Friday, March 21, 2008

Jerusalem

Here's my trip. It's going to be a little long, but a lot of pictures!

I got into Jerusalem after a long time in the air (GR to Chicago to Vienna to Tel Aviv) and then got detained at the Ben Gurion airport. Not sure why, but I waited for 1 1/2 hours until they told me I could go - so I imagine only a background check. Took a taxi and made it to Heather's in Jerusalem. We went to The Galilee first, but I'm starting out with the Old City (which I was at for two days. For clarity, I'm putting all the pictures together)...
Heather set up a tour with Bishara and a friend's father of the Old City - here's the highlights (and there were many):

-Mount of Olives. You can see the Church of Mary Magdalene on the left and the Dominus Flevit in the middle.

-We started out at the Mount of Olives, east of the Old City. Here is the place where some believe Jesus ascended into heaven.
-In the Mosque of the Ascention. Muslim run, since Jesus is a prophet, and built on the site of an old Byzantine church.
-Inside the Church of the Pater Noster (Our Father). This is where it is thought Jesus taught the Our Father to the disciples.
-It has over 125 plaques of the Our Father in different languages - I found this one in Ojibway!


-Church of Dominus Flevit - shaped like a teardrop to symbol the place where Jesus wept for Jerusalem.
-The view of the Old City, with Dome of the Rock (Haram esh-Sharif) dominating. Muslim graves are in front and the gate to the right is the Golden Gate.




-The Golden Gate is where Jesus entered Jerusalem on what is now celebrated on Palm Sunday. It's closed since the Christians, Jews and Muslims believe this is where the Messiah will come again. It could also be closed to seal off the Temple Mount area, but I like the former reason better.

-I'm in Jeruuuuusalem!














-The Russian Church of Mary Magdalene. A part of the Garden of Gethsemane is claimed to be within the church grounds. Didn't go it, but is prominent on the landscape.





-Going down the hill we stopped at the Garden of Gethsemane. Some of the oldest olive trees are here, some over 2000 years old, making them (as the book says) "witnesses to whatever biblical events may have occurred at this spot."
-Next to it is the Church of All Nations. Really only 12 built it, but very pretty.

-Church of All Nations.

-The entry to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. The oil lamps are part of the Greek Orthodox Church. The way it was explained to me was that a rich man's house would have many oil lamps as he could afford it, as should a place of importance.
-Mary was supposedly interned here by the disciples.
-Entering the Old City through St. Stephen's of the Lion's Gate.
-We did all the stations of the cross along the Via Dolorosa. The first stop along the street was St. Anne's Church, home of Joachim and Anne. Great acoustics (on You Tube) - created by the Crusaders.
-Next to the church is the Pool of Bethesda, where the Jesus cures a paralysed man.


-The third station - Jesus falls for the first time.
-The sixth station in great simplicity - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
-This was interesting. An Israeli bought a home in the Muslim Quarter. The Israeli army will protect people in settlements so there is barbed wire all around and the booth on top is for a security soldier.
-The front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (stations 10-15).




-Calvary.
-To the Jewish Quarter along the Cardo, the north/south columned Roman street.
-The Western Wall (or wailing wall). One of the last parts of the old walls from over 2000 years ago. When Jerusalem was destroyed in 70, the holy of holies location was unknown, so the Jews started to pray near this exposed wall. A really great experience. I mentioned how small the female side was and he thought is was because women are holier.

-As Sandy asked, there is her prayer.

-We left out of the Zion Gate, where you can see holes from the Six Day War in 1967, no-man's land just down from here.




-Another favorite of mine was the Church and Monastery of the Dormition. The traditional site where Mary died. This is the stone effigy of Mary, which was actually really serene and calm.


-In the chapel, a depiction of Mary surrounded by the apostles.
-The upper room. Where Jesus met with the apostles for the last time and the Holy Spirit came down on them at Pentecost. It was nice to see, but it was so noisy, crowded and not inspiring, which was kind of disappointing.
-King David's Tomb - presumed, of course. He actually probably is buried around the hill of Mt. Zion.

Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Caiaphus' house was and where Peter denied Jesus three times.




-The cave beneath where it is said Jesus was imprisioned.
-Me climbing the Roman steps. There's a story of why people climb the steps, but this was the end of the day and I have already forgotten!
-City of David - the oldest part of Jerusalem. We ended here because it got really foggy and started to rain. We walked through the Armenian Quarter to get back to Jaffa Gate.
-Part of the Old City wall.


-Cotton Merchant's Market.















-Part of the markets everywhere, selling everything and asking you to buy. You really have to learn to say no, not to accept tea and if you're female -forget it! I got the hang of it a bit after awhile.








-The second day I roamed around, bought some things, went back to some of the places of the first day, tried to get around somewhat easily and ended with a visit to the Citadel (Tower of David). It has a good museum and cool ruins. Started out as a palace for King Herod in the 1st century. The Byzantines took over and thought it was Mt. Zion (hence the David name). Then it passed through Muslim armies and the Crusaders. Most of the look comes from Mamluk sultan Malik an-Nasir in the 1300s. Very nice panoramas of the city from here (near Jaffa Gate).

-That pretty much sums up Jerusalem.













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