Cenacle – the site of the Last Supper

The place for secret gatherings

Almost all the facts of the beginnings of Christianity are on the borderline between legend and real historical events. The story about Cenacle is not an exception – we can not be certain about anything in this story. But there is a high likelihood that many of these events happened in reality. But… back to the story:

One after another the apostles learned that there is a house just outside the walls of Jerusalem where they can find shelter during their visits to the city and meet each other. They knew that they need to be careful: many people did not like the activities of the first Christians and the authorities could stop the new movement at any moment.

The owner of this house was a lady from Cyrene, Libya named Mary who lived here with her son John Mark. Most likely she was an affluent widow, a relative to one of the apostles – Barnabas. The house had two floors and a larger room for gatherings was on the second floor. The name “cenacle” is derived from the Latin “cenaculum” – “the dining room” and could mean also “upper room”.

On the lower level of this same structure is a niche with sarcophagus – reportedly, a pseudo-tomb of King David. This is a reason why this hill was nicknamed: a City of David.

The Last Supper

Before his arrest, Jesus had to meet with his apostles for the last time. It is known from the Bible that he instructed two of them (possibly, Peter and John) to find a man who will carry a jar. This man would lead them to a house and in this house, they would find a large upper room furnished and ready for supper. All the other apostles also were present and the Cenacle was a witness of the Last Supper – the event which has influenced the history and habits of many people for millennia.

Birth of new religion

Apostles repeatedly met and hid in Cenacle after the death and resurrection of Christ. Here, after the betrayal of Judas Iscariot was elected the next apostle replacing Judas Iscariot: St. Matthias. Here the apostles saw appearances of Jesus – he appeared in another form but it was clear that Jesus now is seated at the right hand of God.

In a short time, the Cenacle turned into the first shrine of the new religion and on the seventh Sunday after Easter (resurrection of Christ) a truly magical event happened here again: upon Apostles descended the Holy Spirit. This event is celebrated as Pentecost now.

John Mark

One of the inhabitants of this house – shrine – John Mark most likely was the same Saint Mark, one of the authors of the New Testament. Mark was not a disciple of Jesus, but later, years after the crucifixion Mark became a companion at the beginning of St. Paul’s first apostolic journey. Around 49 AD Mark came to Egypt and founded the Church of Alexandria. He died in 68 AD as a martyr.

The story of the boy who lived in Cenacle and the later saint and founder of the church in Africa continued after his death. His relics were stolen from the Coptic monks in Alexandria by the Venetian merchants in 828 AD and now are in Venice, with the gorgeous Saint Mark’s Basilica built over these valuable bones.

The later history of Cenacle

One after another the apostles left Jerusalem and spread their faith and then, one after another they deceased from our world.

We know rather little about the further fate of their first shrine – Cenacle. Around the 4th century AD, this place became a destination of pilgrimage. By that time there could be a synagogue but this could be a church as well.

Since then the structure was demolished, built anew, and reconstructed several times. The ground slowly rose by some 3 – 4 meters and the former second floor now would be partly underground.

The current structure was built by the Crusaders in the site where the previous church was destroyed by Caliph Al-Hakim in AD 1009. They built a church that was named in the name of Saint Mary. There is a probability that the Cenacle was incorporated into this church. Cathedral was destroyed in the late 12th – early 13th century but Cenacle was left standing.

Around 1524 Ottoman authorities converted this place together with Cenacle into a mosque and Franciscans were evicted around 1550. Christians returned here officially only in 1948 when the country of Israel was established.

Now Cenacle is a popular tourist destination, available to everyone.

Maybe Cenacle is in another place?

Almost nothing in this story is known with certainty – even if the purported location is correct.

There is one more possible place where the Last Supper could take place: in the site of the present-day St. Mark’s Syrian Orthodox Church not far from Cenacle. In this church is a stone with an early Christian inscription marking that this is the place of the Last Supper. This room definitely is older than the present-day Cenacle. Besides, this room is below the street level, thus it is definitely very old.

Special value in this church is a painting of the Virgin Mary, reputedly painted by St. Luke from the real… Virgin Mary.

References

1. Catholic Encyclopedia, Jerusalem (A.D. 71-1099) to the time of Constantine (71-312). Site last visited on 14th February 2019.