Israel // Day Nine

The Temple Mount, one of my favorite places. These steps and walls have been here for thousands of years, and we were able to walk on the very steps that Jesus and His followers walked up to enter into the temple. Somehow the order of this day's pictures got mixed up. The temple mount was one of the last places we saw. Oh, well.

These are the steps on the southern side of the temple which was the main entrance.

Hezekiah's tunnel. King Hezekiah re-routed the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem's water source, and brought it into the city through a tunnel which ended in the Pool of Siloam. In John 9, .Jesus put mud on the eyes of a blind man and sent him to wash his eyes in the Pool of Siloam, and the man was healed.

The Pool of Siloam.

The temple mount as seen from the Mount of Olives right across the valley from the mount.

Olives Trees at the Church of All Nations which sits at Gethsemane.

The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. This wall was the closest to the Holy of Holies, so when Jews come here they are coming to be near to where the presence of God was located.

Excavations farther down the Western Wall.

A reproduction of the pinnacle of the temple mount. Here is where the trumpeter would have stood and blown the shofar. This may be the place that Satan took Jesus in Matthew 4 when he was tempting Him.

Israel // Day Eight

Driving through the desert.

At Mareshah, there are dozens of caves which are currently being excavated. Here, we were able to do a little bit of digging in one of the caves and then crawl through one which was yet to be excavated. Such a cool experience unless you're claustrophobic. 

Israel's national flower, the anemone. 

No, we did not find all of this pottery, but these shards were all found in the caves.

The outside of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

The end of the museum opened up overlooking the part of the city that has grown up since the Holocaust to show that, even with all the awful things that happened during that time, there is still hope.

In the Garden of the Righteous, there are trees dedicated to Gentiles who risked their lives to help the Jews. This tree was dedicated to Corrie ten Boom and her family. Around the time that she passed away, the tree dedicated to her also died, so this new one was planted.

This is the view from my hotel room in Jerusalem.

end of the semester happy things

rewatching my favorite tv shows (this week, it's Doctor Who and Merlin)

crowding as many people into one car as possible to visit Chick-Fil-A

field trips that end in creek splashing, sunsets, and campfires

touring Grounds for Sculpture, a beautiful sculpture garden

playing card games outside for hours after finals are over

eating real food in a real house thanks to some kind profs

blossoming trees all along the main campus walkway

starting an instagram for my shop

pinning haircut inspiration

staying up way too late

crepes with nutella

goodbyes

freshman year is over.

Israel // Day Seven

Masada, the great fortress built by Herod the Great. This elaborate mountain top fortress boasted huge water cisterns and a three-tiered palace. When Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D., many Jews fled here where they were besieged by the Romans for three years. They eventually built a ramp up the side of the mountain, but when they finally stormed the fortress they discovered that all but five of the 960 Jews had committed suicide rather than be enslaved by the Romans.

Some people in our group hiked up, but most of us decided it was too hot to hike, so we rode the cable car.

We waved to our fellow students as they labored up the path.

The entrance to one of the cisterns.

The Jews were able to survive here for three years because they had so much water and food stored in cisterns like this one.

Remains of one of Herod's mosaic floors. 

A model of Herod's fortress.

Outline of one of the Roman camps around the mountain.

En Gedi

About 10 miles north of Masada is a place called En Gedi where there are three levels of waterfalls. The cliffs here are full of caves, and at one time David came here while fleeing from the wrath of King Saul.

View of the Dead Sea from En Gedi.

Journal excerpt:

Today was rough at times. It was hotter than yesterday, which makes everyone tired and cranky. Between the heat, exhaustion, and constantly needing to go to the bathroom, it was easy to lose sight of how amazing this experience is. Tomorrow, I definitely need to be taking my focus off myself and focusing instead on God and those around me.

There's something so restful about being near water. When I am able to relax by the water, I feel at peace. It reminds me that since Jesus in the Living Water, I can have that peace all the time if I allow myself to open up to my Savior and trust in Him.

The sun has gone down. The lights reflect off the surface of the Dead Sea. Over the sound of cars and people talking, I can still hear wildlife. Various types of birds are chirping all around the hotel. Just outside this small cluster of hotels and shops, the mountainous desert stretches as far as the eye can see, while on the other side the Dead Sea blends in with the sky and only one city that is brightly lit can be distinguished from the blue horizon.

I have enjoyed getting to know everyone better and seeing how much we all care about one another. When someone needs water, someone else shares with them. When one of the older ladies on the trip was walking on slippery rocks, one of the students took her arm and helped her. When I was moving slowly and stumbling on the En Gedi hike today, several of the guys stuck with me to make sure I was okay. When people were missing luggage, everyone else pitched in and gave them what they needed. 

This trip is helping us students to grow closer together through experiences which are totally different than what we do back at school. I have had so many good talks with various people that probably would not have happened at school. I am seeing people in a new light as we open up to each other. I love this part of the experience as much as I love just being in Israel.