The Temple

We began our day at the Temple mount with a tour of the rabbinic tunnels that run along the western wall underneath the surface of the current street.  The tunnels are actually the first century streets that have been excavated.  Our guide, David, did an excellent job showing us around and we started with this model of how the Temple looked during Jesus' time.  Since then, it has been destroyed by the Romans and built on top of by the Muslims.

A view of the original wall underneath the current street level as seen in the tunnel.  The huge stones used for the foundation weighed 570 tons!!

We went into the prayer area in front of the western wall often known as the wailing wall.  As in Jewish worship, the women and men are separated.  There were Bar Mitzvahs happening on the men's side so we did what all the other women were doing, stood on chairs to see the action.  We took turns.  Caitlin and I went first. 

This is what was happening on the other side.

Here you see some women praying and a whole group dressed up for and watching a Bar Mitzvah.

Women praying.

The wall when we first arrived before the crowds.

This is a picture of the men's side that I took from the walkway into the gate.

Currently, built on the Temple mount are the Al-Aqsa mosque and a shrine, The Dome of the Rock, built on the site of Solomon's temple.  This is the mosque.  Non-Muslims are allowed into the temple mount for a couple of hours each morning.

The Dome of the Rock.

This is a family entering the wailing wall area for a Bar Mitzvah singing and playing music.

Views from outside the mount.

Piles of stones that fell during destruction.

This group of 57 has 12 women.  We have thoroughly enjoyed waiting for the men to stand in line after we are all finished.  Truly a once in a lifetime experience!

We went to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel.  It has been excavated under homes on the edge of the Kidron Valley. 

Looking across the Kidron Valley at East Jerusalem.

Our guide, Ronen, and driver Meir prepared and served our lunch picnic style many days.  It was always delicious but today we had a special treat.  Gigantic bagels that we tore and dipped in hummus, goat cheese with hissop, yogurt with date honey, olive oil, and nutella.  Sababa! That means groovy in Hebrew.

At the Israeli Musem, there is a very large model of the town of Jerusalem as it would have been about 67 AD.  Looking at this gives you a great perspective of how the massive size of the Temple.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited in the Shrine of the Book housed in this cool building.

Tomorrow is our last day.  We will head to Bethlehem and the old city of Jerusalem.