Playing Catch-Up: Jerusalem

Jerusalem. I never thought I'd actually make it to Jerusalem. Every year for the last 14-15 years we've celebrated Passover as a family or as a church. And every year at the end of the Passover, we lift our glass and say together: "Next Year in New Jerusalem!"

I never thought I'd actually visit Old Jerusalem. The Jerusalem where Jesus walked. The Jerusalem the Romans took over. The Jerusalem that crucified Him. The Jerusalem that missed the Messiah. The Jerusalem that saw the miracle of Jesus dying for our sin. The Jerusalem that saw the miracle of Jesus vanquishing darkness and rising from the dead!

In the words of a dear friend of mine: "I WAS THERE!"

Yes, and I felt Him there.

You know, I just spent a month in Israel. A place known as the Holy Land. A place for pilgrims to visit. A place thousands and millions visit journey to in hopes of meeting a void in their hearts. A place where they look eagerly for a physical sign of Jesus, for a moving Spiritual event. They hope to meet Him there. But I discovered something. I don't have to visit Israel to feel Jesus. Or find Him. Or see Him.

I feel Jesus at home in everyday life.
I find Jesus at home in everyday life.
I see Jesus at home in everyday life.

I feel Jesus when He touches me and heals an imperfection.
I find Jesus when I meet someone who shows His Love.
I see Jesus when I look around me at the many blessings He gives me.

This is not to say it is vain to look for Jesus in Israel. But if you never make it to Israel, you can still feel Him, find Him, see Him.


~

In Jerusalem, I visited the Wailing Wall which is now known as the Western Wall. It is a small portion of a wall that surrounded the Second Temple, the Temple Herod built over the temple that Solomon built. It was destroyed by the Romans. Then others came in and gained control. The Turks filled in the Eastern (Golden Gate) because they heard that the Messiah was supposed to enter through that gate. Later as everyone knows, the Muslims gained control of the Temple mount and built a Mosque. So now the Jews only have access to the outer wall.

The Golden Gate

I visited the wall several times. Once, during the afternoon. Once early early on Shabbat morning. Once at midday. Each time I was there I noticed how quiet it was, and how reverent people were. When entering the area, you should have your head covered and arms covered. You approach the wall and spend time praying, or reading a scripture. As you leave, you back away for about 50 feet. Some people write prayers to leave in the wall. It is quiet except for the murmur of prayers. Prayers in all languages, prayers of fervor, prayers deep in the heart.

One of the golden moments I will always remember from this trip occurred when I visited early on Shabbat morning. There were only a few Orthodox Jews present. Real people who really live and worship. I and my companion were the only "tourists" and we were there reverently and for a purpose, just as the Orthodox were.
The sun was just beginning to send rays over the mountain. There were few out, so it was quiet. People were intent on praying. Suddenly, from the men's section (which is fenced off separately from the women) came a loud prayer and song in Hebrew. The voice was full of feeling. He was singing and praying for Messiah to come. For Messiah to save.
When the voice died away, the women at the wall praying with me were in tears. They wanted Messiah too.

I loved Jerusalem. The streets were busy, brisk with people buying and selling. So many smells and sounds and languages, and sights. I could imagine how it might have been when Jesus was walking those streets. We visited an archeological park where they've excavated down to the 1st century streets around the base of the temple. Surely, surely Jesus walked those stones.

Another Jerusalem memory was the 12 stations of the cross tour I took with the archeology team from Mexico. The leader was speaking Spanish, but if I could see her and hear her well when she spoke, I could catch the idea of what she was saying. And the team was very gracious to translate everything for me as well.
I walked the steps that Jesus walked the night he was betrayed. I visited the prison he might have been held in, I experienced the pain of the muscles in climbing the hills and walking the distance between the Mt. of Olives and Pontius Pilate's house. I think the most meaningful moment was standing in the prison, where historians think they threw Jesus and hearing the 88th Psalm read...

... I am overwhelmed with troubles 
   and my life draws near to death. 
 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; 
   I am like one without strength. 
 I am set apart with the dead, 
   like the slain who lie in the grave, 
whom you remember no more, 
   who are cut off from your care....

Another moment on the tour was in the Holy Sepulcher. There hidden away are two tombs carved from rock. It was there that Jesus was laid. There that Jesus was risen!

The womens section of the wall.

Prayers in many languages.

Prayers stuck in every crevice.

The wall must be bathed in prayer.

Another view of where the Temple stood.

Home Really Is Best

It's a little weird to sign into Blogger...in English. While I was in Israel, everything appeared in Hebrew. And from Right to Left. But I'm back in the States and now everything is back to English.

My flights arrived home safely. I had a bit of excitement in Tel Aviv as the security decided my pink suitcase was suspect and emptied it unceremoniously and took it off to some undisclosed place only to return it after about an hour to let me re-pack. Meanwhile they scanned all of my belongings (some several times) to be absolutely sure of...something. Since they only spoke to each other in Hebrew, I have no idea what made them suspicious. They questioned me a little.

Why are you here? (I don't know.)
Do you understand any languages besides English? (Does Pig Latin count?)
Did you learn Hebrew in school? (I can read it backwards and forwards! Ha!)
Is your suitcase used? (It's full of dirty clothes right now. Of course I used it!)


After all that for about an hour or more and being quickly expedited through security, I finally made it to the gate and on the plane. In Atlanta the drug dog sniffed me. Apparently there was something he liked because he jumped up on me and the guard had thoughts of keeping me. I turned my $4,000 smile on him, and he let me leave without any trouble....but I think the dog also liked my pink suitcase.

I think the pink suitcase will stay at home next time.

It's good to be home.

Now it's time to catch up all my journaling, blogging, and photo organizing as I sort out everything I learned and experienced on the trip. More blog posts coming as I debrief!

Lift Off

I'm sitting in Tel Aviv airport waiting for lift off. The last few days I've had no internet, so when I get home I'll upload all the photos from the Jerusalem weekend. Just to give you a brief view of my feelings on the subject:

It. Was. Awesome.

So many many places to see and experience where my Jesus walked. And died. And was buried. And ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

But more on that later.

Gotta catch a flight! I think it will be much faster than this:

It's Official This Time!

Today was the day that I finally found what I've been looking for since Oct. 5th. I found a coin! A complete coin. A wonderful coin.
I've been moved to a new square. N 990 E 902 for the curious. I was hacking a way cleaning around rocks so they can figure out if it's a floor or a wall. Cleaning around rocks is good, but a little boring because you can't go deep, just use a little trowel thing and brushes to make the rocks stand out against the rest of the dirt. Nothing glamorous there. I was really really really hoping to find a coin here. Please, just one coin! So there I was, thinking about how much I wanted a coin. They'd found 2 in the square next to mine, so the hope was pretty strong. And then, I struck pay dirt! I saw green and after a careful brush with the little paintbrush, there she lay. "Una moneda! Una moneda!" Everyone laughed and clapped. There's usually a little stir or celebration over each find, so it's fun! We had to measure with the surveying equipment, and then measure where it was within the square. Then I could pick it up. It has a hole in it, which they think means it's the end of a mint. They punch a hole in it to take it out of circulation. It's very small, so it's probably a Jewish coin. We registered it and they took photos for me and then it's back to digging. So fun!

Tiny little thing, isn't it?

This photo has a little perspective to it.

The head archeologist, Marsala takes a look.

This is how the place is looking now. So much has changed just while I've been here!

And another view. You can kinda see the floor just to the left of the checkered shirt guy.

Una moneda! Whoop!

A Find!

Today was rather full. This morning we went to the site and it felt so empty and quiet because all the Germans have left. I marked pottery this morning for a while. About mid morning before 2nd breakfast Rosaura and Fernanda and I were talking, and Fer was not feeling well. We decided she needed water, so she and Ros went to get some...and Fer fainted. We had to call the ambulance because she hit her head when she fell and hurt it somehow. So I cleaned up the pottery and went to dig for a while.

While digging I found some fragments of a coin! Since it was fragments, I kept it and didn't report it. I know it's a coin because it is blueish green from the metal oxidizing.

This afternoon we came in and because it had been 100.4 degrees F today we were tired and all took a nice long nap. Then we cleaned our room a little and took a walk. We stopped and got some fresh squeezed pomegranate juice..so nice.

No pictures today because blogger is doing some kind of update and won't upload. Maybe tomorrow!

Pen and Ink

Just a few photos from today. Rosaura and Fernanda and I marked pottery today because my square was getting photographed. Here are a few photos from that:

There are piles and piles and piles of pottery to mark. Before December!

And then they have to draw the pieces they marked. Amazing.

This was the big excitement today: A floor was discovered! The flooring style is definitely 1st century. Not sure what it is yet, but they'll be finding out soon!

Anton (I was telling you about him Mom) "May the guardian angels and good winds be with you!" is his greeting. :)

My square in it's present state. Maybe tomorrow I can dig deeper! And find a treasure!

This afternoon Lorna and I went to Capernaum and saw what they call Peter's house. I'm not positive that it is. This is actually a church they built on top of Peter's house in the 4th century. The foundations are from 1st century.

Mosaic from the church.

Capernaum where Jesus lived and walked, breathed and ate, healed and talked.

A HUGE synagogue. It's not the 1st century one, but the foundations are from the 1st century. So it's on top of the one that Jesus taught at.

This pillar is heart shaped because synagogues always use heart shape pillars for strength. It also indicates that there was a second floor to this synagogue!

After Capernaum, we went back to Tabgtha and sat in the cave. I read my Bible and gazed at the Sea as the sun began to go down. So lovely.

Lorna and I before we head back to the city.

Ye Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me

Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV)

Peter's Confession of Christ

 ¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  ¹⁴They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
 ¹⁵"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
 ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
 ¹⁷Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."


This weekend we visited Mt. Hermon, Tel Dan, and the area of Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi is where Jesus was speaking these words, and Mt. Hermon is thought to be where he was transfigured.

The interesting thing about the area is that there was a big temple area there that dates back to the Caananite time when the Israelites in Dan decided they were too far to worship in Jerusalem and set up their own places to worship. There were also other cult worshiping going on. This particular place was set up to worship the god Pan which has been changed to Banias with the change of language. Pan was worshiped by sacrificing animals, particularly goats. I believe there were also children sacrificed here as well. Anyway, the temple was built against a big mountain at the base of which there was a deep pool of water that was believed to be bottomless. They threw their sacrifices in there, and if there was no sign of blood, the sacrifice had been accepted. If there was, it had been rejected. Over the years as different civilizations took over, the Greeks and Romans also had temples there to different gods. The thing is, the pool is known as Hades. Makes it all the more meaningful that Jesus said while in the area that the Gates of Hades would not prevail. There was so much idol worship going on and worshiping false gods. There was darkness and death and fear because of the pool known as Hades.

 

 Hades. It's since been filled with rocks.

Mt. Hermon is also the tallest mountain in Israel. They have snow in winter, and it was definitely cooler up there when we climbed the mountain.

 

Approach to hades.

 

 Greek inscription on an old column.

 A Greek god stood where I am standing here. 

The workmanship of the architecture was beautiful.