Israel - Day 6

Holy Land Tour Day 6: Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Antonia Fortress, Wailing Wall/Western Wall, & the Holocaust Museum. First day of rainy, cold weather, but it was still another amazing day.

Getting ready to walk up to the Temple Mount...

As we walked up to the Temple Mount, we passed the Wailing Wall. It was very early in the morning, so there were hardly any people there. It’s divided men and women, and there were some people praying.

On the Temple Mount, there are several rules, including not putting arms around one another. It’s considered a very holy place.  So, we took a picture of us on the Temple Mount...just side by side.

The Temple Mount was built on top of Mount Moriah (Gen. 22), then the first temple was built & destroyed, then the second temple built and later enlarged by Herod the Great. Now, the Temple area is under control by Muslims and the Temple is replaced with the Muslim Shrine known as the Dome of the Rock.

Helen & me with the Dome of the Rock behind us.

The Muslims would come cleanse their hands and head before going into the mosque to pray.

The Dome of the Rock (Golden Dome)

After leaving the Temple Mount, we headed down the streets right beside the Temple walls. At the corner of the Temple Mount is Antonia Fortress. 

There is nothing left of the fortress, but Antonia Fortress is the site where Jesus was condemned to the cross. We went about 30 feet below street level to see the road believed to be the one Jesus walked carrying the cross.

This is that actual road...

To be standing on the road where Jesus walked carrying the cross...very moving. Ronnie read from Matthew 27 as we all spent a little time reflecting on what Jesus did for us at that time...carrying the cross for us.

Then, we headed back up to the streets again, walking around Jerusalem. So much to see...

We saw and heard a man playing the shofar during the bar mitzvah that we saw as we were walking around.  Very cool to see.

We circled back to the Wailing Wall...it is behind us.

 The wailing wall.

Close up of all the notes tucked into the wall...believing that these prayers go straight up to God. So many walks of life are at this wall praying...

We continued walking past, and this was by the wall.

This is the remains of Jerusalem’s main street when second temple was built. The damage to the streets were probably caused by Romans throwing large stones over the top of the wall down below.

This is what they found on the main street...These large stones on it.

This is also the Western Wall...considered more “sacred” because Holy of Holies of second Temple faced that wall.  We were able to go underground and even see where they thought it was...so cool.

The corner of the the Western Wall

Then, we headed below to a tunnel to visit the original portion of the Western Wall. We walked through what is in white box pictured above. (That picture is of the walls that surrounded the second temple.)

This is the part of the Western Wall. Each stone was about 400-600 tons. They were huge!! 

This is the place (in the tunnel along the Western Wall) believed to the be the closest to the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

The other side of the tunnel viewing the Holy of Holies.

This is part of the tunnel that led us to an aqueduct.  Tight tunnel, but interesting...

Afterwards, we walked the streets of Jerusalem. So many little shops and people everywhere. We did find this Carolina Panthers shirt...how fun. Afterwards, we headed to the Holocaust Museum. It was sobering, interesting, sad, and so much to take in...but no pictures were allowed. It was another full day, another wonderful day in Israel.