Israel Trip, Part 6

Due to having so many photos of our first day in Jerusalem, I am breaking them up into two posts.

Our first stop was the Temple Mount, right in the heart of the Old City.  We were told to make sure our shoulders and knees were covered in order to comply to the modesty standards of the Muslims who operate it.  However, about 6 of us were still pulled aside (despite complying perfectly well to these dress standards) in order to be even more covered.  They made us buy smelly, cheap scarves (which they charged us $5 for) to use around our necks or to supposedly cover legs that sported capris: 

 Um...yeah. Like that's doing a lot of good...

We may be smiling, as we were trying to get a laugh out of the situation, but it was actually quite irritating to be the victims of an obvious conspiracy to take our money.

Oh well.  When on Muslim territory, you do what they say...and pay the fees they charge, like it or not.

The most well known structure on the Temple Mount is the famous mosque: the Dome of the Rock.

While it was certainly an impressive building (as buildings go), what was even more amazing to Nathan and me was the vast size of the entire Temple Mount.  It was a huge, sprawling property - much bigger than we had envisioned it!  Seeing it and walking around it really puts things into perspective when one understands that back in Jesus' day, this Temple Mount was the center and heart of Jerusalem, with the temple itself being the focal point.  And to think that one day, the Dome of the Rock will be gone and the temple will be rebuilt right here is such an exciting thought!

 

Non-Muslims are not permitted to see inside the Dome of the Rock, so we just walked around the outside.

 

 

 

Multiple other structures fill the property as well.

 

Nathan gave a brief Bible lesson that morning on the significance of the location where we were standing from the days of Abraham to Jesus.

 The Mount of Olives as seen from the Temple Mount

 Me and my Mr. Handsome

 

Looking forward to the day when the King shall reign from this very location!

 Dozens of narrow alleyways like this one fill the Old City of Jerusalem, connecting the four quarters into which it is divided.  Here we are leaving the Muslim quarter and heading toward the Jewish one where the Wailing Wall is located.

The Wailing Wall

Since the Muslims now maintain control of the Temple Mount, this western wall of the mount and the tunnels under the city are as close to the former temple location that Jews can get.  Therefore, it is a very sacred and significant location to them.  They come here to pray, weep, quote the Torah, and celebrate Bar Mitzvahs.  You'll notice that the area for prayer is divided; men on the left, women on the right.

 

 

Some women praying.

 

A Bar Mitzvah taking place on the men's side (I was standing on a chair looking over the fence to get this picture, as were all the female relatives).

 

A Jewish father and his son studying the Scriptures.

 

 

A wash basin utilized by some of the Jews before entering the Wailing Wall area.

 

You can definitely tell we are now in the Jewish quarter!

 

Delicious smells wafted out over the plaza from this "Free Kitchen for the Needy."

To be continued...