CALVARY, MOUNT - The hillock on the west side of Jerusalem upon which our Lord was crucified. It was about 15 feet high. Together with the Holy Sepulchre near by, it was buried with rubbish by the Emperor Hadrian and a grove or temple of Venus planted on the site.

It had been brought within the circuit of the western wall of Jerusalem, as it still is, by King Agrippa I about A.D. 43. In 325 the Empress St. Helen had the sites uncovered. Constantine built a basilica and other buildings, Calvary being made to look tidy by being cut perpendicularly so as to make a cube with a flat top, 18 by 15 feet, and surrounded by porticos. In the 5th century a chapel was built on it.

After other vicissitudes the diminished hill was included actually under the roof of the Crusaders' church of the Resurrection, and so it remains to this day. It is completely disguised by buildings and is apparently simply a chapel approached by steep stairs. Only about a quarter of the chapel actually rests on the hill of Calvary, the remainder being built up artificially. It contains three altars, two for the use of Catholics and one for the Orthodox, and an amazing bust of our Lady of Sorrows.