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While in Jerusalem we stayed at the hostel of Christ Church near the Jaffa Gate in the Christian Quarter of the Old city. Christ Church is a ministry of CMJ. It is the oldest protestant church in the Middle East.
Our time of sight seeing was guided by a graduate of Bethlehem Bible College.
Places we visited included:
- Temple Mount with The Al Aqsa mosque, and the Dome of the Rock
- The Western Wall,
- Hezekiah's Tunnel,
- The old City of David,
- The Pool of Siloam
- The Yad Vashem (Holocaust) Museum.
We couldn’t have asked for a better first day. The wonderful architecture and artistry of the Temple Mount set a sense of amazement that lasted all day.
From the Temple mount we went to the Western (wailing) Wall. The proximity of these two holiest of sites – one is really part of the other – reminded us of the complexity of the relationships between the people of this city.
Hezekiah’s Tunnel is mentioned in the Bible (2 King 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:2-4 and 32:30) and we actually walked through it – knee deep in water – from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam.
The Holocaust museum is a well laid out journey through the horror story. As you would expect, it twists your emotions between compassion and outrage but there’s a final twist, a section of encouragement dedicated to people who risked their own lives to save the lives of others.
In the evening we ate at the YMCA Three Arches Hotel – an impressive building designed by the architect of the Empire State Building.
We also spent a time in prayer and shared in Holy Communion with local Believers.
Although we felt no danger here in Jerusalem we were made keenly aware of the danger some people are in when heard that a Christian, kidnapped earlier in Gaza. was murdered because he refused to renounce his faith.
click here to see our Day 1 Photos |
