Israel Trip - Day 4

This was an incredible day!

MOUNT OF OLIVES
We piled into our busses (5 of them!) and headed up the Mount of Olives for a quick overview of J

erusalem and a group photo (all 250 of us!). I was again struck with the proximity of everything in Jerusalem - Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Kidron Valley, the Temple, Pool of Bethesda, 

and so much more.

HERODIAN
This is an amazing architectural feat. I’m going to attach a file that is much better at explaining more about that. The thing that was so amazing to me was how close it is to Bethlehem. In that, it is totally understandable why Herod would 

be so threatened by a “new” king that is revealed in his neighborhood. It’s so incredible to stand on the location of the Herodian and look across the valley to Bethlehem and the outlying areas where the shepherds (David included) tended their sheep.
BETHLEHEMWe ate lunch at a surprising place today. There is a building in Bethlehem that - from the outside - appears to be clos

ed - not quite abandoned, but definitely closed. W

e pulled into the parking lot (all 5 busses) and were instructed to enter the “closed-looking” building. As we entered, I saw one of the most beautiful hotel foyers I have ever seen! And huge! They sat all 250 of us at long tables and had us fed in short time! We started off with pita bread and humus, and chopped tomatoes, onions, etc to eat with the bread. The main course was chicken and rice and salad.
A Palestinian Christian gave his testimony about how he came to Christ. He lived in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem on the 8th station (as seen below in the photo), but grew up a total atheist. He came to know Christ, studied in the USA at Wheaton College (I think, I’m not sure) and has returned to serve

 in Bethlehem as a believing Christian Palestinian. Now THAT challenges my faith, my political beliefs and more!


PALESTINIAN WALL
It seems surreal to see this wall here in

 Jerusalem after having lived in a former Communist country for so many years. It seems to me that the political leaders here could have

 learned from the mistakes of Communism. One one hand, I cannot understand this. On the other hand, when I consider the corrupt heart of man, it makes total sense - yet is still very sad.

JERUSALEM SCALE MODEL
These are photos of a 1/50th scale model of the city of Jerusalem as it existed in 66 A.D. What an unbelievable treat and work of art! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves!

South side view of Jerusalem


West side view

Close-up of the Inner Court & door to the Holy of Holies


DEAD SEA SCROLLS
We were running out of time, but I still had the brief opportunity to see portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls that are on display near the Jerusalem model. Amazing to see scraps of scrolls that were written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born!