Located on an upper floor of King David’s Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper, also called the Cenacle, is considered one of the holiest sites for Christianity in Jerusalem, since according to the tradition, it was the place where the last supper took place. The word “Cenacle” is derived from the Latin word for “dining room”, in memory of the festive Passover meal, which Jesus shared with his apostles on the eve of his death.
According to the new testament, Jesus gave his students wine- a symbol of his blood, destined to be spilt, and distributed bread among them-a symbol for his body, which would be sacrificed for the sake of his believers. In one of the hall’s corners, under a small dome built above a staircase, stands a pillar with a decoration that depicts a pair of pelican fledglings pecking into their mother’s heart. The female pelican, who is ready to sacrifice herself for her fledglings, symbolized in medieval Christian art Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind.
According to the Christian tradition, significant events took place at this site: During the Pentecost holiday following the crucifixion, Jesus’ apostles gathered in this site along with his mother. The Holy Spirit entered them, and they started speaking different languages that were, until then, unknown to them. They then made use of these languages to travel abroad and spread Christianity among the nations. The day the Holy Spirit entered the apostles is commemorated on the Christian Pentecost holiday (the 50th day between Passover to the Jewish Shavuot holiday).