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.
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