ISRAEL TRIP TUESDAY

TUESDAY
POOL OF BETHSAIDA, CRUSADER CHURCH, THE LIONS GATE (ST STEPHENS GATE), THE ANTONIO FORTRESS, MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST, THE WESTERN WALL AND THE WESTERN WALL TUNNEL
Passed through a village in Jerusalem where he survivors of the Holocaust built houses.
Our Tour guide (B) is a secret Jewish believer. She knows everything there is to know about Jewish history. We passed some embassies and a Muslim Cemetery which the Jews have left intact in the midst of Jewish streets. Most of the archaeological levels in Jesus time were 40 feet below the ground levels we see today. Some of these places have levels which are accessible. Much has been excavated in the last 100 years and often using the Bible as a guide. So in some places we can walk along the actual ground that Jesus walked on. We learn that stones which have borders around them are stones used by Herod in his building projects.
We can see down(about 20 feet) into the original pool of Bethsaida, or the Sheep Pool, where Jesus healed a man who had been laid there for 38 years. A great number of sick people would have laid right here on these steps, although now there is no water!
It is warm There are butterflies, and red poppies are growing out of the ancient walls. Later we visit the church which is there and was especially reconstructed for singing acoustics, so we all try it out for ourselves. It’s not good for preaching because of the echo.
After this we go through the Lion’s Gate (St Stephens Gate) and to the Antonio Fortress. Excavations here revealed the actual Praetorium where Jesus was tried and flogged by Pontius Pilate. It is much smaller than depicted on films. The roof overhead is low, the place dimly lit. I took my worship flags to this visit. It was quite awesome to see the Roman stones. Though this is a busy place where tours followed each other quickly through, the place was suddenly cleared to allow a private time there. It was a sacred spot. A lady walks by in a sundress; she glances at the notice and hurries on. The significance is totally lost on her. There was a Roman game etched in the ground where the soldiers would cast lots for the clothing of the prisoners clothing. They did this to Jesus according to the Bible account. It’s quite awesome to sit here a while. I can hardly take it in.
Jesus stood before Pilate on this very spot. It is quite awesome. Isaiah would write hundred’s of years before Christ, of this time,
“By His punishment we have peace
By His wounds we are healed.”

We are soon outside again into the bright sunshine and stop for an early lunch at a Pizzeria. Chris and Lindy and B. know all the staff everywhere.
We then went on to the Museum of the Holocaust. It was very moving. The large building which commemorates the children is dark and full of lights which shine like stars. We sit a while and contemplate. It is cool in here and very warm outside. There were some very poignant things elsewhere- paintings done by prisoners to give to their children who had been left behind as their parents went to concentration camps.
We had an early evening meal at the Crowne Plaza and set off to the Western Wall, which was through a gated barrier.
It was explained to us by B. how Herod’s building programme had sliced off the top of what was originally Mount Moriah and what was equivalent to a huge platform had been placed on the top, like a tea tray upside down!. This required huge retaining walls around the edges. It was on top of this that the Temple had stood in Herod’s day. A portion of the Western wall is above ground, but most is below ground. Some of the stones of the retaining walls were about 40 feet long and 6 feet thick, and brought from Solomon’s Quarries, but no-one knows quite how! We now go underground. A small section of the underground revealed an 10 foot section of pathway which was present in the time of Christ. He would have walked along it to the cross. There were the original columns there and there is a section of pavement too and a stone banister to stop people slipping. I sense a presence of the Christ there- totally humble and a servant, walking resolutely the path of the cross for me. Someone starts to be ill here. They call for the nurses, but I am mesmerised to be standing on the pathway of Jesus. I want to take it in without interruption. We then come close to the place of the wall closest to where the original Holy of Holies would have stood. Devout Jews are here, nodding towards the wall and reciting their prayers. We saw underground water courses which would have fed the Temple Mount. There were huge underground rooms for water and courses cut into the rock. You really needed to be less than a size 20 to squeeze through some of these! Then we were outside once more to the Western Wall which was above ground. There is a huge marble piazza and we visit the Women’s section of the wall. As we began to walk towards the part of the wall which would have been closest to the Holy of Holies, I began to feel the most profound peace. It was hard to leave. The evening was warm and very pleasant. There was a beautiful atmosphere everywhere. Some of the children there were as devout as their parents, reciting the Torah and their prayers devoutly at the wall.
We got back about 10p.m. and Irene and Chrissie asked us back to their room for a chat.