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