Our last day in Jerusalem. We were excited to see the places we had read about all our lives, humbled by their meaning, and anxious to get on the plane and back home to our babies!
In the front left of the picture below, the steps that slope up to the white building are the steps that led to the temple that were in the pictures from a couple of days ago. To the right is the city of David, where he looked down from his palace and saw Bathsheba.
These grave markers were quite different than any we'd seen before.
See the rocks on the tops of them? Each one is put there by a mourner.
The spikes all over this tree are thorns, the same as were used to make Jesus' crown of thorns.
Each thorn was at least as long as my pinkie finger.
I thought these flowers were so pretty, and below them, on the arch, the cross is called the Jerusalem cross - 5 crosses that symbolize the 5 wounds of Jesus.
Next we went to the Garden of Gethsemane.
It was beautiful.
The olive trees were so pretty. We learned that olive trees don't die unless they are uprooted, so these are really old trees.
We spread out to have some time alone in the garden.
The seats laying around everywhere mess up this picture.
Walking to the Church of the Nations
Behind us is the closed off part of the Garden of Gethsemane - to our left is the tree below.
This is the oldest tree in the garden - we were told it was probably a sapling witness to Jesus' betrayal.
Inside the Church of the Nations - sorry it's a little dark, I didn't want to use the flash since there was a service in progress.
The front of the Church of the Nations
Then we went to Caiphus' house
St. Peter's Church - loved the rooster
The One Way Crypt sign was amusing to me.
The chapel of St Peter's Church is where the courtyard of Caiphus' house would have been.
His mock trial was held here
Then He was lowered into this high security pit by a rope through this hole - amazing. You can see rope burns in the rock.
We stood in the pit - a dungeon. It was the first time I realized why dungeon starts with dung - yuck.
There would have been a guard standing watch over Jesus in the doorway above.
We read Psalm 88 - it was unreal - you should read it now!
We also sang the Alleluia chorus in this room - you can't believe how pretty it sounded in this stone prison.
We walked past the Potters Field - bought with Judas' blood money.
These steps were amazing - they date to Jesus' time. He was probably led down this staircase during his last night before being killed.
Another story I enjoyed about the steps - I found it online (www.knls.org) told better than I can retell it -
Neil Armstrong will always be remembered, and honored, as the first man to stand on the moon, but I want to tell you about another place where he once stood. I have been to Jerusalem many times, and I always visit the temple mountain where the beautiful Dome of Rock stands today. But 2,000 years ago, in the days of Jesus, the Jews’ temple stood there on the mountain. The first temple, built by Solomon about 1000 BC had been destroyed, and then in the years just before Jesus’ birth Herod the Great had rebuilt the second temple. But the temple mountain was not large enough for the beautiful temple that Herod built, so Herod had enlarged the temple mountain by building a massive retaining wall around Mt. Moriah. On the south, he built broad steps that were the main entrance to the temple in Jesus’ day. Herod’s temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, just as Jesus had foretold. But the massive wall around the temple mount and the broad steps were not destroyed. Beginning in 1968 Professor Benjamin Mazar excavated the south wall of the temple mountain, and he uncovered those broad steps that people had used to enter the temple in New Testament times. And that brings us back to Neil Armstrong. He is a devout believer and in the spring of 1988 he visited Jerusalem and stood on those steps. He asked his guide, "Do you mean to tell me that Jesus stood on these steps?" The guide answered, "Of course. Jesus was a Jew and went to the temple many times. And these steps were the main entrance to the temple. Of course Jesus stood on these steps." Neil Armstrong was quiet for a few moments, then said, "It means more to me to stand on these steps than to stand on the moon." When we visit the Holy Land and walk where Jesus walked, we are brought face-to-face with him and we leave with a richer deeper faith.
These were neat if you want to click on them to see them closer up.
This is David and Aunt Sissy - he enjoyed helping her around as needed - she was amazing and so sweet!
Lion of Judah
The tower in the middle of the picture has live olive trees growing on top!
Damascus Gate
The Twin Pools of Bethesda - the location of John 5 - a healing miracle of Jesus. I still can't believe we stood in all these places where Jesus walked and talked and healed and lived.
While we were at the Pools, there was a group from Nigeria that was also visiting. They sang and sounded like angels - it was absolutely gorgeous. Recalling it brings tears to my eyes - I can't wait to be in heaven with people of every nation - I don't know what they sang, but it blessed me in a big way.
Then we went to St Anne's Church - it was beautiful and simple, designed to sound amazing - we sang the Doxology (Praise God through whom all blessings flow) and it was so awesome. I've got a video but haven't figured out yet how to post them.
This stone showed a barely visible game - The Game of the King - that was played during Jesus' time. It was a gambling game, and was possibly played by the soldiers who gambled for Jesus' prayer shawl.
The Hall of the Pratorium - where the soldiers mocked Him and took his prayer shawl.
We were in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem - we were told to stay close together and not shop, as this was the most dangerous of the places we went (still not scary, just a place to be cautious.) Since we were hurrying through this area, these aren't great pictures, but I thought the market was really cool. I wished we could have shopped :)
We went to the Garden of the Tomb. Here is Golgatha - the place of the skull - can you see the eye sockets?
Just below this skull is where Jesus was crucified - not on top, which was different than I had always pictured. The location is now a bus station which our guide said was appropriate - at the time that Jesus and the 2 thieves were crucified, it would have been done just outside the city, but where the people were coming and going so that lots of people would see it.
We stopped nearby to worship and sing, and as we were being seated, an Asian group just a little ways from us began singing "Up From the Grave He Arose" and it was so awesome!! We just joined right in singing in English (obviously) while they sang in their language and once again - I just can't wait to all sing together again!
Here is the tomb.
You can see the niche where the rock was able to be rolled in front of the opening.
As you walk in the doorway (which would have been about half the height it is now) this was to the far right. Because of the description in the Gospels that upon arriving, they could see that the tomb was empty, it makes sense that this would be where they had laid Jesus as opposed to the section just inside the door shown in the next picture below.
This sign was on the door inside the tomb
That night we had a farewell dinner where we shared our feelings on the week. I didn't because I knew I'd become a basketcase, but it was an incredible week. To those who provided a way for us to go - financially, prayerfully, caring for our kids, we are eternally grateful.
If you read all of our entries for this trip, I hope it wasn't too detailed for you - we want to remember every minute of this incredible opportunity!
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