The City of David

Due to my crazy schedule yesterday, I was unable to write a post, so I'll be pulling double duty to cover today and tomorrow. Let's just say that yesterday was probably one of the most memorable days of my life. I'll try to touch on everything that we did!

Broad Wall
We began early in the morning, at about 7:30. I was thankful, since it was much cooler than the previous afternoon, though I am beginning to ache from all the walking we're doing. The Bible wasn't kidding when it references Jerusalem as the "a city of hills and valleys." We came to the remains of Hezekiah's wall he built around the tunnel in case of Assyrian attack. It was huge - at least a couple of metres thick. Interestingly, Hezekiah probably had to purchase homes that were in the way of the construction project, just like highways today. You can even see archaeological evidence of the walls of houses that the Broad Wall covered.

City of David
We trekked down the hills to the barely distinguishable Eastern Hill, where the 'original' Jerusalem was located. Today, that Jerusalem is known as the City of David. The recent commercialization and popularity of the area attracts a LOT of tourists, my new favorite group to hate (even though I'm pretty much one as well). Contrary to my usual visions of Jerusalem, the Eastern Hill is barely distinguishable among the piles of white buildings. It's also surrounding on all sides by much more imposing mountains. Also, the City of David only covered a ten-acre space. We looked at Psalm 121 and went through the references to the specific geography of the area. It was amazing.

Hezekiah's Tunnel
Hezekiah dug the tunnel to re-do the city's water system in case of an (imminent) Assyrian attack. Apparently, the system wasn't working correctly, so Hezekiah chose. Since the tunnel's discovery, the Israelis have turned it into a tourist attraction. OurWe're talking a three-foot-wide, dank, dark tunnel through bedrock, many feet underground. Filled with icy spring water, no less. For anyone who knows anything about me, you know that I am scared of the dark. So, when Dr. Wright suggested that we turn off all of our flashlights at once for the 'fun' of it, I was somewhat disconcerted. Instead, it turned out to be a thrilling experience.

Pool of Siloam
For those who don't remember (I didn't), the Pool of Siloam is where Jesus told the man born blind to wash and be healed. After emerging from the bowels of the earth, we visited the remains of the place. The pool wasactually Roman, but is thought to be nearby the "King's Garden" that the Bible references so often in the Old Testament. Folding out ruins and smoothing the edges according to imagination can be a difficult task, but it's necessary for a full sensory experience of the stories we're tracing through the rock.


Church of the Holy Sepulcher and The Western Wall
We got special permission to visit the Church after hours, from 9 pm to midnight, with the Armenian Orthodox priest Father Samuel. Then, afterwards, we traveled to the Jewish Quarter and then to the Western Wall at 1 a.m. In one night, within a few hours of each other, we visited two of the holiest sites in the world. It was probably one of the most amazing nights of my life, though heavily weighted with questions and the evidence of division. Tradition is bread and breath to the people here, and Protestants usually view it with such disdain. We are often so disconnected from that Dr. Lauber terms the "sacramental imagination" of the Catholics, a deep connection of the body and spirit that has no division for them.

Sometimes I wonder if this trip is opening up more questions than granting answers.