The wooden ladder of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The photograph shows the façade of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, with its arched entrances and windows. Below the right-hand window of the upper storey, on a ledge, a wooden ladder can be seen, and many people are gathered near the entrance.

This ladder has stood in place for more than 100 years, and no one can remove it. It rests on a ledge belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church and is set against a window belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church. Under the agreement among the 6 Christian denominations that hold the church, nothing in it may be moved, repaired or changed without the consent of all. The ladder is regarded as a symbol of the disagreements within Christianity. It was placed there by some mason, whose name and denomination are unknown.