We had another beautiful sunrise, and we couldn't wait to smell, taste & soak in all the experiences we would have in the old city that day. Gary & I were definitely thanking God for bringing us here. We were already understanding so much more. God's Spirit was right with us in His city-on-a-hill. Our group was considered by all the people in Israel to be a blessing because the cease fire was signed as our group landed in the country and because our group brought lots of needed rain.
First, we went to the Kidron Valley, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Jerusalem's city wall is on one side of the valley and the Mount of Olives is on the other side. We walked down through it and observed how they are landscaping parts of the area and making a park. We took a path where we saw Absalom's Tomb, which was carved out of bedrock, not built with new stones. There were other tombs for the wealthy here. Absalom rebelled against his father King David. He built this HUGE mausoleum. Righteous Jews still walk past it and throw stones at it to show their disgust. Modern fathers still stop to lecture their sons about rebellion against authority, fathers, & God. (Absalom was killed.) Perry Stone taped 1 program here and Amir (one of the tour guides -- really good!) taped another, with us sitting and standing among the rocks on the hillside. From there, we had a view of the Temple Mount.
From there, we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was used for making olive oil. Today it is much larger than it was in Jesus' day. The trees there are very old, 2000 yrs. plus! Jesus came here from the Upper Room after the Passover Feast. He traveled from the SW corner of the city to the east side across the Kidron Valley. Next to the paths in the garden is the Church of All Nations. This church has the rock that is believed to be where Jesus prayed to His Father. He poured out His heart here and suffered so much that He sweat drops of blood. I was able to kneel at this smooth, broad, flat rock and place my hand on it and pray. (This is all so hard to wrap our brains around.) From there Judas brought the soldiers and high priests to arrest Jesus. All of the disciples left Him.
Then we drove to the city wall and entered by the Lions Gate (east side). The city is full of narrow streets with lots of tall buildings. We stopped to see St. Anne's Church, run by the Catholic French Church. It was built by the Crusaders. Three bus loads of us sat in the sanctuary and sang 3 songs. It was a beautiful sound unto the Lord -- and unto us! The acoustics were such that when we stopped at the end of a line, the sound would continue to go throughout the church. Once again, people were moved as we worshipped God together.
This church was beside the Pool of Bethsaida. Here, Jesus healed the man crippled since birth (38 yrs.) He was trying to get into the "healing" pools before others once the water started to stir. Jesus healed him & he picked up his mat and walked on the Sabbath. There were lots of cats in the courtyard around the church.
We continued walking until we came to the Via Dolorosa. This street is full of life. And sounds. And smells. And treachery! Many vendors have small shops, one right next to the other, while others have their items right out in the street. Here they sell sports clothes, digital items, coats, shoes, wallpaper, fresh lettuce, fruits, spices, meat drinks, bread --- everything. Many trained pick pockets moved throughout the crowded street, and one of our teens had her cell phone stolen. They worked in groups of two, one trying to distract while the other grabbed purses, phones, etc. Two boys about 8 and 9 yrs old checked out my bag and saw they would get nothing, so they left me quite abruptly. The street is filled with yelling, selling, buying, bustle, and people of different races, sexes, religions, and levels. We recognized that these are all God's children and we must pray for Jerusalem and its people.
We stopped at one of the Stations of the Cross, the only one that is authentic for sure. This was Anthony's Fortress. We descended three levels below the street to the original street level. We could see a game etched in the flat plaza stone there, a game commonly played among the Jews of the time. It involved throwing dice. This is where the soldiers threw dice for Jesus' clothes. Jesus would have stopped here as he carried the cross on his way to Golgotha. We were walking in His footsteps.
We continued down the street through the open air stores until we exited through the Damascus Gate. The last smell was strawberries. This entire area was within the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.
We ate lunch at Alhambra Plaza in a Muslim area outside of the city.
After lunch, we went to the south side of the city and entered through the Dung Gate. We walked to the Wailing Wall, the Western Wall. We were able to experience the most holy place for Jews, the only part of the Temple that was not destroyed in 70 A.D. It is 2000 yrs. old! The Jews never intended that anyone would ever face this wall to pray to God. However, when the Temple was destroyed, there was no place for the Jews to make their pilgrimage. And for years, Jerusalem was controlled by other countries. So, when Jews were allowed to return to the city, it was the only piece of the temple for Jews to visit. This became the place where they prayed. It is a holy area, and thus, it is quiet. The men must cover their heads to approach the wall.We were allowed to visit and pray there. The men & women had separate places along the relatively small portion of remaining wall to pray. The space directly in front of the wall is packed with people, some sitting in plastic chairs. It was difficult to get to the wall to touch it. We were told to walk backwards as we left the wall in respect. This is the spot where God told King David to build the temple. It is the center of this city, this country, this world. Here, Gary & I prayed earnestly for our family, friends, my Bible Study sisters, and the Jewish people and nation. It felt as if there was a special portal to God here.
We returned to the hotel to pack a carry on bag for Jordan. Most of our group would be returning to the States. We thought this would be the end of our travels in Israel, but not so! Check out the day we return to fly out. The best was yet to come!
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