In Jerusalem, hundreds gathered with olive branches in the Old City, Mount Zion and elsewhere to symbolize the worshippers who greeted Jesus as He triumphantly entered Jerusalem before He was crucified. According to Christian tradition, palm branches are used to mark the occasion, but because of the difficulty of obtaining palm branches in the springtime, many churches substitute other local species, such as olive.

The ceremony was eventually adopted into Christian iconography to represent the victory of martyrs.

"Is a blessing to have arrived here just in time for Palm Sunday," said Brother Craig Spence, 27 years old from New Orleans, a member of the Salesians order who recently arrived for a four-year program of study at the Ratisbonne Monastery in Rechavia, a short walk from the Old City...

Click here to continue reading.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Ancient Artifact Uncovered Near Sea of Galilee May Reveal Early Baptismal Practices

Teaching Students the Way the Founders Learned: Classical Education Makes a Comeback

NJ Democrats Order USPS to IGNORE President Trump's Election Integrity Mandate

Freedom Caucus Members Say They Will Reject All Amnesty Proposals-Daily Signal Exclusive

Ex-Iranian Revolutionary Met Jesus, and It Changed Him Forever: 'I Heard the Voice of God'

Texas Record Oil Production Stabilizing US Supply amid War

Iran's Islamic Regime: a 'Kingdom Divided' as Infighting Grows, While Voices from Iranian People Urge More US Airstrikes

[WATCH] First Lady Melania Trump Delivers Stunning Surprise Statement on Jeffrey Epstein Smears

Dangerous Test Still Ahead for Artemis II Crew

Rescued Pilot Chooses to Praise God

175,000 Bottles of Blood Pressure Drugs Recalled Over Carcinogens, FDA Says

Disheartening: Iryna Zarutska's Killer Found Incompetent to Stand Trial

Vice President Vance's Team Investigating Fraud Probes $6.3 Billion in Federal Contracts

As Fragile Ceasefire Holds, JD Vance to Lead US-Iran Weekend Negotiations in Pakistan

FBI Arrests Former Army Special Operations Employee for Leaking Classified National Defense Information to Media

TobyMac and Mandisa's Music Wake Up Artemis Astronauts on Day 6 of Their Journey

Chick-Fil-A Employee Reluctantly Accepts Reward after Finding Nearly $10,000 in Cash And Turning It in: 'True Integrity Is Doing the Right Thing When No One Is Watching'

Pastor Combats 'Incredibly Dark' NYC Chaos With BOLD Plan; and Sees Miracles

Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation to Combat Terrorist Groups and Ban Sharia Law in Florida

ICE Arrests 13 Illegals after Firefighter's Tip on 'Unusual Amount' of People—Including Truck Drivers—at Pennsylvania DMV; Some in Line from China, Pakistan