Israel, Day 6 -Saturday, February 11, 2012

Israel, Day 6 -Saturday, February 11, 2012

On the bus at 8 to go to the Mount of Olives to start our tour. First stop was the Ascension Chapel originally built by Constantine's mother, Helena, in the 4th century.  Next was Pater Noster where Jesus is said to have taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer.  The prayer is beautifully presented in hundreds of languages in the courtyard and there is a grotto in the  place where Jesus is said to have taught.

We then began the Palm Sunday route - from the Mount of Olives to the Old City.  First stop was the necropolis.  The three monotheistic religions all believe in resurrection, so all three have cemeteries outside the city gates.  In the words of our tour guide, it will be quite the traffic jam!  There are more than 900,000 buried  in the Jewish cemetery, including Menachem Begin.

Next stop was Dominus Flevit Chapel where Jesus stopped to weep over Jerusalem.  Just a little further down the mountain is the Garden of Gethsemane.  There is a beautiful chapel in the garden and some of the olive trees are more than 2,000 years old.

At the bottom of the mountain at the beginning of the Kidron Valley is the Tomb of Mary, a beautiful Greek Orthodox chapel. Also in the valley are the Pillar of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah.

We then proceeded down the valley to Gahanna, the field where Judas killed himself following his betrayal.  The Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the paralytic who could not get into the waters, is literally just around the corner from Gahanna.  One of the other names for Gahanna is the Field of Blood. It is called that because the Temple of Mordech, the god of the Canaanites is just up the hill.  As Abram began to move into the land, the Canaanites were already there.  The physical location helps explain one of the more troubling Biblical stories.  The Temple of Mordech  is literally across the street from Mt Moriah where Abram was ready to sacrifice Issac.  Sacrifice of the first born was part of the ritual of Mordech.  Maybe this is a story to teach the difference between YHWH and the next door god!

We then went to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, only about a 15 minute drive on sahbbot Saturday from Jerusalem.  After lunch and some time to shop we toured Shepherd's Field and the Church of the Nativity, home to Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Roman Catholic congregations.  The turf wars here are unbelievable!

Back to the hotel for dinner, catch up on photos and blogs.

Tomorrow is worship with a Protestant congregation here in Jerusalem then time at the Church of the Holy Sepluchre and then time at the  Western Wall.

Kevin Phipps,  Sent from my iPad