Tours and Legends · Jerusalem of Stories and People

Jerusalem’s Garden of Eden: Behind the Gates, Among the Dreams

Is paradise a lost garden, life in proximity to God, a monastery whose name promises tranquility, or a place where children felt free? We will set out with Sveta to explore concepts of paradise in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, connecting them to Jerusalem as it exists on the ground: Russian pilgrims, the Ethiopian Debre Genet compound, and the memories of children from Musrara. This is a tour about faith, longing, and the gap between dream and reality.

Friday, 27/11/2026
Meeting at 10:00 in Jerusalem
Guided by Sveta
Approximately two kilometers; an easy urban tour
Self-arrival
Free of charge; registration opens one day beforehand
The meeting point will be posted in the WhatsApp group

What Is Paradise? Different Beliefs, Shared Streets

At the heart of the tour is a comparison between different meanings: the biblical garden, religious hope for eternal life, a sacred place within the city, and a childhood memory. These are not identical concepts, and even within each religion there are diverse traditions and interpretations. We will connect the ideas to the stops featured in the program.

Paradise in Judaism: The Garden We Left and the World We Hope For

In the Book of Genesis, the Garden of Eden is the setting of humanity’s beginning: a planted garden, trees, water, choice, and prohibition. The human being is placed there to work it and protect it. This is a story about the relationships among humanity, God, and creation—not simply a description of a place one reaches after death. Precisely amid abundance, there are responsibility and boundaries; expulsion from the garden raises the question of loss and longing.

Rabbinic literature also develops concepts of the World to Come and spiritual reward. In Berakhot 17a, the World to Come is described as life without the needs of eating and drinking and without jealousy or competition, in proximity to the Divine Presence. Judaism has no single, uniform description that applies to all periods and movements, and the Garden of Genesis, the World to Come, and the Messianic Age should not be automatically identified with one another.

In the alleys where Jewish homes and Christian institutions meet, we will ask: Is paradise found in a lost past, in an anticipated future, or in the way we build meaningful lives in the present?

The Russian Pilgrims: Paradise as Proximity to God and Longing for Redemption

In the Russian Orthodox Christian tradition, eternal life in proximity to God and hope for victory over death are emphasized. The Orthodox Church in America’s spiritual explanation describes paradise as joy arising from God’s presence, not merely as a beautiful landscape or a garden of delights. The connection to Christ and his resurrection is a central foundation of this Christian hope.

The Russian Compound gives the idea a tangible Jerusalem connection: pilgrims set out for the places sacred to their faith, and hostels, services, and a church were built for their needs. Earthly Jerusalem was not paradise itself in their eyes; the journey there formed part of a life of prayer, faith, and drawing closer to the sacred.

We will see what was established around the Ottoman maydan and ask how hope for a spiritual world leaves behind very large structures in the material world.

The Ethiopian Community: Paradise Is Also Found in the Name of the Place

On Habashim Street, today Ethiopia Street, the connection is not merely an idea we have imposed on the tour: the Kidane Mehret Church is located in the Debre Genet compound. The name Debre Genet is translated in sources as “Mount of Paradise” or “Paradise Monastery”; Kidane Mehret means “Covenant of Mercy.” Thus, the name itself invites visitors to think about a space of holiness, mercy, and refuge within the city.

The church belongs to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition, with its own customs and artistic language. It should not be treated as a copy of the Russian church, nor should the Ethiopian Christian community be identified with Ethiopian Jewry. The round structure, sacred areas, and images express a rich local Christian tradition.

Here we will ask how a wall, courtyard, prayer, and an ancient name can mark a passage from street life into a sacred world. This does not claim that the compound is the historical location of the biblical garden.

Paradise in Islam: Gardens, Water, and Abundance Without Scarcity

In the Quran, paradise, al-Jannah, is described through gardens and rivers. Surah 47, verse 15, mentions rivers of water, milk, wine, and honey, fruits, and forgiveness from God. These are descriptions of the reward promised to those who fear God, combining abundance with religious and moral meaning.

In an environment where water and shade are so essential to life, one can understand the power of these images. This is a way to deepen our reading of the text, not an explanation that exhausts the Muslim faith. Here too, paradise should not be reduced to bodily pleasures alone, nor should it be assumed that all believers interpret the descriptions in the same way.

The Ottoman background and the story of Jerusalem’s Arab residents open a window during the tour for comparison between the traditions. Arab identity is not necessarily Muslim identity, and the discussion does not add a mosque visit that has not been scheduled.

The Paradise of Musrara’s Children: Freedom Beyond the Fence

One of the surprising connections among the route’s points is a documented story, not merely a nostalgic image. The exhibition “Childhood in No Man’s Land” by the Musrara Collection presents the memories of children who grew up near the urban border. A space perceived by adults as dangerous became, in their memories, an area of play, discovery, and adventure.

They described tall vegetation, reeds, fruit, and abandoned structures in which they searched for treasures. Behind the enchanting image were the danger of snipers and health hazards; the marsh in the area was also fed by sewage. This is the gap bet—