Day 9 – Friday, August 12: Hike in the Wadi Qelt to the St. George Monastery & Jericho, Drive through Mea Shearim, Ketef Hinnom Tomb, Old City, Holy Sepulcher Church, Free afternoon/evening
Today was a mix of a hike in the “Judean Desert” in the morning, and walking through the “Old City” of Jerusalem in the afternoon. It was our second-to-last day here in Israel. The day was again predictably sunny (for August), with highs around 90 about 11 a.m. in Jericho, and the high 80s in Jerusalem this afternoon.
Wadi Qelt, St George Monastery, NT Jericho
We left this lovely small hotel at 7:30 and drove around the northern end of Jerusalem to the Judean Desert. Our first stop was to an overlook of the Wadi Qelt. Here we heard the words of Isaiah 40 echo through the canyon walls, and Psalm 23 sung. We then drove to the St. George Monastery further east. We all hiked a steep trail down to this chapel built right into the cliff. The trail then took us eastward towards New Testament Jericho. Throughout the morning drive and hike, we considered some of the biblical connections with this unique region of the Bible (Jeremiah 13, 2 Samuel 15, Psalm 23, 61, 63, and Luke 10 and 19). David spent time here in the desert writing some of his psalms. The trail ended at Herod’s winter palace.
Drive through Mea Shearim – Jerusalem
On the way back to the hotel we drove through some of the Ultra-Orthodox parts of Jerusalem. The community of Mea Shearim provided us a unique perspective of how very religious Jews live. Because it was Friday about noon, the streets were packed with people preparing for the Shabbat at sunset.
“I cannot believe today was our second last day here in Israel. From the hike in the Judean Desert to exploring the Old City of Jerusalem, there Bible continues to come alive in ways I can’t describe. It was another wonderful day!”
Ketef Hinnom Tomb
Located below the steps of the St. Andrew’s Scottish Presbyterian Church re a series of Iron Age II tombs called the Ketef Hinnom Tombs. In one over 1,000 personal items of deceased Jerusalemites were found and 263 intact vessels. Most importantly, a silver amulet was also found, bearing the name of “God” from Numbers 6. Some in the group postponed themselves on the tomb benches where the dead bodies would have been placed. The tomb dates to the 7th-6th centuries BC.
Old City
We drove to Jaffa Gate where we entered the Old City. We first visited the Holy Sepulcher Church, the most likely location for Jesus’ crucifixion and burial site. We saw the area of the rocky scarp where the cross would have been, and the Edicule that encloses the suggested tomb of Christ.
The rest of the day was free. Some climbed the steps of the Redeemer Lutheran Church tower, while others explored the city on their own. We returned to the hotel for a good night’s rest!
Day 10 – Saturday, August 13: Garden Tomb, Israel Museum, Old City, Rampart Walk
