The unprecedented move at a site that each day draws thousands to the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and later resurrected comes after the Jerusalem municipality took steps to collect taxes on church properties in the city. The municipality says the churches owe it more than $185 million on certain properties used for commercial purposes.

The site’s closure is also a response to proposed legislation that could block the churches from making commercial deals with investors on land they leased long term to the Israeli government nearly 70 years ago.

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