ISREAL TRIP MONDAY

MONDAY
BETHLEHEM, THE HASS PROMENADE, The GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, THE HOUSE OF CAIAPHAS, THE ZION GATE, THE CARDO, THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
Bethlehem was too dangerous to enter at the present time, but we were taken to the Shepherds fields above Bethlehem. This is where the angels appeared to the shepherds in the nativity story. This is where the lambs would have been born and bred for the Passover sacrifice. It is a steep rocky place with scrubland and olive trees. The day is getting hotter. Chris is expounding the scriptures to us. Chris is telling us that after the birth of a child, the family would normally have gathered to celebrate the birth. In the case of Jesus, Mary and Joseph were way from their families, but God provided the wise men to come and celebrate His birth, bringing Gold which was costly, Frankincense, for Holiness, and Myrrh which was a healing balm.
Jesus was born here!
We went next to the Hass Promenade. This is a viewing point on a hillside, with stunning views of the Old City of Jerusalem, Mount Zion, and the Kidron Valley.
Back to Jerusalem and we find ourselves in the Garden of Gethsemane right opposite the Golden Gate in the City Walls. The walls shine with Goldenness due to the special Jerusalem limestone from its own quarries. It is quite stunning to see. We are having a private viewing of the garden in a part which is not open to the public. It is so special. This is the place that Jesus hung out with His Dad. He would have sat in this very place to connect with the Father in quiet prayer. It is the most beautiful and sacred spot. Everything is so much closer together and compact than I imagined. The Mount of Olives ascends from the Garden of Gethsemane and everything is so close to the city walls. Some of the Olive Trees here are more than 2000 years old. I wish they could talk. These trees are still thriving and bearing olives. There trunks are immensely thick. Christ’s agonies and decisions for our sake were made here. The Golden Gate is so very close. It’s so warm here, now about 10 a.m... Julie and I prayed in the garden. It was good to be able to thank God for making the decision to die for me, here in the garden.
A group photo was taken of us all outside the Golden Gate.
We went next to the House of Caiaphas, the high priest whose house Jesus was taken to when first arrested. Jesus was taken here first during His trial. It is said that he would have been flogged here as well as in front of Pilate. We were shown holes in the tops of doorways from which ropes would have been hung to hold prisoners as they were flogged. Also a pit in which Jesus could have been imprisoned for some of the time, as is indicated in Psalm 88:6
“You have put me in the lowest pit. In the darkest depths”
We all stood in the pit whilst Chris read the Psalm to us.
There were lots of ruins around the House of Caiaphas and we saw the actual wall where Peter would have warmed himself by the fire and denied that he knew Jesus.
We then went a short walk from the House of Caiaphas into the Old City through the Zion Gate, on the South side of the city. This was under Jordanian occupation until 1967 after the six day war. The Gate was a site of contention at that time and hence is full of bullet holes. It was then taken by the Israeli’s and they took occupation of that part of the city. They have since made many repairs and renovations to the inside of the old city, so that it is lovely to walk through now. There are all nationalities there now and immense peace as we walked through the narrow streets of the Old City- not at all like it is portrayed in the news.
We saw parts of the Old Cardo which had been excavated. The Cardo was a wide North to South Main Street which was typical of Roman Cities. It would be lined with pillars and columns and have shops and market stalls on each side and would be the hub of city life. We saw some of the restored columns of the Jerusalem Cardo. Thirty foot down from where we walked were illuminated archaeology sites. They showed some excavations of city walls going right back to way before Christ. We were being told so many things it was hard to take it all in.
We were also quite close to the site of Mount Zion, David’s city which is outside of the city walls, and close to the house of the Last Supper, but we were not taken to these places.
Phew, stopped for lunch about 2:30 in some lovely shady back streets in the Old City
Next stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was built in the 4th century and the alleged site of Golgotha- Christ’s Crucifixion and burial. It was covered with all sorts of buildings, belonging to Catholics, Armenians, Orthodox, and a Franciscan Monastery.
It was very stuffy and religious although there were some beautifully painted ceilings etc. It was heaving with people from all over the globe. There was a long stone where it was supposed that Christ had been wrapped in cloths and anointed with spices, and people were touching and kissing the stone and spreading out family photos on it etc.
We have seen so much in a day.
A quick relaxing swim in the lovely glass covered hotel pool, and then a great buffet with the group.