Model, Dead Sea Scrolls, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane

1/27
We went to a Jewish Museum today that had a model of Jerusalem during the second temple period. It was amazing as it was so detailed and cool to see the layout. The information to put this together was the information from Josephus mainly but also archeology.

Then we went to see the dead sea scrolls. Now that was incredible!!!! The Hebrew was absolutely beautiful on the old, worn animal skins. We weren't allowed to take pictures :( We started by looking at the book of Isaiah. Crazy! These were written before the time of Christ and they were preserved because they were found by the dead sea where the air is dry because it is below sea level. It was so cool.

Then we walked around and had lunch

how they park, it's normal

Then we went to the most conservative orthodox jewish quarter of living in Jerusalem. It was so sad. The city was covered in black cloth and it felt so much like a cult and again my heart just broke. Everywhere we go we see the Jews with either their Old Testament or prayer books out constantly reading or reciting as they walk, wait for the bus, or ride the bus. They have such dedication and it is such a good challenge for me to have that dedication to Scripture. It saddens me to think that they can be in the Old Testament so much and miss the Gospel of Christ. They are a hurting people, a people of mourning. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes! This community was seriously like an old movie. I felt like I went back in time and it felt so unreal that there are societies still like this! It is their normal. Imagine growing up as a kid in that environment, that is all you knew. You wore black dresses all the time, went to an all jewish school, walked throughout your jewish city where everyone looked just like you and you know nothing of outside except the weird, heathen people who come into your community to watch you. How weird would that be! I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures of them because imagine if people just came to take pictures of how you live. . . all the time. I took a couple and then am stealing the other ones from friends :) Later Bill said they don't mind pictures because they are proud to not be of this world. Oh my heart breaks for them.

taken by Chris

Then we drove up to the mount of olives, to a place that was dedicated to the ascension of Christ. It was such a beautiful area with luscious green grass, beautiful olive trees, and an amazing view of the city. Such a perfect place to ascend. We read Luke 24 where Christ ascended and Bill had us look to the sky as it was read. It was really neat.

ha ha Water Closet, it just cracks me up

Then on our way to the possible place of the Garden of Gethsemane we went into a graveyard that people pay thousands of dollars to be buried there since that is where Jesus will return. Bill shared the joy of life after death and that these graves should be a sign of hope to us. There were jews there that were praying to the dead and it was so sad!

The possible place of the Garden of Gethsemane was also very beautiful. This was the first time i started to feel the weight of it all. The thing that stood out to me was at this sight you could see Jerusalem's walls and the road that goes down the Kidron Valley and back up the Mount of Olives. Just think, Jesus could've looked out on the city with a heavy broken heart and see the soldiers coming down from the city. He could've ran on the other side of the Mount of Olives but He didn't. As we read the passage from the Garden the Muslim prayer started ringing out from a tower in old city Jerusalem sounding for miles. That broke my heart so much. I honestly feel like i'm in another time frame. It reminded me of Jim Jones, the leader of the People's temple who got a following and moved to a secluded area where many left their families and later poisoned them with kool-aid. Any way, he played on loud speakers his voice constantly and that is totally what the muslim voice reminded me of. These people are so lost! They are seeking after God yet they chose another. It broke my heart to think of these broken, deceived people in the Lord's city. It was just crazy to hear scripture and a muslim prayer at the same time. Then we walked down the road and hopped on the bus.