The West Wall and Jericho

Our day began at the Western Wall of the temple mount, where Jews come daily to pray (the women have one part of the wall, then a wall separates them for the section given to the men). We watched a Bar Mitzvah take place, with the women standing on chairs to peek over the wall.

After the Seven Day War in 1967, the Hebrew Antiquities Authority drew together a team of archeologists to excavate by the western wall. Part of their excavation was to create a tunnel which covers the expanse of that wall at the level of King Herod ' s time (the Second Temple period).

We took a picture of our feet walking on the original street, paved in limestone, that existed two thousand years ago.

It was a powerful experience to touch that ancient wall, and to be near the spiritual fervor of those praying.

Afterwards we met up with Yusuf, who took us back to the West Bank, this time to the oldest city in the world--10,000 years of human habitation--Jericho, which is under the governance  of the Palestinian National Authority.

We began with a cable car ride up to the Church of the Temptation which is set among a series of caves where reportedly Jesus spent 40 days fasting, and being tempted by Satan. It seemed somehow fitting to visit here during Ramadan, when all the Muslims in Israel are fasting daily for thirty days.

This area is well below sea level, where the sun is intensely hot. Under that blazing sun we climbed about a million (possibly I'm exaggerating), stone steps to reach the church.

There is a cross etched into the stone where Jesus was said to have been ministered to by angels when His ordeal was completed.

Afterwards we visited the excavation site of the original Jericho, and saw a short film clip describing the many eras between Neolithic humankind, where agriculture, the domestication of animals, and pottery were all invented, through the bronze and iron ages, Joshua, the time of the Judges, the kings of Israel, through to today. This is the Fertile Crescent, cradle of humanity.

Afterwards Yusuf took us to a wonderful Arabic restaurant where we feasted on all kinds of salads, and drank lemonade mixed with fresh, crushed mint leaves.

Next we drove past an ancient sycamore tree up which Zaccheus is said to have climbed in order to see Jesus.

Then we drove through a military wasteland in order to reach the River Jordan, to the spot where Jesus was reportedly baptized. Dave and I each dipped our hands in the water to wet each others' heads with a blessing.

We took a picture of Yusuf, prayed for him and thanked him for two amazing, wonderful days.

Our last treat of the day was to observe Jupiter and Venus aligning over the roof of our hotel. This alignment is possibly the astronomical phenomenon which drew the magi of old to Bethlehem.