Last Day In Jerusalem

Friday was our last day in Israel. We had a few items to take care of at church to get ready for Friday night service. We made sure light switch covers were back on. Carpets, lights and instruments were set up in the great room for church. Once the property was ready for worship, we had the rest of the day to shop and tour before the evening service at 6 PM and our evening drive to the airport at 7 PM to catch our 11:30 flight to Philadelphia.

Here is a cross at the Christian cemetery where Schindler is buried just outside the south wall of the Old City. This cross looks out at the valleys and hills that lead to Bethlehem about 15 miles away. 

Many of our group members enjoyed the tunnel tour taking us under the modern day streets and architecture into the archaeological dig that gets us down to the level where Jesus truly walked in Jerusalem. Our guide used a helpful set of models to explain the topology and location of the structures across the past several thousand years.

The largest stone is from the construction of the Temple Mount some 45 feet long orchestrated by Herod. This is far underground at this point in time.

More foundation stone under what can be seen today above ground level of the Western Wall.

The archaeologists have excavated down to the actual ramp used in Jesus time to enter the Temple that stood on this Mount in His time. This is the actual stones Jesus would have walked on as he traveled in and out of the temple.

More spelunking down under the Western Wall.

One last trip to the Nazarene property "The Center" in the Christian quarter in the Old City (through Blue Door #16.

Tim in the center of The Center with the sign to prove it.

Walking through the Armenian Quarter.

Oscar Schindler's grave. God bless the memory of this man who proved one person can make a difference even in the midst of terrible atrocities.

The valley of Blood just outside the south wall of the Old City. In the far center of the picture are the hills of Bethlehem. It is called the Valley by Jews. It is called The Valley of Blood because Judas hanged himself here after betraying Jesus.

The light rail runs just outside the walls of the Old City and up and down the busy street behind the Nazarene Church compound. Missionaries and our group were warned not to ride the rail due to recent attacks by Muslims driving cars onto the tracks to crash into trains recently.

Here are date palms just outside the Old City walls, just blocks from our hotel and the church.

Here is the Capital Hotel. This was home for the past two weeks.

We were walking against the flow as lots of foot traffic flowed out the Damascus Gate Friday afternoon. Muslims were heading home after prayer at the Temple Mount. And Jews were getting ready to close up shop for the day to get home before Sabbath began at sundown.

Friday traffic on the narrow streets of the Old City.

The Western Wall just hours before Sabbath started at sundown Friday.

Archaeological ruins outside the southern wall, most likely part of the original City of David built just south of the Temple Mount.

Walking on the southern wall built by the Ottoman Empire.

Four questionable characters walking on the southern wall.

Two of the children at Friday night services at Jerusalem Nazarene Church.

Music service Friday night in the newly face lifted lower level of the Nazarene church.

Steve sharing about the documentary project he is working on with the help of Paulette (taping the presentation from the back). His documentary is about a girls school for the blind in Jerusalem. If you want to learn more about his project you can go to Not By Sight .

We left the church at 7 PM Friday evening and made the 45 minute trek to the airport at Tel Aviv in very light traffic due to Sabbath commencing about that same time. We had plenty of time to spare to make our 11;30 flight to Philadelphia. Checking in and boarding were uneventful. 

We had a relatively smooth 13 hour flight to Philadelphia. We arrived in Philadelphia about 6 AM Eastern to find that our 6 hour layover would be a 7 hour, then closer to 8 hour layover since our plane to Columbus was delayed in getting to Phily. So as I publish this post, we are awaiting our 2 ish PM flight from Philadelphia to Columbus.

I will add more pictures and more detail once we get home and have a chance to get over the jet lag and adjust to the time change. God has been good and we have had experiencing at work and out and about the country of Israel that will change our lives and our understanding of the Bible forever. If you haven't been to Israel, make it a point to go. I just got back to the US and I already can't wait for another opportunity to go back. We all agree this trip will change forever the way we look at and think about what we read in the Bible. I am excited to go home and start reading through the New Testament "again for the first time" having been there, worked there, and walked and sailed where Jesus did.

Stay tuned for more pictures in a few days. But until then...SHALOM!