We think we ought to write briefly about another notable church
towards the southern part of Bethany, founded in the spot on mount
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Olivet where the Lord is said to have given a discourse to the disciples.
Hence careful inquiry should be made concerning the character of the
discourse, its time, and to what special persons among the disciples the
Lord spoke. These three things become quite clear for us if we are willing
to open the gospels of the three writers Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who
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speak in harmony concerning the character of the discourse. Concerning
the place of meeting itself, or concerning the form of the discourse, no
one who reads the gospel of Matthew can have any hesitation, where
the evangelist makes mention of the Lord saying: ‘As he was sitting on
mount Olivet, the disciples came to him saying: tell us when shall these
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things be and what is the sign of thy coming and of the consummation
of the world.’ Matthew at this point made no mention of the persons
who asked the question, but Mark does, who writes thus saying: ‘Peter
and James and John and Andrew were asking him separately.’ Replying
to these questioners he shows the character of the discourse given
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(according to the three evangelists mentioned above) by speaking thus:
'See to it that no one seduce you. For many will come in my name saying
I am Christ' and the rest that follows concerning the last things and the
consummation of the world, which Matthew sets forth in copious
language, as far as the place where the same evangelist clearly shows
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from the words of the Lord also the time of this long discourse. He speaks
thus: ‘And when Jesus had finished all these words, it so happened that
he said to his disciples: you know that after two days it will be the pasch,
and the son of man will be handed over to be crucified’ and so on. Therefore
it is clearly shown that the Lord spoke the long discourse mentioned
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above in answer to the question of the 4 above-mentioned disciples, on
the day of the fourth feria, there being yet two days before the first day
of the azimi, which is called the pasch. Thus in the spot where that
discourse was held the above-mentioned church was founded in remembrance,
and it is held in great honour.
Thus far let it suffice to have written concerning the holy places of the city of Jerusalem, of mount Olivet, and of the valley of Josaphat which lies between, according to the accurate account of the holy Arculf, a visitor of these places.