He was walking down the ancient stone sidewalk that was originally built under John II, Bishop of Jerusalem between AD 387 to AD 417.
The Basilica of the Assumption (or Dormition) is in Jerusalem near the Zion Gate. The church was hit by warriors in year 614 and destroyed. A new structure was built on the site in the 12th century, but destroyed again in the 13th century. This is a similar story line to many of the buildings, churches, and structures in Israel.
However, the foundation of the original building left behind was staunch enough to stand a rebuilding in 1899. The Catholic Diocese of Cologne, Heinrich Renard, sought the reconstruction and moved forward with the project after a brief visit to the Holy Land.
In just ten years, the massive structure was complete and dedicated to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in year 1910 under the Catholic Church.
The property was extremely important to save as this was believed to be the site where the “Blessed Virgin Mary” died or as many refer to her passing as, fell asleep. It is also near the location of where “The Last Supper” was believed to have been held.