Fri April 26 photos

Left hotel lobby in taxi for Israel Museum. Good move, going straight there to meet group.






























Saw Herod the Great exhibit, excellent.

























 Sculpture Garden, serenity. Openness. 

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. All OT books but 2, inked 100 BC to 100 AD. Black monolith over the info, white scroll top over the scrolls.

 'The people living in darkness have seen a great light!'






Then Second Temple of Jerusalem model.

See Southern Steps of Temple Mount Mike and I sat on yesterday.









See Kidron Valley to right of Jerusalem, across which is Mt of Olives.












See inside Temple, Holy of Holies, courtyards.

Drive to Bethlehem. Enter Palestinian-Occupied Israel (according to our guide. He doesn't call it Palestine.)  Security. 

Olive groves. 

Lunch. The black hole of baklava. Felt tense in restaurant. Souvenir shop across street had bullet proof doors. Two layers of doors. Scary. 

Church of the Nativity, from 325 AD, then the Crusaders rebuilt it in 1000's. Holy site is half Greek Orthodox, half Roman Catholic (Church of St Catherine.) Bethlehem is holy for 4 reasons - Jesus's birth, David's birth, Ruth  and Boaz here, Rachel died here (Jacob's wife, birthed Benjamin.)

Church has short door, Crusaders didn't want horsemen invading. 

Steps down to Rock of the Nativity.

I'm kneeling next to it.  Had to bribe guards to get to front of the line, or sneak wrong way down exit.

Mosaics are from 325 AD Church, covered over by Crusaders' Church built in 1000's.

Roman Catholic Side, active church. Church of St. Catherine. Televised Christmas Eve.
















Grotto in which Jesus was born, basement or dug out cave of someone's home. Peaceful.

Great bronze piece in church.
















 14 ancestors from Abraham to Jesus on base of tree.












 In middle, Samuel wanting to anoint new King of Israel, asks Jesse about his sons. It's not one of these 7 Samuel says, so where is another? HE's a shepherd. 











He's the one, says prophet Samuel.












 Top left, angel is saying Jesus fulfills the prophecies. Middle top, door surrounded by the 10 commandments.

Jerusalem Cross, the herald of the Crusaders as it represented the 5 countries that came on Crusades. Now, 5 nails in Jesus, 4 gospels + Jesus, 4 compass directions + Jerusalem in the center.

Note sheep in highway exit grass, with bedouin shepherd sitting on road guard rail in shade of billboard.