October 14, 2005
The Vatican is hoping to regain control of the room of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, one of the most sacred sites of Christianity. In exchange, it will return to the Jewish community the historic synagogue at Toledo, in Spain, currently a Catholic church. The proposals, contained in a draft agreement between the Israeli government and the Vatican, come on the eve of a state visit to the Vatican next month by Israel's president Moshe Katzav. Final details of a long-delayed accord on Catholic properties in the Holy Land are expected to be agreed during the visit, marking a new era of reconciliation between Christians and Jews after centuries of hostility. The Upper Room, where the Last Supper is said to have taken place, is held by Christians to be the place where Jesus broke bread and drank wine with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion, and where the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost. The Last Supper has become an iconic Christian image, painted most famously by Leonardo da Vinci. The present Gothic-arched room is not the original but was built by the Crusaders in the 14th century. It was taken over in 1342 by the Franciscans, the Catholic custodians of Christian sites in the Holy Land. Since the foundation of Israel, the area has served as the site of Jewish religious schools. Jews believe the tomb of King David lies beneath the spot.
