Israel, Day 4

Today we began with a walk to the temple mount. This area is the big square box over Mt. Moriah where the Temple once stood. After the Roman destruction in AD 70, the area has changed hands many times. Since the 700's it has been under Muslim control. It felt a bit strange to be in one of the most Holy places of Islam and Judaism... especially since I'm not Jewish or Muslim. We were watched the whole time and had to leave at 10:00 to make space for the Muslim call to prayer. We had a chance to walk by the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa mosque. In Hebrew and Muslim tradition, beneath the Dome, where the Holy of Holy stood and where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, stands the Foundation stone. This stone represents the presence of God and the very first piece of matter created by God. This is why the temple mount is so sacred and controversial. There are only a few places where the bedrock of Mt. Moriah can be seen, under the Dome, on top of the Temple mount and beneath the mount inside the western wall tunnels where excavation began in the 1970's.
After the Temple mount we visited the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the cripple (John 5). Archaeology has uncovered a good portion of the southern pool and some Roman ruins built on top of this area. There is also a beautiful French Catholic church there were we all sang "I love you Lord" together. It sounded amazing.
From there we went through the Muslim quarter of the city. It's not nearly as nice, neat, pleasant or interesting as the rest. It did however get us back to the Jewish quarter where we returned to the Wailing wall and had some time to pray. At the wall were dozens of young boys celebrating their Bar Mitzvah along with fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles and friends. It was fascinating to see these traditions played out here. Moms, grandmothers, aunts and sisters watched from the women's side where they cheered and threw candy.
I spent a little time at the wall praying. I couldn't help but think about the conflict in this place and wonder when Jesus will return to make it all new. How wonderful will it be when there is no need for a temple or a temple mount because Jesus is our temple and His presence will fill the earth! I spent longer than I planned at the wall praying but it wasn't anything deeply spiritual. Cold stone doesn't come close to the blessing of actually being the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This thought, that I am the Temple of the Holy Spirit, is what kept me at the wall in worship and gratitude. The wall just happened to be the most appropriate and available place to pray.
For lunch, I had the best falafle I've ever had (sorry Jocelyn, your's are good but these had french fries on top!).
After lunch we changed and visited the City of David. This is the area David captured from the Jebusites as he assumed the reign in Israel. This area stretches from the bottom of the Kidron valley up to Mt. Moriah where the Temple stood and in-between the spring of Gihon and the western valley. It's not really that large but it was all that David needed at the time. He conquered this city by entering a dry water tunnel that the Canaanites built nearly 1000 years earlier to secure water from the Gihon spring. This is the same spring that Hezekiah tapped in about 700 bc in order to bring water into the city walls and stave off the Syrian invasion. This tunnel is 500 meters long and winds down and around the bottom of Mt. Moriah. The fall from the spring to the pool of Shilom inside the city walls was less than 30 cm over that 500 meter stretch. We walked the entire length of that tunnel, through the water and out by the pool of Shilom. This is where Jesus sent the blind man to wash in John 7. It was also the source for water in the old city and the temple. This was a very important pool in the history of Israel. It was all due to Hezekiah's courage to do what most would consider to be impossible.
The walk was fun, dark, long and very interesting. In a few places we could see where the tunnel jogged to adjust and eventually connect. There were torch holders and small notches for tools and supplies. Nobody really knows how this project was done but it still boggles the mind and it still works to this day.
After dinner we traveled down to the Western wall and toured the tunnels beneath the city. This Western wall is the most treasured wall of the Temple mount since it is the closest to the foundation stone and the Holy of Holies. From these tunnels we could see original stones from the Herodian temple mount, Muslim construction on top of this and some Christian reconstruction from a 200 year stretch in which Crusaders controlled Jerusalem. Many artifacts and treasures have been found in these tunnels but digging has stopped since Muslims in control of the temple mount have strictly (and brutally) forbid it. It was fascinating to see and touch the various levels and layers of history right in front of me... like a big cake. I think seeing the history, geology and geography has been the most fascinating. It all makes so much more sense when viewed in person.
Our tour guide through the tunnels was a 26 year old Jewish girl from Maine who moved to Israel at 17 to pursue her faith. She now teaches at a Hebrew school... 7th grade! We talked a bunch afterward about the difference in culture and how kids grow up and interact. She said that kids here are much more difficult than American kids. It made me love my job all the more. :-)