Sunday Feb 22 The Temple Mount, St. George's and the Israel Museum

Blogging again at 5 am. Just posting a few highlights of Sunday February 22, 2015.
We had options. After the Temple Mount which was finally open as we had tried twice before, people could choose Yad Vashem the Holocaust museum or a church service at St. George's. We did the latter.

Another morning view from our room. It looks like a beautiful day. Cool but clear.

After breakfast we gather at 7:50am to walk to the Temple Mount. We enter the Damascus Gate and follow the Damascus Gate Road. This is a shot of the gate. Note the ramp on the road with a vehicle coming.

We encounter another garbage truck. Amazing how they get around the city. People, trucks and cars in such tight quarters.

On our walk Steve points out a secondary use of a sarcophagus, part of a water fountain.

To go on the Temple Mount or to the Western Wall you must first pass through security.

We waited in line for quite a while to go up the ramp. There were police at various locations.

We entered through the Morocco Gate.

More security at the gate.

 I was surprised to see trees on the Temple Mount. I was expecting a barren expanse.

This picture shows them cleaning up after damage caused by the snow storm. Most of the snow is gone today. 

And cats! There are stray cats all over Jerusalem. 

 

We talked about the Eastern Gate which has been sealed. It is the gate that the Messiah is supposed to enter when he comes again. There is also a Muslim cemetery on the opposite side. To an Orthodox Jew a cemetery would be unclean. One wonders at the ambiguity of keeping someone out that you don't believe in.

 

The Dome of the Rock.

 

After the Temple Mount some of us made our way to St. George's Anglican Church.

 

The service was in both Arabic and English. It was a little hard to follow and at times both languages were being spoken in the liturgy. The priest gave his Lenten sermon on fasting, first in English and then in Arabic.

 

It was a very pretty church with a baptismal pool.

 

 

After the service we hoped to see the Garden Tomb, but it was closed on Sundays.

 

After another nice lunch at our hotel, I tried the humus and Paul had onion soup and French fries with our usual Israeli beer, several of us boarded the bus and Shimshon drove us to the Israel Museum. I enjoyed the model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period, 66 A.D. It covers nearly one acre on a scale of 1:50.

 

 

One other highlight of the museum was the Shrine of the Book, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. We could have spent many more hours at the museum, but it closed at 4pm.

 

Paul and I were hoping to get some shopping done in old Jerusalem before dinner. We wound our way through the city. One destination was closed, but we were able to get to Zak's and Ali Baba's for souvenirs for the family.

 

This was our last day with those on tour with us. Tomorrow they would depart for home and we would be on our way to Tel Aviv.

 

After dinner we gathered in the meeting room and everyone was given an opportunity to share highlights of their journey. "Notley" and "Slacker" had a memorable exchange! :)

So sad to see this group disperse and yet so thankful for the blessing of sharing our trip with them.

February 19 Mount of Olives, Via Dolorosa and Bethlehem

I've gotten out of sinc with my blog. So I will try to recall our journey of the 19th this Sunday morning at my usual 5am blog time.

The day began with the sun shining and clouds rolling in. It would continue throughout the day alternating sunshine and rain.

We boarded the bus and Shimshon our driver took us to the Mount of Olives. 

It is very windy and cool, but our spirits are high and the adventure continues.

We heard a reading from Genesis chapter 9 where God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants to never send another flood and set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of the covenant. As we looked over Jerusalem there was a rainbow in the sky.

We visited  a small chapel in the shape of a teardrop signifying Jesus weeping over Jerusalem because they would not listen.

I thought Erika would like this sign. The Croatians donated this garden of olive trees. 

Some of these trees are 1500 years old.

This garden is located next to the Basilica of the Agony. It was beautiful inside. The windows are made of alabaster so it is quite dark.

Luke 19:41-42 As Jesus came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'If you, even you, had only recognized the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'

We were also reminded of Psalm 22 The agony of Jesus and God's command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. 

We continued our walk down the route of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I will never picture it the same after walking here.

I lit a candle for our family, the one on the far left.

This is in St. Anne's Church. Anne, the mother of Mary. The acoustics were lovely and again we were able to sing. Another group did also.

The Tomb with a long line up.

One of the chapels.

We entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church was built on the location of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and Joseph of Arimathea's tomb where Jesus was buried. According to our guide this location is very probably the true location.

We went from there to lunch at the Fountain Restaurant. 46 of us in two little upstairs rooms. We had swarma and coffee. It was fun.

Shawarma!

The little window by the Coke sign is where we were sitting.

Next a bus ride to Bethlehem. 

We toured the Church of the Nativity with our Palestinian guide. She did a great job and preached a 

good sermon about reading God's Word and following Christ in our lives.

The Catholic section. 

We had the lovely experience of singing O Come All Ye Faithful  in the cave where Jesus was said to have been born.

We stopped at a store to purchase souvenirs. The owner gave his testimony.

A run to the bus in the rain and back to the hotel for dinner. Shimshon bought us a treat for dessert, some baklava. Very yummy.

February 20th Snow Day in Jerusalem

Morning devotionals:

Jerusalem Friday Feb 20th.

Reading the Truth for Life post for today:

So, then, poor Christian, you need not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him to give you consolation. You are a poor, dry well. You have heard it said that when a pump is dry, you must pour water down it first of all, and then you will get water; and so, Christian, when you are dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in your heart, and then your joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them to be Job's comforters; but go first and foremost to "God, who comforts the downcast," and you will soon say, "When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul." 1) 2 Corinthians 1:3 I have been on the verge of tears for many days. This seems appropriate for me. Lord give me the water that primes my soul. 'Your tears are the water.' Then Lord give me time and place to shed them so that I may rejoice in You.

It was quite a pleasant surprise to look out the window this morning and see all the snow! It was beautiful! And though the city apparently only has two snow plows and most shops would be shut down today as everything stops for the weather, it feel like a blessing. Our trip has taken another unusual turn and God is with us.

The view from our window.

After another nice breakfast we brave the weather in running shoes. After all, who would have thought it would snow!

We go through the New Gate and make our way through the Christian Quarter Road where the shops are that we will check out. We get to see a Jerusalem garbage truck come down the street.

At least there are no cars moving this morning

The first store is Alibaba's.

The owner is very friendly and offers everyone a cup of Lipton tea.

We stop at another store that I hope to go back to later.

From there we walk back through the Jewish Quarter. What a pretty entry!

Here we still need to watch in many places for falling snow, but many places are covered.

We pass Moshe's store where we listened to him speak the other day.

I want to come back and look at his prayer shawls.

This is a view that I posted the other day with no snow. It is by Hezekiah's wall looking out of the city, a very pretty view with all the rocks.

From here we made our very wet way to the Wailing Wall or Western Wall a very special location for the Jews as the lower stones are from Herod's Temple.

I found myself praying for the Jewish people to know their Messiah.

We had been here earlier, but it was much busier. This time I got to go up to the wall and put my hands on the stones. 

A wet walk to a mall that was closed helped us decide to return to the hotel where I blogged and Paul rested. I'm trying not to get jealous! :)

Later we had lunch at the Allegro Bistro where we had local beer and delicious pizza with bacon, onions and mushrooms. They are very generous with their toppings.

It is almost 5pm and after a sunny afternoon the clouds are starting to roll in.

Thinking of you all back home and wishing Kailo a very Happy Birthday. Tomorrow you are two!

God bless you all!

I

Jerusalem Feb 18th

First, Happy Birthday to Paul! He turns 65 in Jerusalem on Ash Wednesday in the church year. Pretty special I would say.

Our normal wake up call at 6:30am. I had been blogging since 5:00am as I am on a mission to share our trip and create it's story.

Looking outside, it was gorgeous! This is a picture over the balcony of our room.

We left our hotel at about 8am the rain was beginning.

Walking to the gate.

A view down the street inside the Jaffa Gate waiting to go underground.

We are about a 10 minute walk from Jaffa Gate.

I have very few notes today as my pen wouldn't write on damp paper. We headed underground.

A mosaic of Jerusalem. Steve is showing us the layout of the streets.

We viewed an ancient home possibly the home of Caiaphas the high priest where Jesus was first brought after being betrayed by Judas. Matthew 26:57 'Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered.' 

A model of the stones we were looking at. As Paul would say 'More stones!'

The rain continued off and on all day, but we were able to pack a lot in as we were aware that they were calling for snow later in the week.

We had lunch in a Jewish pizza shop. No pepperoni and cheese as we can't mix milk and meat and remain kosher. Jane, Grace and Sang Hyuk joined us. It was good pizza, sweet potato and mushroom.

And great company!

 We entered the shop of a Jew and listened to him talk about his faith. He has many groups coming 

each day. It is my prayer that God would open his eyes to see that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and I believe God will. 

After lunch we saw part of Hezekiah's wall and enjoyed the view. 

A view from Hezekiah's wall that I later took with snow!

This arch supported a stairway that led into the Temple.

We saw Robinson's Arch. This area was excavated quite recently. The ground level before excavation was just below the out cropping of stone. You can tell from the type of stone in this picture that this area was filled with dirt before excavation.

These are the steps leading up to the double and triple gates. It is almost certain that Jesus would have walked on the stones that our guide is standing on.

Professor Stephen Notley.

So we took turns standing where Jesus stood. Some found it very moving.

Me and Joey from Singapore.

From there we went to the entrance of Hezekiah's Tunnel. A water way that Hezekiah's built from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam to bring water to the City of David in times of war. It is possible to walk through this tunnel which usually has about two feet of water in it. I don't know if I am game!

This is the Pool of Siloam.It was discovered when a road caved in. You can imagine where the road would have been. The pool was much bigger, but that area is now privately owned and they are not interested in excavating it.

Paul and I thank everyone for signing the card, sorry if we missed you! And for singing Happy Birthday at supper! We were blessed!

A night cap in the wine bistro on the 4th floor with a great bunch of people! What a great way to end a wonderful day!