Church of the Sisters of Zion. This church was built during the second half of last century on a site which has yielded the remains of ancient ruins, such as the already mentioned Roman arch, part of the fortifications and courtyard of the fortress Antonia and remarkable vestiges of the Roman-age street paving, the so-called Lithostratus. On some of the stones are the signs of an ancient dice game, which has given support to the hypothesis that this was the place where the Roman soldiers gambled for Jesus' clothes. Mention should be made, finally, of the Struthion Pool, an ancient water reservoir from 2nd century BC, later roofed over by the Emperor Hadrian.
The Lithostrotos at the Convent of the Sisters of Sion is located just off the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. This area of pavement constructed with large slabs is associated with the condemnation of Jesus by Pilate found in the Gospel of John chapter 19. The pavement also has a Roman "King's Game" board carved to use for a dice game in to it that recalls the casting of lots for Jesus' clothing after his crucifixion. The site according to many scholars is the location of the Roman army's Antonia Fortress which many believe towered over the northwest corner of the Temple Mount.
For more information see the Sisters of Zion webpage:
http://www.sistersofsion.org/eccehomo.htm
John 19
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Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
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And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
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And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
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Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
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Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
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When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
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The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
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When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
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And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
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Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
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Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
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And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
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When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
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And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
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But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar.
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Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
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And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
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Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
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And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
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This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
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Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.
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Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
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Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
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They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
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Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
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When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
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Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
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After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
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Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
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When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
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The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
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Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
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But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
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But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
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And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
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For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
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And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
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And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
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And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
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Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
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Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
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There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
Lithostratos - affliction and persecution
It is easy to envision the persecution of Christ on the smooth floor inside the Lithostratos. Christ did not promise a life of ease but one of affliction and persecution. He exhorted his followers to take up the cross and follow him. Hardly comforting words in this world, but for the Christian this walk of faith is a joy for they have the assurance that it leads to God's kingdom and Christ Himself. Thus, earthly loss for Christ's sake means greater gain in heaven.
Matthew 10:31-39
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Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
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Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
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But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
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And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
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He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
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And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
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He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:21-28
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From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
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Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
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But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
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Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
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For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
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For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
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For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
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Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.