As we walked from the City of David, we had a clear view of the Mount of Olives. And we could see the excavation to our right, which was found because they went to build a parking structure and found the wall from the City of David. The Mount of Olives seemed scarce of trees but full of graves. Across the Kidron Valley from us, this 2900-foot hill has served as one of the main burial grounds for the city. And the view back over Jerusalem shows how very close the two locations are to each other. All Jews are buried with feet facing the Temple Mount so they can arise when the Messiah comes and walk toward the Temple. That is true even for Jews living in other countries. Instead of our American custom of leaving flowers at the grave site, families honor the dead with rocks to assist in rebuilding the new Temple. Jews are buried in tombs, not in the visible boxes, but 4 meters below. In Jewish tradition, the Messiah will descend the Mount of Olives on Judgement Day and enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate (the blocked-up double gate in the center of the eastern wall of the Temple Mount, also known as the Gate of Mercy, or the Beautiful Gate). (I think it will take more than blocking up the gate and filling it in to stop Jesus' returning.) As Christians, we believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, while many Jews still await a Messiah. Laura reflected on the teaching time and left her own cairn on the steps. Afterward, we walked down the "Palm Sunday Road." It is the biblical road that Jesus followed when he entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where Jesus road a donkey to the Temple Mount. He was sacrificed on the Mount of Olives four days later. The Palm Sunday Road descends from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, which is where we went next...
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AuthorThis blog is mainly written by me (Laura Walkendorf,) and also by my parents. Archives
April 2017
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