The Three Great Abrahamic Faiths…

Hello friends . . . grace and peace,

Fr. Kamal teaching our entire group. we saw and learned a lot today.

Days such as this one need to be set aside for future discussion, prayer and revisits.

Damascus Gate into The Old City of Jerusalem

stores and shops line the narrow streets, selling goods and foods of every kind

we strolled amidst the hustle and bustle around us

there are beautiful children of all 3 Abrahamic faiths everywhere walking to school together

We spent the day in the Old City of Jerusalem, whose wall is right outside the front door of our hotel. We walked in through the Damascus Gate. Through the narrow and ancient walkways that featured merchants of every type trying to sell their wares.

in line to pass through security to access The Temple Mount and the al Aqsa mosque area

walking up to Temple Mount

Israeli solders on Temple Mount

We had to go through two security checkpoints to get to a ramp that took us up to the historic Temple Mount, perhaps the holiest religious site in the Old City. It is a site that has fed much of the Arab-Israeli strife and is currently under the authority of the Kingdom of Jordan. Solomon’s Temple was built there and it’s the site where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, by binding him to an altar. An angel from God interceded.

The Dome of the Rock

the al-Aqsa mosque

Muslims believe it is the site where Muhammad was transported faster than lightning from Mecca. The site includes the golden-domed Dome of the Rock as well as the al-Aqsa Mosque, both open only to Muslims due to violence by Jewish ultra orthodox extremists. In fact, there is resentment whenever Jews come to the Temple Mount, as we witnessed when a group of about 15 Jews – under police guard – appeared and Muslims chanted loudly in opposition. There was no confrontation however.

the entire area is a massive and beautiful open air space with trees and many small groups sitting in circles studying the Koran

Father Kamall told us that during Ramadan, more than 600,000 Muslims gather at the Temple Mount.

a palm tree planted in the name of Jesus, who, according to the Koran, was born under a palm date tree

the Dome of Judgement where Jesus will sit

the Dome of the Prophets, where Jesus explains the Holy Scriptures to all the prophets of Islam, including the Prophet Mohammed

We were surprised to hear a familiar name over and over again.  While we were at this 3rd most holy site for people of the Islamic faith, we kept hearing the name of Jesus.  Yes, Jesus, the Christ. We saw a special palm tree, planted in Jesus’ name.  We walked by The Dome of Judgement, where, according to the Muslim faith, Jesus will and judge the world on the last day.  We also saw the Dome of the Prophets, where all the prophets of Islam are in constant conversation and dialogue about what the Holy Scriptures say.  And the primary prophet, in the Islamic faith, the one who explains the Holy Scriptures to all the other protests, including the Prophet Mohammed . . . is Jesus.

the ruins of two churches on the site of the Pool of Bethesda

there are many STEEP stairs that take you several levels down to the actual pool

this is the same pool from the time of Jesus. it actually predates the time of Christ by more than 2,000 years, and it’s still there

the beautiful (and acoustically perfect) Church of St. Anne

We left the Temple Mount and walked down to St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, built in the 12th Century. Immediately outside the church is the site of the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the blind man who had been there for 38 years, displaying to all that the outcast and the excluded are invited in and included in God’s Kingdom. The church is known for its amazing acoustics, so our group gathered in the center and sang the first verse of “Amazing Grace.” We sounded pretty good.

If you’d like to hear the acoustics from St. Anne . . . please watch the video below

our group at The Western Wall

prayers stuffed into the cracks of the wall

to pray at the most holy site of your faith is a great honor

some pictures need no words

From there, we went to the courtyard that leads to the Western Wall, known also as the Wailing Wall. This is all that remains from the 2nd Temple, and it is only the largest stones near the bottom that actually date back to the time of Herod the Great.  There is a place on the right where women are welcome to go but the rest of the wall is for men only. We were able to walk down to the wall, and some of us approached the wall to pray. Part of the wall is inside a tunnel area and many Jews were in there reading and praying. Many others were outside at the wall.

falaffel on a pita – delicious

It was time for lunch and we ate at a restaurant that served us falafel in pita bread. It contained, lettuce, onions, potato, and who knows what else. It was tasty.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher – or better known as The Church of the Resurrection

This set us up for the day’s highlight. We walked up a long series of steps to the courtyard outside the Church of the Resurrection, built in the 12th Century on the site where Jesus was crucified, anointed, buried in a crypt, and risen to life again.

the stone slab, representing the place where Mary received the body of her dead son, Jesus

up above, where you see the light, is the top of Calvary, where “it was accomplished”

Inside the front door is a large stone of anointment to represent where Jesus was prepared for burial. Father Kamall told us it wasn’t the original though. But he pointed to a spot one level up that was Calvary, the place where Jesus was crucified.

the Tomb of Jesus

all churches in the Holy Lands orient themselves towards the east because that’s where the light comes from (Light of the World). however, this church’s architecture is different as the light enters from above, because the tomb is empty and Christ is risen

He then took us to the area that led to the tomb, although the actual tomb is eight meters below that site.  This large memorial tomb was built in the early 1800’s when an earthquake damaged the one dating from the time of the crusaders.

this is the area of the garden, where Mary saw the risen Christ

He then led us to an open area that was once the garden where Mary Magdalene first encountered the risen Jesus, whom she at first mistook for a gardener. Today it is a stone floor with stone walls around it.

the grotto which is the very base of Calvary

We also went to the area where Jesus’ cross was found but it eventually was lost when the church was destroyed in 1009 A.D.

the top of Calvary, hosted by our Greek Orthodox brothers and sisters

The only thing left to see was the crucifixion site. We walked us a short flight of stairs where the site is located, brightly lit. It is a surreal experience to sit on the floor in front of the site and comprehend what you are seeing and experiencing.

a beautiful and enormous icon very near the site of Jesus’ crucifixion depicting his death, preparation, and burial

It was a time of prayer.  And please, in your prayers, continue to

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem…” – Psalm 122:6