Israel

We were in Israel during Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish people, which started at sundown on Tuesday until Wednesday sundown.  It's a time set aside for atonement for one's sins and reflection on the preceding year as well as the year ahead.  This includes a 25 hour fast.  Lots of the Jews wear white (from head to toe) on this holiday, they don't drive, use their phones, turn on lights- not even light a candle.  They spend most of the day at the synagogue in prayer and reading the Torah.

 

 

Things started shutting down Tuesday afternoon  We were able to make it to the "City of David" but did not make it to Zedekiah's cave.

 

 One of the entrances to the old city of Jerusalem - Jaffa Gate

 

Heading toward the "City of David"

The City of David, an archeological site, tells the story of the start of Jerusalem, its wars and hardships, its prophets and kings, and the history of the Jews during Biblical times. History is present in the ancient stones, it is beautifully landscaped with flowers, and soul soothing harp music is playing over the intercom.  Among the ruins are personal seals for signing documents of people who were mentioned in the Bible. 

 Hezekiah's Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat, over 1700 feet long with only 1 foot grade difference is located here.  Two teams began on each end chipping away at solid rock meeting in the middle.   King Hezekiah was worried that the enemies, the Assyrians would take their water supply, so he had this tunnel built to secure the cities' spring water over 2800 years ago!

It was an adventure to walk through the tunnel in total darkness (except for our cell phone flash lights), in mostly shin deep clear water.  (At the beginning it was about 2 feet deep.) 



 

 

  

Looking across the Kidron valley from the City of David.  Mt.Olives is to the left.

2 Samuel 5:8 talks about this shaft or gutter that David used to conquer the Jebusites.

Walking through Hezekiah's tunnel was one of the neatest things we did on our trip.

"And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"

2 Kings 20:20

We walked to Zedekiah's cave but to our disappointment it was closed.
 

So we headed to the Garden Tomb...

 

The Tomb

 

In 1924 this wine press was unearthed signifying this was a rich mans vineyard.

 

The Garden Tomb had a really nice gift shop.

 

Female Israeli army soldiers
 

 

 Machine guns are a common site.

 

On Wednesday we visited the  area of the Garden of Gethsemane, Mt. Olives, and the Western Wall.  These were places that we could visit while the whole city was closed down.

We hiked up to Mt. Olives
Mommy said it was like a paved Hurricane Mt.

 

 

 

There is a saying that olive trees live forever.   The wood is rot resistant and if the top of the tree dies , a new trunk can grow up from the roots.  Olives are harvested for the first time after 15 years. 

 

 

 

 

 

These are all Jewish graves  

 

 

Two taxi drivers trying to pass each other on Mt. Olives. 

Did you notice their folded in mirrors?

Here in the Kidron Valley an Arab man tried to convince us he could be our guide
 

We walked this way many time coming and going to the Old City of Jerusalem
 

Here is a memorial of the Davidka "little David". In the early stages of the War of Independence, the Israeli army had no artillery other than this primitive, homemade mortar that was not accurate but made a thunderous explosion. The noise from this weapon often sent the enemy fleeing in panic. Mistaking the Davidka's explosion for an atomic bomb, the Arabs abandoned the northern town of Safed.  LOL!!

 

There are "washing stations" around the wall.
 

A soldier watching the wall