Traveling in Israel 3

I thought I’d get two birds with one stone. Jess and I have stayed in touch via email. Here’s my email to her (minus personal comments) on Tuesday, 2/2.

Big day. We started in the rabbinical tunnel along the western wall of temple mount. Because successive layers of civilizations have been here the first century ‘ground floor’ may be 20 to 40 feet below what you’re walking on. Saw the ground floor of the Herodian temple. Most memorable was walking down the street they’d excavated (it’s a narrow tunnel on street level) and coming to a sudden stop. They were hacking it out of bedrock and you just run right into the bedrock. Why did the street suddenly stop? Because Herod died, and when he died they immediately stopped, the paving stones were just lying there. It’s like a snapshot from the 1st century (B.C. technically). Also saw a pool that became a cistern that served the Antonia (the Roman fortress adjacent to the Temple).

Pool of Bethsaida – actually we saw the remains of churches built above the pool of Bethsaida. As we were leaving I noticed a narrow little stairway in the wall that said ‘no entrance’ but also had an old sign which read “To the edge of the southern pool”. I was tempted but Dennis said no way.

Then in a church we saw what was probably the pavement on which Jesus was judged and/or tormented by the soldiers. It’s a little complex. The Antonia (where Jesus would have been judged) probably doesn’t exist. In 135 after the Bar Kochba revolt Hadrian leveled the city and built and entirely new Roman city here. But they used the stones from the previous city. Anyway, in this pavement there is etched ‘the Kings game’. This was a common practice for Roman soldiers, the tormenting of condemned prisoners. I don’t know exactly how ‘the game’ was played but there it is in stone. The implication is that these stones were the ones the soldiers actually used for the game (they bear the insignia of the Roman 10th legion which was stationed in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus). So they’re the actual pavement stones. Whether they’re in their original position (less likely) or were reused by Hadrian (more likely) they’re almost certainly the stone on which Jesus stood when in the hands of the Romans.

Temple Mount: we got up. Lot’s of security. Again, I don’t like the dome of the rock, but it’s very pretty. I learned the dome’s been covered with lead for most of the centuries. Only in the 20th was it changed to gold. It was a good architectural move. We saw the inside of the ‘Golden Gate’. It was built by Suliman the Magnificent in the 15th century over the Herodian gate of the second temple. It’s the only gate on the eastern side. Messiah comes from the east (Mt. of Olives). When Suliman learned this, he had the gate bricked up to prevent the Messiah from coming. It’s still bricked up. But I don’t think it will be a problem for Messiah when He returns. We also saw the dome of the spirits/tablets. I touched the bedrock. This is probably where the Holy of Holies was. Long story. I’ll fill you in when I get home.

From there through more security to the Western wall. I was struck by the number of birds there and thought of Psalm 84.

On the southern side of Temple Mount is the Jerusalem archeological park. Here are open excavations down to the first century level. The most moving experience for me was standing there and looking at the temple stones which had been hurled down when the Romans destroyed it in 70. They were left ‘in situ’ which means ‘as they were found’. The pavement below was absolutely crushed by the weight of these huge stones. Couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ words in Mt. 24:2 “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” There they were, just like He said. Stones that size don’t move much over the centuries. At the southwestern corner there’s the stone which was the upper corner stone of the Temple Mount. We know because of its shape and and inscription on it “to the trumpeting place”. There’s a niche in the stone where the trumpeter stood on that corner of the mount. I stepped into it for a moment.

Speaking of trumpets, I’m awfully tired of the droning Muslim calls to prayer 5 times a day. One came as we were eating lunch. Then, shortly after, the bells of the Church of the Redeemer rang out. My, did they sound sweet! I’ve got a whole new appreciation for the sound of Church bells!

I’ve also got a new appreciation for the significance of baptism. The Jews developed the tradition of the ritual bath. It was a symbolic way of cleansing. They’re all over the place and various branches of Judaism used and use them with varying degrees of frequency. Baptism is the single, final, total ritual cleansing. We don’t ever need to be ‘cleansed’ again because we’re clean in Christ!

Tomorrow Hezekiah’s tunnel and the City of David.

All is well with me. Loving it here and looking forward to returning home.

All my love,
Chris