Getting Back To It

Wow a lot has been going on the last few days. Yesterday, we took the easy way out by posting pictures. Note: We would really like the 5 or 6 of you following our blog (just to know we are alive) to respond with a comment or two to any of our posts (so we know you're alive).

Without futher ado...

When we last left off, we had just visited the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Calvary, and The Garden Tomb. The next day, Mike felt really bad, so we spent most of Sabbath sleeping in the Hostel.

Our last day in Jerusalem, we made up for all that lost time. Heading off at 7:30am, we were at the Western Wall at 8:00am. Mike wasn't shy at all, going up to the wall, touching it, and watching the people up close. Of coarse, since the wall is divided between men and women, Sara had somewhat of a different experiance on her side. Sara likes to point out that there were many more women praying at the wall than men. Since the women side of the exposed wall was so much smaller, she couldn't go up and touch her side. Truthfully, she felt unconfortable altogether on that side of the wall. Mike, on the otherhand, was watching young Hebrews bind themsevles in the Orthodox manner, men crying, and the Torah being read out loud. Don't worry, he got video for you when we get home (and embarrassing Sara in the process). Even cooler things were to come. We finally found the tour of the Western Wall that went under the Muslim quater of the Old City. Actually, most of the Wall is covered by the Muslim quarter.

The Tunnel

The Second Temple was built on the top of Mount Moriah, the second highest mountian in Jerusalem (or it prevously was before Herod flattented the top of the mountian and constructed a platform on which The Second Temple stood...an amazing feat in itself during the time). Every stone on the Wall surronding the Second Temple was hand chiseled by 10,000 men each day for between 2 and a half months to a year. Each massive stone was placed 2 cenimeters futher back than the stone below to create the optial illusion of being straight when viewed from the ground. More than just the Western Wall survived ancient times (not the orginal wall that Jesus viewed, but the one we view today rebuilt after the destruction of the temple). The Western Wall is considered the most Holy site by Jewish people because its the closest to where the Holy of Holies previously resided. Also, the Western Wall was the closest the Jewish people could get to the destroyed Second Temple for centuries.

The tour took us along the underground Western Wall past the closest point to the Holy of Holies. Sara and I were able to spend some somber moments at this spot. We even placed a hand written prayer in the Wall.



Hezekiah's Tunnel

Lot's of walking, very narrow tunnels, and little payoff and the end.



Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum)

The Holocaust Museum was very touching. It is named after Isaiah 56:5 "And to them will I give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name (Yad Vashem) that shall not be cut off." It's constructed in such a way that one has to systematically go through the entire timeline of the Holocaust. From the setting of the stage, to the rise of the Nazis, to WWII, to the Gettos, to the Liquidation of the Gettos, to the final soltion at the death camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka, to liberation of the camps. As a gentile, one of the most touching rooms was to celebrate those who hid or helped Jews avoid the camps during WWII. Antoher touching room was a memorial to the 1.5MM Jewish children killed during the Holocaust. Its a room of mirrors with candels in the center giving the appearance of numerous lights heading off into infinity. A striking view while an endless list of names and ages is read aloud.

After Yad Vashem, we rushed to catch our bus to Eilat. A four hour bus ride later, we arrived in Eilat.

To be continued...