Damascus Gate, the most beautiful of the gates of city, looks like a castle opening up the road to Damascus. The edge of Mount Moriah sits right in the middle of the city and rolls right up to the Golden Dome. Hebrew University is to our left. Bethany is down the road to our right where Jesus performed the raising of Lazarus on the Sabbath day. Every town that we read about is close to Jerusalem. We hear about a few of the seventy-two names for this city. People are scurrying about, already beginning their days. Heads are covered from head to toe. We look very western.
We take a group picture as we're atop the Mount of Olives. Then we take a short walk to a part of the Garden of Gethsemane to which I have never been. It's more authentic than the manicured sidewalks that have been added for the tourists. We read Jesus's prayer and pray in a few minutes of silence. It is a sobering time to read of Jesus's sweating tears in the same place that it happened. Intense isn't an adequate word.
Zedekiah's Cave is the next destination, which is the stone quarry King Solomon used when building the temple. Yossi played on his flute a classical version of the Magnificat, and we sang our a cappella version of the same song and Create in Me a Clean Heart. The acoustics help us sound like a choir.
On our way to the Israel Museum, we note that Jerusalem is certainly not laid out in a geometric grid. The streets twist and wind wherever the land takes them. The people are busy. Vehicles are numerous. And amidst the people dressed in what we see in our Bible movies, on our bus we learn about the meaning of the word Jehovah (Is, Was, Will). We also see yamaka on men in pants and shirts and other men with black suits, white shirts, and black wide-brimmed hats. None of the women show legs, arms, or hair on their heads. The Muslims blend with the Orthodox Jews on the streets; everybody minds his own business and appears to live in harmony for the most part. America is erupting this week with other countries declaring travel warnings about us. The world in which we exist is upside down as we think we know it.
Outside the museum we see a replica of the ancient city and discuss the walls, the Temple, the Dome of the Rock, and the changes to Jerusalem in the past two thousand years. The Dead Sea scrolls are displayed in a room that is designed to look like the inside of a clay pot. It's very clever. We see little icons from the Iron Age and the Bronze Age. We see a column capital from King David's time. A copper piece of material is found on which the priestly blessing from Numbers is written. We see nails from the time of the crucifixion. We see many interesting items that are special for this land. The museum is full, and so are our brains.
Outside the museum we see a replica of the ancient city and discuss the walls, the Temple, the Dome of the Rock, and the changes to Jerusalem in the past two thousand years. The Dead Sea scrolls are displayed in a room that is designed to look like the inside of a clay pot. It's very clever. We see little icons from the Iron Age and the Bronze Age. We see a column capital from King David's time. A copper piece of material is found on which the priestly blessing from Numbers is written. We see nails from the time of the crucifixion. We see many interesting items that are special for this land. The museum is full, and so are our brains.
Bethlehem lies ahead of us. Our Israeli guide is not allowed in this Palestinian territory, so we drop him off and pick up a local guide from Bethlehem for the afternoon. Lunch is served in a place that's preparing for a wedding tonight. Pink flowers are everywhere. Afterwards we shop next door and pick up trinkets such as jewelry, ornaments, ceramic bowls, and other various souvenirs. We learn that Bethlehem means "house of bread."
We make our way to the Church of Nativity which is built over the traditional spot of the birth of Jesus and the place of the manger. People are pushy, it's hot, and it's crowded. Oh, the humanity... In our discussions last night, it was pointed out that some groups like to stand in line to see something important, and that act is meaningful to them; but we Protestants like the tranquility of a place that connects to nature and the calming peace we receive from reflection and meditation time. I'm not sure how I feel about being categorized, but I very much agree with the observation. The pushing crowds are off-putting to me and hinder my concentration on the magnitude of that which I am attempting to experience.
Shepherds' Field is where tradition says the Angels appears to the shepherds announcing Jesus's birth and where Ruth and Naomi picked grain. We read Luke 2 together, a special time. There is a nearby cave that we wander into before entering the chapel on site. The songs I Am a Sheep, Away in a Manger, and Joy to the World sound beautiful.
We make our way to the Church of Nativity which is built over the traditional spot of the birth of Jesus and the place of the manger. People are pushy, it's hot, and it's crowded. Oh, the humanity... In our discussions last night, it was pointed out that some groups like to stand in line to see something important, and that act is meaningful to them; but we Protestants like the tranquility of a place that connects to nature and the calming peace we receive from reflection and meditation time. I'm not sure how I feel about being categorized, but I very much agree with the observation. The pushing crowds are off-putting to me and hinder my concentration on the magnitude of that which I am attempting to experience.
Shepherds' Field is where tradition says the Angels appears to the shepherds announcing Jesus's birth and where Ruth and Naomi picked grain. We read Luke 2 together, a special time. There is a nearby cave that we wander into before entering the chapel on site. The songs I Am a Sheep, Away in a Manger, and Joy to the World sound beautiful.
It's been a full day in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Another meeting and processing time together is requested, and we'll discuss the day's activities together after our meal tonight. Israel is educational and overwhelming. We're stretching, we're directing, and we're all growing. I'm so thankful to be a part of the journey.
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