who knew that I could learn Hebrew so quickly? I've learned more after living here in Israel for 3 months than I did in 2 years of college courses, 3 years of camp courses and 5 years in a Jewish private school. It really does speed up the learning process when you get thrown right in the middle of a crowded bus with everyone screaming and shouting, having to sign up for a health insurance plan with someone who speaks no English, getting sick and vistiing Russian doctors who also don't know English... anyway. My comprehension level is fluent, and my speaking is getting there. I speak slowly than others of course, but I can figure out a way to say anything I need to. It isn't always the correct way, but my vocabulary is now large enough that I can get across what I need to, one way or another. I loved it!
A couple of days ago I was given a special VIP tour of the archaeological excavations going on underneath the old city of Jerusalem. My boyfriend works at the Western Wall so of course that's how I received my VIP status. I'm not sure how many of you know this, but the "Kotel" (western wall) isn't nearly the only part of the wall surrounding the Temple that remains. Many people think that the western wall is all that's left, and that's why Jews pray there and that's why it's their holiest site. This is far from true. First of all, all 4 walls that originally surrounded the Temple are still standing. Second, a good majority of the western portion of the wall is underground, because of years of building layer upon layer. The Muslims built houses and shops all the way up to the wall on top of it, so the excavations are now going on underneath the Muslim Quarter of the old city. Third, why the western wall? The Kotel is the closest point that Jews can get to the "foundation stone," which currently is inside The Dome of the Rock. According to tradition, the foundation stone is the beginning of creation, where Adam and Chava were created, the location of the binding of Isaac, and the holiest point in both the first and second Temples. The highest Cohen (Priest) in the time of the Second Temple could only enter the room where the rock was exposed one time a year, and he was the only one permitted to enter. Which day of the year was it, you ask? Yom Kippur, of course, the day of attonement for the Jewish people. He would enter the room one day a year and pray for the safety of the people and the land of Israel, for health, prosperity, etc. Of course currently, the Muslim Authority (the wakf) holds control over the Temple Mount, which is where both The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque are located (which people often think are the same thing). Jews are theoretically "allowed" to visit the Temple Mount but we are forbidden to pray there. If we are seen praying, we are forcibly removed by security. What a sad state of affairs that we are forbidden by Muslims to pray at our holiest site, yes? The Kotel is only the holiest site for Jews because its as close to our holiest site as were allowed to get. Our actual holiest site has a huge mosque built over it. The Kotel is simply a part of the wall surrounding The Temple, it wasn't a part of the Temple itself.
The best part was going as far down as they have excavated to this point and going in rooms that were from the second Temple period. I was walking where Jesus walked, nice, eh? Do you know that when Mr. Armstrong himself visited the old city of Jerusalem and walked on the steps up to the Temple Mount on the southern wall of the Temple, he asked the tour guide, "Did Jesus walk on these steps?" His guide answered, "Well sir, if you would like for me to answer according to the words of the Bible and according to tradition, yes, he did walk on these very steps." He replied to his guide, "then this is far more exciting than walking on the moon."
Indeed.
Another interesting tidbit. When Suleman built the walls surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem, he hired 3 architects to design and construct the Jaffa Gate, the western entrance to the Old City (and the one that I think is the nicest).
Suleman, tyrant as he was, was so unsafisfied with the gate that he publically executed the 3 men, and buried them right at the entrance to the gate. Not many know about this, they are buried in a tiny fenced off grass area on the left hand side. Just thought that might be interesting to some of you. Suleman didn't seem like too nice of a guy, did he? At least he gave us some beautiful scenery.
A couple of days ago I was given a special VIP tour of the archaeological excavations going on underneath the old city of Jerusalem. My boyfriend works at the Western Wall so of course that's how I received my VIP status. I'm not sure how many of you know this, but the "Kotel" (western wall) isn't nearly the only part of the wall surrounding the Temple that remains. Many people think that the western wall is all that's left, and that's why Jews pray there and that's why it's their holiest site. This is far from true. First of all, all 4 walls that originally surrounded the Temple are still standing. Second, a good majority of the western portion of the wall is underground, because of years of building layer upon layer. The Muslims built houses and shops all the way up to the wall on top of it, so the excavations are now going on underneath the Muslim Quarter of the old city. Third, why the western wall? The Kotel is the closest point that Jews can get to the "foundation stone," which currently is inside The Dome of the Rock. According to tradition, the foundation stone is the beginning of creation, where Adam and Chava were created, the location of the binding of Isaac, and the holiest point in both the first and second Temples. The highest Cohen (Priest) in the time of the Second Temple could only enter the room where the rock was exposed one time a year, and he was the only one permitted to enter. Which day of the year was it, you ask? Yom Kippur, of course, the day of attonement for the Jewish people. He would enter the room one day a year and pray for the safety of the people and the land of Israel, for health, prosperity, etc. Of course currently, the Muslim Authority (the wakf) holds control over the Temple Mount, which is where both The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque are located (which people often think are the same thing). Jews are theoretically "allowed" to visit the Temple Mount but we are forbidden to pray there. If we are seen praying, we are forcibly removed by security. What a sad state of affairs that we are forbidden by Muslims to pray at our holiest site, yes? The Kotel is only the holiest site for Jews because its as close to our holiest site as were allowed to get. Our actual holiest site has a huge mosque built over it. The Kotel is simply a part of the wall surrounding The Temple, it wasn't a part of the Temple itself.
The best part was going as far down as they have excavated to this point and going in rooms that were from the second Temple period. I was walking where Jesus walked, nice, eh? Do you know that when Mr. Armstrong himself visited the old city of Jerusalem and walked on the steps up to the Temple Mount on the southern wall of the Temple, he asked the tour guide, "Did Jesus walk on these steps?" His guide answered, "Well sir, if you would like for me to answer according to the words of the Bible and according to tradition, yes, he did walk on these very steps." He replied to his guide, "then this is far more exciting than walking on the moon."
Indeed.
Another interesting tidbit. When Suleman built the walls surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem, he hired 3 architects to design and construct the Jaffa Gate, the western entrance to the Old City (and the one that I think is the nicest).
Suleman, tyrant as he was, was so unsafisfied with the gate that he publically executed the 3 men, and buried them right at the entrance to the gate. Not many know about this, they are buried in a tiny fenced off grass area on the left hand side. Just thought that might be interesting to some of you. Suleman didn't seem like too nice of a guy, did he? At least he gave us some beautiful scenery.
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I went to Jerusalem when I was 11 years old and even being so young everything still amazed me. I have some photos somewhere, I might just have to find them and have a look!!
?מה שלומך בימים אלו
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