NT Jerusalem

2/5
Went to a holocaust museum. It was really hard but good. The place is called Yad Vashem. The children's memorial was amazing! It was a room with a few candles and mirrors so i think half a million little flames were showing to represent the children who died. It was so sad. As you walk around, names and ages are being read over the speakers. The museum is laid out really well. You zig in and out of rooms with pictures, video's of survivors telling their stories, rooms with artifacts etc. Towards the end i started to feel numb. What an awful thing that my mind just can't grasp. It amazes me how our mind just knows to shut off, it knows how much it can take in. Jen and I discussed it some on the bus ride home. I love her a lot and our conversations. The rest of the day consisted of home work.

taken from the internet

also taken from the internet :)

2/6
Full day in Jerusalem. It was exhausting! We first went to the temple mount. On our way as we were crossing the street a car ended up being like a foot away from me! It was kinda scary so i jumped back! It was a stick so when it went to go forward it rolled back and almost hit me. It was crazy! Then, for the temple mount, what a sad place! Al-Aqsa Mosque was to the right, the Dome of the rock on the left. We went on the same platform by the Dome of the Rock but it was raining so they closed down. The temple mount is the place where David bought the threshing floor from Arunah the Jebusite to stop the plague after he sinned by taking the census. This ground was to be where Solomon would build the temple. The last place we went on the temple mount was the telltale step. This was identified by Leen Ritmeyer and the reason it is significant is because it is a large step at the bottom of the staircase that is a different shape and color that could very well be the top of the western wall during the time of Hezekiah.

On the outside of this wall we could see part of the Cardo, the main Roman road of the time where shops would've been lined up to sell animals or change money for the pilgrims. From there we proceeded to go to the Southern side of the temple, a place where Saul might have learned under Gamaliel. We had lunch there, in the rain. It was so cold! It was fun to explore the ruins though and just walk around on the rocks. We went into a deep Mikveh that was more like a cave.

Then we went to the Burnt House Museum where they uncovered the destruction from Titus burning the temple and Jerusalem. They found a house posssibly of the Katros family (a priestly family) and in it they found a woman's arm reaching for a spear head.

Then we went to the garden tomb which is more of a sanctuary because the evidence points to the church of the Holy Sepulcher pretty vividly but this place is quiet and allows you to think. We saw the skull in the cliff and a "possible" tomb that was shot down as being the tomb of Jesus.

Then we were set free for dinner and Andrew, Jen, and I met up with Dani, Becky and Sara and ate at David's kitchen for fresh Pita, hummus, tomatoes and cucumbers. It was super good! Then we broke up again and my group went back to Shabon who gave us more Pita that he had just warmed on the heater. Then we headed to the Jewish quarter to a little coffee shop and got apple cider that was super good in the cold weather. Then we just explored the Jewish quarter cause it was dark/night and it was a place where we felt the most safe. It was so fun! We saw a jewish school with these old wooden desks, kids with uniforms and the Torah in their hand. We ended up at the city walls overlooking Jerusalem's city lights. It was absolutely beautiful! Such a great moment to spend with these two.

synagogue at night

the road/path

Then we had to quickly head to the wailing wall courtyard where we met up with the rest of the group. There we went to the western wall tunnel that is under the temple mount and is around 1500ft long. It is said that this place is the closest to the Holy of holies, i believe 300ft away. Many women come here to pray and weep for they are not allowed to go any other places for they are strictly for males. It amazed me to see a woman weeping. It amazes me that she can feel the significance of the Holy of holies 1900 some years later! They are so trapped into rituals and helpless feelings until the future. I wanted to hug her and tell her the truth. After that we headed home to call it a day!

taken by Chris. . . i think. Someone in the group

Hezekiah's Tunnel

2/3 continued

where the entrance was the Hezekiah's Tunnel

We got to go through HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL!!!! It was absolutely incredible! It was all rock (of course) and it started when your foot landed right by the Gihon Spring (Israel's source of water). Hezekiah built the tunnel to send the water directly into the city to the pools of Siloam. The walls were rock and you could see the chisel marks, feel them, touch the cold hard bumpy stone where these men, who had feelings just like me and you, who were human, chiseled this tunnel. It was probably 3-4ft wide and I could stand up for most of it but there were parts i had to duck. The water came up to about my knees and boy it was super cold at first! It was so exciting for me! I really had a hay day :)

walking out of Hezekiah's Tunnel

Then we ended up in the Pool of Siloam where we got pictures and headed to a possible place of David's tomb.

If you want to see more of Dani's amazing pictures go to Dani Mcnally

This was on the East being excavated. It was a pretty place right on the edge of the Kidron Valley. Here we could see the city where Absolom had a party proclaiming he was to be king but as the wind moves through the valley you can hear everything and so David could hear it. Then, Solomon was crowned King and this time Absolom could hear it and he called off the party.

What a gem!

us just being ourselves :)

Wow Lord! I praise you for the amazing opportunity! 

random pictures throughout the day 

Briana Cowan

2/5/13

The Land and the Bible

Professor Schlegel

1^st Temple Period; Warren’s Shaft

            Next, we had the privilege of walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel. Hezekiah needed protection for the Gihon Spring otherwise their enemies would take over and the Israelites would die of thirst. It is very likely that there was a second wall built surrounding the Gihon Spring that attached back onto the Jerusalem wall. Hezekiah then built a tunnel that would send the water from the Gihon Spring down to the Pool of Siloam so that they did not have to always walk to the Spring. He had to do this very carefully with a downward slope so that the water would flow our to the pool.

             Lastly we went to the best possible place of David’s actual tomb. We know that David was buried within the city as written in 1 Kings 2. The people knew where he was buried because in Acts 2:29 it says, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” They knew where the tomb was. From the place associated with the tomb of David you could see both where the party of Adonijah was who was declaring himself as King but the people could hear it and David was notified. Then, Solomon was crowned king and it was within distance, in the valley that Adonijah and his men heard the proclamation.

The Lord's Communion

2/3
We went to see the wall that Hezekiah rebuilt/restored before Sennacharib came to attack. The stones are just amazing; they last forever, the structure holds up so well, and yet they built it with little equipment!

Then we went into a 1st temple period museum where we talked about city walls changing location and such. We watched a really cheesy video about it. Then we went down the Jewish quarter and saw the main street, the cardo which is closed on Shabbat, and an ancient depiction of a map of the 1st temple period.

our wonderful Prof

Normal to have them walking around the streets

Then we went to Oscar Schindler's grave, the man who saved at least 1,200 Jews lives during the holocaust by having them work in his factory. Quite an amazing story.

this cemetery is the last scene in Schindler's List.

My blessing and roommate

i just love these people so much!

We went to a place associated with the last supper but it couldn't have been because it was built during the crusader times. Bill gave interesting thoughts that i never thought about before and I agree with. It shouldn't be called the Lord's supper but instead the Lord's communion. Jesus wasn't taking the meaning out of passover but instead He was adding to it. Jesus most likely set up a time for a guy to meet Peter and John so that Judas could not turn Him in because it was not the right time. I always thought of it as a vision but it doesn't have to be. Did Jesus give up all his omniscience? Did he fully lay down his divine attributes Philippians 2:7? Also, think about it. Passover was to celebrate the Exodus from Egypt and God was still faithful so it didn't abolish the passover but instead just added to it. Christ saved us out of a life of blindness, rejection, pride, sin. What a blessing and reason to celebrate!!!! Another thing to think about was that the passover probably wasn't the traditional one long table, sitting on the floor in a line type of deal. Bill argued that there were probably women and children there as well because passover was a family tradition and in Exodus it says how the children will ask the parents the significance (Exodus 12:25-27). Due to this fact there must have been many tables, and all we know is that John and Judas were sitting by Jesus. Peter had to try and get John's attention to ask who would betray Jesus but Jesus didn't answer out loud but instead just told John otherwise Peter might have killed Judas if he knew John 21:20-23.

Then we saw how they did the burial process where they lay the body for a year and then they would collect the bones and put them underneath the bench in a whole in the rock.

We also saw these ritual mickva baths where the jews would come purify themselves by walking in one side, getting completely covered and walk out clean the other side.

Briana Cowan

2/5/13

The Land and the Bible

Professor Schlegel

1^st Temple Period; Jerusalem Old City

            First we were able to see part of the city wall that Hezekiah would’ve helped repair as a means of getting ready for the Assyrian attack by King Sennacherib. This wall, called the Broad Wall or Hezekiah’s Wall, would have been built during the 1^st temple period, which is from 1000-586BC. The estimated height of this wall was eight meters by seven meters. Then we went in a little museum of the first temple period and learned that this period began at David’s reign. The North was the easiest way of attack because a valley did not hinder the path to Jerusalem and that is why it was so important to have a sturdy wall. There was a replica of a plaque that was found in the museum, Hezekiah’s inscription, and it is the largest inscription from the first temple period. Also, a silver amulet was found with Numbers 6:24-26 on it, a priestly blessing. That is the oldest Old Testament text that has been found. They also have found jewelry. Once we left we were also able to see a map depicting Jerusalem in 500 AD. The main building in this map was the church of the Holy Sepulcher.

            Then we went to the place associated with the Lord’s Passover but it really was a building from the time of the Crusaders and therefore cannot be the place of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus did not want Judas to know the place where they were to celebrate Passover so He arranged it ahead of time that a guy was going to meet Peter and show him where he was to go. Also, this Passover wasn’t what we think of as the traditional long table with all the disciples leaning on pillows, but instead it is a good chance that women were there as well and there were many tables. In Exodus 12:24 it says, “You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and your sons forever . . .” and then continues to say how the children will ask the significance. This therefore, is a good indication that children were present as well as wives. When Jesus says, “do this in remembrance of Me,” this is referring to Passover and that is why it should be called the Lord’s Passover. The Passover/Exodus is the central means of who the Jews are and Jesus is adding another landmark. In the same building, down below on ground level, it was traditionally thought to be David’s tomb but that could not be true cause it came into existence late in the 1^st century AD.

            Next, we went to the place of Oscar Schindler’s grave. Schindler saved over 1,000 Jews during the holocaust by hiring them as cheap labor to work in his factory. It started with a mind set of his benefit and then turned into concern and love for the Jews where he genuinely started to save them from the concentration camps of the Nazis.
            Archeologists are discovering a step stone structure that dates back to the time of David. There was a seal found with Jeremiah 8 that would have been used by the scribes.  These seals were preserved because of the fire that destroyed the city.

the throne room :)