Day 9 – Wednesday, November 9: Judean Desert – Wadi Qelt Hike, Israel Museum, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem
Today we began in the Judean Desert and then returned to Jerusalem to visit two museums. While the rained hard during the night (and a few showers this afternoon), we enjoyed partly sunny skies most of the day, with nice high temps in the 60s. We read Psalm 137 (about how special Jerusalem was to those in exile in Babylon) as we left the hotel at 7:30 after breakfast.
Wadi Qelt/St. George Monastery
We drove around the northern end of there Old City and then east, descending down to the Judean Desert and the Wadi Qelt. Following a narrow desert road, we arrive at the St. George Monastery. Some viewed this monastery (that was built directly into the cliff) from above, while others hiked down to it at the bottom of the canyon. We then continued (out and back) on the trail that leads to Herod’s winter palace in Jericho. We then hiked back up the steep pathway to the bus.
Yad Vashem
We returned to Jerusalem in the mid morning. We drove through a few Ultra Orthodox communicates in making our way to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum and Memorial. It is named after Isaiah 56:5 (“To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name…”). We first entered the Valley of the Communities, marking all the towns and cities where Jews were killed throughout Europe. We then heard Shlomo’s testimony about how he lost 12 family members in Vilna, Poland. We also walked through the Children’s Memorial. 1.5 million children were killed. On our own, we walked through the Museum. It was a somber experience. We enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria here before we left.
“We really enjoyed the unique hike in the Wadi Qelt this morning. John the Baptist and Jesus spend time here. It’s a desolate but beautiful region of Israel. Returning to Jerusalem the Holocaust and Israel museums were fascinating to visit too. There is so much history in this land!”
Israel Museum
Also located in West Jerusalem is the Israel Museum. This was the last stop of the day. We saw three things here: A 1:50-scaled model of 2nd Temple Period Jerusalem, the Shrine of the Book (where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display), and the archaeological wing of the museum itself. In the museum we saw highlights of artifacts, such as the Dan Inscription, the incense shovels from Tel Dan, the silver amulet from a Hinnom tombs, the Arad Holy of Holies, the Pilate Inscription, Herod’s bathhouse and sarcophagus, and many more. We ended with seeing a 1,900 year old “pie plate.” ????
We returned to the hotel for dinner, followed by an optional walk on the Promenade on the south end of the city. We enjoyed a beautiful evening and view.
Day 10 – Thursday, November 10: City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Southern Wall Excavations, Western Wall, Free time, Garden Tomb
