Day 9: the Old City of Jerusalem

 Wow, what a day! This was our chance as a group to start exploring this battered, beloved city that's been destroyed 17 times and rebuilt 18 times over the centuries. We entered through the Lion's Gate, and near St Anne's Church, Val Armstrong read to us from John 5:1ff...how Jesus healed the man who'd been an invalid for 38 years...and we saw the Pool of Bethesda excavated about 60 years ago. The Crusaders built the church believing it was where Mary was born, with parents Anne & Joachim. The priest was warmly welcoming...and inside we sang "Amazing Grace" with superb acoustics. 

The Antonia Fortress was a military barracks built by the Herod that our guide calls Bob the Builder (Herod the Great wanted to impress important people like Mark Antony, the current Roman governor). Our guide pointed out speed humps on the ancient pavement, designed to slow down traders' carts! Inside we began walking the Via Dolorosa, the traditional Way of the Cross, following the route many believe that Jesus took from his trial before Pilate to Golgotha. What surprised many of us was the very short distances between each significant place: the hill where Jesus was crucified was really close by, not "a green hill far away".

Golgotha...the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Most experts believe this church is built on the location of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, but 2000 years later it's a tangle of different branches of Christianity, with each jealously guarding a specific patch! How sad! As we made our way slowly through numerous chapels, we saw a vast array of religious ornamentation. Jesus was crucified on a 12 metre high hill that was the unusable part of a quarry. He was buried in a cave like some we saw, and his body was cleaned and wrapped in a shroud, and placed on a marble slab. A stone was rolled in front, and the usual practice was to leave the cave for 2 years, then remove the bones, place them in a box, to be replaced in the cave/tomb. As we passed by the heavily ornamented sacred sites, with guardian priests and kneeling devotees, Leila commented: "The main thing is, he is not here!"

The Citadel was our next stop, with a superb panorama view of the whole city from the top of what is now the Tower of David Museum. Excellent displays, but most of us were only too ready for a coffee or lunch at the welcoming Christ Church Cafe in the Christian quarter of the Old City. Refreshed, we moved on through the Armenian quarter to Zion Gate. 

At Mt Zion, we visited the Upper Room, or location of the Last Supper. This area was believed by the earliest Christians to be the home of Mary, mother of John Mark. Here Bob Davidson read to us from Mark 14: 12 - 31. We also saw the place where some believe that King David was buried. Then to the Church of Dormition which was recently built on a tradional site where some believe that Mary the mother of Jesus died.

We came home to our hotel as the Sabbath started, with our hearts and minds full to overflowing. 

Photos: The friendly priest at the door of St. Anne's; remains of the Pool of Bethesda; our group in Antonio Fortress; Roman speed humps; walking the Via Delorosa; outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; entering the chapel over the Tomb of Jesus; the Tower of David; Phil explaining the sites from the top of the Tower to Lawrence & Gill; inside the Upper Room; at the Dormition Church.