Wow. Almost a month has passed since we departed for Israel, and the landscape there has changed dramatically. We drove fairly close to the Gaza Strip on our way south, but the tensions were not apparent to the casual observer. Though Jerusalem is an interesting convergence of cultures that surprised this Western observer. Here are a few snapshots...
The "Old City" is walled in (16th century walls) and quartered off between various religious groups: Muslims, Christians, Jews and Armenians. The groups coexist with reasonable order. The Muslims control the Temple Mount and the northeast quarter (with easiest access to the Temple Mount). Below is a picture of the Dome of the Rock mosque that sits in the center of the Temple Mount. I heard an Israeli archaeologist explain one time that even the religious Jews don't mind this arrangement much. He went on to explain that a religious Jew would never venture onto the Temple Mount for fear of stepping into the Holy of Holies. No one can say for sure how the Temple had been situated, and therefore the location of the Holy of Holies remains a mystery. So it is convenient that the Muslims tend to the Temple Mount, at least in some ways.
Just below the Dome of the Rock in the picture above is the "Western/Wailing Wall". The picture is looking east from the Jewish quarter. It is difficult to appreciate the size of the Temple Mount walls from any pictures I took. The wall is probably 60 feet high (or more) and surrounds the entire mount. Here is a close-up of the Wailing Wall.
As for the Christian part of Jerusalem, it is difficult to describe the experience. It is not what most would hope for. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is likely the site where Christ was crucified and buried, but it is now an ancient church with numerous rooms, chapels and relics. Here is a picture of the front door and a video to give you a feel. Not the windswept hill you picture when you think of Calvary.
No comments:
Post a Comment