I am drawn: Apr 25 photos Jerusalem, Mt Olives, Gethsemane, St Peter Gallicantu, Via Della Rosa, Temple Mt Walls

Leaving Hotel.

Mount of Olives, view back over Old City of Jerusalem.

The Gold Dome of the Dome of the Rock Shrine stands out. Your eye is drawn to the glittering glowing gold of the Dome set against the mandated beige Jerusalem Limestone structures.

What is it? A Muslim shrine built right on the site of the Second Temple, which is right at Mt. Moriah. It is also, according to the Muslim faith, the point where Muhammed ascended into heaven during his Night Journey.

Donkey, as Jesus stood here on Palm Sunday, asking his disciples to find a donkey for him to ride into Jerusalem, through the gate.

And a closer shot of the landscape of the Mt of Olives. Gethsemane was a garden, an olive grove on this small hill.

Let us picture Jesus there, the night after Last Supper, while he was in communion with God the Father, before his actual betrayal and trial. The disciples with him had fallen asleep, perhaps leaning against a solid, gnarled olive tree trunk. Jesus was a bit away, alone in prayer.

Gethsemane. The Garden of Gethsemane. The 80' square garden next to the church (the spot located as so many in Jerusalem by St Helena, in about 325 AD, and now maintained by a monastery or convent.) The Garden here is fenced off to lay people. Crowded. Some of the trees could be 2000 years old.

You see the photo of the Dome of the Rock, which stands where the Second Temple stood. You can see how close it is.

That's also the point of Abraham and Isaac and the sacrifice, where "God provided" and, according to our guide Adrian, Abraham separated himself as faithful to ONE God, and his God was not like the other gods of the culture in so many ways, most importantly, He didn't want human sacrifices.

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The Garden of Gethsemane.

Church of St Peter Gallicantu, over the spot or near the spot of the Last Supper, the Upper Room.

'the Lord will watch over your coming and going"

Fantastic mosaic over the altar, of Jesus looking out upon us, with compassion.

Below the church we see a grotto, carved out of stone, from Jesus' time, similar to what they would have stayed in, in Bethlehem.

And the steps of Jesus' time, leading down from the Upper Room spot, back thru the Kidron Valley, over to the Mount of Olives.. Jesus' walk after the Last Supper. You can see the Dome located inside the Jerusalem walls.

Drive, walk to Jerusalem Old City.

Enter the Old City at Lion's Gate.
Lion of Judah.

Via Della Rosa. 14 stations, all uphill.
Starts at Church of St Anne.

Narrow streets.

Streets get more crowded.
Vendors on both sides.

Note Google T-shirt.
This is the Muslim Quarter.

Church of Holy Sepulchre, with 5 Christian groups inside. Each has their own section of the church.

Rock under altar is the rock of Calvary, where Jesus was crucified.

Greek Orthodox section.

Walking to lunch.

Street as it would have been inside Walls of Jerusalem in Jesus' time.

Stones I'm on are from Jesus' time.

Lunch!

To David's Tomb. Mt Zion, right outside Zion Gate. Reverent site.

And then shrine representing spot of Last Supper, but it's wrong. It was designated in Crusades' time. Impossible. Now it's a Mosque, you can see the spot showing you the direction of prayer to Mecca.

Gate we walked through, shell-damaged from Jordanians.

Turned towards Temple Mount. Can see current Dome of the Rock.

Davidson's Archeological Park at base of Temple Mount.

Homes as they would have looked 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem.

Mike and I standing on steps of Ascent, the South Steps of the Temple Mount, which pilgrims would have used.

Some of these are the actual stone steps from Jesus' time. So Jesus would have used them too.

After the days and days of walking to Jerusalem, the last of them in desert, you come to this... high 'mountain' of earth, and on top, the walls of the Temple Mount, and above, three stories of grand building.

Wide uneven expanse of steps approaching.

You would be in awe.

There's a photo from the bus looking back at the expanse of the Southern wall.

Security to Western ( Wailing) Wall.

Men and women separate.

And a view of what buildings are facing the wall.

Then we went on the, fairly, new Tunnel tour of the tunnels exposed along the outside of the length of the Western Wall.

You see a model of the Temple Mount... first it was Mt. Moriah, of Isaac and Abraham event. Then the first Temple built by Solomon. It was knocked down, the Second Temple built by the Jews returning from captivity in Babylon in about 325 BC. Herod the Great (Roman, so about 0 AD) built the fortifying walls of the Second Temple Mount.

The Temple Mount was more than just the Temple. It was surrounding walls, open courtyard, big facade facing south, the steps below.

Adrian says the Jews are waiting for the Messiah to build the Third Temple.

Remember, right now the Temple Mount is pretty much standing, but the Second Temple was replaced by the Muslim Dome of the Rock.

So, here's a model of the Second Temple, then the Dome of the Rock.