So it has been warm…

Dan Panorama Hotel Kitty & Jasmine

Our whole group on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple Mount and the Old City walls and the Eastern (Golden) Gate.

Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. They believe that the resurrection of the dead will start here when the Messiah comes.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now here we are, standing inside your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a well-built city; its seamless walls cannot be breached. Psalm 122: 1-3

The golden onion domes to the right belong to the Church of the Ascension, believed to be the spot where Jesus ascended into heaven. “And he led them out as far as Bethany and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” Luke 24:50-51

A overview of the southern wall, which we will explore up close on day 7. The retaining wall and leveling of the top of Temple Mount was built by Herod. The whole flat area at the top would have been the temple complex.

Jewish Cemetery Kitty

The two grey domes in the middle are from The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Jasmine & Holly on a fancier camel today with breathtaking views of Jerusalem

Layers and ledges

The Golden Gate or Eastern Gate. “After this, the man brought me back around to the east gateway. Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory…I fell facedown on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway.” Ezekiel 43:1-4

Church of All Nations – adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane. The 4 statues above the columns are the four Evangelists – Mark, Luke, Matthew & John.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” Psalm 42:1

Walking through the Garden of Gethsemane into the church.

Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. (gat shemanim = olive oil press)

The dome with the coat-of-arms that represents the United States as one of the 12 donors

It is believed this is the general area where Jesus prayed on the night before his crucifixion

In the garden

We took communion together and then spread out for personal time of prayer and reflection. “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘sit here, while I go over there and pray.’” Matthew 26:36

Garden of Gethsemane, we’ll call him PJJ in honor of the three disciples who fell asleep in the garden while Jesus was praying (Peter, James, and John).

One extra Garden Kitty – we’ll call her Olive

View from the Temple Mount to the Garden of Gethsemane to the left of the Church of All Nations – all on the Mount of Olives

Heading into the Dung Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem

Muslim controlled entrances into the western wall area

The Western Wall (Wailing Wall) men’s side. This wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray outside the previous Temple Mount platform, as the presumed site of the Holy of Holies, the most sacred site in the Jewish faith, lies just behind it.

We included a picture because this is what is there, but it saddens us and is disgusting to see the Dome of the Rock on the site where God’s beautiful temple used to stand. It has always been awful to see in pictures but it is just sad and miserable in person.

Muslim washing area outside their dome

Temple Mount Kitty

Kristi on the women’s side of the Western Wall. Women must cover to their wrists hence the wrap. We saw orthodox women who left the site walking backwards, never turning their back to the wall.

Kristi has wanted to place a prayer for many years at the wall – she prayed for Jews & Muslims to know the truth and have their eyes opened to Jesus. This turned out to be extremely emotional for her. She was overtaken with grief for the Jews there who are so hurt by the Muslims who have moved into their territories and also because they don’t know the truth about Jesus.

Men’s side

Wall separating the men & women. The Western Wall wall, if you will.

Prayer books on the women’s side to be borrowed, used to quote prayers and replaced

Southern end of the Western Wall. There used to be an archway here, but it has all collapsed.

Mount Zion area

Last supper feast of Passover was somewhere in this area

King David’s Tomb – there are separate areas for men/women so we had to separate and the men had to wear yarmulkes if they didn’t have a hat due to this being a very sacred place for Jews to pray. It was strange that some religious places wanted you to cover your head and others wanted you to remove head coverings.

King David

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) trainees

Kristi was on the lookout for “limonana” – middle eastern mint lemonade. She had read that it was prevalent but didn’t find that to be the case. This was the first she found and it turns out it wasn’t really it. But she will find it tomorrow! Finally.

Eating lunch in Bethlehem which is not considered a part of Israel. It is called Area A and is controlled by the Palestinian authority. No Israelis or IDF are allowed there. Our guide remained with us but stayed quiet and we acquired a new Palestinian guide when we entered the area. This restaurant was owned by a Palestinian Christian.

We shopped in Bethlehem at a Christian Palestinian shop and they gave us this really tasty juice!

Little animals we bought the grandkids in Bethlehem

The Shepherds’ Fields (under construction) southeast of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, in Palestine.

The shepherd’s grotto behind the chapel near the fields

Inside the grotto

Shepherds’ Field Chapel. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified…” Luke 2:8-10

Some of the group got to hold this little sheep that a shepherd boy had brought

Our Palestinian guide in the background

Things we did not expect to see in Bethlehem: knock-offs of Starbucks

More “Starbucks”

Palestinian Nativity Beer – we bet you didn’t know this existed!

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in Palestine in the West Bank

The door is small so that everyone has to bend down and thus “humble” themselves before the Lord

We went from a humble doorway to gaudy beyond belief!

Down to a very small, tight area where they believe Jesus was born. It’s a cave that the church has been built over and around.

The silver star marks the posible spot of his birth. “The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12

The area to the right with lights in it is the possible manger area in the cave where he would have been laid

Manger area

Three churches were built in the same area of the nativity and honestly it’s confusing at this point which was which

Nativity Kitty

IDF checking out our bus before letting us back into Israel