A City Life For Me

I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get the last of the Israel pictures posted.  I was gone last week to attend the 20th Anniversary Bible Conference at Ambassador Baptist College, and I was sick before that.   Our last day in Israel was not as busy.  We went to the Davidson Center which is a museum on the Southern side of the Temple Mount.  We explored the southern side of the temple wall and saw the Hulda Gates and ritual baths through which people would have passed to get to the Temple.  We went to an outdoor market, and then had some time to pack before our visit to the Garden Tomb.  After our last dinner at the hotel we went to the airport and the rest is history!   This is Ben and I next to the Temple Wall.  You can see how large the stones are that were used to construct the wall.  The we are standing in front of is called a Herod Stone because King Herod had all the edges of the stones beveled.   This view looks over t...

Day 7: Ein Gedi (the oasis in the Judean Desert where David found refreshment); Camel rides at sea level; Masada (the fortress built by Herod the Great, later utilized by the Jewish zealots to fend off the Romans for three years.  Masada pictures will have a separate post); The Dead Sea.   This post will contain only pictures from Masada and the Dead Sea.   Nine members of our group decided to hike up Masada rather than to ride the cable car - all six of the Hamiltons (I was planning to ride up, but I was determined not to be the only Hamilton who didn’t climb), Sam & Tim Wolkowicz, and Andrew Hemingway.  There is a serpentine path, aptly named the Snake Path which winds it’s way up to Masada.  Our guide, Shimon, has climbed Masada in 14 minutes with the army.  From our group, Ben finished first in about 20 minutes, and I came in dead last in about 35 minutes. This is Ben, Meredith, and Evan beginning the ascent up to Masada via the Snake Path. ...

Day 6: Rabbinical Tunnel tour underneath the Western Wall; Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum); Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls Museum); Jerusalem model from the Second Temple Period.     We started off with a tour underground of the Rabbinical tunnel that has been excavated around the Western Wall.  In some places they have gone down to the original road of the Second Temple period.  Here are my feet and Ben’s feet on that road – Jesus probably walked on the same road!   We spent a good part of the day at the Holocaust Museum.  Pictures are not allowed.  They have a memorial to all of the children killed during the Holocaust.  With mirrors and candles it appears as if there are millions of candles flickering – one for each child that was lost.  There is also a plaque for each of the Righteous throughout the garden.  The Righteous are those who helped the Jews escape or hide from the enemy.  One story was of an older man who co...

Day 5: Walked down the Mt. of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Cemetery overlooking the tombs of the prophets; Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem; Via Dolorosa; Upper Room and the tomb of King David; Wailing (Western) Wall;  Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic); Pools of Bethesda; Shopping at Ben Yehuda street at the end of the Sabbath.   This is the view of the Jordan Valley from the top of Mt. Scopus.  The Mt. of Olives sort of has two peaks.  They used to be known collectively as the Mt. of Olives.  Now they are separate – the Mt. of Olives and Mt. Scopus.   This is the view of the Dome of Rock, which sits upon the Temple Mount, from Mt. Scopus.   This is an Aloe Vera plant.  It was huge!  It had to be at least three feet tall.  I took this one for you, Mom.   This is the Eastern Gate.  The Muslims have walled it up, and put a graveyard on the other side.  They think that the graveyard will stop Jes...

Day 4: Friday, February 27, 2009 - Bet Alfa mosaic synagogue floor; Bet She'an (the city where Saul's armour was put on display after his death); Qumran (discovery place of the Dead Sea scrolls); Jerusalem - traditional blessing at the Western Wall; Bethlehem (Church of the Nativity). The mosaic floor discovered in the old synagogue in Bet Alfa. Interestingly, the mosaic is of the zodiac, which would have qualified as making an image in the synagogue. The mosaic gives the story of the men of the synagogue hiring someone to do the mosaic for them, thus they were not guilty of making the image. Below the mosaic is the story of Abraham offering Isaac on Mt. Moriah. These are some of the ruins of the Roman city of Bet She'an. The ancient city, where Saul's armour hung, is up on the hill (top right corner of green hill in picture - also see next picture). The village of Bet She'an had very high unemployment. Once the hippodrome was discovered, they decided to employ the ...