Highlights from the First 3 Days in Jerusalem
Jerusalem has been incredible! I have not only walked and walked and walked and eaten the best food but I have learned so much.
On Day 1 we did quick tours of so many different places. One of the first places we toured was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was a magnificent church that was filled with such beautiful architecture. This place was filled with SO many people.
One of my favorite parts of day 1 was walking the Via Doloroso. I learned that this was the path that Jesus took on the way to His crucifixiton. It was such a powerful moment just taking that all in. Being in a place where so much history happened was unreal.
The last stop of day 1 was the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. This is believed to be the place where Peter denied Christ. The church was filled with the most colorful mosaics that portrayed different aspects of Christ's life and death. What was really neat about this church was that on the top of the church there's a cross that has a rooster on top of it. The rooster symbolizes when Peter denied
Christ.
Day 2 started with even more walking! We walked to The City of David where we were able to have an incredible view of the valley. Again, it was unreal standing where David stood. It was like stepping back in time. We were able to watch a 3-D movie that showed a timeline of The City of David that was incredibly helpful for me because it helped me put it more into perspective.
After we finished The City of David we walked to Hezekiah's Tunnels. This water tunnel was carved underneath the City of David During ancient times. King Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for an impending siege by the Assyrians, by "blocking the source of the waters, and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David. Walking through this tunnel was so fun. The water was cold at first but after a few minutes it felt amazing. The work the men put in to make this tunnel is astounding. Such a cool experience.
Our next stop of the day was the Wailing Wall. It was incredible. (I know I've used this word like 50 times already but it's the best way to describe it!) The men and women go separately to the wall. Before we got to the wall we were able to write down our own prayers that we could place in the wall. I learned that once you touch the wall, you never turn your back to it. As I got to the wall I noticed that I was surrounded by women who were all different ages and came from completely different backgrounds, and we were all experiencing this together. Goosebumps.
On Day 3 we actually got to ride the bus! Our first stop was Yad Vashem. This memorial contains the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. There was so much to take in and 2 hours was not enough time. The stories of survivors were moving. The paintings and aritfacts of men and women going through such a painful time were powerful. Every part of this museum was touching, but The Hall of Remembrance left me speechless. This room was filled top to bottom with names of all those who lost their lives because of the Holocoust. The view at the end of the museum was breathtaking.
After this museum we headed to the Rockefeller and Art Museum. I really enjoyed both. All of the pieces of art were amazing and interesting. And inside the Rockefeller I was able to go back in time and take a look at all of the artifacts found from the people of all different time periods. It was also pretty amazing that I was able to see The Dead Sea Scrolls. I was actually looking at these ancient writings of the Old Testament, just sitting right in front of me. How crazy is that?
Well our adventures are far from over, so until next time!
- Caroline
On Day 1 we did quick tours of so many different places. One of the first places we toured was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This was a magnificent church that was filled with such beautiful architecture. This place was filled with SO many people.
One of my favorite parts of day 1 was walking the Via Doloroso. I learned that this was the path that Jesus took on the way to His crucifixiton. It was such a powerful moment just taking that all in. Being in a place where so much history happened was unreal.
The last stop of day 1 was the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu. This is believed to be the place where Peter denied Christ. The church was filled with the most colorful mosaics that portrayed different aspects of Christ's life and death. What was really neat about this church was that on the top of the church there's a cross that has a rooster on top of it. The rooster symbolizes when Peter denied
Christ.
Day 2 started with even more walking! We walked to The City of David where we were able to have an incredible view of the valley. Again, it was unreal standing where David stood. It was like stepping back in time. We were able to watch a 3-D movie that showed a timeline of The City of David that was incredibly helpful for me because it helped me put it more into perspective.
After we finished The City of David we walked to Hezekiah's Tunnels. This water tunnel was carved underneath the City of David During ancient times. King Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for an impending siege by the Assyrians, by "blocking the source of the waters, and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David. Walking through this tunnel was so fun. The water was cold at first but after a few minutes it felt amazing. The work the men put in to make this tunnel is astounding. Such a cool experience.
Our next stop of the day was the Wailing Wall. It was incredible. (I know I've used this word like 50 times already but it's the best way to describe it!) The men and women go separately to the wall. Before we got to the wall we were able to write down our own prayers that we could place in the wall. I learned that once you touch the wall, you never turn your back to it. As I got to the wall I noticed that I was surrounded by women who were all different ages and came from completely different backgrounds, and we were all experiencing this together. Goosebumps.
On Day 3 we actually got to ride the bus! Our first stop was Yad Vashem. This memorial contains the Holocaust History Museum, memorial sites such as the Children's Memorial and the Hall of Remembrance. There was so much to take in and 2 hours was not enough time. The stories of survivors were moving. The paintings and aritfacts of men and women going through such a painful time were powerful. Every part of this museum was touching, but The Hall of Remembrance left me speechless. This room was filled top to bottom with names of all those who lost their lives because of the Holocoust. The view at the end of the museum was breathtaking.
After this museum we headed to the Rockefeller and Art Museum. I really enjoyed both. All of the pieces of art were amazing and interesting. And inside the Rockefeller I was able to go back in time and take a look at all of the artifacts found from the people of all different time periods. It was also pretty amazing that I was able to see The Dead Sea Scrolls. I was actually looking at these ancient writings of the Old Testament, just sitting right in front of me. How crazy is that?
Well our adventures are far from over, so until next time!
- Caroline
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