May 12 - Jerusalem Tour

Monday

We started the day with a devotion and Old Testament bread/wine ceremony at the Mt. Of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. Rev. Shor pointed out that the Bible uses the word "Jerusalem" 811 times. The Koran uses "Jerusalem" 0 times. Yet Islam attempts to create a "holy" place at every Christian/Jewish holy site.

Models of Solomon's Temple and the city around it as they appeared in Jesus' day were a great help for us in visualizing the meaning of the ruins that we saw each day in Jerusalem. A model city (1/5 size) of Jerusalem of Jesus' day was SO interesting.

Bits of Information:
When palm branches waved at Jesus' entry into city: palm branches were "code" for kicking out Romans.
Thorn bush near Caiphus place may have been the type used for crown of thorns.



Jesus called Pharisees "whitewashed tombs." Nice on outside only.
Many such tombs in area.



Koran: Abraham married Haggai. Ishmael is legitimate son. Sarah was slave. Isaac was illegitimate son. Insist that our version was "doctored."
UN headquarters in Israel and Caiphus' place built on "Hill of Evil Counsel"
Israel's 25' high wall dividing Arabs and Israelies in Jerusalem has stopped 90% of the suicide bombings. The world is angry because the wall stops Arabs needing Israel's services from receiving them.
Manasseh (Hezekiah's son) was Israel's worst king -- live child sacrifice to Molech.
Schmulik taught us about the "salesmen" who would surround us at each stop. He asked us not to deal with them until after his presentation, to just say one clear "no," and avoid eye contact, and to bargain for lower prices (by giving us a example of a Nigerian woman who just kept saying kept saying ($80).
I didn't go into the church of Peter's denial and missed the pit that has been unearthed underneath that is very likely where Jesus was held until morning when He could be taken to Caiphas.
The Garden of Gethsemane was so peaceful. I had wanted to touch one of the old olive trees that was here in Jesus' time, but there was a fence around the whole area. Schmulik says the current olive trees there are not 2000 years old anyway, but they sure look that old.



One lady reached underneath to try to retrieve a small stone from the garden. I'm sure this is why it is fenced.
Knesset - Jewish Parliament - where President Bush will visit this week. He also will go to the museum of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Josephus says that each of the 162 columns in Herod's temple needed 3 men to reach around it.
The outer wall of Jerusalem wasn't there in Jesus' day. It was built by the rebels to attempt to defend Jerusalem before it fell to Titus in 67 A.D.
The poor of Jerusalem so heavily taxed that they rebelled rather than becoming slaves. They burned the archives to destroy the records of their debts.
Queen Hediate of Iraq built 4 palaces near the Temple.
Dead Sea Scrolls Museum - our visit was too hurried.
Holocaust Museum - so very well done. We'd like to spend more time there.
Children's Memorial - chilling



Schmulik gave us an overview of part of the history of Jerusalem:

1800 BC Abraham called to sacrifice Isaac on Mt. Moriah (Dome of the Rock)
1500 BC Moses brings the people back / Judges / Kings
1000 BC King at Hebron, then Jerusalem
(Mountains all around/not defensible /"Lord is my defense."
Solomon's temple on Mt. Moriah (First Temple Period)
586 BC Babylonian Captivity/Persian/Ezra 70 years
Solomon's Temple destroyed by Assyrians
516 BC Return from Captivity - Beginning of Second Temple Period
333 BC Alexander the Great, Beginning of Greek influence and worship
167 BC Antipas forbids circumcision, sacrifices pig on altar
2nd Century
B.C. Maccabees/Greeks out/Jews independent - Hasmoneans restore Israel to King David's boundaries. Local populations must convert to
Judaism or leave. Idumea family (Herod) "convert."
King and High Priest argue. Call in Roman general Pompey to mediate. 63 B.C. Pompey rules that neither may rule and that Rome should take over Herod hides family at Masada. Buddies up to Rome
37 B.C. Herod the Great proclaimed King of the Jews.
Collects taxes for own use.
Herod rebuilds and expands Jewish temple in Jerusalem and builds fortified palaces all over Israel including Caesarea, Massada, etc.
18 B.C Temple considered 8th wonder of ancient world.
4-6 B.C. Christ born (Herod dies 4 B.C.)
30 A.D. Christ crucified
37 A.D. Historian Josephus born (found to be very accurate)
67-70 A.D. Jewish rebellion / Titus destroys Jerusalem. 2nd temple period ends.
135 A.D. Bar Kochba revolt. Hadrian Caesar finishes off Jewish rebellion and defiles Jewish holy sites. Builds pagan temples on holy sites.
Calls land Palestine after the Philistines to humiliate Jews.
133 A.D Hadrian supresses a Jewish rebellion. He flattens /rebuilds Jerusalem as a Roman wn.
345 A.D. Constantine proclaims his empire Christian and his mother, Helena, travels to Israel to identify Christian sites and to build monuments at each.
7th CA.D. Mohammed starts Islam. Koran
Mohammed's followers conquer Palestine-influx of Arabs
638 A.D. Arabs annex Jerusalem
749 A.D. Earthquake destroys much of Jerusalem
1099-1290 Crusades - Rule by Salad Hudene
1453 Turks rule. Ottoman Empire
1917 British Mandate (50% Jews/50% Arabs)
1947 UN declares Israel independence. Arabs attack and Israel wins much Arab territory. Arabs harass and shoot at Israel from Golan Heights for 19 years.
1967 7 day Israel war - Israel takes Golan Heights. UN wants 1947 boundaries, but King Hussein doesn't want Arabs back, and Israel doesn't want Arabs shooting at them again.