And in conclusion… (Jerusalem 05/27/2019)

Our final two stops of the day were the wailing wall and the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Wailing Wall is the holiest place on earth for the Jewish people.  It is all that remains of the Second Temple of Jerusalem.  The First Temple was built in 1000 BC after King David conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital.  The altar of the temple is said to have been built over the exact place where God took the dirt to create Adam (Genesis 2:7), and the altar was where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-15).  That temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, in 586 BC when he conquered Jerusalem and exiled the Jews to Babylon.  The Jews could return under an edict issued by Cyrus King of Persia, and by 515 BC they had completed the Second Temple, a replacement for the one destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.  In 70 AD the Romans destroyed that temple.  Despite having been back in Jerusalem for nearly 2,000 years they have not rebuilt the Second Temple.  One of the reasons is because it is believed that the Temple may only be rebuilt when the majority of the Jewish nation resides in Israel and when there is a Jewish king or prophet.  According to prophecy the Third (and final) Temple is to be built according to dimensions provided in the Book of Ezekiel, and correct placement of the altar is so critical the builders will need a prophet to confirm its location.

Tradition calls for individuals to write their prayer(s) on a piece of paper, slip it into a space in the wall, and express their prayer to God.  Twice a year the papers are collected by a local Rabbi and his team and buried on the Mount of Olives.

The Wailing Wall is in the Jewish quarter of the Old City (the 14 Stations of the Cross are in the Christian Quarter).  You know when you’ve reached the Jewish Quarter.  It is the only area whose entry is surrounded by armed guards and for which you must pass through a metal detector and have your bags scanned.  It’s a very sad comment that this community is under such extreme threat.

Our journey from the Wailing Wall to the Garden of Gethsemane took us past Mt. Zion, referred to in I Kings as the City of David, and the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into Heaven. 

The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus prayed the night before his betrayal and arrest.  The olive trees that grow there today are said to be descendants of the seeds of the trees that grew there during Jesus’ time.  The garden is beautiful, and the trees are spectacular – there is no question they have been around for a long time!  It was here Jesus begged God to spare him.  It is impossible to imagine how conflicted and frightened he must have been.

The Church of All Nations was built next to the Garden and is said to enshrine the exact rock where Jesus prayed.   We don’t know how one can be certain of such things, but we appreciate the sentiment.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•