The crescendo hit early today, and the rain stayed with us all day. We began with a visit to the Temple Mount. Although the mosque on the mount is impressive, as a Christian I found the visit underwhelming and intrusive. I may understand better why the Jews have such a problem with regard to this mount. That is where their temple has been since Solomon, and it has been sacred space for them since Abraham, yet there is not a trace of anything Jewish atop the mount.
Western Wall
Paul praying at the Western Wall
Then we went down to the Western Wall. The ladies had to go to a separate section of the wall to pray or take photos. I went with the men down to the wall, and said a quick prayer of “Come soon, Lord Jesus.” As we moved into a covered section by the wall, I felt like an intruder. It was crowded in this section because of the rain outside. There were many men praying, and several bar mitzvahs occurring. While it was interesting to see, and they were in a public place, I could help but think how I would feel if people were standing around or snapping pictures while I was trying to pray.
Here is a video on the history of the temple mount.
Paul in Caiaphas’ Cellar
The day did improve. The house of Caiaphas, specifically the “basement” is excavated. This is a known, confirmed biblical location. The “basement” as I called is the lower level of house and a dry cistern, one that was dry at the time of Jesus. We were told beforehand this this level would be the place Jesus would have been held and tried before Caiaphas. I went down quickly, and had someone take a picture of me at a place I thought Jesus might have sat as he awaited trial. As Dr. Williams began to passionately explain what we were seeing and reading the Scriptures, I realized that we were in a torture chamber. There were obvious places on the walls and ceiling to tie people’s hands up so that they could be beaten, as it says in Matthew 26:59. “Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him.” While Jesus might have stood there and just took the abuse, like we see in the movies, it is also likely that he could not have physically fought back even if he wanted to because he was restrained.
Dry cistern at the house of Caiphas
Then we went down to the dry cistern. The small area and depth of the cistern does not allow for a photograph accurately depict the despair of this place that was used as a prison holding cell. Prisoners were lowered into this pit through the hole in the top, at least 25 feet above the floor. The only other opening at the time of Jesus was a cut opening so that guards could watch the prisoners. Where was that opening? Right near where I had my picture taken. Instead of placing myself in the seat of Jesus, I had sat in the seat of his jailer. There is now a staircase down into the cistern. Dr. Williams read Psalm 88. You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; my eyes are dim with grief. I was moved and grieved at the isolation, as my mind recalled John of the Cross’Dark Night of the Soul, and the letter I received years ago from an uncle describing being in solitary confinement. I thank God that I was saved early in life, and avoided that family heritage. I did not even want my picture taken in a prison cell when I visited Alcatraz. When I sat in that cistern, that place of solitary confinement, I experienced another aspect of the suffering Christ did in my place, and realized that I was the one that placed him there.
Mount of Olives
Road from the house of Caiaphas
From Caiaphas’ courtyard we could see the Mount of Olives and the ancient road between the two.
Church of the Nativity
Where Jesus was laid in the manger?
Where Jesus was birthed?
The Church of the Nativity is one place I have to put in the category of “it is the event that is important not the place” because I do not see how anyone could know which cave, if it even was a cave, in which Jesus was born. The church is an Orthodox church, to it is full of iconography, and many of the decorations reminded me of Christmas.
Mosaic in St. Jerome’s cell
Next to the Church of the Nativity is the Roman Catholic Church where Jerome translated the Bible into Latin.
Entrance to Shepherds’ Field
After lunch, we walked to Shepherds’ Field. Although I would want to see a relief map of ancient Bethlehem to be sure, we were told that there were not many places in Bethlehem suitable for shepherds’ flocks, so this was a likely spot for the angels’ announcement of the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds. There is a cave on the field, which has been turned into a sanctuary, that has obviously, because of the black ceiling due to fires being burned, been used for generations as a shelter by shepherds.
Paul and Shawn in the Cave at Shepherds’ Field
Our final stop of the day was the Jerusalem Museum, were we saw some of the actual artifacts that we had only seen replicas of previously. The museum also has a scale model of ancient Jerusalem and copies of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
