The view from the Mount of Olives where Jesus came many times to instruct and weep over Jerusalem.
The cemetery on the hillside had many caskets below!
Also, on the above picture, to the left, at the edge of the tall wall are steps that Jesus would have walked on to head through Antonia Fortress. Standing out from the view on the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount was first the location of a temple built by King Solomon 3,000 years ago, but later destroyed by the Romans. It was replaced by this Muslim shrine (The Rock on the Mount) in the 8th Century AD.
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene from the view on the Mount of Olives.
The Golden Gate built in the 6th/7th centuries. In Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I sealed off the Golden Gate in 1541 to prevent the Messiah's entrance.
After walking down Mount of Olives Road to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested, we came to the Basilica of Agony.
This is the oldest olive tree in the garden (next to the kids).
Basilica of Agony built next to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Inside
Next we found the Bethesda pools where Jesus healed the cripple.
Then we began our walk up the Via Dolorosa. Here is the chart detailing our trek following the walk Jesus took to his crucifixion. It amazed me that at every stop (where he fell the first time, met his mother, fell the second time, etc.) there were chapels or altars built in remembrance of the event. I was not expecting this at all. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but not the shrines.
Station 4 below to show an example of the shrines built
As we walked the Via Dolorosa I realized I should be reflecting on what all of this meant to me, but it was rather challenging to think about because of the shops along the path between stations that distracted us.
This is station 5 where a Cyrenean helped Jesus carry the cross and supposedly Jesus' hand touched this spot where millions have touched since.
Following the stations of the cross we headed to the Antonia Fortress to the site of the crucifixion and burial in the Holy Sepulcher.
Our guide tucked away some flashlights in his backpack that he allowed the kids to use when they walked inside the tomb. It could have been the site Jesus was placed, but if not, it was similar and gave the kids an idea of what a tomb really is like.
Then we walked to the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wailing Wall Square.
We ended the day with a visit to Mt. Zion where the Room of the Last Supper is located.
The kids overlooking the city.
These were outside and I had never known what myrrh and frank incense looked like. In case you were wondering too...
Next we headed to the Israel Museum to see a beautiful model of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea Scrolls housed in the nearby building (sorry, no pictures allowed inside).
As the sun was setting on an exhausting, jam packed day, Jacob took us to an army museum so the kids could run around and climb on tanks. Our son loved this part of the day!
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene from the view on the Mount of Olives.
The Golden Gate built in the 6th/7th centuries. In Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem. Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I sealed off the Golden Gate in 1541 to prevent the Messiah's entrance.
After walking down Mount of Olives Road to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested, we came to the Basilica of Agony.
This is the oldest olive tree in the garden (next to the kids).
Basilica of Agony built next to the Garden of Gethsemane.
Inside
Next we found the Bethesda pools where Jesus healed the cripple.
Then we began our walk up the Via Dolorosa. Here is the chart detailing our trek following the walk Jesus took to his crucifixion. It amazed me that at every stop (where he fell the first time, met his mother, fell the second time, etc.) there were chapels or altars built in remembrance of the event. I was not expecting this at all. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but not the shrines.
As we walked the Via Dolorosa I realized I should be reflecting on what all of this meant to me, but it was rather challenging to think about because of the shops along the path between stations that distracted us.
This is station 5 where a Cyrenean helped Jesus carry the cross and supposedly Jesus' hand touched this spot where millions have touched since.
Following the stations of the cross we headed to the Antonia Fortress to the site of the crucifixion and burial in the Holy Sepulcher.
Our guide tucked away some flashlights in his backpack that he allowed the kids to use when they walked inside the tomb. It could have been the site Jesus was placed, but if not, it was similar and gave the kids an idea of what a tomb really is like.
Then we walked to the Jewish Quarter to the Western Wailing Wall Square.
We ended the day with a visit to Mt. Zion where the Room of the Last Supper is located.
The kids overlooking the city.
These were outside and I had never known what myrrh and frank incense looked like. In case you were wondering too...
Next we headed to the Israel Museum to see a beautiful model of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea Scrolls housed in the nearby building (sorry, no pictures allowed inside).
As the sun was setting on an exhausting, jam packed day, Jacob took us to an army museum so the kids could run around and climb on tanks. Our son loved this part of the day!
1 comment:
Wow Amber! I am learning so much from your pictures. So amazing! So interesting about the sealing off of the gate. What great experiences you guys are having!
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