Tens of thousands of Jews gather for traditional blessing in Jerusalem

Tens of thousands of people have gathered at the holiest Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem for the traditional priestly blessing prayer.

The “Birkat Cohanim”, or Cohen’s blessing, is a ritual dating back more than 2,500 years to when King Solomon’s Temple stood on the same site.

The blessing is performed by male Jews who can trace their lineage back to the priestly caste, and takes place three times a year during Judaism’s major holidays.

Jews are currently observing the week-long holiday of Passover.