Jerusalem

Walking in and through The Holy City of Jerusalem was an awesome experience!  I really didn’t know what to expect when we discussed traveling to Jerusalem. After several days of walking around in the city, I am amazed and in awe. It’s not just names you see in the Bible it’s seeing where the events took place, how history unfolded. 


I never thought about how many times the Jewish people have been attacked, often being conquered, displaced and the city destroyed.  Over the centuries the walls of the city were destroyed, rebuilt and expanded as the city was conquered and as it grew. The base of the walls have remained with the upper parts being rebuilt. The last rebuild, the "New Wall" was done in the 16th century, 200 long years before there was a USA.

We began our tour of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It overlooks the walled city and provides a wonderful view. Below the lookout area where we were standing is a very large and old cemetery. In times past, after a person had been buried a year, their bones were dug up and the plot was available for another family member. The recovered bones were put in an ossuary, a small, coffin like box made of wood or clay.  Further up the mountain is where the Garden of Gethsemane is located. At one time it was a large grove of olive trees. What remains now is a small grove of very ancient olive trees.

Next to the Garden is the Church of the Agony, or the Church of All Nations, so called because it was built with funds from many countries. The church is built upon the remains of two other churches and is centered around a large section of bedrock that is believed to be the place where that Jesus prayed the night before his betrayal and arrest.

From here, we walked down to the walled city of Old Jerusalem. We walked parts of the Via Dolorosa, the path that Jesus took, carrying the large, heavy wooden cross that he would be nailed to. The path is much the same as it was then, narrow and winding up, down and through the city. Now it is cobbled and lined with many shops and cafes.

Our guide pointed out the stations of the Cross as we walked. It was very humbling to see this, to walk the same path, to remember the hardships and tauntings we had been taught that Jesus endured, as well as the few kindnesses that were extended to him.






Walking through the Old City of Jerusalem was very interesting.  The old city is divided into four quarters, The Jewish Quarter, The Armenian Quarter, The Christian Quarter and The Muslim Quarter. You walk seamlessly between the quarters, not knowing that you've left one and entered another. There are no signs that we saw that marked them. All the people, regardless of religion or ancestry live and work next to each other, apparently without the tensions we've been led to believe they have. It is a lovely, lively, confusing rabbit's warren of crowded, colorful shops interspersed with cafes and coffee shops.







While we were in the Christian Quarter, we also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contain the last four stations of the Via Dolorosa. The church contains what is believed to be the sites of Jesus' Crucifixion and His Resurrection. The site of the Crucifixion is very dark, lit by electric lights made to look like candles. The walls are beautifully decorated with mosaic scenes. The site of the Resurrection is located under the larger of the church's domes. Inside is a marble covered crypt that can be entered see a cave through a window. It was quite crowded in the church and the lines to enter this crypt were very long.         

The City of David was another great part of our tour. Most of the city is now in ruins and either under a current neighborhood or outside the walled city of Old Jerusalem. It is an active archaeological site. We were able to visit Gihon Spring and go through a portion of Siloam, or Hezekiah's Tunnel, carved to serve as an aqueduct from the Spring to Siloam Pool. Although tall, some portions of this tunnel were very narrow. Elizabeth was quite hesitant about going in.

The Western Wall was a great experience.  Seeing so many people praying in so many different ways.  It was an incredible sight watching the Ultra Orthodox Jews, the casual tourist and others all praying to God. The area in front of the wall is divided, one side for the men and the other for the women.

One night we wanted to have dinner with our guide, Eyal.  He suggested we go to The First Station.  The First Station was the original train station in Jerusalem that has been converted to a gathering place where you can get dinner, shop or just hang out. It just so happens that there was an Israeli version of Oktoberfest going on this weekend at The First Station.  We enjoyed various types of smoked beef, french fries, beer and good music.





After World War I, the British occupied a large area in North Africa and the Middle East including what is now Israel.  The British were to relinquish control of Israel on May 15, 1948 but Israel declared it's independence on May 14, 1948.  Walking through Jerusalem you can see the tremendous amount of influence the British had on the area and the gratitude the Israeli's have for them.

We had the opportunity to go to the Israel Museum. One of the highlights of this trip was getting to see the Dead Sea Scrolls.  They are considered by some to be the first bible (Old Testament). This picture shows some very good examples of standing baked clay sarcophagi.





There is also a 1:50 scale Holyland Model of Jerusalem that was really nice.  You could see all the old and new walls, all the temples, homes and much more. The large area on the right, mid way high is a large area atop a very tall walled section. This is Temple Mount. Using the people in the picture for scale, you can see how huge this walled city is.










    TJ & EA at the 
     Western Wall