2015 - Day 8 - Israel (Golgotha, Garden Tomb)

I woke up at 4 AM with a few aches and pains from a lot of walking yesterday.  I tried to go back to sleep but my mind has been swirling....as usual when I travel.  So before this day begins, I thought I'd share some thoughts I've had as we have seen so much.

First...this trip was a bucket list item for both Denise and I.  We never dreamed, years ago as a young couple being married, starting a family, that we would EVER have the means to take such trips.  Life has been good to us and we have SO much to be grateful for.  As we drive around this arid country, I'm amazed at the lifestyles of these Israelis and Arabs.  It appears to be simple, yet difficult.  But they are friendly, happy and always willing to share a smile.  The Jews have been so tormented as a people.  Yet, they continue to make ends meet in the middle of the constant international chaos that goes on around them.

Second...I wondered what it would be like to walk where Jesus had walked.  It has been amazing.  There is indeed a special spirit here that bears a witness that he did come into mortality.  That he did marvelous things while here...blessing and healing the sick, teaching the commandments to his disciplies and loving all who came in contact with him.  Obviously, Christians and Jews here recognize him in different manners...but they do recognize him all over this country.  But to me...it is more than recognition.  The spirit has testified to me numerous times that he is the mortal Messiah.  That the events at the Garden of Gethsamane transpired, opening a path of repentance that would allow me to someday return home clean and purified to stand before my Maker and he (Jesus Christ) as my elder brother who has done all for me that I might return this way someday.

Lasly....today we will go to Mt. Zion and enter the upper room where the last supper was performed.  We will also go to Golgotha, where the Christ hung on a cross until his mortal mission was completed. And we will complete our journey as we go to the Garden Tomb, to hear and re-live the events that occurred that sacred Easter morning.  I cannot think of a more special way to conclude a special trip such as this.  I look forward to an amazing concluding day here in the Holy Land.

I will blog here one more time...if feeling up to it.  I know I will.  But after touring all day, we will conclude with a meal and then head to the airport.  No hotel bed tonight...not that it has mattered much the way I've slept.  Our flight from Ben Gurion Airpor in Tel Aviv to JFK leaves at 11:30 PM.  We arrive around 4 AM there.  After clearing customs, we then will catch a flight to Los Angeles (LAX) at 8:30 AM arriving at 11:30 AM.  From there, we get to sprint to our flight home to Salt Lake City which leaves at 1:30 arriving in SLC airport at 4:00 PM.  How many hours will I have been up and not in a bed?  45 hours....going home we put 9 hours back into our day.  Flight time will be about 17 of those hours.  Touring will make up about 12.  The rest will be getting ready and waiting at airports.  But if all goes well, we will be home in time to attend our oldest grandsons 6th birthday party.  He wants to go to McDonalds!  He knows his grandpa is ready for an american hamburger!!!

After getting fed our buffet breakfast, we watched our bags get loaded on to the bus and off we went. We first headed to Mt. Zion where the Upper Room (Last Supper) and David's Tomb is found.  The rooms really are rooms where the Last Supper 'could have' ocurred.  And King David is long gone from this site (so it is a 'memorial').  Nonetheless, it was good to reflect on these two items as past history.  

From here we walked down to a church built to depict the trial, sentencing and imprisonment of the Savior.  The chapel here also depicts the events of Peter denying Christ three times before the cock crowed.  As we walked along, we saw roosters painted on the walls of the walkway.  Standing at this site, we also could get a great view of the Dome of the Rock, BYU Jerusalem Center, and the large Jewish cemetary.  We also looked across a valley to the place where Judas hung himself.  As we left this site, we also came to a road that everyone clearly believes the Savior would have walked on during these final days of mortal life.

The next sites were all behind the walls of the old city...at least until after lunch.  We entered at Lion's gate and walked to the pools of Bethesda....where Christ performed a miracle or two.  There was a beautiful church there that had an amazing echo.  So we were permitted to sing a hymn...and sang 'Come Follow Me'.  It sounded quite unique.

After the pools of Bethesda, we traveled the old city streets following the 'stations' of the Rosary.  I think there are 13 of them which reflect the events of the last days of the Savior.   This culminated at the Holy Sepulchre....which some christians believe is the cave where Christ's body was placed after his crucifixion.  Later in the day, we went to the 'Garden Tomb'...which seems to better reflect the tomb area where the Savior would have been placed.  More on that in a minute.  After we went through this church, we headed to find our lunch in a restaurant in the old city.  After lunch, we were set free to shop again.  I think Denise had a lot of fun bartering for silly stuff with the many, many vendors within the shops that lined these small streets.

At 3 PM, we were at the Garden Tomb outside the city walls.  Here we saw the Hill of the Skull which is where it is believed Jesus was crucified.  In actuality, they don't believe the crosses were placed on a hill at all.  They were probably placed near a road where many could witness those who committed such atrocities to cause this sentence to be upon them.    Around the bend,  you find the tomb and the garden where Jesus' body was placed.  We had the opportunity there to sit down and listen to Elder Bruce R. Mckonkie's last testimony of the Christ.  What a powerful sermon he gave on the Savior's life and the importance of his atonement and resurrection in our lives.  Gret moment to ponder these things.

After our time there was complete, we boarded the bus and headed out of Jerusalem.  We traveled about 45 minutes to an Arab eatery which served us the same mediterranean faire along with some really good shishkabobs.

We arrived at the airport at 8:00 PM and I'm now waiting for my flight to leave at 11:35 PM.  Our trip has come to an end here in Israel.

Some pictures....

Walking to the Upper Room on Mt. Zion....

Small shrine in the upper room....

Beautiful stained glass windows in the upper room....

Another picture of another group that entered the upper room.  These folks sang the whole time when outside.  I have some video of that....

This door is the entrance to the chapel that remembers the denial of Christ by Peter and others.  The carvings relate the story....

They theorize that this is where Christ was 'prisoned' after being condemned....

It is believed that this is a road that Christ would have had to have taken to come up here from the Mt. of Olives....

Lions Gate entrance....

The Lion's gate (east side of the old city)...

A chapel depicting the trial of Jesus.  In the old city, we followed the 13 (?) stations that some religions follow that account for the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.  This was one of the stations along the way here...

After lunch, we were given some time to shop in the street lined shops.  This was our re-gathering point.  As we congregated...so did the street vendors trying to sell us food and their wares.  It was fun to watch some of these guys try to get a 'sheckle' out of us!

Denise and I in the Garden Tomb....pretty place it was.

The outside of the tomb...

The inside of the tomb.  The far left chamber is where the body is placed after it has been prepared for burial.  The bodies normally lie here for a year and then their bones are collected and dealt with.

We have thousands of pictures....I might come back and post a few more once I recover from our long trip home.  I'm sitting in JFK\NY completing this blog.

2015 - Day 7 - Israel (Israel Parliament, Shrine of the Book, Holocaust Museum, Old Jerusalem)

 November 22nd.....

My body is starting to adjust to its new schedule...just in time for us to leave.  Last night, we went down to listen to our Guide, Dann Hone, describe the process of establishing the BYU Center here in Jerusalem.  He had a lot to say on the subject....2 hours worth.  It about killed me....Denise left early.  Nonetheless, I slept well as I was really tired.

Today started out as usual...revely at 6 AM, breakfast at 6:30 AM (Buffet of course with a full salad bar!) and bus departure at 7:30 AM.  The weather this morning was cool...but not enough that I thought I would need my coat.  Big mistake.  Fortunately my brother had a couple fo things to combat the cold and I ended up wearing his coat.  Thank you Fred!!!

Our first site that we visited was the Israel Parliament house.  Trust me...nothing speacial about that building.  😄  I'm still not sure why we were taken there.  They did have a cool statue of a manorah which you will see in pictures below.  After killing some time there, we were off to the Book of the Shrine Museum.  Upon arrival, our guide was surprised to find out that they were not open and we had to wait 15 minutes or so.  Being a retired military guy, he quickly put us into lines and had start doing exercises and stretches.  It was so funny to see this big group of people falling his lead.  Eventually we were let in.  This museum was pretty cool....especially the 'model' of the city of Jerusalem...in olden times.  This museum, which is called the 'Shrine of the Book' holds some of the Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered at the site we had visited a day or so ealier.

We then headed to Holocaust Museum.  It was humbling, again, to see what these poor jewish people had to endure during World War II.  The site of this museum is BIG.  We only saw a portion of it.  It is well done.  From a photography perspective...we could not take pictures in side.  So that was a bummer.  The thing I will remember most is the Children memorial.  You go into a near pitch black room that looks like the stars all around you...little points of light...representing all the childern who died at the hands of the Nazi's.  It was impressive.  After our tour, we at lunch at the Holocaust Museum's cafeteria.

After lunch, we headed to Old Jerusalem...the old part.  We went into an archeaoloigical site at the south and west corner of the city.  We saw stones and such that were there during the time of Herod.  We listened to descriptionis of the evolution of this beautiful city.  The city walls bear testimony to its history.  Once we completed that, we were off to the famous 'Waling Wall'...the west most wall of the city.  Here, people come to pray and leave prayers on paper that are inserted into the wall.  In order to get in, I had to put the skull cap on.  And the women and men are separated by a small fence.  Men on one part of the wall...the women on the other.  It is a famous place and I thought I'd never see it in person...but now I have.  Way cool.

To complete our tour today, we entered into the west wall tunnels.  The old city of Jerusalem is built on a series of arches that were used to create a 'level' place.  On the west wall, you are allowed to walk throught the tunnels formed by these arches.  Again...some of these stones and sections of the wall predate Christ.  He probably was in the same area that we were standing in.  Some of the stones used were 44 feet in length, 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide.  They were huge!  Over 400 tons.  Pretty amazing the engineering and building that has gone on here over the ages.

Well, tomorrow is our last day touring.  After that, we eat dinner and head to the airport to catch a midnight flight back to New York.  We will then catch a flight to LAX and from there to SLC.  We hope to be home at 4 PM on Tuesady afternoon.  We will all be wiped out!  But I will blog one more time....

Pictures and more pictures....

This is the Israeli Parliament....nothing special.

This is the menorah just out in front of the Parliament building....

The replica of the old city of Jerusalem....

Denise and I with the replica behind us....it was pretty detailed and neat.

The entrance to the Shrine of the Book.  Unfortunately there was not photogrphy inside.

Entrance to the Holocaust Museum.  Again....no photography inside the museum.

When you come out of the main museum, you end up looking out over the valley.  It was a pretty view.

Memorial to those who helped the Jews escape.....

Apparently, there was a teacher who helped many of the Jewish children survive.escape.  This shows him surrounded by some of his kids...

Denise at the old city archeaological site....

Gary Hawes posing at the archaelogical site....

The 'wailing' wall...which is the western wall of temple site....

Me at the wall with my skull cap on....they let you keep those.

Herod's tunnels and arches....

This is a aqueduct that runs just outside the west wall of the city....

2015 - Israel - Day 6 (Garden of Gethsemane, Shepherd's Field, Church of Nativity)

November 20th....

Up early again...4 AM.  But...I'm sleeping much deeper.  I just had to say that.  Hopefully the clock will continue to adjust...just in time to go home.  

Buffet, buffet, buffet....wow!  They are going to roll me home instead of flying me.  I have no self control when it comes to eating.  The hotel here in Jerusalem has a really nice buffet...at least it was last night. But then again...because their Sabbath began at Sundown, it was one big Jewish party with all of them dressed in their orthodox style.  It was pretty fun to watch.  People would just start singing at their table...quite beautifully.  I'm going to do that when back in the states.

I did not mention yesterday about entering the West Bank area of Israel.  We went through many checkpoints.  The West Bank is broken into 3 sections...A, B, C.  A...it means that Israel only has a small administrative role, B...they have a little bit more and C...they pretty much have full control.  We pretty much stayed in C areas.  We wondered why we did not go into Jericho as we passed right by it.  Turns out it was a B area and therefore they did not want to take the risk.  

Yesterday, I did not post pictures about the Dead Sea float that we all did.  They are now on that blog.   They are pretty funny and nice.

The food...I've had olives every meal.  You get humus as an option for every meal.  You get a full salad bar of distinct stuff for EVERY meal.  The quality is really good.  For many days it seemed like we were eating the same faire.  But one night we had chinese food...which tasted so good.  Last night we had chicken cordon blue, roast beef and a variety of other choices.  But the food has been good.

We started our day by going to the most significant spot...the most important spot...for all mankind...the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.  At this spot, a special feeling is felt.  Here the Savior felt the weight of all our sins and atoned for our sins.  It was a special and signficant feeling to know that we were standing in the place where this singular event ocurred.  Some of the Olive Tree's...at least their roots...were present when Christ was there performing his great works.  Along side the garden is a church...The Church of the Agony.  It is a pretty church with murals depicting Christ in the garden.

After seeing this site, we went to the top of the Mount of Olives where a cave was.  It is assumed that in such places, the Savior taught his disciples.  It is pretty hard to imagine how this would be done..by candle ligtht only.  But that is how they did it.  The Savior was spending his last days here in this area.

The next stop was at the BYU Jerusalem center to attend Sacrament.  Yes, today is Saturday.  But here in Israel, to align to the Jewish Sabbath, we hold our Sacrament meetings on Saturday.  The BYU Jerusalem Center sits on hill over looking the Mount of Olives and the old city (Rock of the Dome).  The room used for the chapel looks out over the valley and city.  Pretty spectacular.  The bad news was that during church services (after Sacrament Meeting) you could not 'tour' the facility.  And we did not have time to wait around.  So the pictures I wanted to get...I could not.  Such a bummer.

Our next stop was in the valley called 'Shepherd's Fields'.  We did two stops for this...one before lunch on one side of the valley and another on the other side.  Let me say here...that lunch was really good.  Since we were in Bethlehem, it was Palestinian food.  It started with the usual mediterranean faire... pita bread, various salads, humus and other spreads.  But they then followed that up with grilled meats (lamb, beef and chicken) with broiled onions and french fries.  Back to Shepherd's field...here is where the shepherds guarded their flocks in caves.  You can look out across the small valley and see caves and imagine sheep grazing with shepherds near by.  We went into a cave and were taught about the history of this  area going back to Moab, Ruth and their descendants all the way to David and then Jesus Christ.  Pretty neat place and feeling...  One note about Bethelehem, it is one of those A areas in the West Bank...pretty much under Palestinian control.  So it was different than Jerusalem in look and feel.  A lot more street selling and hawking going on there.

Next, we drove into downtown Bethlehem to spend rediculous amounts of money on silly stuff.  These buses always take time to drop you off where money can buy things...part of the trip...a yucky part.  That's all I will say.

Our last stop was the Church of the Nativity in the middle of Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, much of it is under renovation.  But this is where they believe the Savior was born.  You go through the church and then they take you into a cave where a star marks the spot where they believe the Savior was born and  laid.  People would prostrate themselves and kiss this place.  Fred did not get so extreme...thankfully!  Again...another sacred spot that has such a special place in our hearts.  I have to pinch myself that I am here experiencing all this.

It was a special day...and could have been even more special if money (commercialism) was left out of it.

Some pictures....

Getting ready to go into the Garden of Gethsemane....

Denise and I in the garden doing a 'selfie'...

One of the many olive trees there still laden with fruit.....

Inside the Church of the Agony.  The mural depicts Christ in agony against a rock...

A cave where they believe Christ spent time with and taught his Disciples....

Sacrament meeing at BYU Jerusalem Center.  It was the Primary Program...and the 6 kids did awesome.  Yes..just 6 (as compared to the 100+ primaries in most Utah Wards).  And yes...I know you are not supposed to take a picture during a church service....but I could not resist.  The picture does not share the beauty of the view as you look out to the old city and see the Dome of the Rock and the city walls.

Another picture looking down a hall out towards the old Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, these were taken behind doors as they would not let people walk around while church services were going on.

An outside garden \ walkway at the BYU Jerusalem...

Shepherd's Field (and valley).  If you look closely, you can see a cave (left of center) where the Shepherds take their sheep and protect them in the night.

A monument to the Shepherd's.  Sorry I only took the back side!

Inside a Shepherd's cave being taught by Dan....

Exchanging filthy lucre.  Crazy to go to Sacrament Meeting then end up here having thiefs hound you to buy their wares...that you usually find later down the street much, much cheaper.  Don't get me started.

The Church of the Nativity.  This is like the Salt Lake Temple in that brides and grooms are lined up to be married.  You can see a wedding going on.

The birth place of Christ.  The start marks the representation of the spot.

This is looking from the back of the cave to the place where Jesus was born...they think.

Outside the Church of the Nativity....

2015 - Israel - Day 5 (Galilee to Dead Sea to Jerusalem)

November 19th....

I don't recall if I noted that Fred and I (and a few others) went for a night time swim in the Sea of Galilee.  If I mentioned that previously...forgive me.  The water was about the same temperature as the air...60's.  It was a bit cool....but ok.  Funny story...when we got to the shore, I put my room key in my shoes and laid my shirt on top of it.  After swimming I forgot about the key.  Since my shoes were sandals, I assumed the key had fallen out once I had reached the Kibutz.  Fred grabbed a flashlight and back we went.  We got all the way down there looking forw the key...but could not find it. I then wondered if it was in my shoe....and IT WAS!  Dumb me!  I'm losing it.

Our first stop today was at the beginning of the Jordan river coming our ot the Sea of Galilee.  We are heading south following the Jordan river to the Dead Sea.  It was an interesting stop as there were some people all in white baptizing and being baptized in the river.  On the door of the visitor center it had times when people could come and be baptized.  The river was really clean unlike the Jordan River that runs through the Salt Lake valley.  😄  It was a quick stop and pretty neat.

The second stop was at a place calle Bet She 'an.  This was a Roman city that has been uncovered with bath houses, theaters, domes where races were done and places where they lived.  It was very large with lots that has been excavated.  This city was very important due to its position at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley, essentially controlling access from Jordan and the inland to the coast, as well as from Jerusalem and Jericho to the Galilee.  The site was amazing and my pictures will not do it justice.

Our third stop was at a National Park where scolls of scripture have been found (Dead Sea Scrolls).  According to our guide, every book in the Bible, except one, had scrolls found here with the writings of those books.  It was interesting to see the place where these scrolls were found.  Pretty cool...

Our fourth stop was at a cosmetic factory.  Yes....a cosmetic factory that makes cosmetics from the chemicals from the Dead Sea.   The Dead Sea is a large body of water full of crazy chemicals.  Nothing lives in the Dead Sea.  Anyway, our bus pulled off there.  Why...if we stop there, our fee to swim in the Dead Sea is free (instead of $15 per person).  Anyway...it was an odd stop and naturally face creams were bought for a significant price.

One thing to note....as we traveled, we could see Palestinian villages on the other side of the border of Jordan.  It is interesting that the fence that is up is half a mile from the Jordan River...which is the true line that divides the two countries.  But it was easier to build a fence where it is....so we were told.  So Israel land is on the other side of the fence....which really seemed to odd.

Our next stop...after a pretty long drive was at Masada.  There we ate a nice lunch before we loaded up and ascended to Masada.  Wikipedia says "Herod the Great built palaces for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE. According to Josephus, the Siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First Jewish–Roman Warended in the mass suicide of 960 people – the Sicarii rebels and their families hiding there.  "  This place was AMAZING....one of the best archeological sites I've been to in all my trips.  I'm amazed that people actualy engineered this and lived up there for many years.  The pictures will not do this justice.  

Lastly, we drove to a place on the Dead Sea that allowed you to swim in the Dead Sea.  To do this, we all went into a communal bath to put on our swim suits.  In the mens area...no stalls...all open.  Lots of bare bodies showering and changing their clothes.  It has been a long time since I've been in such a setting!  Anyway...we walked down to the waters edge...go in and began to float.  When you got out to water hat is chest high...it became hard to stand because you float.  You can see people from the chest up out of the water and they were not touching the bottom.  That is how boyant you are.  Pretty crazy.  Supposedly, the water has a healing effect on your body due to all the chemicals there.  You were encouraged to rub your skin with the mud and many did that.  Denise and Khrista looked like they got into a mud fight!  So funny.  It was a great stop.

After showering with all of Israel and India, we drove 40 minutes to a very nice hotel here in Jerusalem passing the Mount of Olives and the BYU Center.  We'll be seeing both tomorrow.  To close out the day, we had a wonderful buffet meal and listened to our guide Dan speak about Jewish history in preparation for tomorrow.   

Our trip is over half complete.  We will be three nights here Jerusalem and then head home.  So much to see here though.  It is going to be fun.

Pictures...

Jordan River entrance....

The River....

Believers.....

Bet She'An

Columns from one of the many bath houses....

The Theater.....

Still alive and kicking....

Bus travel is our way of life....

Qumran site where the Dead Sea scrolls were uncovered...you can see caves on the side of the hill...

This is cave #4...the most famous cave where scrolls were found.

Examples of how the scrolls were found....

Cosmetic Factory....

Sooo interesting....a presentation on cosmetics.  Really?  :-)

Masada entrance....

Example of the mountain where the fortress was built.....

Our ascent from the valley floor to the top of the mountain....

It was a big area full of findings of Herod's fortress.  Some say he never even came there...they have no proof.  But why wouldn't he?  

More ruins...

This is an example of how part of the fortress looked on PART of the mountain.  So high up...think about how you deal with water, food, etc. in such a high remote place.  Crazy...

I found a survivor of the 600+ who took their lives here....

Tired group of travelers... The Tiner's, Payne's and Dixon's.

Before we left, our guide told us that only two Americans had ever died in Israel due to terrorism.  One was when a few where hanging out with the military and they were bombed.  Standing by these Israeli soldiers...well...should I have felt safe?

Dead Sea float....