Israel/Palestine, Tuesday, 1 March

Approaching the checkpoint leaving
Bethlehem

This morning we said farewell to the guest house at the ICB at  Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. After passing through the checkpoint at the edge of Bethlehem, we drove to Jerusalem to begin a two-day exploration of the old city.

In front of the Dome of the Rock

We entered the Old City through the Dung Gate and went to the Temple Mount. This is Mount Moriah where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac, and where Solomon and Herod built temples. It is now the site of two mosques, one being the Dome of the Rock built over the rock of Abraham's sacrifice. We were able to visit the mount, but the Dome of the Rock is still closed to visitors which was disappointing. The outside of the building is spectacular with its many mosaics and gold dome.

From there we left the Temple Mount and came down to the Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall. This foundational wall of the Temple Mount goes back to Solomon's time, with additions by Herod and the Ottoman Turks. It is a most sacred site for Jews, who come here to pray and celebrate rituals. Men, who must have head covering, and women, without head covering, are separated. Many people put prayers written on scraps of paper into cracks in the wall.

On the Herodian steps

On the south side of the Temple Mount is the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, which may be the best place to see and experience things from the time of Christ. Particularly interesting is the temple steps, a few of which are original from Herod's temple, so it is most likely a place where Jesus walked. There are several other things of historical interest, notably Herodian streets and shops, and large stones left from the destruction of the temple.

Leaving the Western Wall area, we drove to our hotel, the Gloria Hotel, or at least near it outside the city wall. From there we walked into the city and our luggage was taken in by van. Our rooms were not ready, so we left our luggage and headed out for more exploring.

Our first stop was lunch where we once again had falafel and shwarma. We went out of the old city at the New Gate and walked around the city past the Damascus Gate to Herod's Gate. The Damascus Gate, which we remember as our main entry to the Old City on our previous visit, was being reconstructed. Entering through Herod's Gate, we walked to the Church of the Flagellation at the site of the Antonia Fortress, where Christ was tried by Pontius Pilate.

Grave caves in Holy Sepulchre Church

We followed the Via Dolorosa from there to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We passed Stations of the Cross on the way as well as passing through markets. The church is a bit overwhelming in its complexity and ornamentation. There is good argument for the site being authentic: it was outside the city wall at the time of Christ, it is a rocky hill, and there were burial sites nearby. It is a chance to think about Christ's sacrifice.

Naim's candlesticks

Redeemer Lutheran Church is very close by, and was a refreshing change for its simplicity. It is the home church of our guide, Naim, who gladly shared the church with us. He was baptized and confirmed there and is still a member. The altar candlesticks were made by him. It being a stone church, it has very live acoustics, so we sang "Beautiful Savior" as we did at Christmas Lutheran.

From there we returned to the hotel. Our luggage had been delivered to our room and we had time for rest. We went out for a walk through some of the suqs (market areas) near our hotel. It's not always easy to fend off all the eager shop keepers. Returning to the hotel, we took a circuitous route through some back streets of the area, and only had to ask directions once. Back at the hotel, it was about time for dinner, consisting of the usual spread of salads and the main course of salmon and beef with rice. The salmon was good, but very pale, not pink as we are used to.

After dinner we met in a room in the hotel for a Eucharist service. It was very good to share this meal in this place.