The City of David

On Tuesday, May 20 each of the 6 groups on the tour went on a separate itinerary around and about the Old City. Because most of the sites could not effectively hold the 300 of us, 50 at a time was doable.

Our “orange bus” started our day on the Temple Mount. Before entering, we had to proceed through a very stringent check point. We were not permitted to take in our Bibles or to have any blatant Christian symbols visible. Once we all made it through, we gathered for a historical lecture from Amos (our favorite guide!) about the Temple structure which initially stood on Mount Moriah. Now, the site is occupied by the Dome of the Rock, which is a Muslim Holy Site. This building is visible from almost everywhere in Jerusalem because of its gold plated dome. This structure was built in AD 691. An interesting note is that when the crusaders first came to Jerusalem in 1099, they mistook the Dome of the Rock for Solomon’s Temple and used the pattern for other churches all over Europe.

The temple mount area was filled with vendors who strenuously attempted to sell their wares. At some points, our guide was interrupted by their sales pitches.

Some interesting points about the original temple was that there was a cistern which held water to wash the blood away from the sacrifice area and that would keep the flies away. Amos noted that the priests were actually trained butchers, and that is what they did all day.

Also in the temple area is an underground mosque which seats 5,000 people.

It was sort of peculiar being on the temple grounds with only Muslim structures present. It felt sad for me and probably for others to see the place that we have studied and that we know was the house of the living God in comparison to the area as it stands today.

When the afternoon got really hot, we enjoyed going inside the cooler Archaelogical Museum which is built over the remains of a wealthy Jewish household (such as a priest). The structure and design of the home(s) were very clear and many artifacts were also presented. There was original tile work still vibrant and beautiful. In the museum, was a wooden beam which was charred, and fell to the ground when Jerusalem was burned in AD 70.

On our way to our afternoon teaching, we viewed the Jewish faithful at the Western (or Wailing Wall) saying their prayers. There was one person who chose to chant and have their prayers over a loud speaker for everyone to hear. When I asked our guide why he was doing that, our guide said, “I want to know that too”. The Western Wall was not actually a part of the temple but it is the location remaining which was closest to the Holy of Holies.

In the afternoon the larger group of 300 gathered on the southern steps of the temple area. These southern steps were designed to be uneven so that people making their way to the temple would be forced to slow down and approach the temple with reverence. Here, Kay Arthur taught from Matthew 24:1-30, where Jesus wept because the Jewish people did not know the day of their visitation. From the place where we were sitting, we could clearly see the Palm Sunday road where Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey according to prophecy.

This day included a “street lunch” where we enjoyed a “walking sandwich” of falafel along with a cold drink.

In general the streets of Jerusalem are very uneven and can make walking difficult especially when you’re trying to keep your head up and take in all the sites!