November 24th

It was another early day for our pilgrims as we were on the bus and on our way to our first destination of the day.  The Western Wall (link01, link02 provide more detailed descriptions), frequently called the Wailing Wall by non-Jews, is the exposed western wall of Temple Mount.  We entered the Old City through the Dung Gate which opens into the entrance to the Western Wall.  The area is heavily policed due to tensions between the Jews and the Muslims, but also due to tensions within the various Jewish denominations ranging from the ultra-orthodox to conservative to reformed Jews, as well as other groups  Temple Mount as built up by King Herod the Great, served as the plaza in which the Jewish Temple was located.  In 70 CE, the Temple was destroyed.  After the Crusaders were defeated, the Muslims built the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount.  For the Jews, the Western Wall represents the closest they can get to the site of the Temple.  The ancient and recent history of the wall as explained by our knowledgeable guide was both fascinating and captivating.  Jews and non-Jews have been allowed to worship at the Western Wall since the end of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War when the Israel took over East Jerusalem.

Panorama view of the western wall looking on from the men's side.  The women's side is on the other side of the barrier on the right.

Worship at the Western Wall is separated by a barrier into two sections for men and women.  Men must have their heads covered by either a hat or the Jewish kippah (yarmulke).  For those without a hat, kippah's are available for loan.  We were allowed to stand and pray at the wall and put our prayers, written on slips of paper, into a crack in the wall.

A bomb disposal flask - an indicator of the risks as well as the security at the Western Wall.  This type of unit was situated in other locations in the Old City.

After this we went into the Western Wall Tunnels (2nd link) that have been excavated beneath the Western Wall.  These underground tunnels extend about 300 m to the end of the original wall (488 m long in total) and beyond as opposed to the 70 m of wall exposed above ground.  There were many interesting things to note such as one huge stone that was exposed that is 13.6 m long, 3 m high, and an estimated width between 3.5 and 4.5 m having a weight of 520 tonnes.

Some of our pilgrims stretched out the almost 14 m length of the huge stone located in the tunnel. 

A street that would have been below the Temple Mount before the destruction of the Temple, and therefore a location Jesus and his disciples would have walked, was displayed in the tunnels.  A long length of the tunnel along the wall was very narrow making getting around other people headed in the opposite direction somewhat awkward and involved a lot of "Excuse me, excuse me".  With a smile on both people passing each other it wasn't too difficult.  At the end the tunnel opened up into an ancient aqueduct and cistern.

Ancient cistern near at the end of the Western Wall Tunnels.

Emerging from the tunnels we went back along an excavated area running along the corner of the west and south wall of the Temple Mount walls.  It had been excavated to the depth where you could see the level that the plaza beneath the west wall of the Temple Mount would have been before the Temple was destroyed by the Romans.  There was also the staircase on the south wall that would have been used by Jesus and his disciples to go to the Temple.

The stairs that would have been used to ascend to the Temple Mount before the Temple's destruction in 70 CE.

Following this we entered the Jewish quarter.  This area, dating back to the Ottomans, was largely destroyed after the War of Independence in 1948, but has since been reconstructed to what it would have looked like before 1948.  It's a very trendy area now in the Old City and has a mixture of commercial shops, and displays of archaeological excavations.

Display of artwork for sale in the Jewish quarter in the Old City.

While we were there, we went to the Burnt House Museum.  This home of one of the priests of the Temple was destroyed by the Romans.  In addition to the excavation showing the foundations of the home, and artifacts recovered from the dig (like a Roman spear tip and the severed arm of a young woman), there was a very interesting 20 minute multimedia presentation discussing the various facets of the rebellion against the Romans, the Jewish politics involved in the revolt at the time.

Some of the artifacts on display at the Burnt House Museum

After shopping in the Arab and Christian quarters, we got back on the tour bus to Ein Karem, Jerusalem, to visit the Church of St. John the Baptist, the site where John the Baptist was born (see Luke 1:57-80).  There we looked at the interior of the church which was under renovations and then Fr. John celebrated Mass in the grotto beneath the church.

Mass in the grotto beneath the Church of John the Baptist

Following this, we walked to the Visitation Church, the site where Mary came to see her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John.  It was where Mary recited the Magnificat after seeing Elizabeth (see Luke 1:39-56).

Fresco at the Visitation Church Grotto, Mary greeting Elizabeth.

Following all this - there was a lot of walking - we returned to the hotel at about 4:30.

Well, there's one more day of our pilgrimage.  Until then, good night from Jerusalem.