Today we spent the entire day in the city of Jerusalem. There was so much that we saw and so much information to digest, I am not sure that I will come close to explaining 25% of it. I will try to hit the highlights and Jeff will, as usual, fill in the rest. It is 10 PM and my feet are tired, as well as my body and brain.
We were dropped off at the south gate (known as the dung gate) of the southern wall through which we entered the old city of Jerusalem. The city is comprised of 4 quarters – the Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian quarters. Security was tight and we entered through a security checkpoint, then heard an overview of the history of the temple area, beginning with Abraham and through to present day.
Then we walled a short distance to the Southern Steps that lead up to the temple. This would have been the entry point of the temple for all of the Jews in Jesus’ day. Up until today we had visited many areas where Jesus would have been near, but this is one area where we can say with certainty that we truly walked exactly where Jesus walked and taught. These are for certain the very steps that Jesus would have climbed when he came to Jerusalem, both as a child and as a man. It is still very hard to imagine that I was actually there where Jesus had been. Humbled and grateful.
Next we went to the Western Wall of the temple mount, also known as the Wailing Wall. This is the only remaining, exposed portion of the actual retaining wall of the temple mount that the Jews can access, and is therefore a very sacred place for them; actually considered their most holy place.
I really did not know much about this place and really had no expectations. [I know, unusual for me to have no expectations.] It is called the Wailing Wall because the religious Jews come here to the wall to pray and lament the destruction of the temple (by the Romans in 70 AD). The men and women have separate areas. All the men must have head-coverings. Jeff did not have one, so they provided a “cute” Yakima. There was loud wailing that could be heard coming from the men’s side. On the women’s side, as I entered I saw that the Jewish women were sitting or standing at various places. Some at the wall, some at a distance. Some were rocking back and forth. Some were reciting prayers out loud and some were silently moving their lips. Some merely bowed their heads and read. It is customary for them to write prayers, or really just anything, on small slips of paper and to place these in the cracks in the wall. Placing their prayers in the wall, they then back away from the wall and leave the area. Except for the waling coming from the men’s side, it was very quiet. I just sat at first in confusion. My heart was deeply saddened. My prayers were rising to my God, my Savior for them, that they might see the Light and come to know the Truth. The Messiah has come! Through Him our God lives in us and we are no longer in need of sacrifices or a temple.
We were then able to walk through the Western Wall tunnels, which tunnel under the existing Muslim Quarter along the base of the wall where ongoing excavation was taking place. We also saw a demonstration of the history of the temple and temple area –built by Solomon, rebuilt by Ezra and Nehemiah after the destruction of the original and after the Jewish exile, the building of the temple mount and the improvements by Herod the Great, the destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, and the building of the Dome of the Rock by the Muslims on the very spot where the temple had once stood. More on this history tomorrow.
Afterwards we left the temple area and went out into the old city, where we had one hour for lunch and shopping. Yay! Finally some shopping, if only for a short amount of time. It was a great way to enter into the culture and meet the people. We walked to the Armenian quarter and met a nice young man named Levan, ate pizza, and continued on for the day.
We walked south through the Jewish Quarter and viewed the original main road through the center of the Old City. The wide central road was flanked by a covered portico/sidewalk.
There is a portion of the wall that Hezekiah built in preparation for Judah’s rebellion against Assyria (8th century BC). 2 Chronicles 32:3-5, 2 Kings 20:20 The remains of this wall were discovered in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City in 1970. It is about 23 feet thick and still stands up to 10 feet tall.
We saw the actual wall and then walked to the City of David – the original city that King David conquered and established as his capital. This city is actually outside the existing walls of Jerusalem.
Part of Jerusalem’s ancient water system was located under the City of David. It connects the Gihon Spring—Jerusalem’s fresh water supply—with the Siloam Pool. According to 2 Chronicles 32:2–4 and 2 Kings 20:20, this tunnel was dug during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah to prepare Jerusalem for the imminent attack of the Assyrian king, Sennacherib. Hezekiah redirected the water through old and newly dug Jerusalem tunnels to prevent the Assyrians from cutting off the water supply
We had the choice of walking through the tunnel still containing water up to our knees, or walking through a dry tunnel – we went with the dry tunnel known as the Canaanite Tunnel.
At the end of Hezekiah’s tunnel is the Pool of Siloam.
This is another spot where we can say, with certainty that Jesus actually was! The very place that He healed the man that was blind since birth, causing a “balagan” with the religious leaders ( John 9:1-7).
(Balagan is a Hebrew word that our guide, David, has been using everyday – describing a big mess or trouble.)
We then decided to call it a day.
We returned to the hotel and had dinner, but then walked back to the old city, entering through the Jaffa Gate, to wander around the city a little more. Finally, to bed.
Lila tov