Jerusalem - Temple Mount

Tuesday 14 April

The Old City. The Cardo, The Broad Wall, Rooftop view, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Temple Mount,

Today we thought we would be clever and take the vehicles to the lower part of Jerusalem. This was the last day before the High Day Shabbat. Every main road into Jerusalem was closed. We eventually found ourselves winding further and further up a steep narrow street in the Palestinian section near the city of David till the Kia’s we hired could not go any further. (Cant say I’m very impressed with their power, for all the Kia owners out there). To make matters worse, about three Palestinian Taxis were stuck behind us, and about another three or four vehicles were stopped coming down from the top.

After a pregnant pause of a minute or so in our besieged Kias, one Arab learned out the window gesticulating with his hand – (fingers and thumb all pursed together and pointing to his face, as if he was trying to pull each word out of his mouth).

WHY……...YOU……… COME……... HERE……..??? in a stilted Arabic accent.

Piece by piece we unraveled an ever increasing traffic jam as we reversed down the steep narrow winding street for about 300m, trying to contain our laughter over the Palestinian’s estimation of the whole affair. (His words have become the catch cry of our travels in the Kias ever since).

View of the Western Waling Wall from the ramp that ascends the Temple Mount

Having abandoned the vehicle idea, we went back into the old city via the Jaffa Gate which is close to the Beit Shemuel Hotel where we are staying. We walked to the Temple Mount and imagined what it would have been like in the time of Jesus. The porches and the money changers, the walls of partition with the priests officiating. Very moving experience, brief though it was.

The team on the temple mount

Made our way up Via Dolorosa (Street of Sorrows). Visited a possible site of ‘The Pavement’ where Pilate is supposed to have judged Christ. This is not the preferred site by archeologist but very interesting to help imagine the scene of Christ’s trial “who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession”. We did a reading from John 19 and contemplated the events that ensued.

Crown of Thorns that grows in this area

One of the supposed Gabatha (The Pavement) sites . About 10m below the current road level

Went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Interesting to see and contemplate. So many people, from so many Christian religions are visiting these places at this time. The religious rituals were a bit off putting, as people kiss and fondle each special place in the church. The majority of the archeologists seem to agree that this could well be the place that the crucifixion and burial took place.

Pool of Bethesda
(about 10m below the current ground level)

The Pool of Bethesda was also interesting. The site where the lame man, who for 38 years was waiting to go into the waters to be healed (John 5). Eventually it was Christ that healed him, and the whole scene possibly represents Israel and their inability to go anywhere because of their false hope. The site is about 10m below today’s ground level, very large and extensive.

Israeli Soldiers on duty in the Jerusalem Markets

3:00pm marks the start of the preparations for the High Shabbat at 6:00pm. Everything Jewish began to close. We were able to wander around the city to get a further feel of the environment but it was a little frustrating that we could not see as many exhibits as we had hoped. Despite this it was still a very interesting day.

Outside the walled up Golden (or Eastern) Gate
This is the gate that everyone expects Messiah will eventually pass through when he returns to the city in the not too distant future.