The Jerusalem Archeology Park

We knew the archeological park would take a day, so we settled into the site to really enjoy what the Antiquities Authority has uncovered so far, next to the temple mount.

Not in any particular order, we walked through both temple periods. The first temple was built by King Solomon, and actual walls fortified by King David, as well as parts of his palace have been uncovered, leading up to the first temple period.

We also saw the Huldah Gate, long since bricked in, the remnants of a magnificent arch built by King Herod in the second temple period, and the promonade of ancient storefronts.

Outside the original Jebusite wall of antiquity is another wall built by Suleiman the Great, the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Jerusalem and rebuilt the Dome of the Rock to what it appears today.

We climbed up the steep staircase to the rim inside the wall built for the guards and archers who defended the Ottoman Empire's capitol. Walking along the rim gave us a magnificent panoramic view of the city.

Our climb back down brought is into an in-between place, with great stones from the second temple period giving way to far older stones from the first temple period. Just then a tenor so pure it was like the music of an oboe sang from a minaret calling all Muslims to prayer. Haunting and beautiful. Then another voice sang from a nearer minaret, and finally a third oboe began his melody in a minor key from the great mosque on the temple mount.

We were caught up in the uniqueness of this world, the faint sound of the shofar by the Jewish Wailing Wall, the minarets' call to Muslim prayer, and two Christians reveling in God's presence here.

Right next to the archeological park is a building dedicated to the rebuilding of the temple. Though we didn't go inside, we did climb to their roof where a replica of Herod ' s temple stands right across from the Dome of the Rock. We were reminded of the first stone we saw as we entered the archeological park, marble from the temple that had been thrown down in fury by Roman soldiers in 70 A.D., with the inscription, "To the trumpeters..."

Afterwards we walked through the narrow limestone cobbled streets of the Old City and had shawarma and juice in the Jewish Quarter--mango for me, strawberry and banana for Dave. Later we walked from stall to stall along King David Street which divides the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian quarters, and haggle till we were weary over Bedouin embroidered rugs.

We ended our day with an American couple,  friends if friends, who are going to the University on a visa. They told us about how frightening it was to have lived through the last three years of terrorism, and yet how much they love their life here.