Here's More!

There is a ton here, don't feel bad if you don't read all of it. We'll explain more when we get home, along with the pictures. But if you've got extra time, and you're still interested, here goes:

5/20/05

This morning started off early. The Moslems began their call to prayer at 4:00, and it got my mind going fast enough, that I had trouble sleeping after that. It’s a beautiful thing, really, a single male voice, acapella, singing in an Arabian sounding melody. Anyway, around 5:15, we got up, and decided to take a walk to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. We did fine, until we got to the Jewish Quarter, in fact we were close enough to hear the prayers, but we took a wrong turn and ended up rather deep in the Moslem quarter. A bit scary, actually, the Moslem Quarter feels a bit hostile, less clean and well, scary. I don’t know if I’m projecting these things, or if they are actual, but it feels different. Finally, and arab man led us to the Western Wall. We made it just as the sun crested over the Mount of Olives- beautiful. We read Solomon’s dedication of the Temple, an irony as we considered how his temple was destroyed as predicted in the passage.

After breakfast, we went to the Archeology Museum on the South end of the Temple Mount. We spent all morning learning about the exciting excavations of the Temple mount. A couple of videos, as well as detailed lectures from Dr. Varner, helped us understand important excavations such as the Mickvah’s for ceremonial baths, Robinson’s arch, the Herodian Street, the Trumpet Corner, and the main staircase to the Temple Mount (on the South Side). It was truly awesome to see the height from which the stones where hurled from the retaining wall on the west side of the temple Mount all the way to the street below (by the Romans in 70 AD). You can still see the charred marks on the base stones from the massive fire in the shops at the street level. Robinson’s arch is just the remains of a huge arch that probably supported a huge staircase on the southwestern end of the Temple Mount. The trumpet corner was a little nook from which a trumpeter could blow his horn on the Southwestern corner of the Mount, and could possibly be thee precipice (although, some think the corner of the Temple itself was the precipice from which the Devil tempted Christ to through himself down. The Southern steps were quite moving. Dr. Varner read about Mary and Joseph presenting Jesus to the priest, to Simeon and Anna, and we had a very moving devotional as we considered the prophetic words said over Jesus. The Southern entrances to the Mount are sealed, and we got some pictures of those.

Next, we had a tour of the Mohl Archeological Center, which is a museum of house excavations in the Jewish Quarter which date from the first century AD. Todd (our professor) pointed out the Michvahs, baths for ceremonial bathing in these houses. The rabbis taught that the Michvah had to have water from God (rain) in order to cleanse you. Since the baths needed to be large enough to immerse one’s entire body, they devised clever drainage systems to collect rain water. Since it rarely rains, the rabis said that as long as the bath contained some rain water that would count. Todd showed us pottery, andd stone water pots, and blown glass, all artifacts that help the archeologists date these excavations. The last room contained an excavation of a huge mansion, which may have been very similar to the High Priest Ciaphas house in the Gospel story. It had a large meeting room, a courtyard, and multiple rooms. This house even had a charred beam, evidence of the destruction by fire in AD 70.

Next, we went to the Burnt house exhibit. This was an interesting deal, where they have set up a movie you can watch inside this little theater. The interesting part is that the screen is actually situated over an excavated house. The movie is a reenactment of what it would have been like for a Jewish family to have gone through the time leading up to, as well as the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. It was great to help us understand several things: 1) how vital the Temple was to the Jews, the symbol of the nation, 2) how completely devastating was the destruction accomplished by the Romans, 3) how the Jewish Revolt would have divided the Jewish community, even father against son. The movie was based as closely as possible to the evidence found in the excavation. The family name, the trade (base on an excavated workshop), the violence (spear, amputated arm). Very good teaching tool to help us link the history to the excavations.

Lunch was probably the best meal we’ve had thus far. We ate at the Korner Kafe in the Jewish Quarter. A more upscale place, the food was awesome! We had salmon, rice, a salad with cucumber, and tomato, a corn salad, and fresh pita bread. The view was fantastic, on the second floor we had a clear view of the Temple Mount. Interestingly, since it was Friday, the Moslem holy day, we could actually see them praying (and prostrating) toward the South (toward Mecca) outside the Aqsa Mosque.

After Lunch we went out the Zion Gate to see the traditional holy sites of David’s tomb and the Upper room. Todd gave a fascinating lecture (I took notes in the Paper Journal). The main jist is that the tomb is not really David’s since that was most likely located in the City of David on the eastern hill. The upper room, however has a stronger tradition. Now, while we know that this existing upper room is late, Todd made a good case for seeing the upper room to be “in this same airspace” ie very close to this site. This would probably be the upper room Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples, as well as the room in which the early church waited the coming of the Holy Spirit. The lecture was excellent. We read the story of the foot washing as we sat on the floor in this upper room. Incidentally we did take a picture of a column (probably Byzantine), the head of which depicts baby birds feeding on the mother. This is a rare, symbol that dates early, a symbol used by the church to picture Christ’s sacrificial death.

Next, we went to the Hinnon valley and talked about that being a place where it was likely that they preformed child sacrifices. By Jesus’ day it is a metaphor for Hell. Incidentally, we saw a small fire break out in the valley as we talked about this. We all took pictures. ☺

After a brief review, we were free. Since the Sabbath stars Fri evening, most stuff closes early. A group of us (Dr. Wallace, Kari, Brian and Erika, Todd, Jerry, Diedra and I went across the street, past the King David Hotel to the most beautiful YMCA you’ve ever seen. It has a high tower, which we paid a small fee (five shekels/person) to go to the top. From the top, we got a great western view of the city.

Once back on the ground, we visited King Herods garden, where he supposedly made tombs for his family members. The cool thing, was that there was a rolling stone tomb there, which are more rare. We got some good pics before heading back for dinner. After dinner, we had map work to do (Homework!). Then we went to bed, exhausted, but we had an awesome day.