The City of David
We were able to visit a lookout over the City of David this morning. It was so neat to see houses all allong the hillside, stacked on top of each other. Seeing the city in person helped us to realize what it was like for David to look down from his palace and see Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop. Eli, our guide, challenged our thinking of this bible story. He told us that the only reason people would have bathed on their roof was for a ritual foot bath. Bathsheba would not have really been naked, bathing in a tub on her roof top because everyone would have been able to see her. This would have been extremely disrespectful for a married woman to have done this. Instead, she was most likely washing her feet before coming into her home when King David spotted her from his palace. While we looked over the breathtaking view, we heard a rooster crow 3 times in the distance....now how bizarre is that?!
The City of David
Canaanite Pool
Next, we walked down to the Canaanite Pool. This pool is located in a hollow cave. The waters were meant to be used for agriculutral purposes. It has recently been suggested that part of the Canaanite Canal was built back in the time of the first temple.
Eli told our group that we would walk down to the pool in the way that people used to during the time it was truly functioning. We had to walk through a steep construction site to get there. It was very neat to walk through this section.
What the walk down to the pool used to look like
The way Eli took us down from above ground toward the Canaanite Pool
Stone of Jacob
And as we were on our way out, Eli took us through a different section which was blocked by construction signage. It was an area that he had been working on himself in which they believe they have now found the stone of Jacob.
According to Genesis 28:10-22, Jacob was fleeing from his older twin brother Esau, whom he had tricked out of receiving their father Isaac's blessing of the first-born. On his flight, Jacob rested at a city called Luz and used a group of stones as a pillow. He took stones and put them as pillows and laid down to sleep. While he was sleeping, he had a dream of a ladder set up on the earth that reached to Heaven. He saw God and the angels ascending and descending on it. Then God told Jacob, I am the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac. He told Jacob that the land that he laid on would be his forever and it will bless his families.
After waking up, Jacob was amazed and he called the place Bethel, which translates to "House of God". He set up the stone he had slept on as a pillar, and consecrated it. He also made a vow to God in reference to his eventual return.
As we looked around at the place that Eli had taken us, we were able to see the stone pillar as well as the stones that he used to sacrifice a lamb and press olives for anointing the animal. This location has not yet been fully uncovered and many people have not yet seen it. But it was amazing and a gift from God for sure!
Stone that Jacob laid his head upon and then turned into a pillar for the Lord
Pegs to hold up a tripod for draining the blood from the sacrifice
Holes to tie up the lamb before the sacrifice
Place to drain the blood for the sacrifice
Olive press for annointing oil
Hezekiah’s tunnel
As we continued to walk through, we came upon the option to walk through the dry Canaanite Tunnel, or to take Hezekiah's Tunnel. Some of the group chose the dry option, and some of the group chose the water way. The tunnel leads from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam. According to the Bible, King Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for an impending siege by the Assyrians, by "blocking the source of the waters of the upper Gihon, and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David".
It was incredible to walk through the tunnel and know that two groups of men each dug from opposite ends and met in the middle. How scary that must have been! It was pitch black at times and all you could hear was groups of people singing songs that echoed through.
Pool of Siloam
When we reached the end of the tunnel, we met up with the rest of oru group and then walked over to the Pool of Siloam. This is where Jesus oerformed the miracle of healing the blind man (which our guide also uncovered). John 9: 1-11 tells the story of how Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the blind man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
Standing at the Pool of Siloam with Eli
Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
Our next stop was a visit to the Western Wall of Jerusalem - also known as the "Wailing Wall". On our way there, we were able to witness a bar mitzvah making their way down to the wall. It was a neat piece of culture to see! While at the wall, it is important to be quiet and very respectful. We wore head head coverings and took some quiet time of prayer. The men and women of the group split up but stayed together in groups. The men and women are not allowed to be near each other while at the wall. We witnessed lots of crying, wailing, and heard sadness. It is hard to understand that the peope who were there truly believe that if they cannot be past the wall, they will never be with Jesus. They are not close enough to Him because the wall blocks them from being up to the temple mount. They do not understand that Jesus lives in your heart and that he died for you and me. We are already as close as we can get to him until we pass or He returns. One of our group ladies, wrote a letter to Jesus in prayer for the people who visit the wall. She asked God to help them see the truth and know that He is with them all of the time.
As we walked through the center of Jerusalem, we took notie of the massive solid gold menorah displayed inside a transparent case in the Jewish Quarter. It is placed so that it overlooks the stairs that lead down to the Western Wall plaza and the Temple Mount. The menorah is made out of 45 kilograms of 24-karat pure gold and is valued at several million dollars. The Jewish people plan to place this menorah in the Temple Mount when they regain control over it.
Jersusalem Temple
One of the last stops of our day was to the Temple where Jesus spoke and told stories to people. We saw a section of ruins where Jesus may have turned over the money tables. And we also saw the place where satan tempted Jesus at the temple after he had been baptized with John the Baptist. It was so neat to sit on the very steps that Jesus may have sat. This temple is not rebuilt....so this is the actual space!
Gorgerous stone steps where Jesus spoke
Sitting in the presence of Jesus
Home of Caiaphas
We finised our evening with a stop at the home of Caiaphas. He is the man who called Jesus guilty for blasphemy on his way up from the garden of Gethsemane.
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