Day 8—The Old City, Western Wall Tunnels, St. Anne's Church, the Wailing Wall, the Garden Tomb

For our final day in Jerusalem, we were finally entering the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Within these walls, the Old City is divided into four vaguely defined quarters: one each for the Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and a fourth occupied by the Armenians. We entered the Old City through the Dung Gate.

The Dung Gate, on the southeast corner of the Old City, is named in Hebrew Shaar ha-Ashpot and is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah (2:13). It is the main entrance into the Jewish Quarter but it still remains the smallest of all the Old City gates. As we entered, we were ushered into a screening area with two lines—one for men and one for women—with metal detectors and guards checking bags. We then passed the Wailing Wall which we would visit later in the afternoon. The Western Wall plaza was filled with jews in prayer shawls coming to the Wailing Wall for morning prayers. Some wore phylacteries on their forearms or foreheads. These small boxes with scripture inside are bound with leather straps as prescribed in Deuteronomy 6. The flurry of activity in the square was mesmorizing. Our group, however, was heading to the Western Wall Tunnels.


The Western Wall Tunnels are excavated tunnels dug by archeologists to explore the wall's foundations. It follows the base of the outside face of the Temple wall along a Herodian street, below today's street level, and emerges along the Via Dolorosa. Our journey through the tunnel reminded me of an Indiana Jones movie. The further into the tunnel we progressed, the further back in time we were going. The walls and brickwork we were walking along and beside dated to the Second Temple period (70AD) and sections were even older than that. Bricks that were larger than the touring bus we traveled in made up portions of this wall. It was amazing to consider how they were quarried and cut, let alone put in place.


As we exited the tunnels, we were now on a portion of the Via Dolorosa. Known as the "Way of Sorrows," this is the path that Jesus walked on his way to the Crucifixion. We were also in the northeast corner the Old City known as the Muslim Quarter. Our next stop was inside the Convent of the Sisters of Zion which is located where the Antonia Fortress stood during Jesus' days. The Antonia Fortress was adjacent to the Temple and was built by Herod the Great in 37-35 BC to protect the Temple. It was also where the Roman government was headquartered. Most importantly to us, it was the site where Jesus was flogged before being led to his death. The site we visited was very likely the location—or very near to—the site where Jesus was beaten. During our time here, we discussed the verse in Isaiah that prophesied about Jesus being beaten and that "by his stripes we are healed." We took time to pray for each other, for physical healing, and thanking Jesus for his stripes and his healing power today.


Next, we walked to St. Anne's Church and the Pool of Bethsaida. The most impressive part of this visit was the incredible acoustics inside this stone church built by the Crusaders between 1131 and 1138. As we entered, various groups were seated and taking turns singing a cappella. We found our seats and continued to listen. The groups were from all over the globe and singing in their native tongue. First, a group singing in French, later a group singing in Russian. We sang three or four songs (in English, of course) and were amazed at how good we sounded! It was like singing in an enormous shower with our songs reverberating off the stone walls surrounding us.


We now exited the Old City through the Lion's Gate which faces the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem. The Lion's Gate actually has six names, each one for various reasons. It's known as the Sheep Gate, St. Stephen's Gate, the East Gate, the Jericho Gate, or in Hebrew, Shaar ha-Arayot. By whichever name you choose, we walked through it and then headed south along the outside of the Eastern Wall and back into the Old City through the Zion Gate on the southern wall. We were now in the Armenian Quarter for a block of two until we turned into the Jewish Quarter. Our plan was to have lunch in the Jewish Quarter, but plans change. So instead we found restrooms, saw the Cardo—an excavated and partially reconstructed main street of Byzantine-era Jerusalem and the "Street called Straight" mentioned in the Book of Acts. We then boarded our bus and headed out of the Old City for a fantastic lunch.


After lunch, we returned to Dung Gate and proceeded to the Wailing Wall. Now later in the afternoon, the activity was much less. A group of Jewish school children were at the wall with their rabbi teaching them to pray. A couple of soldiers were praying at the wall. And several others whether they were tourists, Hassidic Jews, or local Israelis. The Wailing Wall is considered the holiest site in Judaism. This is due to the fact that when the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD70-73, Jews believed that God's presence moved from the Holy of Holiest inside the Temple to the only portion of the Temple wall that remained: the Wailing Wall. It's name comes from the time during the Ottoman period when Jews came to this wall to lament the destruction of the Second Temple. Today, worshippers visit the Wall to celebrate Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, to recite daily prayers or the entire Book of Psalms, and others who believe petitions to God made at the Wall are especially effective, will write down prayers and insert them between the stones. As I approached the wall, I took time to pray with one hand placed overhead against the wall, thanking God for this amazing experience. I prayed for my kids and for their future and then inserted a written prayer in between the stones.

The women's section of the Wailing Wall is separated from the men. So Susie and the other women on our team entered a different sections area to pray. The one marked difference we all noted between the women and the men was that when the women finished praying they walked backward away from the wall while still facing it. The men did not do this. Apparently, the women, who do not want to "turn their backs on the presence of God," are more spiritual than the men. The ladies in our group seemed pleased by this fact!

After the Wailing Wall, we returned to our bus to make the final stop of our journey: The Garden Tomb.


The Garden Tomb is located outside the Old City walls and is north of the Muslim Quarter between Herod's and the Damascus Gates. Towards the end of the 19th century the British General, Charles Gordon, was visiting Jerusalem and started a dispute among archeologists. As he looked out the window of his room, he saw a skull-shaped hill and what he concluded had to be Golgotha—the site of Christ's Crucifixion referred to in Mark 15:22. He also surmised that the site of Jesus' burial had to be here and not at the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The debate still continues today. The Garden Tomb is a beautiful garden setting overlooking that same skull-shaped hill and features a first century tomb carved out of rock in the hillside. A British Christian ministry operated the garden and our host not only shared the history of the site, but he made a clear presentation of the Gospel. He made no claim that this was the actual site of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. But he made a solid case why it could be. He left the decision making up to us, but mostly this was a great way to see what Christ's tomb probably looked like—if it was not in fact the real thing.


After viewing Skull Hill—which overlooks an Arab bus station adjacent to the Garden—we walked over to the nearby Tomb. I smiled when I read the sign on the door, "He is not here. He is Risen!" The small tomb was indeed empty, except for the four of us crowded inside to take pictures. That empty tomb is the central difference that separates Christianity from any other religion. Jesus said He would rise again and His empty tomb proves it. Mohammed, Buddha, Confucious, and all the others are still in their tombs. Jesus is alive!


Our final moments in the Garden included Pastor Jim leading us in a time of reflection—sharing stories and personal impacts from this trip—followed by communion and worship. To take communion in Jerusalem, in the garden near the place where Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and rose again, cannot be put into words. It was a moment that will stay with me all of my life.

It's equally hard to summarize the past eight days in Israel. We have seen more than I ever imagined. Pastor Jim said that a visit to Israel is like a year of intensive Bible seminary education. I can't disagree. I'll be processing all that I've seen and heard for weeks and months to come. One thing I do know... When I read the Bible and encounter place names like the Mount of Olives, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee, the Garden of Gethsemane, Caesarea, and so many more, I no longer just see names on a page. Now I see the actual places. The Bible has come to life. A friend said before I left that when she visited Israel it made the Bible become 3D. It's so very true. My Bible is now in 3D. I've always known that the Word of God is living and active—but now I feel like it's been supercharged, at least in terms of my own imagination and understanding as I read it's pages.

My final thoughts: put a visit to Israel on your life's "to-do list." It wasn't on mine. This opportunity came as an invitation by Pastor Jim to be the trip videographer. Now that I've experienced Israel, I would jump at the chance to return. Again, put israel on your personal bucket list. It will change your life and you'll never read the Word of God the same ever again!

Day 7—Masada, The Dead Sea, and Jericho

My morning began by meeting John Bartlow for a 4 mile run around Jerusalem. The morning was warm and bright as we hit some different streets around our hotel. It was nice running with my running partner as our pace was faster and we chatted about our experiences so far here in Israel. After we returned to the hotel 45 minutes later, we enjoyed breakfast with our group and then got ready to depart.

Today, we hit the road out of Jerusalem and dropped 4,000 feet in elevation to 1,380 feet below sea level. As our ears popped, we passed Bedouin camps with their sheep, goats or camels and makeshift homes. Bedouins are the nomads of the Judean desert here in Israel. They have lived this way for thousands of years traveling from place to place as they care for their animals. But in the last handful of years, they've stayed in one place as they've been able to tap into the electrical grid, work in the cities, and take advantage of schooling for their children. Now their Bedouin tents have refrigerators and televisions.


Our first stop in the desert was Masada. This isolated mountain-top fortress about 1,300 ft. above the banks of the Dead Sea was fortified as early as the first or second century BC and then enlarged and reinforced by Herod the Great, who added two luxurious palace complexes. Our tour of Masada began with a cable car ride to the top. I would have loved to hike to the top, but the hike takes an hour and I had to my duty as trip videographer. Tony our Tour Guide showed us around the various rooms and sections of Masada including a sauna, synagogue, and the Roman ramp used during the Roman siege of Masada in AD 70-73. I and about 15 or so others decided to hike down from Masada along the Snake Path. Our return route took 25 minutes and was actually a pleasant hike. We passed several hikers taking the long climb up. "You're almost there!" we called to them... regardless of how far they actually had to travel.

After Masada, we drove further south along the shores of the Dead Sea to a Hotel/Spa where we changed our clothes and waded into the Dead Sea. Before I waded in, I stood on the shore and shot some video of our group. I was blown away by how bizarre this looked! People were floating "on top" of the water! I had never seen anything like it. I set down the video camera and waded on out. The "sandy beach" was actually crushed salt crystals. The water felt slightly oily to the touch, like a light salad dressing. It felt denser than regular water and I could feel it pressing on my legs as I waded out to where Susie was already floating. I sat down in the water, laid back, and popped right to the surface! I've never been great at floating on my back. My legs always seem to sink and the rest of me follows. But not here. It was effortless. I laid back in the Judean sun and soaked up the rays while every muscle relaxed in the salty water. At one point, a splash caught my eye. To say it stung really underestimates it! And you can't wipe your eyes with your own salty hands. So Pastor Betsey who was nearby wiped my eyes with her shirt tail and I went back to floating along. When it was time to go, it was had to leave this place. So incredibly relaxing!

Our final stop was in Jericho which lies in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. Jericho is the oldest, continually occupied city in the world. It's claim to fame in history is it's the first city captured by Israelites under the leadership of Joshua. Later, the prophet Elisha healed the water spring now known as the Ain es-Sultan spring. And in Jesus' day, it was Jesus himself who came through town, met a small man named Zaccheus who was hanging out in a tree to see Jesus better as he walked through town. Jesus called him down from the tree, invited himself to the man's house, and made a new friend. Our time in Jericho was marked by a visit to the Tel Jericho, an archeological dig revealing the 23 cities beneath the current one. There, we took time to pray for the cities of the world. Pastor Jim remarked that God has a love affair with cities. The theme of God loving cities is replete through the Bible. We prayed for our own cities, for Jerusalem, and—as the Muslim call to prayer echoed through the valley—we prayed for Jericho.

Tomorrow will be our final day in Jerusalem. Our visits will be to the Old City, the Rabbinical Tunnels, the Wailing Wall, St. Anne's Church and the Pool of Bethsaida, the Jewish Quarter, and the highlight of the day—the Garden Tomb where we will see what could have been Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and a tomb very similar to where he was buried and rose again three days later. We'll take communion there and celebrate our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Photos from today are here.

Day 6 — Bethlehem and Yad Vashem

Today, our travels were a bit lighter and day less packed which made it more of a Sabbath of sorts being Sunday and all. But, we still had a lot to see. Our destination this morning was to Bethlehem, a 20-minute drive south of Jerusalem. The first thing we noticed, and were informed, about Bethlehem is that this city—located in the West Bank—is under the control of the Palestinian National Authority. In fact, our Jewish tour guide, Tony, was not permitted to entire Bethlehem so we had a temp from Bethlehem fill in for him for the morning.


When we arrived in Bethlehem, we passed through a guarded checkpoint beneath guard tower and an immense wall that spanned the perimeter of the city. This wall was erected about three years ago and stands 25 feet tall and stretches for 240 miles. It's ugly but apparently a necessary evil to reduce terrorism. I get the feeling the Palestinians hate it.


Our first stop in Bethlehem was the BSC: Bethlehem Souvenir Center where we could do some shopping. As we gathered in the Christian-owned store, the store owner gave a welcome speech to our group and shared his heart about life in this Palestinian-controlled, mostly Muslim city. He said that though our government wants Israelis and Palestinians to co-exist in peace, that true peace will not come until the Prince of Peace, our Messiah returns. He asked for our prayers. I appreciated his genuineness and honesty. Then he told us about several of the items available in his store from olive wood carvings to menorahs to antique Roman coins and jewelry. Susie and I picked out some small Christmas gifts for family but others in our group were doing a masterful job of shopping and depleting their souvenir accounts as fast as they could! I don't think anyone left the store empty-handed.


Now we boarded our bus and drove to where the shepherds watched their flocks by night and were the first to hear the Good News of a Savior being born in Bethlehem. We went to the Shepherds Filed YMCA. In the back of this YMCA building and campground is a cave that is very similar to where Mary and Joseph resided when Jesus was born. In fact, prior to being incorporated into the YMCA property, it was adjacent to a home where the homeowners kept their livestock.While inside this rock cave grotto, Pastor Jim shared from Luke 2—the traditional Christmas story—and then read Philippians 2 which really describes how much Christ gave up to leave Heaven and His Father's side and become a baby, being born in a feed trough inside a cave really only suitable for animals. Talk about humility. We sang "O Come Let Us Adore Him" and I felt like our Sunday morning service was one of the best ever. Christmas in May. I'll take it.

On previous trips, Pastor Jim has taken groups to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Today, we only drove past it. The lines were enormous and, in Pastor Jim's opinion, the experience can leave a person somewhat deflated when you see how this church has taken the spot where Jesus was born—a humble, simple cave-like grotto—and transformed it into a place adorned with marble and mosaics. The humility was long-ago removed. Our experience behind the YMCA was probably far better than being crowded into the high-church atmosphere of the Church of the Nativity.


Leaving Bethlehem, we passed through the checkpoint. An Israeli soldier boarded our bus, walked the aisle asking us if we were all US citizens. I couldn't help but notice the semi-automatic rifle he carried. That kept our rebellious tour group in line.

Now we returned to Jerusalem for lunch at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel Hotel. The lunch was fabulous and I decided that Tony was right on day one when he told us all we'd be gaining about a pound a day on this trip. Susie and I finally found some t-shirts and sweatshirts we liked and purchased a Hebrew University hoodie and a Jerusalem t-shirt. Check that off the list.


After lunch we went to Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. Yad Vashem, meaning "a name and a place" (from Isaiah 56:5) is an archive, research institute, museum, and above all, a monument to perpetuate the memory of the more than six million who died in the Nazi Holocaust. The museum is one long corridor carved into the mountain, with 10 exhibition halls, each dedicated to a different chapter of the Holocaust. Most moving are the 2500 personal items donated by survivors which truly gives a first-person feel to the horrors of Nazi rise to power, concentration camps, and death marches. You left this place feeling emotionally drained but thankful for a museum so well-done to ensure we never forget.


Our final stop of the day was a brief visit outside the Knesset—Israel's parliament—where a sculpted seven-branch menorah (the symbol of the State of Israel) in located. It's the work of British sculptor Benno Elkan and was a gift from the British parliament. The relief work on its branches depicts crucial moments in Jewish history and is accompanied by biblical quotations.

Tomorrow, our journey heads back to the Dead Sea. We'll climb Masada, the desert fortress from the first century, we'll float in the Dead Sea, and we'll be at our lowest point on this trip—elevation-wise that is: 1,348 feet below sea level.

More photos from the day are here.

Day 5 — Jerusalem!

Our fifth day in Israel began with a half hour sunrise run in the neighborhood around our hotel. Well, just me on that run. The other 51 in our group were probably still asleep. The streets around our hotel are government buildings, the Supreme Court, the Knesset (Israel's legislative body—our as our tour guide calls it, "The National Zoo"), and the Wohl Rose Garden. I ran around most of these buildings and areas.


After breakfast, we boarded our bus and headed to Mount Zion, which is southeast of the Old City. Our first stop was St. Peter in Gallicantu. This church commemorates the traditional site of St. Peter's denial of Christ which fulfilled the prophecy, "Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." (Mark 14:72). The most remarkable aspect of this church is the ancient caves beneath the church that were used as prisons. This is the site where Caiaphas' house was and one of these caves was where Jesus was imprisoned after appearing before the Sanhedrin. He would be taken to Pontius Pilate the next day. Our group assembled in this cramped cave-prison while Pastor Betsey read Psalm 88. The feeling was powerful, yet dark and emotional as each of us considered what Christ endured on our behalf.


Following Gallicantu, we drove a short distance to a location traditionally known as the Hall of the Last Supper or Coenaculum. While not the actual room, this room is traditionally known as the site of Jesus' last meal with his disciples and—of equal, if not greater importance—the Upper Room where the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost. Pastor Jim spent some time teaching on the Holy Spirit and the power available to the Christian who asks for the outflowing of the Holy Spirit. We also took time to pray for one another.


Our last stop before lunch was The Israeli Museum. The first exhibit we viewed was an immense 1:50 scale model of Ancient Jerusalem. Tony took us on a tour around the model which really gave us a better sense of what we see—or don't see—when we view present day Jerusalem. We could see the original Herod's Temple (circa 36 BC-70 AD), the original walls and how they contrast with the walls in place today, and where Jesus would have been tried, scourged, crucified, and buried. The second exhibit was a great companion to our visit to Qumran yesterday. The Shrine of the Book highlights the Qumran discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and looks at the life of the Essenes who lived in Qumran and were the scribes of those scrolls. Facsimiles of the Dead Sea Scrolls were on display. The originals are pretty well protected from folks like us!

Lunch as at an amazing Arab restaurant that was beautiful just to sit in and talk with one another. But when the food arrived, we dove in and all conversation stopped. We had pita with traditional arabic fillings, beef meatballs, spicy chicken, rice, and much more. The dessert was a soft sponge cake that had me tempted for a third piece.


Next we drove to the top of the Mount of Olives. After a group photo overlooking Jerusalem from the east, we stopped for photo opps with a decorated camel giving very short rides to anyone with $5. We had to jump on top and take the camel for a spin.

We walked from the top of the Mount of Olives, retracing the same Palm Sunday path that Jesus would have walked, until we reached the Jewish Cemetery. This cemetery is enormous. The graves appear to be above ground but are merely markers for those buried there. Each grave points straight to the Temple Mount as those buried here are placed face-up, feet pointing toward the Holy City, so that when Messiah comes (as the Jews believe) the dead will rise up, feet forward and facing Jerusalem.


Our walk continued down the path past the Dominus Flevit Chapel which means "The Lord Wept" and commemorates the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Further down was the Garden of Gethsemane with ancient olive trees that likely were alive when Jesus prayed in this Garden. Next to the Garden is the Church of All Nations or also known as the Church of Agony because it is built over the rock in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night before he was arrested. The church features incredible stained glass windows, Three magnificent mosaics depicting Christ's agony, betrayal, and arrest.

Our final stop before heading back to the hotel was a large store that featured antiquities, jewelry, sandalwood, artwork, Persian rugs, and much more. Really... all I was looking for was a cool t-shirt.

After dinner, I had a special treat. Susie and I had dessert and coffee with an Israeli friend, Boaz, and his wife, Efart (yes, that's really her name.) I met Boaz in 2008 when we rode together on the America By Bicycle Ride the West. We were roommates for six days and though we didn't keep in touch after the ride, I thought I would email him anyway. We had a nice time catching up on stories about my ride across the U.S. last year, our families, life in Israel, and what we had experienced so far. It made for a very nice conclusion to a long, but wonderful day!

Tomorrow, we'll head to Bethlehem, the Holocaust Museum, and probably into the Old City. Photos from today are here.