is
the
one
normally used by the Patriarch.
The
Cathedral
has
in
the
past
also
served
as
a
bomb
shelter.
During
the
1948
Arab-
Israeli
war,
the
only
sanctuary
from
the
daily
bombardment
of
the
city
that
the
Armenians
could
find
was
within
the
solid,
reassuring
confines
of
their
Cathedral,
with
its
one-meter
thick
walls.
During
one
particularly
memorable
night,
over
1,000
shells
of
all
kinds,
including
the
dreaded
mortar,
landed
on
and
around
the
Cathedral.
But
not
a
single
casualty
did
they
claim.
Many
believers
would
later
swear
that
they
had
seen
a
mysterious
figure,
dressed
in
white,
standing
vigil
on
the
roof
of
the
Cathedral,
warding
off
the
shower
of
missiles
with
his
hands.
Believers
assert
that
it
was
none
other
than
St.
James the Elder.
the most magnificent Cathedral in Jerusalem