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Published: October 9th 2013
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SECURITY LINE
AUTOMATIC WEAPON OLD CITY JERUSALEM, TEMPLE MOUNT, CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER AND MORE - DAY 7
Big day, early start to try to get ahead of the expected crowds. Our bus driver, Joseph, has been excellent the whole trip. I don’t know how he handles all situations with high skill and no apparent stress, but he does. We have two tour guides again today to keep our groups at an average of 16 to allow easier communication in the larger crowds. Our first stop was at the Temple Mount where Abraham was to kill his son but his son was saved by God’s directive. It was also the site of the two Temples and is now the holiest Islamic site in Jerusalem which makes the challenge of keeping peaceful relations between all the religious groups in Jerusalem very obvious. There have been many books written from different perspectives about the religious history. People express their opinions in different ways which is interesting to hear. For example, the security check at the entrance to the Temple Mount was conducted by the Israeli Security Forces, but the administration of the area was handled by the Palestinian Authority. Currently non-Muslim visitors are allowed access
WESTERN WALL
MEN PRAYING AT TOP, WOMEN PRAYING AT BOTTOM - SCREEN SEPARATION through only one gate and cannot enter the mosque or the Dome of the Rock, which was built in 691. Both Jews and Muslims separate the genders for prayer, but at the Western Wall there is a new section where men and women can both pray without segregation.
After a tour of the Temple Mount, a large enough area to hold about 24 football fields, we went down to the old city through narrow alleys where street vendors were plentiful. We worked our way to Via Dolorosa, the path some believe Jesus took on the way to his crucifixion. There were many Christian pilgrims praying along the way and small chapels were at most of the stations. The path was narrow and steep in some sections. We continued up the hill to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the location of the crucifixion and one of the holiest Christian sites in the world. I was amazed at the number of chapels representing various Christian faiths in one building. They don’t always agree on everything, but the site itself is holy to them. Inside the Church are the areas where Jesus was crucified, his body prepared for burial
in the tomb, and the tomb itself. I can’t absorb all of the sights and information in one visit. I have learned a lot, but my real accomplishment is in knowing how much I don’t know.
After lunch, most of our group went to Yad Vashem, the holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, and explored this living memorial to the Holocaust and those who perished in it. It is a very emotional experience, so many killed by evil people but also remembering so many saved by good people. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures in the museum.
After a brief rest at the hotel, we went to a reception for our group and then to a sound and light show at the Tower of David. We got back to the hotel a little after 8:00 pm. A long, but informative, day. We have passed the half way point of our tour of Israel and Jordan. Tomorrow we tour Bethlehem and see the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum, another very full day. ILYS
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Jack
non-member comment
Hi Chuck Sounds like quite a pilgimage that you are on. Have you been able to share your trip with a female companion that you met at the Crow's Nest? Jack