Israeli police have had to restore order at one of Christianity's holiest sites after a mass brawl broke out between monks in Jerusalem's Old City.

Fighting erupted between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Christ's crucifixion.

Two monks from each side were detained as dozens of worshippers traded kicks and punches at the shrine, said police.

Trouble flared as Armenians prepared to mark the annual Feast of the Cross.

Dressed in the vestments of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian denominations, rival monks threw punches and anything they could lay their hands on.

Six Christian sects share control of the ancient church and the BBC's Wyre Davies in Jerusalem says confrontations between them are not uncommon, but rarely descend into violence.

From the BBC

Religion breeds hatred and intollerance.

Amen to that.

But let's face it, it's not religion in general but rather it's the religions that evolved from Mediterranean folklore that bread hatred and intollerance: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

They all stem from the very same mythology.

Typically we don't see this kind of hatred and intolerance growing out of pantheistic or pagan religions.

One thing I've discovered in recent years is that witches are the most compassionate people I've ever met.

It's also extremely rare to hear of Zen Buddhist monks starting these kind of religious bar room brawls.

Religious hatred and intolerance is most often incited by Biblionians for Christ's sake.