Month: December 2022

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Wednesday, December 14, 2022

We booked a tour of The City of David. Our group consisted of about 15 people. All spoke English except a family from Brazil. The father did a simultaneous translation as we went along. Tickets cost about $17.00 per person. It is less if you wander about by yourself. Credit cards are accepted.

The tour starts out with some background information regarding King David and then moves on to a high viewing platform with views of the surrounding area. From there we talked about how the city was found and why it was built there. Since we were early we heard another tour guide give an explanation of these things and his explanation differed slightly from what our tour guide said. It was interesting to try to piece together a coherent story.

Sometime in the 1860s Sir Charles Warren was commissioned by Queen Victoria to perform Biblical Archeology in Palestine. One story says that he wished to excavate the Temple Mount but the Ottomans would not permit it so he decided to dig nearby instead. Another story says that he realized that there were a bunch of tombs along the bottom of the Kidron Valley. Since cemeteries in ancient times were always outside of the city walls it gave him a clue as to where to explore. In any event he started digging on a hill to the South of the Old City and found The City of David.

King David, who according to the Bible was the third King of Israel, was from the tribe of Benjamin. He decided to build his city in a neutral location to help promote the unification of his people. The location he chose sat astride the Tribes of Benjamin and Judah. Why was this particular location chosen? Because it was situated near the Gihon Spring, which could provide a good supply of water to the city. A fortress was built around the spring to help insure that their water supply would be secure in the future.

Our guide asked us to take a good look around. Then she quoted from the Bible saying that the city was safely located between four mountains. To the North is Mount Moriah (The Temple Mount), to the South is the Mount of Olives, to the East are the Judaean Mountains and to the West is Mount Zion. She said that you couldn’t make this statement if The City of David had been located in the Old City as most people had believed.

The ancient City of David had been utterly destroyed so there wasn’t a lot to see. One of the interior areas was likely the royal quarters. This assumption was based on a capital that was found there. It matched the description of a gift to the King from the kingdom of Assyria.

Outside there were a number of rooms. In one a great deal of ash was found along with dozens of clay seals. This room was likely the administrative center of the complex. The large amount of ashes suggests that the many scrolls stored there were burned. From the seals, which only grew stronger in the flames, we know the names of many of the correspondents. These include names that can be found in the Bible. Another room is supposed to have belonged to a rich person because it contained an indoor toilet. Analysis of the resulting organic material has shed light on the diet and health of the inhabitants.

The rest of the tour revolves once again around the water system. The story goes that the 8th Century BC King Hezekiah was worried about the Assyrians rampaging through Israel. He had a plan to safeguard the city’s water supply and deny water to the attackers. The King had his people divert the water supply into the city by building a tunnel that was 1,748 feet long (almost six football fields in length!). It was a massive undertaking. The tunnel would have to be cut out of solid bedrock. To quicken the pace of the project he had his people start from opposite ends of the tunnel. Without modern machinery or even simple compasses how would the two ends meet? Initially the tunnels were cut as straight as possible. To insure that they would meet up the builders added s-curves near the midpoint. Very simple, very clever, and very effective. The water then collected inside the city’s walls in the Pool of Siloam.

According to the Bible the Assyrians finally did arrive to lay siege to the city. Sometime during the first night an Angel came and killed all 160,000 of them.

For the rest of the tour we descended through a vast system of tunnels below the city. Eventually we came to the tunnels of King Hezekiah. They are still being fed fresh water from the Gihon Spring. We had the option to walk through the wet tunnel or walk through some dry tunnels. Only two of us walked through the wet tunnel.

A sign near the visitor’s center indicated that the water was a constant 69°F and was almost waist high to an adult. The website says that they sell boots but in fact all they had was diver’s shoes. They wouldn’t be much help.

The tunnel is completely dark. The woman in front of me, Cara from Seattle, had a flashlight. I used my iPhone. Initially the water was about thigh high but it quickly came up to almost my waist. The tunnel was also quite narrow. We had to walk sideways at times to get by. I left quite a bit of skin in that tunnel. At times the ceiling was very high and at times I had to duck down for dozens of yards at a time to get through. Most of the time the water was a little more than ankle high. Sloshing through all that water for 1,748 feet was quite tiring. It was like doing water-aerobics with wet pants and wet shoes. The entire way through we were looking for indications where the two tunnels met. We saw several likely places but were never quite sure we located the exact spot. The trek took about 25 minutes. When we finally got to the end our guide, and the rest of our group, were waiting with worried looks. We got a round of applause for our efforts.

The last stop was the Pool of Siloam. Until a few years ago they thought that the pool was in a different location within the city but when a municipal pipe burst the engineers started digging in the area and found the remains of the actual location. Only part of the pool was uncovered because the other part is across the street on a private property owned by a Christian religious order. The entire pool may never be completely uncovered.

Thursday, December 15 2022

We got an early start. We booked a tour that would take us to Masada, Ein Gedi, and The Dead Sea. We met the bus at 7:45 near the Old City. The tour cost $69.00 per person but didn’t include entry to any of the three parks.

The trip was a bust from the start. The bus was 15 minutes late and the air conditioning wasn’t working. I asked the guide if he could turn it up and he replied that it was working. He said, “It’s very hot outside”. After several other people complained he announced that the air conditioner wasn’t working and that they’d try to fix it. In the mean time it was blowing hot air and it was suffocatingly hot inside.

After only 35 minutes the bus stopped at a rest stop for a bio break and snacks. After we got back on the bus it traveled 30 minutes in the wrong direction. It stopped at The Dead Sea and let a single passenger off. That certainly wasn’t on the schedule. We got to Masada substantially later than expected. We had lost over an hour.

Tickets to Masada cost $22.00 per person, which included the use of the cable car. Credit cards are accepted. If you want to save some money you can walk to the top by the ancient Snake Path. The 4,000 foot ascent is said to take only one hour. We saw a ten minute film before boarding the cable car.

Once on top we had an abbreviated tour of the site. Most of our time was spent talking about Herod’s three palaces. In less than 30 minutes we were on our way back down. Once at the bottom our guide announced that we would have a 35 minute break to check out the gift shop and get some snacks. Not happy at all.

The story of Masada is an interesting one and there is a lot (more) for visitors to see. Herod the Great was appointed King of Judea by the Romans in the first Century BC. He wasn’t a popular ruler but is well known for his extensive construction projects including the renovation of the Second Temple and the port of Caesarea.

Herod build several retreats in remote places just in case he needed to hideout in the event of civic uprisings. One of the most well known was located high on an isolated plateau in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea. It was called Masada, which translates as Fortress or Castle. In 66 AD the Jews revolted against their Roman oppressors. By 70 AD the Romans had won. As a punishment they completely destroyed the city of Jerusalem. A group of almost 1,000 Jews escaped to Masada. They were hoping that given their small number and their remote location that the Romans would simply ignore them. They were wrong.

Sometime around 73 or 74 AD the Romans came to Masada. They built camps all around the mountain and even built a wall to insure that the Jews wouldn’t attempt to escape. Assaulting the mountainous retreat was a difficult proposition. Over the course of four months the Romans built a large ramp onto which they placed their siege equipment. The Jews reinforced the targeted gate with large wooden timbers. Once the Romans had their equipment in place the Jews set it on fire. Their plan was working until the wind shifted and instead burned the gate to the city. By nightfall the Romans had broken through. Instead of ransacking the city immediately they decided to get some rest and come back the next day.

During that night the Jews discussed what would be happening in the coming day. They knew that they were vastly outnumbered by the Romans. In all likelihood the survivors would be abused and enslaved. Rather than submit to that they decided to kill themselves and set the fortress ablaze. Each man killed his own family. Ten men were selected to kill the remaining men and then they drew ballots. The “winner” would kill the last nine men and then commit suicide. When the Romans arrived the next day they were shocked to see that all the inhabitants were dead.

After Masada we drove over to Ein Gedi, the largest oasis in the area. The only oases we’ve ever seen were in cartoons. They usually consist of a small pond surrounded by palm trees. This one didn’t look anything like that. Like Masada, Ein Gedi is a National Park. It’s also a very popular weekend activity. Entry cost about $8.25 per person. Credit cards are accepted.

When we entered we saw a typical high desert landscape. There were clumps of trees here and there but most everything was just bleached rock. As we walked along we started to hear the sound of running water. There was a stream far down below. Soon we came to a small pool that was fed by a lovely little waterfall. We stopped and took a bunch of pictures before embarking on one of the fairly rugged trails.

The rather rocky trail ascended up the mountain side. Our trail followed a stream with several small waterfalls. Eventually we came to a series of rather low caves each of which extended about 20 feet. Footing was a little tricky on the wet rocks.

Finally we came to another pool that was fed by a much larger waterfall. This was The King David Waterfall. The water was clean and cool. We took off our shoes and walked over the rocky bottom. We took turns taking selfies near the falls. It was very refreshing. We continued on. The trail looped and we eventually came back to the place where we started.

Our last stop of the day was The Kalia Beach Resort at the Dead Sea. Entry cost about $10.00 per person. This included beach chairs, an umbrella, showers, and towels. Credit cards are accepted. The facility includes a spa specializing in Dead Sea products. At over 1,400 feet below sea level the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth.

The beach is quite a ways from the entry point. In fact there is a lifeguard station that was built in 2002. A signs says that at that time the beach was just 18 feet away. Now it’s several hundred feet away. The Dead Sea is dying. It has been losing massive amounts of water every year. Why is this happening? Increased demand from its main source (The Sea of Galilee) and Climate Change account for the bulk of the problem. If nothing is done the Dead Sea will completely disappear in our lifetimes.

Unlike some we didn’t bring our bathing suits so we just removed our shoes and socks and waded about. Given the receding waters you might expect the beach to be made up mostly of salt crystals – but it’s not. It’s muddy and rocky. In fact, Dead Sea mud is considered to be therapeutic. Most people at the beach roll around in the shallows to cover themselves with mud. It’s very amusing to watch.

After we rinsed ourselves with fresh water we walked back up to the entry area. There were several pubs and a large number of shops selling Dead Sea products. You can buy many different kinds of bath salts, packages of mud, all sorts of creams as well as the usual souvenirs. We had a good time checking things out.

Friday, December 16, 2022

Our last full day in Jerusalem was also a short one. By 2:00 pm the entire city pretty much shuts down. We booked (what we thought) was a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels. It turns out that we booked a VR experience. We attended the short VR film and then went on the tunnel expedition.

The VR experience was actually quite interesting. It relayed a history of the second temple and described the various sections. It was all accompanied by a Virtual Reality presentation. We could spin in our chairs to see different parts of the presentation. The best part was the vivid reproduction of the temple itself. It was quite something to see.

Until the 1967 Six Day War much of Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan. Subsequently The State of Israel has been conducting extensive and ongoing archeological excavations. Given that the Temple Mount is effectively controlled by the Muslims it is not possible to excavate there but excavations elsewhere are possible. The Western Wall that we can see if just a small part of the entire wall that enclosed that side of the temple. Starting in the 1980s a tunnel was built along the base of the wall that extends almost the entire length. The tour takes you down to that tunnel where you can see the foundation stones.

One of the more interesting things to see is Warren’s Gate. Found in 1867 is named after the same archeologist who found The City of David. It was the main entrance to the Old City during the second temple period. During the early Muslim period (638-1099) a synagogue stood there. It was the closest place to the Holy of Holies where Jews could pray during that time period.

Other things of interest included some stones that were partially quarried, an old street from the second temple period, and a large (at the time dry) moat that protected the city.

Our last stop for the day was The Tower of David. It’s a citadel whose roots go back to the Hasmonean Period (the time of the Macabees). It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. Walls have been found that date back to the first temple period.

The space is now a museum. When we went most of the interior rooms were closed for renovations. We started by walking down to see some Herodian pools and then ascended to the parapets of the walls. There were a few museum displays around the parapets but it wasn’t clear if we were allowed to do the entire walk. We did the walk. There are great views of all of Jerusalem from every angle. Periodically there were signs that described different phases of Jerusalem’s history. It was actually pretty interesting. The problem was that the path left us off at the opposite end of the city. We probably weren’t supposed to do the entire walk.

We re-entered the museum through the main entrance again. The interior space is all ruins that mostly date from the Byzantine period. One of the buildings was The Kishle. Excavations there found walls from the first temple period, The Herodian period, Ottoman period, and the British period. This building was used as a prison during the Ottoman and British periods. The entire complex was reportedly the site of King Herod’s magnificent palace. No trace of the palace can be seen.

For lunch we stopped at the Mahane Yehuda Market. There was one thing we’ve been dying to try. They make fresh Kunefe at several stands. We got one covered with chocolate, vanilla, and Nutella topped with vanilla ice cream. It was incredibly sweet and was the best one we’ve ever had.

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Necessity caused us to cut our trip to Israel short and cancel the rest of our plans. Today we made preparations for our return back to the United States. We have an 11:15 pm out of Tel-Aviv. About 13 hours later we will land in Miami. After a ten and half hour layover we’ll be on a six hour flight back to Las Vegas. We’re not really looking forward to it.

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Thursday, December 8, 2022

We spent the morning at the market. We need to stock up before the weekend because everything is closed from early Friday afternoon until Saturday evening. We got enough to tide us over for a few days.

We’ve found a wonderful vendor for cheesecake. Often cheesecake can be dry and flavorless. The topping is usually the best part. This cheesecake is soft and creamy and has a wonderful flavor. There’s vanilla and something else that we just can’t put our fingers on. This time we bought a large piece.

Friday, December 9, 2022

There are several museums near our apartment but since it’s Friday they all close at 2:00 pm. We decided to go to The Shrine of the Book. It’s only open for four hours but It’s fairly small and something we could easily manage. To save some time we took the bus.

The Shrine of the Book is actually part of a museum complex that includes The Israel Museum and a large campus with some other things of interest. Our ticket included everything. We qualified for senior tickets that were about $11.50 per person and that included an audio guide. Credit cards are accepted.

As we walked to the Shrine there were several exhibits that were on our audio guide so we stopped to listen. The most interesting was a scale model of the city of Jerusalem at the time of the second temple. That was when the city was at its largest.

The Shrine of the Book, a museum dedicated to The Dead Sea Scrolls, has a very distinctive design. It is all white and in a shape that is meant to resemble the tops of the jars in which the scrolls where found. When you enter you must traverse a long tunnel that is meant to suggest a cave. There are exhibits along the walls – a couple of scroll fragments, pottery, and artifacts from the Essene community that lived near Qumran.

The scrolls, which are about 2,000 years old, are the oldest version of the Bible text ever found. They have been dated from the 2nd Century BC to the first Century AD. Initially three scrolls where found in a cave near Khirbet Qumran in 1947. By 1956 fragments of over 950 scrolls had been discovered. Most were written in the version of Hebrew used during the period of the second temple and some were written in Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.

The museum is circular and on three levels. The initial level has displays of texts from different scrolls. Some are biblical, some sectarian, and some apocryphal. There are extensive explanations in several languages including English. The top level displays the book of Isaiah. It is one of the largest and most complete scrolls from the entire collection. Initially the actual scroll was on display but for conservation reasons it has been replaced with a copy. Small portions of the actual scroll can be seen on the initial level. The pages on display rotate. No photography of any sort is permitted within the museum but I managed to get a few decent snaps when no one was looking.

The lower level is dedicated to the Aleppo Codex. Written in the 10th Century AD it contains traditional pronunciation, spelling, punctuation, and cantillation. For many generations it was the standard for the interpretation of law and for subsequent copies. It very closely resembles the version of the Bible that is in use today.

The codex was originally written in Tiberias, near the Western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Subsequently it was taken to Jerusalem, Egypt, and then to Aleppo, Syria. It was smuggled back into Israel in the 1950s. Originally the codex had almost 500 pages but by the time it returned to Jerusalem only 295 had survived.

We walked to the other side of the complex and visited the Israel Museum. It is dedicated almost exclusively to findings within the State of Israel. It starts off with some pre-history and then quickly moves on to the 13th Century BC where we saw a group of coffins with human faces made out of pottery. The museum did not go in strict chronological order.

After seeing a number of interesting artifacts from 6,500 BC found in the Judean Desert, we saw Roman era glass and then displays on ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Mesopotamia. There were some amazing steles with Cuneiform writing and some very colorful Egyptian pieces made from clay and wood.

Next we moved on to the Greek and Roman eras. One of the more interesting things on display was the Ossuary of Caiaphas the High Priest. His palace and family cemetery were both in Jerusalem and have been thoroughly excavated. Another interesting piece was a large limestone block with Greek lettering from Theodotos’s Synagogue. Dated from the 1st Century BC it confirms the existence and use of Synagogue even during the Temple Period.

There was a lovely display of Iranian works from the 12-17th Centuries. They had colorful watercolor based works depicting stories from Arab traditions, mosaic tiles, and a full Mihrab made up of colorful tiles (a Mihrab is usually the most decorated portion of a Mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca).

Hanging on the wall was a large mosaic from the floor of the Synagogue of Rehov. Written in Hewbrew and Aramaic it is the oldest know copy of a Talmudic Text. It dates from the 6th Century AD.,

Saturday, December 10, 2022

In consideration of the fact that the transportation systems are all closed we decided to stay in today.

Sunday, December 11, 2022

We took the day off

Monday, December 12, 2022

A very busy day. We started out by taking the bus to the Tomb of the Virgin. According to Eastern tradition Mary died a natural death and on the third day her body was resurrected. The church over the crypt has been built and destroyed many times over but the crypt below has essentially remained intact.

To enter you descend several flights into a large cave-like structure. Everything is decorated in the Eastern Orthodox style. There are several chapels built into niches around the crypt and near the center is a small stone building that holds a sarcophagus. You must duck down low to get inside. It’s a small shrine. The coffin is empty except for some sand. In 451 a delegation was sent by Emperor Marcian to obtain relics from the tomb. The tomb was empty. Only her shroud had remained. The next year the shroud was sent to Constantinople where it was kept in The Church of Our Lady of Blachernae.

Next door to the church you will find The Grotto of Gethsemane. This is the place where Jesus came with the Apostles after The Last Supper and it is thought to be the place where he had his encounter with Nicodemus. It is where he received a traitor’s kiss from Judas, and where he performed his last miracle, healing the ear of Malchus.

The Grotto is not very large. It measures less than 60×40 feet. A chapel has existed there since the earliest days of Christianity. Possession was given to the Franciscan’s in 1392. In 1757 the Ottomans granted control to the Eastern Orthodox.

Next door to the Grotto is a small garden: The Garden of Gethsemane. Entry is forbidden but you can easily see it through the fence. The garden is populated by a number of ancient olive trees. The name Gethsemane is actually derived from Aramaic and means Oil Press. This is the place that Jesus spent in agony over his fate and prayed before he was arrested.

Next to the garden is the Church of All Nations sometimes referred to as The Basilica of the Agony. It was built in 1924 with funds from 12 different countries on top of a 4th Century Basilica that was built by Emperor Theodosius I in 746 AD. It is in the Byzantine style. In the center, just in front of the main altar, is a large flat rock. It is there that Jesus is said to have prayed before he was arrested.

According to Google the Dominus Flevit Church was just an eight minute walk away. What it failed to mention is that it was a very steep climb and almost halfway up the Mount of Olives. The name Dominus Flevit means The Lord Wept. It is from here that Jesus stopped to admire Jerusalem and prophesied the destruction of the Second Temple.

Along the road you can see a vast Jewish cemetery. The hill has been used as a place of burial since ancient times. Ancient Kings and modern notables, such as former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, are interred there. It is estimated that there may be as many as 150,000 graves. It has always been a popular burial site as Bible prophesy says that the general resurrection will begin from this place.

When we finally got to the church, and caught our breath, we admired the fantastic view. The Old City was clearly in the foreground and the modern city is easily seen behind it. The Dome of the Rock dominates the view and the Temple Mount.

Before you get to the church you can see a small necropolis. It contains numerous small stone ossuaries. It was used from 136 BC to 300 AD.

The church itself is rather small. It’s just one room. There are places on the floor where you can see the original 7th Century Byzantine tiles. The present church dates from 1955. Behind the altar is a large window with a sweeping view of Jerusalem behind it.

After enjoying the view for a while we walked down the hill and then back up to the Lion’s Gate. It was time to do all of the Stations on the Cross in Order. We had several references that we found on the web that showed us the path. We thought it would be easy. It was far from it.

Each of the stations is marked with a small black dome with the station number. The street that runs from the Lion’s Gate is effectively the start of the Via Dolorosa. All of our references told us that the first station was near the gate. It wasn’t. We walked up and down the street several times looking for the black dome but it was nowhere to be found. It turned out to be quite a ways from the gate.

Before we got to the first station we found a small place of veneration near The Church of Saint Anne. Like the church It claims that this is where the Virgin was born. Similar to the church we descended into some caverns where small chapels have been set up. It’s surprising to us how many well known events from history seem to have occurred in multiple locations.

Near Station Two is a small church that you can see through plexiglass doors. It is called Basilica De l’Ecce Homo and sits near the Ecco Homo Arch. It is said that Roman soldiers wagered on Jesus’ clothing on this site.

Before getting to the next station we found another interesting site called The of Holy Monastery of the Praetorium. This is one of several sites that claims it is was where Jesus was held prisoner before he was questioned by Pontius Pilate. We descended into a labyrinth of caves and passages. We saw the cell where Jesus was imprisoned as well as two others where the thieves he was crucified with were said to have been kept.

By this time we had made friends with a family from England. They too were on a quest to find all of the stations. Together, with some difficultly, we found stations three and four. Four is in plain sight. Three is just next to it on a corner and is easy to miss.

At this point the family stopped for some food and we began to follow a tour group that was also hunting the stations. We followed them from stations five through seven. After that they veered off in another direction. Station eight was just a bit further up the road. Station nine was almost impossible to find.

We walked up and down many of the streets that connect to The Church of the Holy Sepulcher many times. We just couldn’t find it. We consulted our guides and they mentioned something about a narrow stairway but we never saw anything of the kind. We asked a number of shopkeepers. All seemed to know but gave wildly different directions.

Eventually we saw another tour group in the area and watched as they turned onto a very small street. We followed them and found the narrow staircase. Eventually we turned onto Saint Helena Street. This was all very promising. They stopped in a square on the back side of the church. The guide spoke for a while and before they moved out I asked him where the ninth station was. He indicated the way we had come. We went back and searched the street for a while before a kind gentleman in a nearby chapel located it for us. It had taken about 45 minutes but we finally found it.

Stations 10-14 are all in the Church of The Holy Sepulcher, which we’d been in many times. For good measure we’d also visited The Garden Tomb just to cover all of our bases. We feel confident that we’ve seen them all.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Today we just wandered around the old city. We started with the Temple Mount, peeked into several churches, and checked out quite a few of the shops. On the way back we stopped at the Post Office and got our Israeli stamp, bought a bunch of things at the market, and were home in time for lunch.

One of the more interesting things we bought at the market was a spice called Za’atar. It was mixed in with some of the humus that we’d purchased in the supermarket and we immediately fell in love. It’s an Eastern spice mix whose primary ingredients include sesame seeds, dried sumac, and salt. There are usually a few other things thrown in as well. Ours has a good bit of oregano too. We’d originally discovered sumac in a Turkish restaurant in Bulgaria in 2018. We’ve been big fans ever since.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2022

There are 12 gates into the Temple Mount. 11 of them are exclusively for Muslims. All others need to go through a security checkpoint near The Western Wall. Past the checkpoint you walk up through a wooden bridge that ascends over The Western Wall which lands on to the Temple Mount. It’s a large plateau that is dominated by two large mosques and other Muslim edifices.

The Dome of the Rock, with its huge golden dome, dominates the highest point. It was built in 690 AD and sits on the site of the second Jewish Temple. It is the oldest surviving work of Islamic Architecture. In the center of the building you can find the “Foundation Stone”. It is reputed to be the place where God created the world, where he created the first man (Adam), and where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son Isaac. The Stone is said to be the site from which Muhammad ascended to heaven. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Traditionally all visitors were welcome in the Mosque but since 2000 that is no longer the case. According to one shop owner I spoke to this was a purely political decision. It allows the Muslim population to assert their control over the area. It’s really a shame.

Just to the East of the Mosque is a small structure known as the The Dome of the Chain. Like the Dome of the Rock it is octagonal and covered in Mosaic tiles. Unlike the mosque, the sides are open and anyone can enter into it. Scholars are not sure exactly what its purpose was but it appears to be a small prayer chapel. It was built just one year after the Mosque.

Just down the hill you will find The Purification Fountain. It’s a circular structure pool with chairs situated on its perimeter. Muslims would have used this facility to wash their feet and purify themselves before entering the mosque.

Further along you will find another large building called The Al-Aqsa Mosque. Built in the 7-8th Centuries AD it is much larger and can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers. We were not able to enter this mosque either.

The Temple Mount is the highest point in Jerusalem. The vantage point affords great views of the surrounding countryside including the Mount of Olives. We walked the entire perimeter. There are several groves of ancient olive trees on the East side. Almost the entire North side is used to house schools for Muslim children. At 10:30 am we were ushered out of the area because prayers would soon be starting. Non-Muslims are permitted access to the Temple Mount from 7:30-10:30 am and again from 1:30-2:30 pm only. We exited through the Lion’s Gate and made our way to our next destination: The Church of Saint Anne.

Near the entrance to the complex is a small ticket booth. It was unmanned. No one was charged admission. You pass a small garden before reaching the church. The small Gothic style church was erected in the early part of the 12th Century near the site of some ancient ruins. While we were there several different tour groups decided to sing hymns in multi-part harmony. The sound echoed throughout the nave. It was magnificent. The church itself was mostly bare stone walls with very little decoration. There is a crypt downstairs that leads to a grotto which is believed to be the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. There is an altar there that is dedicated to her.

On the other side of the church there are ruins. During the Roman period there was a shrine to the healing cults. A Byzantine basilica was built over the shrine in the 5th Century AD. Several pools were located there. According to John: 5 this is reportedly the site where Jesus miraculously cured a man who had been crippled for 38 years.

On our way back to the Damascus Gate we stopped by a place called Jarfar’s Confections. They have been selling knafeh, baklava, and such for over 60 years. We’ve always seen knafeh made in small, individual rounds. They made them in a huge pan. When you order one they cut a piece and cover it in syrup before serving it up. Unfortunately, it was rather plain. It lacked any cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other spices.

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

In the morning we visited The Garden Tomb. It’s near the Damascus Gate just outside of the Old City walls. There is a ticket booth when you get there. When they saw that it was just the two of us they handed us an informational pamphlet, allowed us to enter for free, and told us that if we could find an English language tour we should feel free to join in. We did exactly that.

Previously we visited The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is considered by many to be the place where Jesus was buried and from where he was resurrected. Others believe that those events actually occurred in The Garden Tomb. Our guide did his best to make the case that it was actually the latter. His rationale went something like this…

• The burial site was supposed to be outside the city walls. The Garden Tomb certainly is. At the time in question The Church of the Holy Sepulchre would have been outside the walls.
• The site was supposed to be in a garden. Excavations found an ancient wine press from the period in question indicating the presence of a vineyard at least.
• Romans normally crucified people along major roads. The road from Jerusalem to Damascus runs alongside the garden.
• The chamber Jesus was laid in was said to be on the right side of the tomb. The tomb has several chambers on the right side.

Afterwards we returned to The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our friend Jennifer needed some pictures of the lower levels for her website. I took detailed pictures of everything I could find.

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Monday, November 28, 2022

We walked over to the famed Machaneh Yehudah Market. It’s a well known outdoor market that is frequented by locals and tourists alike. It sits directly between our apartment and the old city. Given that it’s about 1.2 miles from the Old City it’s probably not visited by people on formal tours and we’ve never seen tourist buses there. It’s much larger than the markets we’d enjoyed in Italy and has a vast array of things to buy and see.

The first thing we did was take a lap around the entire thing. There’s the market proper. It’s a very long row of stalls in a covered building with many spurs. Then there’s the surrounding streets which are not technically part of the market but effectively extend the market for several blocks. It’s a lot to take in. People are selling breads, pastries, sandwiches, fruit, cheese, candy, halva, tahini, tea, spices, fish, meat, prepared foods, and so much more. What makes it even more fun is that you have both Israeli and Arab specialty shops. You know what we’ve never seen: bagels. They just don’t make them here.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

We took the day off. We’re going to be in Jerusalem for two months. There’s no point in killing ourselves – yet. Besides, we needed time to eat all of the stuff we bought at the market yesterday.

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

We got an early start and headed directly for The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There are a lot of things to see there and we had yet to see The Tomb of Jesus. The church opens at 4:00 am. We got there around 7:45 am. Surely we’d get there before the rush. WRONG! There were two huge tour groups waiting in line. Apparently the tomb doesn’t open until 8:00 am. By 8:30 am we’d seen the tomb. Here’s a little about the church.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one of the most sacred places in the world for Christians. It was built by Saint Helena and was consecrated in 335 AD. Helena, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine The Great, traveled to the Middle East in search of information and relics regarding the life of Jesus. Because her expeditions were soon after his life her findings are considered to have high regard. The church, mostly in the Eastern Orthodox / Byzantine style, encompasses many of the last stations of the cross.

To the right is a steep set of stairs that goes up to Calvary or Golgotha. This is said to be the actual hilltop where Jesus was crucified. Off to the right side is the so-called “Undressing Room” sometimes referred to as “The Division of Robes”. A small chapel has been built in that room. Entry is not permitted. This corresponds to the Tenth Station of the Cross.

This area is also where Jesus was nailed to the cross (Station 11). In the back of the room there is a hole in the rock where his cross was placed. He died on the cross (Station 12). Back downstairs near the entry there is a large slab known as The Anointing Stone or Stone of Unction. This is the place where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial (Station 13).

Finally, there is the tomb. To the left of the Anointing Stone is a rotunda which contains an Aedicule (Shrine). There are often long lines of people waiting to enter. There is an anti-chamber which contains a fragment of “The Angel’s Stone”, believed to be a portion of the slab that covered the tomb. In the back is the actual tomb (Station 14). As is typical for us we did the stations backwards. It just gives us an excuse to come back on another day and start from number one.

Given the relevance to all Christian sects the administration of the church and its relics has not been without controversy. In 1757 the Ottomans helped create the “Status Quo” agreement which established The Roman Catholics, The Greek Orthodox, and the Armenian Apostolic churches as the primary custodians. In the 19th Century the Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syriac Orthodox churches were given lesser responsibilities. As far back as 1192 control of the main entrance was given to the Muslims to help avoid conflicts. It remains that way to this very day. There are still disagreements about which sect owns which rooms and who controls which shrines, etc., but the church seems to run fairly smoothly in spite of it all.

On the other side of the city we found The Tomb of King David. According to “Medieval Tradition”, it was on this site on Mount Zion where he was buried. Today no evidence of his tomb exists. There are several large, rooms with vaulted ceilings and a plaque. In the back is a small synagog where Jews can pray and hold services.

Next we returned to the room of The Last Supper. Last time we were there it was very crowded and we didn’t get any decent pictures. The place, also known as The Cenacle, is on the floor above King David’s Tomb. The original building was probably a synagog from the early 300s. It was later turned into a church and was expanded by the Crusaders. When the Ottomans took over they turned the building into a Mosque and added a Minaret. It still retains its Muslim character. It’s just a large, empty room with vaulted ceilings. There is nothing of import to see. It’s just an interesting place to visit.

Nearby is the Dormition Abbey. It is said to be the place where Mary, the mother of Jesus, died. Later traditions assert that she ascended to heaven. We tried to enter but the church was closed for construction. One of the workers told me that it would be at least two months before it opens again.

Our last stop for the day was Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. According to tradition, during The Last Supper, Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed the next day. This church is reportedly the site where that prediction came true. Given that it may not surprise you to lean that Gallicantu translates from the Latin into “Cockcrow”.

The church is easy to see but it is outside of the old city’s walls. I put the address into Google and we were off. We went out the Zion Gate and followed a switchback road down the hill. The road was a dead end. I checked the map and there was no way to get to the church from where we were so we went all the way back up the hill. We were pretty annoyed. Back on top we were inspecting the map trying to figure out a way when we realized that there was a sign just outside the Zion Gate indicating a small road as the way to go. We were even MORE annoyed. To add insult to injury we were charged 10₪ (about $3.00) per person to enter. Cash only.

A shrine was erected on this spot in 457 AD but was later destroyed in 1010 AD. It was rebuilt by the crusaders in 1102 AD and was again destroyed in 1187. The current version dates from 1937. The interior nods to the Byzantine but is thoroughly modern. There is a lovely cross on the ceiling made of stained glass windows. Downstairs is another, smaller chapel in similar style. Further below you will find “The Sacred Pit”. This is believed to be the place, near Caiaphas’ palace, where Jesus was kept overnight while awaiting trial by the Sanhedren.

Outside the church are quite a few ancient ruins. There is a remnant of a Jewish Mill and the Tomb of Stephanos, who built the first church for Empress Eudokia. A set of stairs has been excavated referred to as, “The Holy Stairs”. It is thought that Jesus climbed them when being brought from Gethsemane to Caiaphas’ palace.

A HUGE shout out to our friend Jennifer Sands who has enthusiastically given us so much help. Jennifer runs her own tours to The Holy Land and has the inside dope on everything here. She mentioned to us that Israel has always been a little pricey but COVID hit the tourist industry very hard. As a consequence prices have gotten a little out of control.