Jerusalem

i think i could write a series of posts about Jerusalem alone. i am going to try and keep it to just one however.

we did a lot of things in Jerusalem as we were there for 3 days.

we stayed in a downtown hotel plaza which was super nice and had super good food. it was also walking distance from the market and the downtown strip. after touring each day we went for a walk around the city on our own.

during the day we went at a pretty fast pace to get to see all that was on our list.

we visited:

• the wailing wall
• the underground temple corridor where the 1st century road has been uncovered
• st Ann's church which has perfect acoustics
• the pool of Bethesda
• the Israeli museum where part of the dead sea scrolls are kept
• the holocaust memorial museum
• the only christian kibbutz in Israel
• a ministry known as Revive Israel
• the christian Arab market
• places believed to be Golgotha, the Garden Tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane, ciaphas' house, and the pit in which Jesus would have been held in before crucifixion
• the temple archaeological park

many of the things we saw are places that are definitively what they say they are.

many of the places are what could be the places that they say they are.

one of our guides made the point of telling us that he thinks a good reason for the speculation and not knowing definitively if that really was the place that Jesus was buried is that we then would begin to worship the place and not the Lord. He knows us well and will reveal what we need to know as we need to know it.

also in Jerusalem i was able to meet up with an old co-worker who is native of Jerusalem. he and his girlfriend took me downtown and showed me some of the non-touristy local places. it's funny with old friends how 3 years can pass without speaking or seeing each other and it's as if you saw them yesterday.

the last night in Jerusalem dad, mike, and i went for a walk to the downtown area and had what my local friend told was the best pizza in the city. and it was very good. we then got our last bit of souvenir shopping in and headed back to get some needed rest.

the last morning dad and mike departed for Jordan and i packed up and went for a walk by myself around a place my friend recommended. i found myself ending up at the market as it was opening for the morning. it was a very different feel than arriving in the middle of the day. i liked it. as i walked around i thought to myself that it would be pretty fascinating to live in a foreign city for a time. maybe someday.

when preparing for the trip i wasn't sure i would be ok navigating for myself in the airports and around, but having been there im pretty sure i could do it anywhere.

my friend asked me if i felt safer in an American city or in Jerusalem with the heavy military and police presence. i told him i felt about the same i think. maybe safer in Jerusalem as a tourist than an American city as a local.

although i have not been to many big cities, i think Jerusalem will stay pretty high on my list of favorites for a long time. so much rich history and culture to absorb.

the western/wailing wall

 

the market. so colorful! 

overlooking the old city

garden of Gethsemane

 

best pizza in town

 

the southern steps of the temple

young IDF on an educational visit. take away the uniforms and weapons and they are no different than any other group of 19 yr olds hanging out.

the market as it was opening.

i think i will have one more post to wrap up the trip and my overall thoughts on it. then it will be on to the craziness that is working at a summer camp in the middle of summer.