JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Christian pilgrims marked Good Friday, Jews prepared for Passover and Moslems held Eid al-Adha prayers as the faithful flocked to Jerusalem in a convergence of the three religious holidays. Israeli soldiers, cradling assault rifles, lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City on heightened alert for revenge attacks by the Moslem militant Hamas group following the mysterious death last week of master bombmaker Muhyideen al-Sharif. On the Via Dolorosa, where the Stations of the Cross mark significant points along Jesus' route to the site of the crucifixion almost 2,000 years ago, pilgrims from around the world used the Bible as their guide to walk in his footsteps. "I feel there is oppression in the air. I just feel if Christ would come back he would be crucified again," said Tony Stanfield, from Traverse City, Michigan, carrying a large cross. At sunset, Jews begin the eight-day Passover holiday of deliverance from slavery in ancient Egypt. Israeli markets were crowded with last-minute shoppers before the traditional "seder" meal during which the saga of the biblical exodus is read. In a Passover interview, Israeli President Ezer Weizman lamented the year-long stalemate in the peace process with the Palestinians. "It is not just standing still, it is flat on its back," said the outspoken Weizman, whose post is largely ceremonial. While Christian hymns echoed around the walls of the Old City, thousands of Moslems chanted Friday prayers, on the Feast of the Sacrifice, in the silver-domed al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site. Many of the congregates had waited, held back by Israeli troops, along the Via Dolorosa for the Christian processions to pass before making their way to al-Aqsa on the Temple Mount, which Moslems call Harem al-Sharif. At the front of the procession, an elderly man in a loincloth, a crown of thorns on his head and a heavy cross on his shoulder, re-enacted Jesus's death march. "Blood" in the form of red paint dripped from his face. "Jesus needs your help. Who is going to help him?" a man dressed as a Roman soldier shouted, bringing the Scriptures to life. "This is the most painful day, the most thoughtful day for any Christian," said Campbell Leggat from London.