Gethsemane

Gethsemane (gĕthsĕmˈənē) [key], olive grove or garden, E of Jerusalem, near the foot of the Mount of Olives. In the Gospels, it is the scene of the agony and betrayal of Jesus. A number of sites in the area of the Garden are tended by representatives of the Christian tradition. The Franciscan Basilica of the Agony is built over the ruins of a 4th-century church.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.