Today we started out at the Temple of Herod where we went to the 'Wailing Wall'. This is where the Jews go to pray. They write their prayers down and stuff them in the crackes of the wall. After you go to touch the wall, you walk backwards away from it as not to turn your back on God. I liked that symbolism.
We walked through the tunnel that went along the western wall. We got to see and touch some of the original foundation of the temple.
A lot of women stop in here to pray, they believe it is in front of the tunnel that leads to the place where the Holy of Holies was kept. It is the closest they can get to it.
After the tunnel we went up above and saw where the Muslims worship. Here we are in front of the Dome of the Rock, where the Muslim women go to worship. It is thought to be built on Mt Moriah, where Abraham to Ishmael (they believe it was Ishmael, not Isaac) to be sacrificed.
This is the spot above where the Holy of Holies is thought to have been in the temple.
This is the Pool of Bethesda, where Christ healed the lame man on the Sabbath. It is pretty big, it was divided into sections. It is amazing how much of it is still there.
This is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this is the traditional site where Jesus was thought to have been crucified.
This is the Stone of Anointing where crusaders claim Jesus' body was prepared for burial.
This is the spot above where the Holy of Holies is thought to have been in the temple.
This is the Pool of Bethesda, where Christ healed the lame man on the Sabbath. It is pretty big, it was divided into sections. It is amazing how much of it is still there.
This is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this is the traditional site where Jesus was thought to have been crucified.
This is the Stone of Anointing where crusaders claim Jesus' body was prepared for burial.
This is the Holy Sepulchre where it is believed that Christ rose from the dead. It is a beautiful church and very elaborate, but I have to say, I like the Garden Tomb idea much better-but we'll talk more about that on day 5 of the tour!
On the ramparts we...walked! I never really thought about what a rampart was when singing the Star Spangled Banner, but this gives a new perspective. We walked along the ramparts of the temple that were built by the crusaders, we had a lot of fun on this treck! Here I am in one of the windows that had a little opening in it for shooting arrows.
On the ramparts we...walked! I never really thought about what a rampart was when singing the Star Spangled Banner, but this gives a new perspective. We walked along the ramparts of the temple that were built by the crusaders, we had a lot of fun on this treck! Here I am in one of the windows that had a little opening in it for shooting arrows.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Holy Land Tour-Day 3
Our stop this morning was the Garden of Gethsemane. What a beautiful place that was! We had a devotional there and we sang "I Stand All Amazed" (my favorite hymn!) and there was such strong spirit there. After the devotional we had free time to find a secluded place to sit and read, study, ponder, pray, etc. The Garden, though walled, is right next to a busy street so it was as quite and peaceful as I would have hoped, but I still greatly enjoyed the time I was able to spend there as I reread the of Christ's suffering in Mattehew and Luke. I really do 'stand all amazed' at the love Jesus has for each of us and I felt that love many times on this trip as I walked the paths that he walked and beheld with my own eyes the places where significant things in his life took place. The tree that I am standing in front of is called a witness tree because it is over 2000 years old so it would have witnessed Christ's suffering in the Garden, kind of neat to think about.
After visiting the Garden we went to church at the BYU Jerusalem Center. Behind the pulpit on the stand is all windows that look out over the city, it is an amazing view!
From the church we headed toward Bethlehem. We stopped along the way at a little Bedouin tent restaurant where had a wonderful traditional meal.
Next we stopped at Shepherd's Fields, and the Shepherd's Church, the tradional site where the shepherd's received the glad tidings that Christ was born. We sang "O, Little Town of Bethlehem"-so fitting right!
We went to the Church of the Nativity which is the oldest church in all of Christendom. It was built over a little cave which is believed to be the manger where Christ was born. Here we are down in the manger.
We celebrated the end of Shabbot by going to Ben Yehuda Street. The had live music, street vendors, entertainers and food-including delicious gelato!! Our group randomly pulled out a camera case string and started a limbo competition in the street. The people there loved it! We drew a bigger crowd than the fire thrower!
After visiting the Garden we went to church at the BYU Jerusalem Center. Behind the pulpit on the stand is all windows that look out over the city, it is an amazing view!
From the church we headed toward Bethlehem. We stopped along the way at a little Bedouin tent restaurant where had a wonderful traditional meal.
Next we stopped at Shepherd's Fields, and the Shepherd's Church, the tradional site where the shepherd's received the glad tidings that Christ was born. We sang "O, Little Town of Bethlehem"-so fitting right!
We went to the Church of the Nativity which is the oldest church in all of Christendom. It was built over a little cave which is believed to be the manger where Christ was born. Here we are down in the manger.
We celebrated the end of Shabbot by going to Ben Yehuda Street. The had live music, street vendors, entertainers and food-including delicious gelato!! Our group randomly pulled out a camera case string and started a limbo competition in the street. The people there loved it! We drew a bigger crowd than the fire thrower!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Holy Land Tour-Day Two
Today we drove to the City of David where we walked through Hezekiah's Tunnel. The history behind that was amazing! The tunnel served many purposes, one being to make getting water easier and safer for the women. The tunnel was built very quickly; they started digging on both ends and worked toward the middle. There is a plaque showing where they met up with each other. We got to walk through the tunnel! It was awesome! There is still water flowing through it so we got to wade through about a foot of water. My favorite part was when we turned off all of our flashlights and stood there in the pitch black and sang 'Lead, Kindly, Light'-what an amazing feeling! Outside of the tunnell was the Pool of Siloam where Jesus told the blind man to wash his eyes after he put mud on them. Only one corner of the pool is uncovered. I sat on the original steps of the pool!!!
We drove toward Jericho and stopped to look out over the Wadi Kelt (or the Valley of the Shadow of Death). This is the location of the parable of the Good Samaritan. From here you can see the traditional site of the Mount of Temptation where Satan tempted Jesus Christ. I got to take a small donkey ride here.
We stopped by a big sycamore tree which is thought to be the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus coming.
That evening we went to the 'Wailing' Wall and watched the Jews bring in Shabbot (their Sabbath). We weren't allowed to take pictures so I don't have any documentation, but it was a great experience. We walked down and touched the wall, after you touch the wall you have to walk backward as a sign of respect, that you won't turn your back on God. People write down their prayers and then stuff them into the cracks of the wall. They sing and dance too, the men are on one side and the women are on the other.
We drove toward Jericho and stopped to look out over the Wadi Kelt (or the Valley of the Shadow of Death). This is the location of the parable of the Good Samaritan. From here you can see the traditional site of the Mount of Temptation where Satan tempted Jesus Christ. I got to take a small donkey ride here.
We stopped by a big sycamore tree which is thought to be the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus coming.
That evening we went to the 'Wailing' Wall and watched the Jews bring in Shabbot (their Sabbath). We weren't allowed to take pictures so I don't have any documentation, but it was a great experience. We walked down and touched the wall, after you touch the wall you have to walk backward as a sign of respect, that you won't turn your back on God. People write down their prayers and then stuff them into the cracks of the wall. They sing and dance too, the men are on one side and the women are on the other.
Holy Land Tour-Day One
The beginning of a great trip begins with long flights and layovers. We finally landed in Tel Aviv at 1:30am, but our bus didn't come to pick up our group until 2:30pm so we we found a nice corner bench to settle on for the night.
Our first adventure after getting settled and eating dinner was to walk to 'Old Jerusalem'. We walked through the Gate of Damascus, which was having a light festival at the time. We also walked through the markets along the traditional 'Via Dolorosa'.
Our first adventure after getting settled and eating dinner was to walk to 'Old Jerusalem'. We walked through the Gate of Damascus, which was having a light festival at the time. We also walked through the markets along the traditional 'Via Dolorosa'.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
About Me
- Jessica Wigington
- I was born and raised in Logan, UT and I graduated from USU with a BS degree in Family Finance. I worked for Zions Bank for almost 5 years. I moved to Virginia at the end of July 09 and stayed with my sister Julie and her family while I looked for a job. I got a job working for an ophthalmologist in DC and moved up here on August 24. I now live in Arlington, VA in a cute rowhouse with great roommates. I belong to a great singles ward and I have been able to make lots of wonderful friends.