Jerusalem 1

We spent quite a bit of time in Jerusalem. Upon arrival, Avner took us up on Mt. Scopes, where we could look over the entire city. We saw the Dome of the Rock, the golden-domed mosque that is on top of the temple mound, which is Mt. Moriah (where Abraham brought Issac). Avner brought us salted bread as a gift, which he says is very symbolic to the Jewish people.

We also took a short tour of the government buildings of Jerusalem. We saw the Supreme Court building, the central bank of Israel and other government buildings. We went through the rose garden, which has people camping out in tents protesting. Avner said they can stay for a few months up to a year in these gardens until they get what they want or they give up.

We also saw the giant manorah. It was really tall and had depictions of various Bible stories carved on it. Scenes of David and Goliath, Moses and other figures are on the top, while the Hebrew words for "Hear me, Lord!" adorn the bottom.

We saw the place where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, but it was in Jerusalem where we saw the real things inside the museum dedicated to them. A cave-shaped museum, the whole thing is supposed to simulate being in the caves where they found them. It's dark inside, with only the scrolls themselves lit up. I was so interested in these that I embarrassed myself. The displays that held the different scrolls were an optical allusion-- though they appeared to be a glass window, they were in fact slanted. I was so intent in reading one that my face got closer and closer until suddenly I hit my head against the glass. Bang. Talk about feeling like a bird in those Windex commercials.

We also saw the model of ancient Jerusalem, which I like to call a Barbie's dreamland. Everything is proportionately laid out, with every inch representing a meter in real-life. The temple was reconstructed, the land of David and all the surrounding houses and markets. I was picturing how much fun I would have had playing with it as a child, walking Barbie around in the temple when one of the guys said, "Man, I would love to play Godzilla and tear everything down!" Boys! I also had an embarrassing experience in the museum that goes along with this Jerusalem replica. That day was a bad hair day, ok? Everyone has them. I find a mirror and decide to fix the situation. I pull my hair down, shake it around a little bit, make a disgusted face in the mirror and attempt to pull it up in a decent-looking ponytail. Suddenly, the mirror slides away from me and two Israeli soldiers come out, looking at me strangely. Oh, how I love two-way mirrors.

We went into the city where John the Baptist grew up and went to a church in his honor. We also went up on the Mount of Olives. Not only was the view amazing from it, but just knowing the historical significance made it more than just a mountain. Also, there are graves all over it because people pay lots of money to be buried here-- in hopes that facing the Dome of the Rock will make them first to enter heaven. Somehow I think heaven isn't like Disney World with a fast pass.

We also saw the "Tear of the Master" church (Domini Flavet) which is also referred to as the Church of All Nations because it is maintained by churches around the world.