Middle East Memoirs: Day 9

Date: Friday, April 8
Location: Jerusalem - The Outer City
Temperature: Mild
Excitement Level: ***** Is there any question? Really? We're in JERUSALEM, people.
New Discoveries: When visiting the Holy City, even a fever can't stop me from experiencing all that there is to see, hear, touch, and learn.

Yep. I had a fever. Awesome.

I woke up on Friday morning feeling like absolute poop. Body aches, hot and cold sweats, clammy skin, sore throat, and a massive headache. Translation: This can't be happening to me. Kill me now.

And with the way I was feeling, death didn't feel that far off.

Fever. Schmever. I was in Jerusalem and I didn't care if my group had to carry me around on a cot, I was going. So, dope me up on meds and let's go. And someone please carry my backpack. And my meds. And my tissues. And my dignity.

Walking through the Old City on our way to David's City.






On our way to David's City, we stopped at the Western Wall. The Western Wall is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Temple's courtyard during the time of Jesus. It is one of the most sacred sites of Judaism outside of the Temple Mount itself. The Western Wall has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries. In the background, you can see the Dome of the Rock; built on the site of the Temple.

Other sites around the Western Wall...





We arrived in David's City and changed into our water shoes. After popping 12 Tylenol and Ibuprofen, I was ready to head underground to walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel. Hezekiah's Tunnel is a tunnel that was dug underneath the City of David in Jerusalem before 701 BC during the reign of King Hezekiah. The Bible tells us that King Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for an impending siege by the Assyrians, by "blocking the source of the waters of the upper Gihon, and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David" (2 Chronicles 32). The tunnel, leading from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam, was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib.



Here we go...


"Claustrophobia, party of one!"






The site of the ancient Pool of Siloam.


Following our trek through the tunnel, we boarded the bus and headed to Bethlehem. There, we visited Johnny's Souvenir Shop where we were given a brief time to browse through the Israeli jewelry and hand-crafted Nativities carved out of olive wood.


Then it was off to Bet Currim where we spent more time underground in an olive press, a burial cave, and a couple of columbariums.



These are columbarians. Columbarians were the internet of the first century. Can anybody guess what I'm referring to? I can't imagine using one of these to contact my mom every few days. Internet Explorer, I heart you.


On our way to another underground cave, we came across a group of youngin's who must have been on a field trip with their coworkers. And their camo pants. And army boots. And machine guns strapped to their backs. Gulp.


A tomb...


A tomb was used for an entire family, not just one person. After a death, the family would prepare the body for burial and bring the body to the tomb. Then, the family mourned for their dead for seven days. After seven days, it was back to work. Back to normal life. After one year, family members would return to the tomb, collect the bones of the dead, and place the bones in a small box, known as an ossuary. As more family members passed on, the ossuaries would collect and be placed in different places throughout the family tomb.

Fast Fact: The purpose for bringing perfume to the tomb was of no relation to religious rituals, but rather, to mask the smell of decomposing bodies. You're welcome.



As family members were going in and out of tombs fairly regularly, it was not uncommon for a stone to be rolled away. In fact, tomb stones were able to be moved quite easily allowing easy access in and out of the tomb. Therefore, when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb of Christ on Easter morning, the shock and surprise didn't come from the fact that the stone had been rolled away. The shock and surprise was a result of seeing that a SEALED stone had been rolled away. How could that happen? Who's been here? Where is our Lord?


Friday evening, near sundown, we made our way back to the Western Wall in the Old City to observe the Jewish Shabbat or Sabbath. Shabbat begins on Friday evening a few minutes before sunset and lasts through Saturday. It was here that hundreds of Jews, both men and women, were spending time in prayer, Torah readings, song and dance.


We were not allowed to take cameras down to the wall, so this is the closest that we could get. The picture doesn't begin to do the experience justice, but know that it was one of the most powerful hours of the entire trip. We could hear singing from the wall, and we could witness the hustle and bustle of families making their way down to the wall to pray.


As we made our way down, we actually had to go through security before being allowed into the square. Once there, we were able to witness first hand the passion and devotion that Judaism withholds. There was a fence set up that kept "foot traffic" back and separated from those praying and discussing the Torah. Some members of our group went beyond the fence and prayed at the wall. I chose to stay behind and spent 15-20 minutes simply watching. Listening. Taking it all in. It was as if every blink was a snapshot being filed into my memory.

Truthfully, it is very hard to put into words what I was feeling during that time. Emotions were flooding through me. I was completely and utterly in that moment. I didn't want to be anywhere else. But soon it was time to begin the uphill trek back to the Knights' Palace so we could rest up for our last day. And our last day would be spent in Jerusalem retracing the steps of Jesus in his final days and hours. And we would be retracing these holy steps just two weeks before Good Friday.