Israel - part 5

We headed in to Jerusalem bright and early in the morning.  We went to "Temple Square" as Daniel Rona refers to it.  He has "connections" and we were able to get in without waiting in a huge line.

 

The Western (Wailing) Wall of the temple.  The Jews feel they don't have the Priesthood authority to actually go on to the temple mount, so they do their worshipping and praying just outside of the western wall that was there 2000 years ago.  There is a women's section and men's section.  We just glanced at it that day but will spend more time here another day.

The Arabs have possession of the actual temple mount where the temple stood in the Savior's day.  Men and women are not allowed to touch each other here.

 

 This baptismal font seems to be missing the twelve oxen.

The Dome of the Rock is the 3rd holiest site to Muslims.  They believe this is where Abraham was going to sacrifice Ishmael.  But it is really the spot where he tried to sacrifice Isaac.

They have a sun, moon and stars on the sides.

 

 

 

 

 This small pavilion is the site of the Holy of Holies of the temple, for Solomon's Temple and the Temple during the Savior's time.  The Muslims wanted to build the Dome of the Rock right there, but couldn't because it is solid bedrock underneath.

 

 

 

The Lion's gate entrance to Jerusalem

 

 

This is a map of what Jerusalem looked like during the Savior's time. 

 

 

 

 A model of what the temple looked like.  The Holy of Holies is in the tall structure in the center.

 

 The Old City is filled with shops.

 

 

These ramps along the roadside were used by chariots.

 

 

 

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the oldest Christian traditional site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.  But because we no know the actual location of the city wall during the time of Jesus we know this isn't the place it really occurred.

 

 

 

 

 

These are called "loop holes" and are part of the wall in Jerusalem that was built during the time of the Crusades. 

 

 

This is what the loopholes look like from the outside

 

 

 Can you find us "hiding" in this painting?

 

 

An olive press.

 

I loved seeing the children in the Jewish quarter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love olive trees. 

 

 The pinnacle of the temple.

 

 

This fallen piece was actually the pinnacle of the temple in the Savior's time.

 

 

These stairs, carved into the stone, are the stairs that led to the temple in the time of Jesus.  Each stair is a different height and width, so you have to "concentrate" as you ascend to the temple entrance. 

 

 There was a special feeling as we were in the area where these ruins, at the front of the temple, are.

 

 

 

 This view from the temple excavation site looks out toward the valley of Gehenna (hell) where garbage used to burn.