Day 8: Jerusalem & Bethleham

Today was our first full day in Jerusalem, and already we are overcome with the magnitude of actually walking where Jesus walked, climbing the steps where he climbed, and sitting where he sat. We started out at the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount at the Jerusalem Archaeological Park.  Excavations in this area, which have been ongoing since 1968, have uncovered remains dating back to the 1st and 2nd Temple periods.  You can see the original large stones of the Herodian wall, a shoping street from Herodian times, and the remains of an arched stairway that would have led up to the money-lenders’ hall. Just past the archeological site are the southern steps that would have led up into the Temple. Many of these steps are original from the time of Jesus, and this is the entrance he used to enter the Temple when approaching from Bethany, where he most frequently stayed while in the area. It is an impressive sight, and it is unfortunate that the entrances to the Temple Mount from this site have been closed off since Roman times. It was fun to sit on the steps, though, talking together where Jesus would have sat and talked with his friends and disciples.

Next, we walked across the street to the original City of David, the site David seized from the Canaanites to make his capital, which lies just south of the Temple Mount. Our main reason for visiting this area was to walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, build by King Hezekiah around 700 BC to bring water into the city from Gihon Spring during the Assyrian invasion. This 1,750 feet long tunnel flows with spring water to this day, and is completely dark, so we had fun wading through the calf-to-thigh-high water in a long single-file line, with only our flashlights to guide us! What an experience! When we exited, we immediately came to the Pool of Siloam, where the spring water would pool out in Jesus’ time. The Pool of Siloam was the site where Jesus healed the man blind from birth, and the correct location of the pool has only recently been discovered and excavation begun.

We hopped on the bus next and headed over to Mount Zion, to see what remains of Caiaphas’ house, the home of the high priest who insisted Jesus be crucified and the place where Jesus likely spent most of the night before his execution. Today, all that remains of the house are the ancient caves that were it’s basement, and the likely spot of Jesus’ imprisonment. These caves have been preserved, and in 1931, the church St. Peter in Gallicantu was built on top of them, in commemoration of the tradition site of Peter’s denial of Christ. You can also still see the remains of the Hasmonean stairway, which was in use in Christ’s time as the main pathway that connected the Kidron Valley and Mount of Olives with the city and Mount Zion, and was the path Jesus’ was likely taken up when arrested and brought to Caiaphas.

In the afternoon, we left Jerusalem and headed south to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and the hometown of King David. The most important site to visit in town is the Church of the Nativity, built in the 4th century AD over the supposed spot of Jesus’ birth and now shared by the Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches. Beneath the church is the Grotto of the Nativity, where a silver star marks to spot where Jesus was born. Nestled next to the Church of the Nativity is St. Catherine’s Church, beneath which is the front part of the cave of Jesus’ birth, and the spot on which Joseph was supposedly sleeping when he received his dream that they should move into exile in Egypt. Regardless of whether these exact spots are the places these events happened, or whether it was a hundred feet to the north or south, the important thing we felt here was the certainty that this was it. In this spot, around 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born, God became man, and all to save us. This is it. It’s really a special place to visit.

After leaving Bethlehem, we headed over to the Garden Tomb. While some people believe this is the site of Golgatha and Jesus’ tomb, there really is very little evidence for that fact - in the late 1800s, a British general visiting Jerusalem noticed a face appearing in a natural rock formation and posited that this was in fact the location of Golgatha. While excavation has shown this unlikely, the Garden Tomb is still a wonderful place to visit to see what the tomb was like in it’s natural setting, and to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection. After viewing the “face” in the rocks of the cliff and climbing into the tomb, we took time to have a small service, with Pastor Rob speaking, communion, and worship. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Oh, and in Bethlehem, we found our first Israeli Starbucks. =)

After getting back to the hotel, a few of us walked into the city to the Western Wall to see the excitement and festivities at the Western Wall as Shabbat began. It was quite an experience, with the men in the men’s section singing, dancing, and chanting, and prayers being made everywhere.

Tomorrow we are taking a 5 mile walk through the city, following Jesus’ steps from the Mount of Olives to Mount Zion. Watch the blog for a full report! God bless!

Categories: Holy Land.