DAY 13 – SATURDAY, JANUARY 25: ISRAEL MUSEUM, SCHINDLER’S GRAVE, A FEW FREE HOURS, GARDEN TOMB
Today was our last day of this trip. The sun was bright today, but the temps remained unseasonably cold. Highs were only in the mid 40s.
Israel Museum
We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day today. Following a late breakfast we left the hotel at 9 a.m. and headed directly to the Israel Museum. We read from Psalm 48 on the way. At the museum we saw three things: a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem the way it looked in 70 AD, the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed, and the archaeological wing of the museum where we saw the highlights of the artifacts found throughout Israel.
Oscar Schindler’s Grave
Shortly before noon, we drove from the museum to a Catholic cemetery where Oscar Schindler is buried. He was responsible for saving 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. He was one of many 1,000s of righteous Gentiles who rescued Jews from sure death. He himself died in 1972.
“I enjoyed this last day here in this city. Concluding our trip at the Garden Tomb with a Communion service was special and will be memorable I’m sure. Jerusalem will always have a special place in my heart.” -Tour Member-
Old City/Free Time
For about 3 hours we enjoyed some free time in the Old City. Some grabbed a bite to eat, while others walked up the high tower of the Lutheran Redeemer Church. The view from here was amazing! About everyone enjoyed some exploring and shopping on their own too.
Garden Tomb
In the mid afternoon we walked through the Muslim Quarter and out the Damascus Gate to the Garden Tomb. Located on the north side of the Old City, this is an alternative location for the crucifixion and burial site of Jesus. We really enjoyed the New Zealander who took us around the site, showing us the possible place of Golgotha and the tomb itself. Following this, we enjoyed a brief time of worship and Communion. We celebrated the empty tomb and the promise of eternal life we find in Christ.
We returned back to the hotel for a farewell dinner. The majority of the group then prepared their luggage and got a few hours of sleep in anticipation of the 1:30 a.m. departure for the airport and for our early morning flight home tomorrow.
DAY 14 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 26: BEN GURION AIRPORT, DEPARTURE FOR HOME
We anticipate arriving back in the U.S. after our two different flights home via either London or Rome.
