Mount of Olives

(mount of olives, olive mount) (Zech. 14:4; Luke 19:37) — one of the hills of Judea, lying east of Jerusalem, from which it is separated by the valley of the Kidron (John 18:1). There is no doubt that it received its name from the olive trees that grew there in abundance from remote antiquity, ancient specimens of which may still be seen today on the western slope of the mount, in the garden of Gethsemane (see Gethsemane). The Mount of Olives is first mentioned in the touching biblical account of David’s flight from Jerusalem on the occasion of the rebellion of his son Absalom: “And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet,” says the sacred writer, “and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot…” (2 Sam. 15:30ff.).

Besides this, it is directly called the Mount of Olives once more in the Old Testament, namely in the book of the prophet Zechariah: “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east” (14:4). There are, however, other places in Holy Scripture where it is referred to, sometimes as “the mount that is before Jerusalem” (1 Kings 11:7), sometimes as “the mount of corruption” [mount of olives, per the Slavonic] (2 Kings 23:13), sometimes as “the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezek. 11:23).

But it is mentioned especially often in the sacred books of the New Testament: “and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives” (Matt. 21:1); and “when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (26:30);