Orthodox Christians gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Saturday to celebrate the ancient ritual of the Holy Fire.
The annual ceremony sees a flame — kindled in some miraculous way in the heart of Jesus' tomb — being used to light the candles of fervent believers.
Little by little, tiny patches of light appear in the darkened church as the candles are lit, eventually illuminating the whole building as the resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed.
Chartered planes then ferry the flickering lanterns to Russia, Greece, and beyond with great fanfare.
But for the second consecutive year, Israel caused tension by capping the number of people allowed to attend the event to just 1,800 people.
Jerusalem's Christian minority fear the Jewish state is using security measures as an excuse to alter their status in the Old City, providing access to Jews while limiting the number of Christian worshippers.
