Even though we had a free day, we still got up early. The extra hour of rest from the time change here was much needed because we went to the Temple Mount this morning. There are 12 people from a church in Michigan and I joined them to go there. I told them I was going to be like Ruth in the Bible; their people would become my people and I would follow them wherever they went. The hours are very limited and you must be there really early to get in and must be modestly dressed. Knees and elbows covered. Security is tight and strictly enforced. We stood in line for about one and a half hours. The Temple Mount is the most important site in Jerusalem and really in the whole world. It is the placed where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac and also the site of Solomon's Temple. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept and was the worship center for the Jewish people. The Dome of the Rock, which is a Muslim mosque, was built over the site in the 7th century. Non- Muslims can go on the plaza surrounding the mosque but not inside the temple. From there, we walked down part of the Via Delarosa and went to Bethesda's Pool. That is the site where Jesus healed the crippled man. We walked back through the markets which are exactly like those streets you see in all the movies where the cars and motorcycles are in a chase with people, fruit, and stuff going everywhere. No car chases today but a few motorcycles we had to jump away from. A few of us wanted some "real" food, so we headed on back and went to a pizza place right beside our hotel. It was wonderful! We had some classroom work in the afternoon and I stepped out of class for a bit and was able to FaceTime with some of family and friends who were at Sunday School. It was good to see and talk to you guys. We leave for Galilee early in the morning and will be there for 4 days. We were told that the wifi there comes and goes, so I hope to be able to post daily as usual. Don't be alarmed, however, if I am late with a posting. Love reading your comments.
Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock)
Great Picture. Eveyone at church was all a-buzz about your face time ....Mom was thrilled.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting Cathy. I've read several books that included Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock. It's very surreal to see you standing in front of the actual place. I love all the info you are sharing with us, as though we are right there with you. Don't get any ideas about following that Michigan group back to Michigan...
ReplyDeleteGreat accounts of your daily adventures. I am reading a book set in Israel. Last night, I too was at the Dome of the Rock. But, I do not have a photo. Looking forward to your next post.
ReplyDeleteI am a few days behind in posting but wanted to tell you that Addison was singing "Go tell it on the Mountain" and somehow we got to the fact that you were over in Israel. She wanted to know if you were going to Bethlehem in to Inn where Jesus was born. I had to say I wasn't sure about that but when your post about Bethlehem came out I read it to her and she was quite impressed about Shepard's Field and your sing of Christmas carols there. Take care and have a safe next 4 days...trish
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