Day Six was jammed packed and started early with breakfast at the hotel. Then a dash through the old city to the Western Wall so we could get in queue to visit the Temple Mount, AKA Dome of the Rock since it's controlled by Muslims, and only Muslims are allowed to enter inside the shrine. No Bibles or crosses or any marker of Christianity allowed, and security searches both on the way in and on the way out. You can NOT be Jewish and visit the Temple Mount as Jew aren't sure where the Ark of the Covenant ended up and would not take the chance of stepping over it by being up above the Temple area. The Temple Mount is a very large area and there also seems to be a lot of cats hanging out on it. This site is the holiest site in Israel, hotly contested between the Jews and Muslims. In Jewish history, this is the site where Abraham bound Isaac, and later where Solomon built the Temple of God. In Islam's history, this is where they believe that Mohammad went up to heaven and got the rules for their religion. An interesting difference is in Islam, God gives love. For Christians, God is love. We saw Solomon's Gate and the Eastern Gate among the eight arched entrance ways. After a short walk off the Mount we came to The City of David. We saw olive trees bearing fruit as we entered a small garden. 2 Samuel 5:7 - "David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David" The City of David is on a ridge southeast of the old city of Jerusalem, below the Temple Mount area. Two valleys that protect the City of David are the Tyropoeon Valley = Valley of the Cheesemakers and Kidron Valley = Valley of Jehoshaphat (Josiah), which separates the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. The Hinnom Valley = Valley of Hell, Greek =Gehenna, is where child burnt sacrifices happened, and where Judas Iscariot bought plot of land and killed himself Ophel is part of the Eastern Hill that sits between the City of David and the Temple Mount. Ophel means “swell or rise” (see 2 Chronicles 27 and 33, Nehemiah 3:26, Isaiah 32:14 and Micah 4:8) The archaeological park and ruins are amazing! We voted down including the picture of the ancient toilet, but it was incredible to see houses that were in part of the wall Nehemiah built. Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
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Hey guys it's Laura here again! This is day five part...3? Let's jump in (ah puns) We went to the Temptation Restaurant in Jericho for lunch. Jericho is recognized as the oldest city in the world. We went onto Tell Es-Sultan which is where the original city of Jericho was. The archaeology in this tell is cut like a birthday cake, showing 26 layers of strata as old as 8500 BC. Then we saw the spring of Elisha (2 Kings 2:19-22) And a sycamore tree like Zaccheus climbed. We got back onto the bus and headed toward the Dead Sea, but first we drove past the Mount of Temptation and there's a monastery on top now. We enjoyed floating in the Dead Sea. And slathered several thousand dollars worth of mud on our bodies. After washing off the mud and salt, we rode the bus an hour & half, returned to our hotel near the Jaffa Gate, and went out walking in the Christian Quarter.
Love to all, Laura |
AuthorThis blog is mainly written by me (Laura Walkendorf,) and also by my parents. Archives
April 2017
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