Israel Trip

This is going to be a long post, as we just got back from our trip to Israel and have lots of pictures and things to write about. The first site we visited was Qumran just on the other side of the border (which took about 3 hours to cross because three of our group were detained by Israeli security because they had visited unapproved countries). This is the area were the dead sea scrolls were discovered in caves by a local bedouin, some of the caves and the valley are pictured below.

After that we drove down along the coast of the dead sea down south to Masadda, one of the fortress built by Herod on the top of a hill. This area was one of the last Jewish strongholds when the Romans came and sacked Jerusalem and overran Israel. The fortress can be seen on top of the hill in this picture:

Next we drove back north along the Dead Sea until we got to Jericho. Pictured below is the traditional site of the Mount of Temptation where Jesus was tempted by Satan. In the city we also saw a tel (an archaeological phenomenon where cities continue to build on top of the ruins of the old city leaving traceable layers behind, and forming a man made hill), which was the first of many. In this particular one there was the base of an old watch tower which some Archaeologists believe is the oldest structure in the world.

Next we drove in the Jerusalem and went to drop off our things at the hotel before walking through the old city to go see the Wailing Wall. One of the entrances to the old city, Damascus Gate, is in the picture below. Since it was Friday night, which is when the Jewish sabbath begins, the wall was filled with hundreds of Jews who came to pray and welcome the Sabbath with songs of praise to God. We got to stay and watch them, but pictures were not allowed at this time.

The picture below here is the view out of our hotel window, right at the BYU Jerusalem center, known as the Mormon University in Jerusalem.

The next day was Saturday, which is when we attended Church at the Jerusalem Center. Before that though, we went to a couple of sites. The first was the traditional site of the beginning of the Palm Sunday triumphal march of Jesus into the City of Jerusalem. The church built here had murals all over the walls depicting different scenes from the New Testament. Below is Ashley standing in front of one of those murals.

In the back of the church was a park area with some old tombs that had been discovered. They were mostly used as places to through garbage now, but the entrance to one of them is below:

On the other side of the park we were able to see the wall the Israel has been building dividing Israel from the Palestinian territories. This wall is a very important issue currently in the politics of the region, and so our professors wanted us to be able to see it.

Next we want to the Pater Nostra church, which is the traditional site where Jesus taught his disciples the Our Father prayer. Below is Ashley walking down the stairs towards the church which is decorated with displays of the Our Father prayer in a large number of the world's languages.

Next we went to church at the Jerusalem center, which is located on the Mount of Olives overlooking the old town. The picture below shows part of the view out of the huge windows the make up the entire wall of the chapel behind the pulpit. In this picture the gold domed building is the Dome of the Rock, which is an Islamic site where Mohamed is supposed to have ascended into heaven. According to Jewish tradition this is the same spot where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac, and this is also the location where Herod's temple in Jerusalem was located. The smaller gray dome is the Al-Aqsa mosque. Together these two buildings make up the third most holy site in all of Islam.

Pictured below is Ashley and me sitting in the Biblical garden which is outside the Jerusalem Center. Here they have attempted to gather as many of the plants mentioned in the Bible as possible, as well as examples of olive presses and other biblical things.

The next site we visited was the Garden Tomb and Golgotha, the site that some of our Church leaders believe is the area where Jesus was buried. The picture below is Golgotha, see if you can make out the skull in the hillside that may be the reason the place was named "the skull". The other picture shows the tomb itself. According to the guides here, if this was the site were Jesus was crucified, it would have been done at ground level at the base of this hill which is just outside the Damascus gate. The main trade route going from Jerusalem to Damascus would have passed right by this site so that everyone traveling would see the executions taking place here.

The next morning we went to the southern side of the Old City. Here we went through an archaeological park just outside the city walls. In the picture below I am standing next to stones that would have been used in the temple, but were pushed off the temple mount by Roman soldiers.

After this site, we entered the old city by a bridge leading up to the temple mount. On the way out we overlooked the Wailing wall and were able to take some pictures since it was not the Sabbath. Even still, there was a decent crowd gathered to pray at the wall.

Once on the temple mount we were able to see the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque up close, though any one who is not Muslim is not allowed to enter either of these buildings.

Next we left the temple mount and went back to the Wailing Wall where the entrance to the Western Wall tunnel is located. This tunnel goes all the way down the length of this wall of the Temple Mount, and has a lot of interest for Archaeologists, though most of that significance was lost on us, as we just had fun going through an old tunnel. You will also notice in the picture below that I was required to wear a Yamaca, this is a requirement anytime men enter holy Jewish sites and part of this tunnel passes by what is traditional believed to be the closest point to the Holy of Holies of the Temple.

Next we went to the Pool of Bethesda, which is pictured below. This is the pool where Jesus healed the crippled man who had been waiting hoping to enter the pool as the water stirred, because this was believed to have healing powers.

Next we visited the Church of the Flagellation, which is the traditional site where Jesus was whipped, and crowned with a crown of thorns. On the ceiling of the church you can see a crown of thorns painted, though our picture is a little blurry because of the dim light.

Next we walked from this church along the traditional path the Jesus walked carrying his cross to the traditional site of Golgotha and the burial of Christ (different than the Garden Tomb and the other Golgotha that I wrote about above). Along the way were plaques marking each of the ten Catholic stations of the cross. I don't know all of these sites, but each one is marked by a roman numeral and usually a church along the walk through the old city, though we did not go into any of these churches. Below is a picture of the path through the old city, in the background on the right side, just next to the red and white umbrella, you can see a small dark circle, which is one of the markers of the stations of the cross.

At the end of the walk we entered the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of Jesus' death and burial. In the picture below is a shrine which has been built over the area where Jesus is believed to have been buried. This is a huge church, and several different Christian sects own pieces of it, which have sometimes been dug down into the ground, or are located on the roof. It is an incredible building with all sorts of decoration.

Next we walked to a spot where we could get on the roof of an area of the market in the Old City. From here we could look out over the old city, and even see the Dome of the Rock again. Below you can see Ashley standing on the roof area.

On the way back we walked through the Old City markets, and did a little bit of souvenir shopping as well. We were able to visit one shop in the Christian quarter owned by a man by the name of Shabban, who has been catering to LDS tourists for many years now, and always has the best prices on anything you could want from the old city. In the picture below our are roommates doing some shopping as well.

The first stop the next day was the Dominus Flevit Church, which is the traditional site where Jesus wept. The building itself is supposed to be shaped like a tear drop. Below is Ashley in front of the Church.

Next we walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane. Below you can see Ashley and me standing in front of the site. The garden area was smaller than we expected, but at least for me this was my favorite of the spiritual sites that we visited. All of the sites were very commercialized and the typical pilgrimages of Christians other than those of our church to these sites can be very off-putting for LDS people visiting these sites. In addition, most of them are probably not the actual sites, and it is completely different than we are used to in visiting other sacred sites such as Carthage and the Sacred Grove, as there is little to no presence of the Spirit in these sites anymore. However, this area I was able to feel a connection to the Savior, and it helped deepen my appreciation for the Atonement which was wrought for us, if not here exactly, than in a site somewhere nearby, that would have been similar.

Next we went across town to the site of David's original city of Jerusalem, which is now entirely outside of the the old city walls. Here we were able to crawl through Hezekiah's tunnel, which was dug by King Hezekiah to protect the water source outside of the city. The tunnel was filled with water, getting nearly waist deep at parts, and it was quite long, so it was fun to walk through.

Next we took a bus down to Bethlehem, where we stopped for lunch, which we ate at a site called "Shepherds Fields" which is similar to the area where the shepherds saw the star announcing Jesus' birth.

After lunch we went the the Church of the Nativity, which is the traditional site where Jesus was born. In the picture below the star is the site that has been chosen as the exact spot where Jesus was born.

The next day was our free day in Jerusalem. During the first part of the day we went with our roommates to a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem so that Phil and Brekke could find a Jewish hat to buy as a souvenir for her mother. In the area even the street signs had pictures of men dressed up in traditional Orthodox Jewish outfits, as you can see in the picture below.

After that we went back to the Old City, and did more shopping and site-seeing, and eventually made it back to the Hotel. Each night while in Jerusalem, we would spend the evenings up on the roof of the hotel which overlooked the Temple Mount. Below are our roommates, I'm not sure if Ashley has introduced them yet or not, though I think she has, but in case not, in order of closest to camera and ending with the farthest away these are Brekke and Phil Houpt, and then Meara and Patrick Glazebrook.

One of the nights, there was a small pickup game of soccer going on just next door to the hotel. We were watching from the hotel roof when the evening call to prayer rang out. When this happened, all of the players lined up along the side of the field in order to pray. You can see part of the line in the picture below.

The next day we left Jerusalem. We drove out the west side of the town and headed somewhat Northwest towards the Mediterranean coast. Along the way we stopped briefly in Haifa to take a picture of the Bahai world headquarters. Bahai is a smallish religion of about 5-6 million followers throughout that world, which believes in several prophets, or messengers from God such as Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, the Buddha, Krishner, Jesus and Muhammad, as well as Ba and Bahá'u'lláh, (this section has been edited thanks to a correction from a reader of this blog) and that is persecuted in the Middle East, and you can see the temple below.

Then we continued up the coast to the town of Akko, where we were able to go into the ruins of an old Crusader Castle. We also went through a couple of tunnels again, which were used to evacuate pilgrims from the city when Salah ad-Din lead the Muslim armies that eventually repelled the crusaders from Israel and Jerusalem. Below is the first area of the castle that we entered.

The last tunnel brought us out right at the edge of the Mediterranean coast, where we were able to put our feet in the water. Below is a picture of me standing in the Mediterranean. We also got to climb around on an old wall that went along the coast for a few minutes before leaving Akko.

Our next stop was Megiddo, another Tel which is the site of an ancient city in the Valley of Jezreel, also known as the Valley of Armageddon where the final battle of Armageddon is supposed to take place before the second coming. In the picture below are the ruins of an ancient altar in the city. Here we also walked through some tunnels connecting the city to a water source outside the old walls, though this time there was no water in the tunnel.

After this we went into Nazareth, where we spent the next two nights. Here we stayed at a Convent which was built on top of ruins which have been excavated. As part of our stay, one of the nuns in the convent took us on a tour of the ruins, which they think may have been the house of Joseph, the father of Jesus. Here there are ruins of an old Crusader Church, built on top of a Byzantine church, which is itself built on top of the ruins of an old house. In the picture below the nun is pointing out one of the details of the ruins.

Here in Nazareth we continued the tradition of sitting on the roof of the hotel and looking out over the city. In the picture below you can see the hill behind our hotel at night.

The next day first thing in the morning we went to the Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site where the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. This church was decorated with murals of Mary that had been sent from various countries around the world. In the picture below you can see a couple of those murals. Next we went next door to the Church of St. Joseph's Carpentry, which is the traditional site of Joseph's carpentry shop, and then we walked up the hill to the Synagogue Church, which is the traditional site where Jesus taught in the Synagogue and read the scripture proclaiming himself to be the Savior, after which the congregation became angry and wanted to throw him off the cliff and stone him.

Next we went to Nazareth village, which is a small site where a recreation of what the town may have been like in the time of Jesus has been set up. Here we saw a man leading a donkey pulling a threshing board to separate the wheat from the chaff, and an ancient wine press. We also saw some people dressed as shepherds, like the little girl in the picture below. In addition, there was a man showing what the work of a carpenter in that time may have been like, and a lady showing how weaving was done.

After this we left Nazareth and drove up to the most northwest portion of Israel, the Golan Heights, which is right on the border with Lebanon and Syria. Here there was an ancient Roman Shrine built to honor the God Pan, located at the site of one of the three springs which merge to form the Jordan river. This is another important political site because the region itself, the Golan Heights, are contested with Syria, and these waters are very important in coming to any sort of peace agreement in the region, as water is an important resource in the middle east. Additionally, it is also at the base of Mount Hermon, which some scholars believe was the mount of transfiguration of Jesus. This is also the site where Peter bore his testimony of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. In the picture below, Ashley and I are standing at the base of a waterfall just a little was down from the springs.

Next we went to Tel-Dan, another tel. This time the site is the ancient city of Dan, named after Dan the son of Israel, as it was the land settled by this tribe. It is also the city where Abraham caught up with the Kings who had kidnapped Lot, and took him back. Pictured below is the original gate of the city which is still standing, though it is hard to see because of the restoration work that is being done. This is possibly the same gate that Abraham walked thorough when rescuing Lot.

The next morning we drove to the shore of the Sea of Galilee and boarded a replica of a 1st century boat, which may be similar to the kind of fishing boat used by Jesus' disciples. We rode the boat for about an hour up the western coast of the sea and eventually got off in Capernaum, though we did not stay their long. One of the boats, though not the same one we rode, is below.

As soon as we got off the boat we got on the bus and went to the Church of the Beatitudes, the traditional site where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Below is a picture of that church.

After this we went to the Church of the Heptapegon (Seven Springs in Greek) which is the traditional site where Jesus laid the bread and fishes before blessing and breaking them and feeding the multitudes. The picture below shows the rock that Jesus used for this purpose, and the mural in front of the rock.

Next we went to the Church of the Primacy of Peter, which is the area where Jesus gave Peter the charge to feed his sheep. It also houses the Mensa Christi, which is the traditional rock upon which Jesus cooked the meal of fish for his disciples after he had resurrected. This rock can be seen in the picture below.

Finally we went back to Capernaum, which is known as the City of Jesus, and is the hometown of Peter. Here there is an archaeological site of the ancient town. In the picture below the circle is probably the site of Peter's home. Around this site there are the ruins of several churches that have been built. This is also the town where many of Jesus' miracles were performed, such as the raising of Jairus' daughter, the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and the healing of the lame man who was lowered down through the roof of a house, along with many others.

After this, we went to our next hotel, which was right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, here we were able to swim in the sea, and in a pool right at the hotel. The next morning was Saturday, so it was time for church again. In the picture below you can see the building where the members of the Galilee branch meet. This church also has windows along the wall behind the pulpit, which over look the Sea of Galilee.

Our final site on the way home to Amman was a quick stop where the Jordan river leaves the Sea of Galilee. Here there is a site where many Christian pilgrims come to be baptized in the River Jordan. In the picture below are some of these people wading in the waters of the river.