Keeping watch

The Nusseibehs are an ancient Jerusalem Muslim family, who date back to the time of the Prophet Mohammed. They hold the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Two hours after sunset each night, they lock the monks inside the Church and let them out before dawn each morning - as their ancestors have for hundreds of years.

Wajih Nusseibeh is the current Door Keeper and Custodian of the Church.

"It's a job handed down from father to son, since the time of the first Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the seventh century," he told Deutsche Welle. "We have done it for 1,300 years, though there was one gap of 88 years, when the Christian Crusaders ruled Jerusalem during the 12th century."

Early start

Before assuming the role of Custodian of the Church, Nusseibeh had an electronics business. His son who will inherit this job is a hairdresser. It requires commitment, since they live outside the Old City, where the Church is situated, and have to be here at 4.00 every morning to open up. Nusseibeh says he doesn't mind the early start.

"Sometimes it's even earlier than 3.30 am" said Nusseibeh, "but that's the life. We see that the people are happy and so we are satisfied. And of course Jesus is not just for Christians, he is for everyone. Muslims also believe he is one of the holiest prophets."

Six denominations

The Church is built on the site where it's believed Jesus was crucified and resurrected. It's shared by six Christian denominations - Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Catholics, Copts, Syrians and Ethiopians.

Father Fergus Clarke is a Catholic priest, one of a group of Franciscan monks living inside the Church. He explains why he believes the keys are held by a Muslim family.

"At the time this happened, Muslims wanted to show superiority of Islam to Christianity," he told Deutsche Welle. "They gave the keys to a Muslim family, closed all the doors except one, and they were able to control the only door to the most important church in Christianity."

Sibling rivalry

But there is another reason too. The six denominations find it hard to agree on many practical issues such as repairing and even cleaning the Church. There's a fear that if one of them held the key, they might lock the others out.

"Every group believes that it is the owner, and if you are the owner you can do what you want, and let in your people and not the others. It's difficult, very difficult," said Wajih Nusseibeh.

The monks carry out their traditional forms of worship, including a daily procession around the Tomb at the centre of the Church, where, according to tradition, Jesus was resurrected. The services of the various groups often overlap, as if two or more operas were being held side by side. Father Fergus Clarke acknowledges that it may sound as if they are trying to drown each other out, but says that is not the purpose.

"We've got six Christian groups, or I'd say families, who share this church because we're in complete agreement on the importance of what God did here, that's a tremendous sign of unity," he said.

Another sign of this unity is the fact that this is the only church in the world where the Eastern and Western Churches, worship the same God, under same roof, at the same time.

"Now if you can imagine putting six families into the same kitchen you will need guidelines and boundaries, and if they all have a birthday at the same time on the same day, naturally there will be some variations of opinion," Father Clarke said.

Violent scenes

Sometimes those variations of opinion spill over into actual violence. During the Easter procession three years ago, Greek orthodox and Armenian monks came to blows. One denomination feared that the other was trying to encroach on an area that didn't belong to it. Two monks were arrested and two hospitalized.

"There's no doubt about it that these things can happen from time to time, and we're all very embarrassed when they do," says Father Fergus Clarke. "But imagine that for 360 days of the year, there's collaboration here. Given the differences in language, culture, and approach to faith, it's really a miracle that it goes so well."

Pilgrims are visiting the Church in record numbers this Christmas. They are unaware of these tensions. Instead, they are inspired by the message of peace and love that Jesus came here to bring.

Author: Irris Makler in Jerusalem
Editor: Rob Turner