Church of St. Anne: Where Mary (Miriam) was born/ her family lived. The church has a great sound echo system.
Pool of Bethesda: 2 Samuel 5: When David conquered the Jebusites, they
kicked out the blind and lame, whereas Jesus accepts the blind and lame. Pool
of Bethesda: lame man healed (John 5:2-9). Pool of Salem Siloam: blind man healed (John 9). There were tokens made
by clay given to people healed by the pool, which symbolises that they are
“pure to God” before going inside the temple. A token was found by our tour guide Eli. There
is a cistern in the Pool of Bethesda, but it was very smelly.
St Anne singing 360o:
Via Dolorosa: A street within the Old City of Jerusalem, believed to be
the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion.
Holy Sepulchre: Roman emperor Hadrian hated Christians. He took the
name of the ancient enemies of Israel, the Philistines, and Latinized it to
Palestine, and renamed Israel “Palestine”. He changed the name of Jerusalem to
Aelia Capitalina, after himself (Aelius Hadrianus) and the god Jupiter
Capitolinus. Debate about the tomb of Jesus: Constantine's mother, Helena, is
believed to have rediscovered the tomb when she found three crosses under the
temple of Venus built by Roman emperor Hadrian. The Catholics and Greek
Orthodox believe this is the site of Jesus’ tomb. For 1000 years, the pope and Greek
Orthodox father haven’t shook hands. They recently shook hands in Jerusalem
because church of the Holy Sepulchre is going to be renovated.
Mount of Olives: There are many olive trees. On the observatory deck, the
East Gate and the Dome of the Rock are in view. The Jewish Cemetery on the
Mount of Olives is in view too. The Jews believe that when the Messiah come,
the people in these graves will get raised earlier.
Palm Sunday Road: We walked along this road down the Mount of Olives.
Dominus Flevit Church: Jesus, while riding toward the city of
Jerusalem, becomes overwhelmed by the beauty of the Second Temple and
predicting its future destruction, and the diaspora of the Jewish people, weeps
openly (Luke 19:37-42). Outside the church were tombs from Jesus’ time. During
the excavation, they found caves with lots of small boxes. In Jesus’ time, they
put the body in tomb, wait 11 months, flesh gone and collect bones into box.
Jesus was only placed in the tomb but never buried because he rose and
disappeared from the tomb on the 3rd day.
Garden of Gethsemane: The place where Jesus was arrested. On the night
of his arrest, Jesus was praying to the point where “his sweat was as it were
great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Church of All Nations: A Roman Catholic church next to the Garden of
Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have
prayed before his arrest. (Mark 14:32-42). Was lucky to buy a $15 (US) Menorah
outside the church. Normally they cost $50. A tourist was trying to bargain and
wanted to get the price down to $5, and refused to buy it when they offered
$15, so my mom got it for $15. The vender even gave us an extra little magnet with
a picture of the Church of All Nations on it! The Menorah is a symbol of the
Jewish people before the Star of David. Just like how for the Christians, the earlier
symbol (Apostolic churches) was a fish, not a crucifix.
Wailing Wall: The Western Wailing Wall plays a significant role for the
Jews because this closest place to the Holy of the Holies of the Temple which
they can access (they are not allowed up the Temple Mount). People stuff small
pieces of papers with their prayers written on it into the gaps between the
wall bricks.
As more delegates arrived, the dining area became a competitive place,
with people scavenging for food and seats. I noticed that my skin had turned
very dark from the excessive sun exposure, just after three short days.
Nice !
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