"The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world" --Benjamin Disraeli

This past Sunday, the International School took us on a day-trip to Jerusalem. Overall, it was a great day and I had a lot of fun. It was really interesting that we got to see both Jewish and Christian historical/religious sites, because when I was there on a Birthright trip, sightseeing was limited to Jewish things (which makes sense, considering the purpose of the Birthright Israel Program).

In the morning, we woke up early (for us, that means meeting at the bus stop around 6:30 AM) to drive to Jerusalem. Including rush-hour traffic, the whole trip took about 2 hours each way. We stopped first at a spot overlooking the old city and the Mount of Olives. Especially because it was such a clear and sunny day, the view was great!


(In the background, you might be able to make out the glint of the Dome of the Rock and the walls of the Old City)

A bit closer:


We then went into Jerusalem and first visited the tomb of King David, which is now also used as a synagogue. Because there was a large women’s prayer group inside, I didn’t go in and take pictures (I had already been there before anyway). Above King David’s grave is the room where the Last Supper was said to have been held. The room has changed hands over the years, from church to mosque and back again, which accounts for the multiple styles of architecture and decorations. For example, check out these stained glass windows with Arabic calligraphy, set into a seemingly Crusader-era window:



When we went up on the roof of the room, we had another great view of the city, this time from inside it. I was also able to take a closer-up photo of the Mount of Olives. In Jewish scripture, this is where it is said the Messiah will come and bring the end of days, whereas in Christian scripture, it is where Jesus will come a second time to do it.



Of course, we had to stop for falafel for lunch. I went with some friends to a stand I had remembered from last time I was there. It was just as delicious as before!



We also visited the archaeological site at the Temple Mount, right next to the prayer section of the Western Wall. It is such a wonder how they moved all these big rocks 2,000 years ago! The smallest ones are about 2 tons, apparently.



The old staircase that people would take up to the Temple still exist on the side, though you can’t take them to get to the top of the Temple Mount anymore. Our tour guide mentioned that the steps are purposely at different heights so people would have had to think about what they were doing and the sacrifices wouldn’t have become mundane. Here I am on the steps:



Then, of course, we had to visit the Western Wall (aka Wailing Wall, Kotel, etc.). Historically, it was the only part of the Temple Mount area where Jews had been allowed to pray, and still today remains to some the holiest site in Jerusalem. Here I am standing in front of it.



We also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. In this church are not only the last 4 stations of the Cross, but also each major denomination of Christianity has at least one mini-chapel inside of it. It was really interesting to compare each one and see how they fit together. One of the negative aspects of this sharing of space is that joint areas cannot easily be agreed upon: whether for renovations, cleaning, or otherwise. That is why in the front of the Church, there is a ladder that has been there for years: nobody can agree on whose it is or who should (or has the right to) take it down.



Some chapels are ornate, others are sparse. Here are a few examples:





For the past 30 years, new mosaics have been added to part of the Greek Orthodox section. It is very awe-inspiring, vibrant, and vast. Here’s looking up into one of the domes: (Keep in mind all of the arches are also part of the mosaic!)



Here’s the inside of the dome in the main part of the Church:



That’s it for now! It was really nice to get to go back to Jerusalem for the second weekend in a row, especially because previously I hadn’t gotten the chance to go to the Old City (or sightseeing at all!). Of course, I bought another scarf while I was there, but I can’t wait to go back to the shuk (market) to see what else is there and to practice my Hebrew.