Touching the Past

Today we ventured into Jerusalem’s Old City a bit. We began the morning on top of the Mount of Olives, where many in our group enjoyed a camel ride and photo opportunities, including Jordan and Joanna (who just wanted to be mentioned in my blog). There is no view quite like the view from the top of the Mount of Olives, looking over the Kidron Valley toward the Temple Mount, where the Muslim Dome of the Rock sits today. We took some time to get an idea of where the events of the last week of Jesus’ life took place, getting a sense of perspective and space of those significant events. Then, we walked down the side of the Mount of Olives on the traditional Palm Sunday route, stopping briefly at Dominus Flevit, a small chapel on the side of the mount that reminds us how Jesus stopped on his way into the city to weep over the unbelief of its inhabitants. Palm Sunday wasn’t an entirely joyful parade, at least for Jesus. Don’t you wonder what those who were celebrating thought when they saw him weeping? What makes us weep today?

At the foot of the Mount of Olives is the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. Outside the church are olive trees, some of which are over 2,000 years old. They may have been mere saplings when Jesus prayed here. Inside the church itself is the Stone of Christ’s Agony, the traditional site where Jesus prayed while his disciples slept “a stone’s throw away.” We took a moment and remembered and prayed, even as a priest led a Mass in the sanctuary.

After a drive along the Kidron Valley, we came to the Dung Gate (named so because that’s where the...refuse...used to be throw out) and, after going through security, approached the Western (Wailing) Wall. This is the only part of Herod’s Temple (the Temple Jesus knew) that remained after the Romans destroyed the Temple in A. D. 70. There is a separate men’s and women’s section, and beside the men’s side is a synagogue. There are many people who come to pray at this place, and we quietly joined them. Nearly every crevice along the wall is stuffed full of written prayers from all over the world.

We then walked through the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, a portion beneath the southern wall of the Temple Mount that has only been excavated in recent years. There, the southern steps were found alongside many ritual baths. The Southern Steps are not only the place where many (if not most) people entered the Temple in the first century, it’s most likely the way Mary and Joseph entered when they brought the baby Jesus to be dedicated to God. These steps are also known as the Teaching Steps, because it was here that Jesus taught many during his visits to Jerusalem, especially during that last week. The steps are authentic, dated to the first century/Herod’s Temple. The whole park is full of great finds, including burn marks that date to the time Rome destroyed the entire complex.

We then went to have lunch. Perhaps I might mention several cultural things we have noticed here. First of all, shopping is a challenge because, especially in Jerusalem, many if not most of the prices are negotiable. So you need to come in knowing what some things are worth, what is a reasonable amount to pay. Second, everything comes with pita bread. That’s just understood. They make french fries, I think for the convenience of the Americans, but they’re not as good as ours are. The pita bread is the real side dish of this country. Third, many of the places we’ve been have a unisex restroom. By that I mean, you walk into a common area that has a sink and soap and hand dryers, and then you choose a stall and lock it from the inside. So when you exit, it may be men or women who are waiting to come in next. Yeah, that would take some getting used to if I lived here.

So, anyway, after a great lunch of shawarma, we headed to the Israel Museum to explore a model of first-century Jerusalem, see the Shrine of the Book (the home for the Dead Sea Scrolls) and enjoy some free time to explore the museum’s collection of Jewish history, faith and life.

After a brief break at the hotel, we will be heading back to the Old City to explore a tunnel underneath the Temple Mount alongside the Western Wall. It’s a controversial excavation by some people’s estimate, so I feel a bit like Indiana Jones as we head back to the city!