[1] The majority of the icon is covered in riza, a decorative metal revetment that serves to protect the more delicate image underneath.

The icon sits upon a stone antependium which has two Greek inscriptions that state that it was donated during the ecclesiastical reign of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Damianos I (1897–1931), by a hegumen named Ioakeim Anyphantopoulos from Crete in the year 1906: "ΕΠΙ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΑΣ ΔΑΜΙΑΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ Α′ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΟΥ ΙΩΑΚΕΙΜ ΑΝΥΦΑΝΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΗΤΟΣ 1906" A metal stamp on the riza (which was later added to the icon) indicates that it was crafted by a Moscow-based silversmith workshop of Borisov, and bears the date 1880.

[1] According to this story, the Mother of God appeared in the form of a stranger to a certain monastic iconographer by the name of Tatiana who lived at the Russian Convent of Mary Magdalene (on the lower western slope of Jerusalem's Mount of Olives) and commanded her to paint an icon.

When Tatiana began the work and came back the next day, the icon was miraculously completed and was suffused with the smell of incense.

[2] Sergiya's own words in a letter that she wrote in June 1956 attest to this:"I now write icons for [the church of] the Mother of God in Gethsemane.

[1] In January 2000, the icon was briefly flown from Gethsemane to the Metropolitan area of Kitiou to celebrate 2000 years since the birth of Christ.

From thee springest forth mysteriously rivers of miracles; and thou irrigatest the hearts and souls of them that cry unto thee in faith; Glory to the Divine Word, O Pure One, glory to thy virginity, glory to thy unfeigned providence towards us, O thou Holy One.Speedily help, O Lady, those who reverently pray in the tomb of Gethsemane to thy form not made by hands, soaked by the water of our streams of tears, O Virgin, bright, Ierosolymitissa.There also exists a Paraklesis service to the Panagia Ierosolymitissa.