Changes

This "Kibla" or "prayer direction" is in accord with an ancient practice of facing the direction of importance. For the Old Testament and Judaism, the kibla was facing Jerusalem, and, in particular if within the city of Jerusalem, this meant facing the temple. For Islam (after it disavowed Jerusalem as the kibla), it meant facing [[Mecca]]. And, at one time, for Christians, it meant facing the East, the direction of the rising sun<ref>Malachi 4 in Protestant Bibles (e.g. KJV) Malachi 3 in Catholic Bibles (e.g. NAB)</ref> and also the direction from which Christ would return. Almost all Catholic and Orthodox churches from ancient times to this day are built so that the congregation faces east toward the altar.<ref>Shortly after the [[Second Vatican Council]] many newer, "more modern" Catholic church buildings were constructed for worship "in the round", or existing churches were renovated by extensive interior reconstruction, with the altar in the center of the main sanctuary or auditorium and the seating arranged almost entirely 360^o or alternately 180^o around it as the focal point of worship.</ref>

This "Kibla" or "prayer direction" is in accord with an ancient practice of facing the direction of importance. For the Old Testament and Judaism, the kibla was facing Jerusalem, and, in particular if within the city of Jerusalem, this meant facing the temple. For Islam (after it disavowed Jerusalem as the kibla), it meant facing [[Mecca]]. And, at one time, for Christians, it meant facing the East, the direction of the rising sun<ref>Malachi 4 in Protestant Bibles (e.g. KJV) Malachi 3 in Catholic Bibles (e.g. NAB)</ref> and also the direction from which Christ would return. Almost all Catholic and Orthodox churches from ancient times to this day are built so that the congregation faces east toward the altar.<ref>Shortly after the [[Second Vatican Council]] many newer, "more modern" Catholic church buildings were constructed for worship "in the round", or existing churches were renovated by extensive interior reconstruction, with the altar in the center of the main sanctuary or auditorium and the seating arranged almost entirely 360^o or alternately 180^o around it as the focal point of worship.</ref>

The mosaic Byzantine Madaba map of Jerusalem shows the location and the room as being adjacent to another structure - the Church of the Holy Apostles, indicating that it was considered as particularly important or held holy in the Byzantine period. The later huge Crusader period Church of St. Mary, built at the same spot as the earlier Byzantine church, is shown by [[archeology]] to have actually included the room within the Church structure. This, then, was most likely the first Church and home to believers in Jesus before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the same "Church House", possibly the home of [[Mark]], that would later be called "[[The Church of the Holy Apostles]]" and the "Mother of all Churches"<ref>The Liturgy of St. James</ref> around which the Church of St. Mary was erected.

The mosaic Byzantine Madaba map of Jerusalem shows the location and the room as being adjacent to another structure - the Church of the Holy Apostles, indicating that it was considered as particularly important or held holy in the Byzantine period. The later huge Crusader period Church of St. Mary, built at the same spot as the earlier Byzantine church, is shown by [[archeology]] to have actually included the room within the Church structure. This, then, was most likely the first Church and home to believers in Jesus before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the same "Church House", possibly the home of [[Mark]], that would later be called "The Church of the Holy Apostles" and the "Mother of all Churches"<ref>The Liturgy of St. James</ref> around which the Church of St. Mary was erected.

==Etymology==

==Etymology==