Old City Day
We got an early start on our day of touring in the Old City. First, we went to the Wohl Archaeological Museum. While most museums are a collection of artifacts from different places, Wohl is a museum built upon and around the remains of three Second Temple Era mansions.
Our second stop was the Old Yishuv Court Museum, a museum that displays home life in the Old City through periods of Ottoman and British rule. Also there is the Ari Synagogue, where kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria was born and lived until the age of 20.
Our third stop (and, of course, there must be mystical meaning behind this) was at the model of the yet-to-be-constructed Third Temple. The Temple Institute is a local organization that would like to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount despite the fact that at that location are two of Islam's major shrines - the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Nonetheless, should there come a time when the Third Temple is built, The Temple Institute is ready to step in and ensure that sacrifices resume forthwith!
The Burnt House was our fourth stop of the day. It is another museum built on top of a discovery. Here, archaeologists discovered a Second Temple Era home with a plethora of artifacts remaining from the time of its destruction in 70 CE by the Romans. There's also a very interesting movie. We had the opportunity to listen to the movie in English through headphones while speakers all around us provided the audio of the movie in Spanish for a few dozen young tourists from Brazil (I know, but the movie probably wasn't available in Portuguese!)
After stop number four we went to Moriah, the most dangerous place in the Old City! It is almost adjacent to the Western Wall and anyone who goes into Moriah usually comes out with several bags of purchases. It's like Costco - you can't go in without spending $100. We spent nearly an hour there and did considerable damage purchasing things we just have to have to take back to California.
After we ate lunch on a bench overlooking the Wall and the glistening Dome of the Rock, we went to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Center. Adjacent to the Western and Southern Walls, and including the area around Robinson's Arch, this park and center is stunning. Completed in 2002, the Center uses computer technology in a great film showing the area as it was during Temple times. This was my favorite site of the day.
Our sixth and final stop for the day was Dormition Abbey, one of several locations said to be the final resting spot of Maryam bat Joachim (a.k.a. Jesus's mother), which we stumbled across while trying to visit the neighbors, the final resting spots of King David and Oskar Schindler (which were both closed for the day). Then, we headed home since the Old City was shutting down for Shabbat.
Here's my favorite photo of the day, the view of the Southern Wall from the wall of the Old City.
Shabbat Shalom!
Our second stop was the Old Yishuv Court Museum, a museum that displays home life in the Old City through periods of Ottoman and British rule. Also there is the Ari Synagogue, where kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria was born and lived until the age of 20.
Our third stop (and, of course, there must be mystical meaning behind this) was at the model of the yet-to-be-constructed Third Temple. The Temple Institute is a local organization that would like to build the Third Temple on the Temple Mount despite the fact that at that location are two of Islam's major shrines - the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Nonetheless, should there come a time when the Third Temple is built, The Temple Institute is ready to step in and ensure that sacrifices resume forthwith!
The Burnt House was our fourth stop of the day. It is another museum built on top of a discovery. Here, archaeologists discovered a Second Temple Era home with a plethora of artifacts remaining from the time of its destruction in 70 CE by the Romans. There's also a very interesting movie. We had the opportunity to listen to the movie in English through headphones while speakers all around us provided the audio of the movie in Spanish for a few dozen young tourists from Brazil (I know, but the movie probably wasn't available in Portuguese!)
After stop number four we went to Moriah, the most dangerous place in the Old City! It is almost adjacent to the Western Wall and anyone who goes into Moriah usually comes out with several bags of purchases. It's like Costco - you can't go in without spending $100. We spent nearly an hour there and did considerable damage purchasing things we just have to have to take back to California.
After we ate lunch on a bench overlooking the Wall and the glistening Dome of the Rock, we went to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Center. Adjacent to the Western and Southern Walls, and including the area around Robinson's Arch, this park and center is stunning. Completed in 2002, the Center uses computer technology in a great film showing the area as it was during Temple times. This was my favorite site of the day.
Our sixth and final stop for the day was Dormition Abbey, one of several locations said to be the final resting spot of Maryam bat Joachim (a.k.a. Jesus's mother), which we stumbled across while trying to visit the neighbors, the final resting spots of King David and Oskar Schindler (which were both closed for the day). Then, we headed home since the Old City was shutting down for Shabbat.
Here's my favorite photo of the day, the view of the Southern Wall from the wall of the Old City.
Shabbat Shalom!
Labels: Jerusalem
posted by Matt | 5:06 AM
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