We are continuing out walking around Jerusalem from yesterday.
·
Entering at the Lion/St. Stephen’s Gate we were
again on the Via Dolorosa, winding our way up to the Hyrva Synagogue area for
lunch.
o
Along the way we walk the Cardo, the market
street in Jesus’ time, where they have found deep down the stones from the path
of Jesus’ day.
o
From there we continued to the Zion Gate (with its
pock marks from the fierce battles in 1948 when the Jews were expelled and 1967
when the Jews returned to their Quarter).
o
In that are went into the Upper Room for a time
of quiet singing of praise to our Lord and Savior. This is where Jesus dined with His disciples
and encouraged them with “great and precious promises.” It is also where 120 believers received the Spirit
on the day the Church of Jesus Christ was born.
o
We also stopped at David’s Tomb.
o We were unable to enter the Church of the Dormition, the burial place of Mary the mother of Jesus. By the way, on the Mount of Olives we were near the place where Mary ascended to heaven, having never died, according to Catholic theology. Perhaps you can figure out why Mary needed a burial place if she never died. Maybe you can figure out how Mary was sinless and a Savior for us, in addition to her Son. I mention this so you know that when you are around Jerusalem you are also in the midst of man’s religion. Don’t let anyone tell you it is syncretized with the true religion. When any lie is added to the truth it is no longer the truth!
o We had a brief time to do some shopping in some Armenian shops near Zion Gate. We have felt like their prices were some of the best in the Old City.
·
We then returned to the area of the Western
Wall.
o
We went into the Davidson Archaeological center
where is the pile of rocks that shows the truth of Jesus’ words that not one
stone of the temple would be left upon another after the destruction by
Rome. There are also the steps of the
temple on which it is believed Peter preached the sermon on the Day of
Pentecost. And there are many mikveh’s
(baptism pools) that have been discovered, telling us how thousands of people
were baptized on that day when the Church of Jesus Christ had its beginning.
o We also did the tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, a guided tour that tells about the building of the wall. (We might skip this the next time; interesting but not essential to aching feet. 😊)
o We then enjoyed a wonderful “family style” dinner at the Armenian Restaurant that is across from the Austrian Hospice in the Muslim Quarter. Being Thursday the Arab eating places there were closed for their holy day.
With that, we returned to our hotel for a
needed night of rest. And for even more
needed time to reflect. The story of the
Incarnation, every aspect of it, happened, truly in a real place and real time
in history. This is fundamental to Christianity.
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| Entering the Cardo area. |
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| Jewish Quarter |
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| Hyrva Synagogue in background |
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| Dinner at Armenian Restaurant |
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