Another breathtaking Biblical site on our journey is the Church of St. Anne, the best-preserved Crusader church in Jerusalem. This location marks the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim, as well as the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. The church showcases a beautiful courtyard with greenery, trees and flowers. Unlike the surrounding busyness of the Muslim Quarter, this location possesses a unique serenity. Nearby, sits the Pools of Bethesda excavation area where Christ healed the sick man in John 5:2-9. Although the New Testament does not specify details about the birthplace of Mary, in the apocryphal Gospel of James an ancient tradition from approximately AD 150 places the home of Mary’s parents nearby the temple area. The church built sometime around 450 on the site of St. Anne’s is a tribute to where “Mary was born.”