Day 8 – Saturday, September 17: Jerusalem, Mt. of Olives, Old City, Holy Sepulcher Church, Herodium, Bethlehem
Today was our first full day in Jerusalem. We enjoyed the cooler start to the day. With the bright cloudless skies the temps were comfortable in the 80s by afternoon. We spent the afternoon south of Jerusalem at Herodium and Bethlehem.
Mt. of Olives
Our first full panoramic view of the Old City and the Temple Mount came from the top of the Mt. of Olives. We read from Ezekiel 44 (about the Eastern Gate) before we walked down the slope to Dominus Flavet. This was a chapel built to remember Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. Here we remembered Jesus’ Palm Sunday event (Luke 19). He will again come as king (Zechariah 14). Further down the slope we gathered in a small olive orchard where we read from Mark 14. The Garden of Gethsemane could have been anywhere on this western slope.
Old City
We walked uphill to St. Stephen’s Gate (also called Lion’s and Jericho Gate). We then walked along the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount to see the Eastern Gate. We then returned and entered the Old City to the Pools of Bethesda. We first enjoyed singing in St. Anne’s, a Crusader Church. The church has an eight-second echo, making us sound angelic! By the Pools, we read from John 5. From here we walked to the Holy Sepulcher Church, the most-likely location (from an archaeological perspective) for Christ’s death and resurrection. We spent some time in the church before enjoying lunch in the Christian Quarter.
Herodium
Walking out the Jaffa Gate, we boarded the bus and drove southeast to Herodium. Herod the Great built this as a palace-fortress. He was buried here in 4 BC. We saw the grand Reception Room above the small theater built here. Following an excellent video presentation, some walked up the Royal Arch steps to the top of the site. We could see the Mt. Of Olives and the outskirts of Bethlehem from the top. We then descended down through the cistern system as we left the site.
“Today was our first full day in Jerusalem. We saw a lot of this ancient city. Walking through the Old City was crowded but a unique experience. Everything was amazing to see, especially as it relates to the life and ministry of Jesus!”
Shepherds’ Fields/Bethlehem
Driving to Beit Sahour (an eastern suburb of Bethlehem), we visited the Shepherds’ Fields. We descended into a small cave, much like used by shepherds in Jesus’ day. Here we read from Luke 2 and recalled the connections with Micah 4 and 5 about the birth of Jesus. The shepherds were the first ones who witnessed thee Lamb of God, the Passover Lamb born humbly in Bethlehem. We sang carols in the cave and in the small chapel. Before we ended the day, we also stopped at an olive wood factory and store.
We drove back to our hotel in Jerusalem. We stopped for a brief overlook of the Old City from the south before arriving at the hotel for dinner.
Day 9 – Sunday, September 18: Nebi Samuel, the Shephelah: Gezer, Beth Shemesh, Socoh, Lachish
