On the summit of Mount Zion in Jerusalem stands one of the most sacred sites in the Holy City—a place revered by three of the world's major religions. Known as the Cenacle, or Coenaculum, this hall has been a focal point of religious devotion for centuries. Christian tradition holds that this is where Jesus Christ shared the Last Supper with his disciples. For Jews and Muslims, the site carries equal weight, believed to be the burial place of the biblical King David, whose tomb is said to lie beneath the structure. The building that pilgrims see today was constructed by Crusaders in 1099 and has drawn visitors from around the world ever since.
Now, a remarkable international research effort has revealed long-hidden inscriptions and artwork inside the Cenacle that offer fresh insight into the rich history of this sacred space. Scholars from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), working in partnership with experts from Armenia and other institutions, have documented numerous carved or drawn epigraphic elements—coats of arms, inscriptions, and drawings—on the Cenacle’s medieval walls. The study has been published in Liber Annuus, the yearbook of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem.
“These graffiti shed new light on the geographical diversity and the international pilgrimage movement to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages,” said Ilya Berkovich of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), in an interview published by Scinexx.
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Medieval Pilgrims Left Their Mark—Literally
The majority of these inscriptions date from the late Middle Ages, specifically from around 1300 onward, a time when the Cenacle was under the umbrella of a Franciscan monastery. Using digital imaging techniques in the laboratory at the Leon Levy Digital Library of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the research team managed to identify and enhance many inscriptions that were almost invisible to the naked eye. Their efforts uncovered a rich collection of signatures and symbols, revealing the global scope of medieval pilgrimages.
Digitally remastered black-and-white multispectral image of the “Teuffenbach” coat of arms from Styria, with the monumental Armenian Christmas inscription and a Serbian inscription “Akakius” on the right. (Shai Halevi/ Israel Antiquities Authority/Austrian Academy of Sciences).
One particularly fascinating discovery involved Tristram von Teuffenbach of Styria (a state in southeastern Austria), a nobleman who accompanied Archduke Frederick Habsburg—later Holy Roman Emperor—on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1436. Teuffenbach’s family coat of arms was identified on a Cenacle wall and matched to heraldic records from the Styrian region of Murau. This connection was made possible thanks to the OeAW's long-term project Corpus Vitrearum, which studies stained glass and heraldry from the Middle Ages onward.
In addition to discoveries linked to the German-speaking world, the reseach team uncovered a wide array of markings from other regions. A charcoal drawing of a shield belonging to the von Rümlingen family from Bern, Switzerland, adds further evidence of Central European pilgrimage. Equally compelling is the signature of Johannes Poloner from Regensburg, a city in eastern Bavaria, who visited Jerusalem in 1421–22 and left his name scribbled on a wall in this hallowed chamber.
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Among the most historically significant finds is an Armenian inscription that read “Christmas 1300.” Located high on the wall, a placement typical of Armenian noble inscriptions, this message may resolve a centuries-old historical question. It supports the claim that Armenian King Het'um II and his army reached Jerusalem following their victory at the Battle of Wādī al-Khaznadār in Syria on December 22, 1299. The presence of this inscription offers rare corroborative evidence for a debated episode in Armenian and Middle Eastern history, strongly suggesting that it did really happen.
Arabic inscription left by the Christian woman from Aleppo, which is only partially legible. (Shai Halevi/ Israel Antiquities Authority/Austrian Academy of Sciences).
Another notable inscription is in Arabic and contains the phrase "...ya al-Ḥalabīya," which researchers believe would have been left by a Christian woman from Aleppo (‘ya’ is a feminine suffix in Arabic). This piece of evidence is especially rare, as it points to the participation of women in medieval pilgrimages, something only sporadically documented in historical sources. It also further highlights the religious diversity of those who visited the Cenacle.
The Astounding Diversity of Jerusalem’s Pilgrims is Revealed
In addition to Armenia, Syria and the German-speaking world, there is evidence for pilgrims from Serbia and the Czech lands. However, the largest single group of graffiti was left by Arabic-speaking Christians from the East.
“When put together, the inscriptions provide a unique insight into the geographical origins of the pilgrims. This was far more diverse than current Western-dominated research perspective led us to believe,” said Berkovich in an Austrian Academy of Sciences press release.
‘The Last Supper,’ painting by Leonardo da Vinci, finished in 1498. (Public Domain).
In total, some 40 epigraphic elements have been identified, including five heraldic shields, findings that have given researchers a more thorough and accurate understanding of the profile of pilgrims who visited Jerusalem between the 13th and 15th centuries. The discovery makes it clear that making pilgrimages to the site of the Last Supper was a common Eurasian phenomenon in medieval times, with Jerusalem functioning as a crossroads of cultures, languages, and beliefs. This reinforced the sacred nature of the Cenacle, adding more weight to its identification as a holy place for the Christian faith in particular.
As digital imaging and interdisciplinary collaboration continue to bring ancient inscriptions back into view, this project sets the stage for further discoveries that could illuminate how sacred spaces in the Holy Land were experienced, shared, and venerated by diverse communities at various times in history.
Top image: The Cenacle, of Hall of the Last Supper, built by the Crusaders on Mount Zion in 1099.
Source: Heritage Conservation Jerusalem Pikiwiki Israel/Austrian Academy of Sciences.
By Nathan Falde
