Day 8 – Tuesday, November 8: Mt. of Olives, Old City, Pool of Bethesda, Holy Sepulcher Church, Shephelah: Gezer, Beth Shemesh, Socoh/Elah Valley, Bethlehem
Today was our first day in the Jerusalem area. We actually spent the entire morning in Jerusalem, first on the Mt. of Olives, and then walking through the Old City. In the afternoon we dropped down to the Lowlands of Judah (Shephelah) before ending back in the Hill Country at Bethlehem. Skies were overcast today, with a few showers in there morning. We enjoyed partly sunny skies in the afternoon. High temps were in the 60s.
Mt. of Olives
We left the hotel at 7:30 and drove around the north end of the Old City enroute to the Mt. of Olives. The view of the Old City and Temple Mount was stunning from here. Walking down to Domius Flavet, a small chapel, we read from Luke 19 and Zechariah 14 about the kingship of Jesus. On the Temple Mount today stands the Dome of the Rock. In the days of the Bible, the 1st and 2nd Temples stood there.
Garden of Gethsemane
Walking down the western slope of the Mt. of Olives we arrived at a private olive tree garden where we considered the passion of Jesus. The Garden of Gethsemane could have been located anywhere on this western slope of the hill. We read from Luke 22 where we heard, “Not my will but yours be done.”
Eastern Gate
From here we walked up to the Old City to get a close-up view of the Eastern Gate. According to some, this gate has been closed since 810 AD, and perhaps a few times during the Crusader Period. We read from Ezekiel 44 about how the Messiah will walk through the Easter Gate of the city.
Holy Sepulcher Church
Walking through the Lion’s Gate (or St. Stephen’s & Jericho Gate), we entered the Old City. We walked to the Holy Sepulcher Church, the probable location for the crucifixion and burial site of Jesus. The church was built in 325 AD, but rebuilt over the centuries since then. Entering the church we saw the Edicule that encloses the proposed tomb of Jesus. We ate a falafel or shawarma lunch in the Christian Quarter before walking out of the Old City through the Jaffa Gate.
Gezer/Aijalon Valley
We drove westward from Jerusalem to the Shephelah (lowlands). We passed by three proposed places for biblical Emmaus. Our first site of the afternoon was Tel Gezer. It is located in the Aijalon Valley. Dr. John excavated here in 2017. This was a Canaanite and Israelite/Judean city. We saw city walls and gates, including one built by Solomon (1 Kings 9). We descended the impressive water system. Leaving the site we saw the standing stones most likely from the Canaanite Period.
“Despite overcast skies, seeing Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives was special! Jesus knew this ancient city well. He was heralded as king when he rode on a colt. He will be seen as king when he returns the second time.”
Beth Shemesh/Sorek Valley
Further south is the Sorek Valley where the city of Beth Shemesh is located. We climbed the tel (ancient mound) to see the view of the valley. The stories of Samson (Judges 13-16) and the return of the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 6) unfolded before our very eyes!
Socoh/Elah Valley
Socoh was last next site of the day. Located along the Elah Valley, we climbed this unexcavated site to see where David and Goliath battled. David was armed only with five stones but he found his confidence in the Lord. We read the story from 1 Samuel 17. We could see the story happening right before our eyes!
We returned to the Hill Country of Judah to Bethlehem. Here we ended the day at Nissan Brothers, an olive wood shop and store. We returned to our hotel in Jerusalem for a late dinner and a free evening.
Day 9 – Wednesday, November 9: Judean Desert – Wadi Qelt Hike, Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem
