Jerusalem

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We spent Wednesday and Thursday in Jeruslem.

We started Wednesday a little slow because we went out and partied at Rivlin street (10 minute walk west of the Christian quarter until about 04:30). Around 09:30 we took a bus to Bethlehem in the West Bank (Palestine area), in which we had to cross a wall because Israel is building a wall to separate the Palestine areas from Israel. While we were in Bethlehem I was talking to our local tour guide and he talked as if he was in prison; strange how two major Christian sites and cities so close together could be so far apart.

In Bethlehem, we visited the Church of the Nativity, which is where Christmas mass is broadcasted around the world every year, and we saw the silver star which marked the place where Jesus was born. Cool sight since we love Christmas so much. Afterwards, we went to the Milk Grotto, a church built on a site where a drop of Mary's breast milk blessed the floor. A bit of a stretch, but when in Rome...

Afterwards, we went back to Jerusalem (approximately 10 minutes to get through secutiry around the wall and 15 minutes to drive) and visited the Yad Vashem museum. Yad Vashem is their holocaust museum but there really wasn't any new information, although it was well designed.

Sean flew out around 05:00 on Thursday so now we are down to 4 people.

On Thursday, we visited the Wohl Archeological museum and burnt house. Both were interesting archeological sites of life in Jerusalem during Christ's life, and the burnt house was evidence of the destruction of the Israelites and the end of the second temple period in 70 AD when Rome destroyed the temple and the city.

Afterwards, we went to the western wall and wandered the Jewish quarter for a hour or so. We finished our touring of Jerusalem with a trip to the Garden tomb just north of the Damscus gate. Definitely an average site, it was more like the evangelical church trying to convert us. It is run by an evangelical church and it is their idea of where Christ was crucified and buried. I am not saying the older churches are absolutely correct thinking it is at the Holy Sepulchre, but I am definitely not believing the evangelists.

So we are up to date now. Jarin and Kevin are probably going to hit Rivlin street toinght and then the 4 of us are going to rent a car and drive north to Nazareth and the sea of Galilee tomorrow.

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