Thursday, May 1, 2008 - The Dome of the Rock

Today I decided to go to the Dome of the Rock or the Temple Mount. This is the mosque that I've always seen in pictures of Israel and it was sort of surreal to actually be on the Temple Mount, the place the Jews say "The Holy of Holies" continues to reside, and the place that the Muslims continue to run.
It's still very strange to understand how the Arabs continue to control this place, especially if you study the wars that Israel have had and still they gave it up to the Muslims, and you can really feel the difference when you walk from the Western Wall, which is right next to this Dome and when you enter this area. There's a coldness to it. But the history of this mosque is absolutely fascinating. Check out this website for info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock



It is the oldest Islamic building in the world, dating back to 691 AD. I wish I could have gone inside of it, but it was closed to tourists.
I almost didn't get into the area at all. There was a huge line of tourists when I arrived and they stop allowing entries at 2:30 and when I reached the security area it was 2:25 and the guard said "no more", there was a couple in front of me and that's it, but after some begging he let us in, we were the last ones. Also it's only open to the public on Mondays and Thursdays, but I made it. As I walked around, it was hard to take it all in, the history, the Muslim feel, the knowledge that this was also sacred for me as a Christian, and for the Jews, and to see the Arab kids playing soccer, and the Arab families huddled in certain areas having picnics, and to just feel the awkward vibe of it all, was hard to take in. It didn't feel spiritual, it felt tense, and that has everything to do with the Arab people. They are pushy, a bit hostile and of course suspicious of tourists. And before you know it, after taking these pics, they were rushing the tourists out saying "Time is up, time to go!" I just wanted to sit there for a while, and ponder the history of the place, but I couldn't. It was frustrating!



I also thought about the Third Temple that will be built in this area and wondered when that will occur, and to think of the events that will lead up to that, and I felt peace, knowing that God has orchestrated every little detail of what has happened and will happen in this area. It has always been God's temple and continues to be today.

Tuesday April 29, 2008 - Tower of David Museum

Okay, I've got some catching up to do. . . . my last entry was last Saturday, Shabbat, which by the way I must say that I've been doing quite a bit of studying about the Sabbath and I believe I've come to the decision that I've been taught to believe that Sunday is the Sabbath day, but it's not and never has been, the Jews have it right, it's always been from Friday dusk to Saturday dusk, and according to God's fourth commandment, "Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy" has always been for the seventh day of the week, not the first day, which is Sunday. I won't ramble about it but check out this website and tell me what you think http://www.sabbathtruth.com/sabbath_purpose.asp I'm convinced!



So on Sunday I went to Christ Church and had lunch with some English folks, who are staying at the Guest House at the church, two of them work for Teen Challenge and another couple work for a ministry called the Ebenezer Emergency Fund out of the UK which assists the elderly return to their homeland here in Israel. http://www.ebenezer-ef.org/UK/eef.htm A very friendly group, so I ended up going with them to another church that night, which I had been hearing about called the King of Kings Church http://www.kkcj.org/about/ It was really good, very American style, great worship band, and a sermon about tithing (ha!), really, that was the sermon, but it was still good. I enjoyed it!
Monday was spent relaxing and studying about Israel, Judaism, Islam and reading the Word, just an awesome day with the Lord, whom I feel guiding me so much on this trip. He's showing me many things!





So on Tuesday I walked to the Old City and decided to spend the afternoon at the Tower of David Museum which is right at the Jaffa Gate. As you walk through the archaeological ruins, it's layed out really well documenting the historical periods of Jerusalem's past, including these remains that I'm standing on of the 2nd Temple Period quarry, behind me is the Phasael Tower, or observation point, with the flags on it.










I met Phyllis at the museum, a very nice lady from San Francisco, who essentially came here to Israel as what she calls "a last hurrah!" She said that two years ago she was very sick with a neurological problem and she didn't think she was going to make it, and still doesn't know if she will, but she decided to come to Israel. She educated me on some really great places outside of Jerusalem to visit, she's been to a lot of them, and so we sat and had some coffee and apple pie. She was very sweet!













This is another picture of inside the Citadel's courtyard, looking onto the observation tower. Keep in mind that none of these ruins are from the period of Kind David, they are partial remnants from the 2nd Temple that was destroyed by the Romans, the arch and the tower are remnants from that period. The 1st Temple was completely destroyed by Nebuchannezer, nothing was left of it.





And as you walk around the citadel, the museum has really great exhibits with artwork, remnants and information walls explaining the different eras of the Old City, and all of the tribes that occupied the areas throughout the years. It's amazing how many times Jerusalem has been seized and taken over. This picture is called "To the Pilgrim" highlighting the era when the Crusaders invaded Jerusalem and took over.


FYI, go to this website and check out some information on the Old City, it's pretty fascinating. . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_City_%28Jerusalem%29