The Catholic Church of the Condemnation and the Laying of the cross on the via Dolorosa is behind the wall, on which hangs a round white sign with the Roman deuce. It means that there is the second station of the Cross, Christian pilgrims walk in memory of the sufferings of Jesus. At the second stop, remember how Christ laid the cross.

Tradition holds it was here, near the residence of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Modern archaeologists have argued, however, that Pretoria was South of the Jaffa gate. Pilgrims do not mind: to meditate on the cross, entrusted to Jesus and every Christian, everywhere.

The Church is located inside the Franciscan monastery of the Flagellation. With the via Dolorosa seen its white domes – five of them, under each of the stained glass Windows illustrating the passion of Christ. To get inside, you must enter into the monastery courtyard: on the right is the Church of the Flagellation, and the left – Condemnation and Laying of the cross.

This little Church was built in 1904 Franciscan architect Wendelin Intercision on the ruins of the chapel of the thirteenth century. The interior is decorated with pink marble columns and pilasters and elegant small Corinthian columns supporting the altar, the Tabernacle and the pedestals under the statues of Christ. But the main impression is created by the shape of papier-mache in the spirit of the North French religious architecture.

Dramatic scene shows John, vainly trying to protect Mary from the spectacle bent under the cross of Jesus – his figure is in the niche to the right of the altar. Altar picture captures gospel episode, whom the Church is dedicated: Pilate washes his hands, and Jesus is preparing to take on the shoulders of the cross.

The word Lithostrotos on a sculpture of Christ in the left alcove in Greek meant a paved Playground. In the New Testament the word occurs only once, John, "Pilate brought out Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat in a place called the pavement, but in Hebrew gawara" (Jn 19:13). Found on this site via Dolorosa Roman paving stones were mistakenly taken to Gavutu. The study also showed that the stone slabs are laid here in the second century, most likely, they had paved the forum of the Roman city Aelia Capitolina, built by the Emperor Hadrian on the ruins of Jerusalem. So ancient stones of the Church floor to the left of the entrance – not those on which Jesus trod. But interested to study them, especially one on which the embossed lines, – whether the incisions are made, so that people and horses do not slip, or harvesting for the game.

Outside, on the West wall and in the monastery garden, exhibits other archaeological finds, as well as a small model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple period. The monastery is the faculty of biblical studies and archaeology of the Pontifical University of Saint Anthony – the specialists conducted numerous excavations in the Holy Land. Here in the Museum you can see the main artifacts found during the excavations in Nazareth, Capernaum, the Judean desert, in particular, the collection of coins, ceramics, oil lamps.