The Construction of the Temple

Going down into the tunnels below the Temple Mount was amazing - and a little bit claustrophobic.

I already shared my favorite part of that trip here. My second favorite part was learning about the construction itself. The deeper we went, we were able to see the difference between the stones. The ones further down were larger, more like bedrock, chiseled with much simpler tools.

(you can see above where the bedrock from the 1st Temple was joined with the stones from the second Temple)

The higher we travelled, including walking outside to the Western Wall, we were able to see how the stones were more square or rectangular in shape, constructed with more "modern" tools. The ones closest to the ground level (they continue even lower) are so large they weigh several tons.

The Wailing Wall

After entering Jerusalem, we went straight to the Temple Mount, where we spent time at the Wailing Wall. Originally part of the Second Temple (constructed by Herod), this is the closest remaining portion to the old Temple.

Herod's Temple was destroyed in AD 70, and ever since then, Jews from around the world have visited in efforts to be as close to the old Temple as possible.

There are two sections, one for women and one for men. You can approach the wall and and place a written prayer into the cracks. 

After placing my own prayer request in the cracks, I joined my group for a tour of the underground tunnels. 

BIG NEWS!!!

I have big, exciting news!

Next week I'll be going to ROME!!!!

I cannot wait; I've always wanted to go and explore this beautiful city personally. I'll also be able to visit the Vatican, and I am so excited!

For now, I'll continue with stories of Israel, but be looking for updates from Rome after.

The Secret of the Date Palm

As we headed south towards the Dead Sea, we saw many groves for date palms along the road—miles and miles of orderly lines of beautiful, stately palm trees growing... in the desert.

My tour guide explained to us two very interesting things: 1st - about the process of drip irrigation and 2nd, a really interesting phenomenon that was discovered upon the date palms growing in the region of the Dead Sea. It turns out that the salt in the ground actually make the fruit sweeter.

Needless to say, I've added a little bit of salt to my fruits and vegetables ever since. 

The View from Mount Scopus

Entering Jerusalem for the first time was one of the most incredible experiences. We rode up the mountain and suddenly our tour guide started playing an old hymn.

Suddenly, there it was—the beautiful limestone city of Jerusalem.