Because we had attended Church on the Sabbath (which was a Saturday) and the fact that we were jet lagged, it was hard to keep the days straight--was it Monday or Tuesday? Just one of the interesting things about being in Israel.
Today we visited the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and Bethlehem.
The Temple Mount is under the control of the Muslins and Jews are not able to worship anywhere on the site. Tourists are welcome with tour guides. Our friends, the Barkers, at the Jerusalem Center, have still not been on the Temple Mount because of "current tensions." We had no worries at all but Elder Rona is well known and a licensed guide so it makes going in and out of places like this very straightforward.
I took so many pictures and there is so much history and symbolism that I can't even remember what made many of these pictures more meaningful. Learn about the Temple Mount and then maybe the pictures will make sense. Otherwise enjoy the sites of it anyway!
There are 12 gates into the Temple Mount area. Currently, 11 are sealed or only open for Muslims. This gate is the only one that Jews or tourists can enter the Temple Mount area.
Entering into the Temple Mount area---
Approaching the Dome of the Rock--a Muslim House of worship
Places to wash before entering into different areas of the grounds
Another area for washings
The temple mount area is divided into areas..
Interesting details everywhere....
Dome of the Rock--one of the oldest Islamic structures in the world although it has been redone a number of times.
After the first day and the 4 1/2 miles, Elder Rona began using a scooter. Wise move---back in July and August, he had spent several days in the ICU with heart issues and was very ill. He was determined to lead our tour but we didn't think he would be able to. It was a great blessing to be with him and feel of his spirit and knowledge.
The Gate Beautiful to the east--the word in Hebrew has two different meanings--"come" or "return". The Jews believed that the Messiah will enter through this gate when He comes....but we know it will be a part of his return.
A rotunda on the grounds
Views out of the Gate Beautiful
The doors......
A small structure on the grounds whose purposes are unclear. It is possible that it is near the spot where the holy of holies was located in Solomon's Temple....
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| Shar, Landi, Megan and Jena |
To be on the Temple mount, your legs and arms had to be covered. If not, they provided a shirt to cover your legs and sometimes a scarf. See below. More concern about women having their arms covered rather than the men.
That is why we all had long sleeves even though it was going to be a hot day--in the 90s by afternoon.
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| Sister Jones with a quiet moment on the Temple Mount |
As we left the Temple Mount and walked down steps into some garden areas, we paused to touch some bedrock stones thought to have been here for 1000s of years.
Walking off the mount and through the gardens, we passed more security guards and policemen than we had seen in most places we had visited. This spot is highly contested between the different factions here and security is to ensure the rules are followed and peace is maintained.
More places for washing
Heading through the gardens--Jena and Sister Jones are GREAT friends and the trip only made their bond closer.
The interesting little sights all around---
On the road to the museum
The map....
and then the large scale model of the Old Jerusalem...
Valerie and Jena taking a break while we learn a bit more about the city
On the road again to Bethlehem---Bethlehem is in the West bank and because of that, access is controlled. As part of a tour with a licensed guide, it was no problem to cross over, but an Israeli student who was shadowing Elder Rona for the day was dropped off to go home before we entered into the West Bank because she was not yet licensed and would have been at risk being in Bethlehem. One of the only touches of the tensions that still exist in this part of the world.
I love signs in other places--
It was said that Bethlehem is at the top of every Christians tourist's list when they come to Israel, but after they go there, it drops to near the bottom. I agree. There is nothing about the Bethlehem site which was uplifting or informative except for one thing ---which I will get to later.
The people in the West bank town of Bethlehem do know how to get money from the tourists.
This made us laugh out the bus window...
This is the Church of the Nativity. It is owned by three different Christian Churches and they often have not gotten along. Time in the main areas of the Church is tightly controlled and used by these Churches.
This spot was built up in the 3rd or 4th century and was commissioned by Constantine the Great after his mother had made a trip to the Holy Lands. This was considered the traditional location of the cave or ghetto where Jesus was born.
This is a photo of my sister at the actual "cave". Jena and I did not walk down into this area because of the steepness and darkness of the stairway.
We ended up spending some time in this basement room where Jerome, a Catholic monk, translated much of the Old Testament and the New Testament from Hebrew into Latin.
I don't know why, but talking about him and the work of translating was a sweet moment during this day of sightseeing. I was grateful to this ancient person who was faithful in his devotion to God and to the scriptures.
Then back on the bus and through the security checkpoints that line the border between the west bank and Israel.
So I have been to Bethlehem!
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