Day 7 March 25, 2009 Jerusalem

We leave Biblical Tamar Park and we are on our way northeast to Jerusalem. We take a break near Jericho for refreshments and camel rides. After all the biblical learning we have been doing, it is time to be a tourist! It was only 20 shekels ($5.00)!

We arrive in Jerusalem mid-morning and check into the Rosary Sisters Convent Guest House. We no longer have our bus and will be walking all over Old Jerusalem. We enter the Old City about 5 minutes away throught the Jaffa Gate. We are making our way to the Western (Wailing) Wall and the Temple Mount. We soon find out that it isn't easy to get to up to the Temple Mount since it is controlled by the Muslims and it is closed at various times for prayer. At the Western Wall we observe the Jewish pray and the men are able to go into the side where the men are and under the tunnel where the men pray closest to where the Ark of the Covenant would be. Tim was able to get this picture of a grandfather teaching the little boys to pray.

We then march on to Davidson Center and Archaeological Park. After a short movie we go on to the ruins of the southern and western walls of the Temple Mount as they were during Herod's time. It was fascinating to see the pile of huge stones that had toppled from the top when the Romans destroyed the temple in 67-70 AD. We were able to walk on the actual street from Herod's time that Jesus would have walked on! On the south side of the wall are the remains of the old steps going up to the temple. The picure of the group below is on a restored part of those steps. Anne Malcolm gave us an insightful devotion on the steps.


By this time we are getting very hungry! Terrance is earning his nickname of "Death March Terrance" and "Camel" all in one day! We finally have lunches of falafel and other native food. As we walk back toward the Jaffa Gate we see The Broad Wall, thought to have been built by Hezekiah to fortify the city againse the Assyrians back in 732 BC.

We walk through the souks (markets) and of course our shopper, Judi, has a great time! Back at the guest house some of us buy groceries and share a potluck dinner.