My Day in Jerusalem...

Israel was very different than I expected.  They've truly transformed this desert into the land of milk and honey.  Trees and farms dot the countryside.  It is a land of contrasts:  old ruins along side modern structures.  I enjoyed my day learning about the region and walking the streets of the Old City.  It was a busy and long day (Easter for most, Palm Sunday for the Orthodox Christians, and Passover for Jews), but one I truly enjoyed.



The view of Jerusalem and the Old City from the observation point on the hill at the Hebrew University.

You can see the wall that separates Palestinian land from that of the Jews (West Bank).  This view is from the Hebrew University.



A view of the walls of the Old City from the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Church of All Nations sits on the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane

The altar of the Church of All Nations.  The rock on which Christ was sitting (represented in the painting) is here.

Here are the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.



This is the room where the Last Supper was said to be celebrated.



The Last Supper was held in this area.  It is actually above the tomb that holds King David's remains.

Jews praying at King David's tomb.

The entry to King David's tomb is considered a synagogue so women and men have separate areas to worship.

The Cardo from Roman Times is still visible in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

Here's a mosaic of the ancient city of Jerusalem.  That's the Cardo with the columns in the center of the city.

All signs in Israel are written in three languages (top to bottom):  Hebrew, Arabic, English.



The Western or Wailing Wall is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place to which Jews turn during prayer.

The Western Wall has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries.  Note the dividing line between male and female side of the wall for prayer.

That's me at the overlook and the Wailing/Western Wall and Dome of the Rock (gold dome) in the background.

Here are folks prayer and leaving their worries behind at the Western Wall.

The streets are very narrow in the Old City of Jerusalem. They are filled with shops and restaurants. 



This is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is on the hill (Calvary or Golgotha) where Jesus was crucified.  It is also the place where Jesus is said to have been buried.

Pilgrims outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Easter Sunday.

To my surprise, I saw a Gamecock t-shirt for sale (note the Hebrew)!  I bet they had a Clemson one, too.

Note the Jerusalem Cross:  The symbolism of the five-fold cross is variously given as the Five Wounds of Christ, Christ and the four quarters of the world, Christ and the four evangelists.  It dates back to the Crusades.

Right outside the Old City is an area designated to modern art.  I loved this globe of the world outside the center.

Our group had lunch at a kibbutz.  This one also has a hotel/conference center/wedding business in addition to agriculture.

Our tour group made another trip up into the hills to see Jerusalem from other direction.  That's the Dome of the Rock (gold dome) and, acording to some Islamic scholars, the rock is the spot from which the Islamic prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel. Jerusalem is important for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.