Temple Mount: Went on Temple Mount/Mount Moriah, to the Dome of the
Rock. This place is one of the most debated religious controversies in the
world. It is considered the holiest place in Judaism. It is believed that Mount
Moriah is where Adam was made. It is also where Isaac was placed to be
sacrificed. The Muslims believe the Dome of the Rock was built in the place
where Mohammad ascended to the 7th level heaven. They think Jesus only ascended
to the 6th level, other prophets to 3rd-4th, believers to 1st level! This site
is not an easy site to get in. Women have to be very covered up to get through
security. Although I was already wearing a skirt that falls below my knees, I
added a scarf to cover all my legs just in case. Although I have a top that covered my elbows, I wore a jacket that covers my wrists just in case! Clothes
cannot be too tight either, as the female figure has to be covered too! So if
one’s too fat and the pants are too tight, that person won’t pass the test
either! During my visit to Jerusalem in 2015, we couldn’t get in because there
was unrest in the area. This time, we also saw a bit of drama. A group of
Orthodox Jews pushed their way through security and began protesting outside
the Temple Mount and got escorted away the armed officers. These Orthodox Jews
wanted to tear down the Dome of the Rock and build their third temple there!
360o camera: Outside Temple Mount
360o camera: Around Temple Mount
The Herodian Quarter: Where the houses of the priest who served in the
Second Temple were discovered.
The City of David:
We walked in the wet section of Hezekiah’s/Siloam Tunnel, which is very
dark and approximately half a kilometre and brings water from the Gihon Spring
into the City of David. We viewed Melchizedek's altar before going into the waters. The deepest part of the water tunnel reached my upper
thighs! I bought a torch to wear on my head and didn’t use my mobile phone
torch because I was apprehensive about my mobile phone dropping into the water.
When we came out, we saw the Pool of Siloam, which was discovered by our tour
guide Eli’s archaeological excavation! There were many noisy school girls
walking in the tunnel too, and when they came out they jumped into the Pool of
Siloam, which was actually quite smelly! The Pool of Siloam was where the blind
man got healed by Jesus (John 9:1-11).
I saw more shofars in the souvenir shop in the City of David, and blew
them. They are really expensive, around $250 US dollars! But apparently they
are all top quality ones, according to Eli, because this important tourist site
has keep a good reputation. The souvenir shop also sells replicas of the
“Golden Bell” which was discovered by Eli in his excavations.
Jerusalem Water Channel: Another archaeological discovery by Eli. This is the central drainage channel of Second Temple Jerusalem. We entered from the City of David and came out at the south-western corner of the Herodian Temple Mount. There are lots of papers that fell from the Wailing Wall into the channel. We looked at Robinson’s Arch, which has the ancient remains of three shops at the corner because many people pass here. On the wall, the smaller upper stones were built in Roman times. We also went to the Hulda Gates.
In the evening, Randall Price gave a talk about Rebuilding the Temple:
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