A Shining City On A Hill

Rain had been predicted for today, but instead the sun smiled on our trip during the day. We started with breakfast at the hotel with Ron Dermer, an American-born and raised Israeli citizen who was Chief Strategist to the Netanyahu campaign, and will be working in the new government to improve Israel’s standing in the eyes of the world. As someone who knows American campaigns well, Ron offered extraordinary insight in the Israeli campaigns, providing us with a fascinating inside perspective on some of the challenges of political campaigns in Israel. The first two speakers of the trip have been amazing.

We then boarded the bus, which took us on the short and familiar route to the Jaffa Gate. There, we sat just outside the gate and enjoyed the sunshine as Ian gave us a brief yet in-depth history of Israel. We first cut into the Christian Quarter and into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built around Golgotha. We ascended the stairs to Golgotha (the rock visible through cutaways), seeing both the Catholic and the Orthodox Chapels – including the spot thought to be where Jesus was crucified. We then walked past the stone covering the stone on which He was laid and prepared for burial, and then the past what is believed to be His tomb. It’s amazing to be here after years of hearing and reading the story of His death and resurrection, and also to realize how close together everything is.

After that, we walked down David Street (yes, there’s a lot of stuff named after the guy, but to be fair, he’s the Israeli equivalent of George Washington, only slightly longer ago.) “Street” is used loosely – it’s a narrow passageway with small shops on either side, so as you are walking through the crowded areas, there is food, spices, souvenirs, and genuine tourist junk surrounding you. Reason enough to keep walking.). We ducked down an alleyway, up a flight of metal steps, and then came out on a roof with a view of most of the city - including the Dome of the Rock, El Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Redeemer, and the Western Wall.

Ian also pointed out the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethesmane, and some of the Moslem areas of the outlying city. All of Jerusalem was laid out around us.

(Note to travelers – if you go to Jerusalem, use a professional guide for part of the trip if at all possible. They will take you places and tell you history much more easily than any guidebook can. It’s also interesting how many signs are tri-lingual – in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Not all signs are in English though, so it’s not an easy city to get around.)

We then went down to the Wall again, but there was a totally different vibe than from the night before. First, there were many more people there – but our guides allowed us to skip past the security lines (sort of like FastPass at Disney, but yet somehow different too!). Secondly, there were a number of bar mitzah ceremonies going on at the Wall – so there was singing and chanting; the joyous noise of celebration. It was also not nearly as formal feeling as the night before – a wider range of people were at the Wall.

(Interestingly, Israel is a very open society, but men and women must go to separated parts of the Wall, so the bar mitzah celebrations would be held at the wall between the men’s part of the wall and women’s part of the wall so the women could watch, sing, chant, and throw candy – it’s likely they have other roles in the ceremony, but I’m not an expert, so don’t take that as an exhaustive listing.)

We then went next door – still along the wall – and entered what Ian called the most important archaeological site in Israel. We saw the ancient baths, similar to what Mary used prior to entering the temple, as well as the remains of the arch. We then went around to side and sat on the steps that Jesus and others walked up to enter the Temple. All the while, Ian offered us a combination history lesson, Biblical perspective, and insight into why Jerusalem is so important to Jews, Christians, and Moslems alike. He provides a perspective that is not judgemental, and weaves in both stories from the Old and New Testament to weave a tapestry about what we are seeing – both now and in Biblical times.

We exited the city via the Dung Gate (I suppose I need to track down the etymology of that particular name) and boarded the bus for lunch. Yes, all of that was done in just one morning.