Day 10 – Thursday, September 12: Yad Vashem, Israel Museum, Rampart Walk in the Old City, Pools of Bethesda, Holy Sepulcher Church, Rampart Walk (Theme: God is our rampart and strength)
This morning and early afternoon was a museum day. It was a nice change of pace. Yad Vashem certainly induced our emotions. We found ourselves in the Old City in the afternoon! It was once again perfectly sunny, with highs in the mid 80s. We read from Psalm 137 as we left the hotel at 7:35.
Yad Vashem
Our first stop in the morning required us to drive to West Jerusalem. Here we visited the Israel’s Holocaust Museum & Memorial. It is called Yad Vashem, named after a verse in Isaiah 56:5 that mentions the “memorial and a name.” John took Benjamin and Joseph to the Biblical Zoo during this time. We first heard the personal story from Shlomo about his family during this tragic event. He lost 12 family members in Vilna, Poland (pictured). We then walked through the Children’s Memorial and the museum itself. It was a somber experience recalling the horrors of the Holocaust and the loss of six million Jews.
Israel Museum
Just a short distance away (still in Western Jerusalem) is the Israel Museum. Here, we saw a 1:50 scale model of 2nd Temple Jerusalem. We retraced the ministry of Jesus in Jerusalem and in the Temple. Next, we visited the Shrine of the Book to see some of the Dead Sea texts. Lastly, we visited the archaeological museum and saw the highlights with biblical connections. The many artifacts again connected us with sites and with the Bible.
“The day started with a solemn visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum & Memorial. The day ended with a fun walk on the rampart walls of the Old City. It has been a great trip so far. We have one more day here in Jerusalem.”
St. Anne’s Church / Pools of Bethesda
We drove back to the Old City of Jerusalem this afternoon following our museum visit. We got dropped off at the Northeast corner of the Old City and walked into St. Stephen’s (Lion’s) Gate to St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda. First, we sounded like an angelic choir inside the Crusader church (7-8 second echo). Next, we visited the pools where Jesus healed the paralytic. We read from John 5.
Holy Sepulcher Church
Next, we all walked into the Christian Quarter of the Old City. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we enjoyed a visit to the Holy Sepulcher Church. Built in 325 AD, this is the traditional location for the death and burial place of Jesus. The archaeological and historical records favor this site over the Garden Tomb. We not only saw the Edicule that has enclosed the suggested tomb of Christ for now nearly 1600 years, but we even went inside this suggested tomb of Christ.
Rampart Wall Walk
Twelve in the group then walked to the Jaffa Gate where we got our tickets for the Rampart Wall Walk. We hopped on and walked on the high Ottoman/Turkish walls from the area of the Jaffa Gate (the location of Herod’s Palace) all the way to Zion’s Gate overlooking the Jewish Quarter. The walk provided a unique perceptive of the Old City below.
We met up with David outside the Zion’s Gate and he drove us back to the hotel for dinner and a free evening. Some enjoyed visiting the nearby old Train Station now used for cafe’s and shops and a visit to the King David Hotel.
Day 11 – Friday, September 13: City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Southern Wall Excavations, Western Wall, Jewish Quarter, Free Afternoon (Theme of the Day: Standing strong in God!)
