This two and a half mile-long mountain ridge towers over the eastern side of Jerusalem, or more precisely, the middle of the three peaks forming the ridge. Heavily covered with olive trees, the ridge juts out in a north-south direction (like a spur) from the range of mountains running down the center of the region. Both the central Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus, the peak on its northern side, rise over two hundred feet above the Temple mount across the Kidron Valley. It provided an advantageous lookout base and signaling point for armies defending Jerusalem.

David crossed the Mount of Olives when running from Absalom. 2 Samuel 15:30 states, "And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up."

Ezekiel saw the cherubim chariot land there. Ezekiel 11:23 reads, "And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city."

Zechariah described how the Mount of Olives would move to form a huge valley on the Day of the Lord. Zechariah 14:3-5 states, "Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."

Many crucial events in Jesus' life occurred on the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30 says, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." Mark 11:1-2 tells us, "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples." Luke 4:5 states, "And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time."

Luke 22:39-44 records, "And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Acts 1:9-12 reads, "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey." The Olivet Discourse -- Jesus' major sermon preached on the Mount of Olives; Jesus gave instructions concerning the end of the age and the destruction of Jerusalem. The discourse (Matthew 24-25; Mark 13), is in part an apocalypse because it uses symbolic, visionary language that makes it a difficult passage to understand. Parts of it appear scattered throughout Luke 12-21. Luke 12:37 states, "And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives."

The last Jewish temple, known as Herod's temple, was annihilated in 70 A.D. by Titus and the Roman armies. These armies tore the temple down stone by stone, searching for gold they that they believed was hidden between the stones. Jesus had prophesied this, on the Mount of Olives, in Matthew 24:2 "And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."