...in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria!

This is the hardest blog posting I've ever done because there is so much to tell and my words are so inadequate. I wish I could do the trip all over again because there is so much more I could learn, and now that I've been there once, I have a better frame of reference on which to tie history together. Previously, my top two destinations in the world were Alaska by cruise and the Holy Lands. I think they are still my top two destinations because I really want to go back again!



Temple Mount inside the city walls

This is an artists' rendition of the Temple Mount. The city of Jerusalem surrounds a hill called Mount Moriah. It is a natural hill which was built up artificially to support the huge Jewish Temple that stood here for a thousand years in Biblical times. The First Temple was built by Solomon but was destroyed by the Babylonians. The Second Temple, occupying the same site, was reconstructed by Herod in 30 BC and was the temple where Jesus taught as a 12 year old boy. Even though that temple was completly destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, today this site is sacred to both Judaism and Islam. The Temple Mount has remained the focus of the Jewish religion ever since-when praying, Jews worldwide still face Temple Mount-but today there is an islamic mosque built on top of the earlier jewish temple that was destroyed in 70 AD. (Picture to follow)

Though many of these walls have fallen, some parts remain today, such as the corner and the beginning of the arch behind the stairs. In fact, parts of the stone street that passes under the arch behind the stairs remains today, even though much of it was destroyed through the ages or has been built upon in more recent civilizations since the days that Jesus walked on it to enter the Temple Mount.


City walls

This is an outside view of the wall that contained the old city of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount was located inside the city walls and was the focal point of social and religious life in the life of the Jews.


The Citadel or Tower of David

The tall, slender stone tower rising elegantly from the ancient walls of the Old City is one of the most familiar images of Jerusalem. Despite its name, the citadel has nothing to do with King David (the city's founder) and was in fact constructed in the first century BC, as a fortress for Herod the Great. It has therefore formed part of Jerusalem's defence structure for over 2,000 years.


The Jaffa Gate or the Eastern Gate

One of the many gates through which one enters the old city of Jerusalem, so called Jaffa because it is the gate that leads to the nearby city of Jaffa.


Some things never change!

Just inside the Jaffa gate are money changers! In the days of Jesus, money changers were located inside the temple to exchange foreign currency for local currency so that the Jews coming from other regions could purchase goats and pigeons to offer sacrifices in the temple. These money changers are for tourists to change their money into the local currency called shekels. One shekel is worth 25 cents.



We wandered (with our tour guide) through some of the ruins inside the city walls. Some of these houses and other buildings are believed to be from the time of Jesus, but some of them are from civilizations that came afterward.





The Western Wall or the Wailing Wall

At the bottom of the Temple Mount is the Western Wall, constructed of massive rough blocks of golden stone, a remnant of the outer retaining walls of the Second Temple. Also historically known as the Wailing Wall (a name offensive to some Jews) from the sounds of Jews chanting lamentations on Tisha b'Av, the annual fast, mourning the destruction of the Temple.

In 1917, when the nation of Israel was re-established and borders redrawn, Jerusalem was divided in half, with the Temple Mount going to the country of Jordan. The western wall that surrounded the temple was the closest point that the Israeli Jews could get to their beloved Temple. This is another reason it was sometimes called the Wailing Wall-because for years the Israeli Jews could not get to the Temple Mount. It was occupied by Jordan up until the Six Day War in 1967.

Since the final complete destruction of the Temple by the Romans in AD70, the Western Wall has been the holiest place of prayer for the Jewish people. Jews come from all over the world to pray or to contemplate against the wall. Some place notes with hopes, dreams and messages of goodwill in the cracks of the Wall. In keeping with Orthodox Jewish practice (because the entire site is technically an Orthodox synagogue) the length of the Wall has been divided into separate sections for men and women. Any man or woman may enter their respective section, provided men have their heads covered (visitors can borrow a kippah or skullcap when entering) and women are modestly dressed.


Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Inside the current city wall is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The walls that now surround the Old City are not the walls of Jesus’ day. They were built in the 16th century by Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. This church was built in later years within the parameters of the new city wall and the Sepulchre itself is at the centre of the church and marks where some believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Some scholars, however, do not accept this as the location, but rather, on a hillside outside the city wall, on what is referred to today as Skull Hill, or Golgotha. Regardless of which place is correct, the two most commonly held places are not far from each other. A stones' throw, at most, across the Kidron Valley. Inside the church in another section is where it is believed that the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary of Magdala.

Many visitors to this site kneel and kiss the ground on which the cross was wedged between stones to hold it erect.


Dome of the Rock

It was from a black rock on the Temple Mount that, according to the Koran, Muhammad made his ascension to Heaven at the conclusion of his dreamt ‘Night Ride' from Mecca, and, according to the Bible, it was here that Abraham offered Isaac for sacrifice. With the arrival of Islam in the seventh century, the octagonal, blue-tiled Dome of the Rock, with its huge gold dome, was built over the large black rock. Dominating the skyline of the Old City, its dome glinting in the sunshine, this beautiful building is Jerusalem's most famous landmark. Unfortunately, in every location where history holds importance for Jews and Christians, Muslims have built mosques.


Golgotha or Skull Hill

The Gospel writers call the place where Jesus was crucified Golgotha—an Aramaic word meaning "the skull." (Calvary is the Latin form of the word.) Scripture does not reveal the precise location of Golgotha. It simply states that Jesus’ crucifixion took place outside the city of Jerusalem, though near it. Jewish law did not permit executions and burials inside the city.

Jesus was undoubtedly crucified near a well-traveled road, since passersby mocked him. The Romans selected conspicuous places by major highways for their public executions. The crucifixion probably took place on a hill, because it was at an elevation high enough to be plainly visible in Jerusalem at a distance.


Garden Of Gethsemane

The garden at Gethsemane, literally “oil-press,” is located on a slope of the Mount of Olives just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. A garden of ancient olive trees stands there to this day. Jesus frequently went to Gethsemane with His disciples to pray. The most famous events at Gethsemane occurred on the night before His crucifixion when Jesus was betrayed.


Another hillside, on the other side of Jerusalem


Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also one of the oldest surviving Christian churches.

Was Jesus born in a manger of an inn or a cave? According to Luke 2:7, Mary "laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn." But the Greek can also be rendered, "she laid him in a manger because they had no space in the room".

The gospel accounts don't mention a cave, but less than a century later two writers (I forget their names) said Jesus was born in a cave. This is reasonable, as many houses in the area are still built in front of a cave. The cave part would have been used for stabling and storage - thus the manger.

In 326, Constantine and his mother St. Helena commisioned a church to be built over the cave to commemorate the place of Jesus' birth.

The Door of Humility, the small rectangular entrance to the church yard, was created in Ottoman times to prevent carts being driven in by looters, and to force even the most important visitor to dismount from his horse as he entered the holy place. The doorway was reduced from an earlier doorway, the pointed arch of which can still be seen above the current door.


Inside the Church of the Nativity


Glenn waits his turn to kiss the place where Jesus was born



With churches and buildings on top of historic places where Jesus was born or slept or died, it was hard for me to visualize and "feel" like I was there, but when I walked the stone streets that have been walked on for over 2000 years, I could almost imagine the sound of horse hooves and carts rolling over them. The cold cut stones worn smooth by millions of people and years of time.



The huge, lower stones of the wall are from the time of Herod. We are actually standing on a road that Jesus very likely walked to enter the Temple.


Jerusalem in the Second Temple period

We visited the Israel Museum and got a much better perspective of the overall city and it's surrounding areas. I would suggest to anyone going to Jerusalem to visit this place FIRST to get a more complete understanding of the lay-out of the city and it's history. (Kari, Chris and Pop: This is like Madurodam in Holland, the miniature city we saw. Remember it?)


Shrine of the Book

The Shrine of the Book houses the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, possibly the most important archaeological discovery ever made in Israel. From the outside the Shrine looks like the lid of a clay jar -- like the ones many of the scrolls were found in.

The most prized exhibits at the Shrine are the two oldest copies of the book of Isaiah in existence. These Isaiah scrolls are 1,000 years older than any other known Hebrew Biblical text -- they were written six centuries after Isaiah first penned his words, as he looked forward to the Messiah!


On the way to Jericho


A corner market in Jericho


Mount of Temptation

After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, he was led out into the wilderness near Jericho to fast and pray. After a period of 40 days, Satan began to tempt Jesus. It is from on top of this mountain overlooking Jericho that Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offers them to him in exchange for his worship. Oh, to be like Jesus and not give into temptation by greed!


Glenn, Jay and Jordan-where the walls came tumbling down

Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It has a population of over 20,000 Palestinians. Situated well below sea level 10 miles north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently inhabited site on earth. It is also believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world.

Described in the Bible as the "City of Palm Trees" (thanks to springs in and around Jericho), tradition has it as the place of the Israelites' return from bondage in Egypt, led by Joshua, the successor to Moses. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of over 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back to 11,000 years ago. There is no wall around Jericho because the walls came tumbling down. All the way down!


Zaccheus and his tree

In the town of Jericho, in the center of the city is an intersection with a tree that is believed to be the tree that Zaccheus climbed in order to see Jesus as he was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. Zaccheus believed in Jesus and in the miracles that he performed and his desire to see him more clearly caused him to climb the Sycamore Fig tree. The Lord knew what was in Zacchaeus heart so blessed him and his household. This tree is over 2000 years old, based on carbon dating. On the little fence around it hangs dish towels for sale.



This sign was next to the Sycamore Fig tree that Zaccheus climbed. Anyone need a job translating?


Rocky terraces for gardening

Driving through Israel for our day trips gave us an opportunity to see such awesome and varied topography. I was amazed at how quickly we could go from rock mountains to sandy hills! I asked our guide why there were so many rock walls on the side of the mountain and he explained that it was to stop erosion and for terracing so they could grow food on the sides of the mountain!


Rolling sandy hills

Such stark changes in just a matter of two miles! There is NO vegetation growing here. This was obviously not the part of Israel the spies saw as they reported back to Moses "a land flowing with milk and honey".


A Bedouin campsite (notice the camel?)


The Jordan River

The Jordan River is the main river in Palestine. It is formed by the merging of three streams at the base of Mount Hermon and then divides into several streams before descending into the Sea of Galilee. It then drops 850 feet with extremely rocky banks on a windy course for 104 miles into the Dead Sea. (The straight distance is only 65 miles.)

The Bible records that Elijah divided the Jordan River when he smote the waters with his mantle, and so did Elisha. Naaman the Leper, who was captain of the armies of Syria, dipped seven times in the Jordan River and "his flesh came again likened to the flesh of a little child, and he was clean". John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah when he baptized them in the waters of the Jordan River. Jesus Himself was also baptized by John in the Jordan River.



Many people coming to Israel on tours like to be baptized in the Jordan River so there is a special section for folks who so desire. We saw signs that said that swimming was not allowed.


Sea of Galilee

Starting in Tiberias and crossing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum by boat, we met up with the law students who were also on this trip . Fortunately, the weather was beautiful. We'd heard about those nasty storms that come up suddenly!

Fed from the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee is actually a fresh water lake approximately 12.5 miles long and 7 miles wide. It is well-known for being a central location in the ministry of Jesus Christ. From this site Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, fed the five thousand and walked upon the water.


America, my home, sweet home!

The view was spectacular, the day clear and the wind cool, but the most touching thing was when the boat captain played over the loudspeaker The Star Spangled Banner as his matey hoisted the American flag to wave next to the Israeli flag. Tears just streamed down my face as I sang. I think I appreciate the blessings of being an American more than the average American does because I have lived and traveled in so many countries where freedom is so limited. It is a gift-a blessing, and we should never take our freedoms for granted.


Capernaum

Capernaum is an ancient fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is home to a Byzantine-era synagogue called the "White Synagogue" due to its' imported white limestone, as well as the house where Jesus healed a paralytic and Peter's mother-in-law.

Capernaum is frequently mentioned in the Gospels and was Jesus' main base during his Galilean ministry. Capernaum is not mentioned in the Old Testament because it was uninhabited until the 2nd century BC.



Heading down to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, we passed this mile marker indicating we were at sea level and a man offering short camel rides. I couldn't pass it up! Ever since our days in Africa, I've wanted to ride a camel. I'd also like to ride an elephant!


Shepherds found scrolls in these caves!

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea between the years 1947 and 1956. The area is 13 miles east of Jerusalem and is 1300 feet below sea level. They have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times. The mostly fragmented texts are numbered according to the cave that they came out of. Only Caves 1 and 11 have produced relatively intact manuscripts. Discovered in 1952, Cave 4 produced the largest find. Fragments of every book of the Old Testament have been discovered except for the book of Esther. There are now identified among the scrolls, 19 copies of the Book of Isaiah, 25 copies of Deuteronomy and 30 copies of the Psalms.


Masada, the last Jewish stronghold

According to Josephus Flavius, Herod the Great built the fortress of Masada between 37 and 31 BC. Some 75 years after Herod’s death, at the beginning of the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 66 AD, a group of Jewish rebels overcame the Romans and made Masada their home. After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, they were joined by zealots and their families who had fled from Jerusalem and a whole city was built on top of the mountain. Then, in 73 AD, the Roman governor Flavius Silva marched against Masada with the Tenth Legion, auxiliary units and thousands of Jewish prisoners-of-war. The Romans established camps at the base of Masada and held the Jews captive in their mountaintop city for six months. The Romans then constructed a ramp of thousands of tons of stones and dirt against the western wall of the fortress and, in the spring of the year 74 AD, moved a battering ram up the ramp and broke the wall of the fortress.



With the sun setting, the Romans decided to wait until the next morning to take Masada. During the night hours, the defenders, those held captive for 6 months, almost one thousand men, women and children, decided to burn the fortress and end their own lives, rather than be taken alive. Men would kill their wives and children, then they cast lots to choose 10 men to kill the remainder of the men. (The "lots" with their names on it were found on the site!) They then chose among themselves the one man who would kill the other nine. That last man then killed himself. He was the only one to actually commit suicide.

The heroic story of Masada and its dramatic end attracted many explorers to the Judean desert in attempts to locate the remains of the fortress. The site was identified in 1842, but intensive excavations took place only in 1963-65. The movie, Masada, is available on DVD.


Overlooking the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Israel and the West Bank on one side and the country of Jordan on the other. It is 1,385 ft. below sea level and is the lowest point on Earth. It is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, nine times as salty as the ocean. The high concentration of salt and minerals makes for a harsh environment where plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 42 miles long, is fed by the Jordan River, but because it is the lowest point on earth, it does not flow out, causing all the salt and minerals to remain in the water.

The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the world for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets...


Dippin' in the Dead Sea

...and it's a great place to float!

The water was warm, the bottom rocky and the taste salty! It takes less than a cup of water from the Dead Sea to kill a person so don't drink the water. Signs were posted telling everyone not to splash and how to go from a squatting position into the water onto your back for floating. It was weird floating on top of the water without any effort. It was actually pretty hard to stop my feet from rising!!! You know, after floating in the Dead Sea myself, I could see how Peter could have walked on water, mere mortal he were, except he was in the Sea of Galilee, not the Dead Sea!

It was a GREAT trip and I hope to go back again one day! It has taken me about12 hours to do this blog entry; I spent over 2 hours just choosing the pictures to use! I wish to acknowledge the use of the internet for my plagarism in some (okay, most) of the descriptions of what we saw. We saw much more than is recorded here, but these were the highlights of our trip.

Thank you Pam and Jay for this trip. What a blessing!