The highlight of our trip was of course Jerusalem. This city had been conquered re-conquered and ravaged many times, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, it managed to be rebuilt. When the Jews were in exile in Babylon, it was the hope of returning to Jerusalem kept them going. Remember the song by Boney M : "By the waters of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remember Zion..." The Jews were and still are passionate about this city. In Psalms 137: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill...." Jesus himself wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19 : 41-44).
(Song taken from Psalm 137:1-6)
Geographically, the city is located on a plateau the Judean mountain, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. Both the Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as its capital. Israel's parliament, the Knesset is located here, as well as the Supreme Court. The residences of the Prime Minister and President are also located in Jerusalem.
The new city of Jerusalem
The old city of Jerusalem is divided into the Jewish Quarters, the Christian Quarters, the Armenian Quarter and the Muslim Quarters.The whole city is surrounded by high walls. I recalled Nehemiah, when he received news of the broken walls of Jerusalem, broke down and cried and interceded for Jerusalem. Then, with the consent of King Artazersus, went back to Jerusalem to rebuild its walls.
Below is the view of the old city from Mt. Olives. The white boxes are the Jewish cemetery, dating back to the days of the Patriarchs. The tombs of Haggai, Malachi and Absalom are among some of the tombs identified. Beyond the cemetery is the Kidron Valley.
The old city of Jerusalem is enclosed by very high walls. There are a few entry points into the old city - through the Gates. We entered the city through the Sheep Gate, also known as St. Stephen's Gate (to commerate the first Christian martyr).
It was also known as the Lion's Gate (as this 'new' gate was built by Suleiman the Great after he conquered Jerusalem, and destroyed its walls. The story goes that one night, Suleiman dreamt that a man asked him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to protect the people there. If he failed to do so, lions would be sent to kill his wives and children. Upon waking up, Suleiman immediately sent his builders and money to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. That is why engraved on top of the gate are four lions. The Lion Gate is in the Muslim Quarter and towards the West of the gate is the Temple Mount which sits the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa Mosque.
The Temple Mount has a complicated history. It is on Mount Moriah and is believed to be the place where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac. An altar was built to commemorate God's providence. King Solomon built the First Temple here (1 Kings 8). During the invasion of Judah in 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed the temple. But during the time of the Persian King Cyrus, he allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Second Temple (Ezra 3-4). In 37 BC, Herod the Great, renovated the Temple in a grand style. The beauty of the Temple was repeatedly mentioned by historians. However, in 70 AD, the Jews revolted against Rome and (as prophesied by Jesus), the Romans razed the Temple to its grounds. The Romans built their pagan temple over the old temple ground. When Jerusalem fell to the Muslim Arabs, around 638AD, Caliph Omar identified the Temple Mount as the site where prophet Muhammad dreamt he ascended to heaven. The Dome of the Rock and the El Asqsa mosque was subsequently built there. The Muslims believed that Jesus would come back again through the Golden Gate (near the Dome of the Rock). So Suleiman the Great had the Golden Gate sealed. (note the sealed gate above).
We visited Mary's parents' house (they were originally from Jerusalem), and in the Church of St. Anne (Jews address Mary's mother as Hannah), we sang in the church. The acoustic was fantastic, and our voices rose to the ceiling and reverberated throughout the building. It was as if angels were singing. I didn't expect our voices would sound that good!
Then we went to the Pools of Bethseda, which was nearby. The water from the pools used to be channeled to the temple for religious purpose. The pools were known to be places of healing. Jesus met and healed an invalid who had been ill for 38 years (John 5: 2-9)
Then we visited Dorminton Abbey, where the Catholic Church marks the place where the Virgin Mary fell into her 'eternal sleep'. It was a magnificent church. A wooden and ivory statue of Mary is displayed in this church.
We walked to Mt. Zion to the Jewish Quarter and visited the tomb of King David. The Jews revered King David and the place was packed with Jews all wanting to say their prayers there. Below left - A statue of King David with his harp. Right - Jews reading their Torah.
Above King David's Tomb is 'The Upper Room' - the place where Jesus had The Last Supper. This was also the same room where the disciples experienced Pentecost. It was here also that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His ressurection. When the Muslims took this place, they turned it to a mosque. But now the building has reverted to the Jews.
Another interesting place we visited was The Western Wall, also known as The Wailing Wall. Praying there was an awesome experience. To feel the surge of energy as the hum of prayers of thousands of people reverberate across the square. This was the first time I witnessed such a huge Jewish congregation. Not only did they pray, they sang and danced as they celebrated the end of Sabbath.
On our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, we passed an ancient Ethiopian Church. Ethiopian Jews were given a special piece of land - since the time of King Solomon. It was believed that the Ethiopian Jews were descendents of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The photo on the right are the ancient monasteries of the Ethiopian Christians.
Jerusalem is such a fascinating city and I've not even covered half of what we experienced - such as the Via Dolorosa - The Way of Sorrow (the path that Jesus took on His way to the Cross). One cannot accurately convey the awesomeness of the city. Nothing like going there to experience the sights and sounds for yourself.
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