Israel - part 6

Our hotel only had internet access in the lobby.  And we were only allowed to used it for one hour per day.  So at the end of every evening we would go hang out in the lobby for our allotted hour.

At the Western Wall of the temple there is this fountain where Jewish people wash before entering.  Since they have to wash with "living water" they fill the attached cups from the taps and pour the water over their hands.

 

 

Daniel Rona, our guide, tells about the tallith he is wearing.  So many of the things the Jewish people do are very close to things we as members of our church do as well.

 

The men have to cover their heads to approach the wall of the temple.

 

 

 

 

There were dozens of Bar Mitzvahs being held at the Wall.  This father and son were participating in one.  Once again, many similarities between our temple worship and theirs.

 

 

 

The women are on the other side of a partition.

It was a very emotional experience being there, where so many were praying.  I was very touched by it all.

 

 

We next went to an area of Jerusalem where an "upper room" during the Savior's time would have been.  Daniel took us through a Passover Seder and then explained the "Last Supper" or institution of the Sacrament by the Savior.

We then drove to the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Kidron Valley and the Temple Mount.

This gate (in the photo below) that is now sealed up is the "Gate Beautiful". Once a year on  Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, an unblemished, first-born goat, tied with a red ribbon, would be allowed to escape (this is where the term scapegoat comes from).  It was bearing the sins of the people and was a symbol of a Redeemer who would come to take away their sins.

This gate was also where a red calf would be led across the Kidron Valley and up to the Mount of Olives, high enough to be over the temple, yet, in line with the Gate Beautiful.  It was also in line with the north part of the altar.  It was sacrificed high up on the Mount of Olives.  This is where the Garden of Gethsemane is and where the Savior bled from every pore for our sins.  That suffering would have stained His clothes red.  This is a symbol also of when the Messiah will return again to the Mount of Olives dressed in red like it says in Isaiah.

Here is what the Garden of Gethsemane looks like today.  Very ancient olive trees are still here.
This was another very sacred place for me to visit and I felt the Spirit very strongly here.  I can't quite put into words what it was like to be in this place.

A thorn bush.

This was our group that day.  We had six more people than usual who joined us.  A couple from Sweden (who are going to be the new LDS temple Presidents in Sweden) and four people from Denmark.