Ashdod, Israel and day in Jerusalem
Your full-day, moderately active guided journey to experience Jerusalem's major sites begins at the pier where you will board your air-conditioned motorcoach for a 60-minute drive from verdant coastal plains to the stony hills of Judea.
And grape vines
Who knew there were Pirates here!
Fighter Jets from a local air base
As you arrive at your destination, have your camera ready for a photo stop at Mount Scopus, or Olives, which offers awe-inspiring views of the Kidron Valley and the beautiful, holy walled city of Jerusalem.
Cemeteries with graves facing the Temple Mount and Holy City
Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, located within the walled grounds of the Church of All Nations overlooking Jerusalem. This peaceful garden featuring a grove of ancient olive trees is the site where Judas betrayed Christ. The church, built in 1924 with funds from many different countries, enshrines the Rock of Agony where Christ endured his Passion.
Touching the Rock of Agony
On the way to Mt. Zion
Journey to Mount Zion to visit Canaculum, the room where Christ and his Apostles dined at the Last Supper, and encounter the Tomb of King David where a massive cenotaph (adorned with 22 silver crowns representing the Kings of Israel who succeeded him), marks the tomb's location.
Men and Women had different areas to visit the Tomb of King David
Enjoy a guided walking tour through the Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem's oldest quarter) past the Cardo Maximus, the Roman high street built by The Emperor Hadrian in 135 A.D. when Jerusalem was the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina.
The outer walls were speckled with bullet holes from past battles for control of the city
There were security throughout the area. These on duty and some were there as part of their training (getting educated on the past so they could be prepared for the future). Laughed at the bulletin board with pictures of Tim Tebow and Tom Cruise, and wanting to tell the US that they have our back.
The Spanish Courtyard for lunch
Who knew we would see Maryland here??
Walking scared paths
The one thing about this area, it is not a separate tourist area. The Holy sites are right with house, schools, and businesses. So as walked the same paths as those in the bible, there we walked with preschool kids, past grade schools, and watched a bar mitzvah at the Western Wall,
Balloons released for the Bar Mitzvah
The mural showed what this area of shops looked like in ancient times. The artist added the young boy with a backpack and his hat on backward to show that today you are walking into past.
Map of the old city and excavated columns.
Take in the majestic wonder of the Western Wall or "Wailing Wall." Part of the Temple Mount foundation erected by Herod the Great and destroyed by Rome in 70 A.D., this massive wall is the most sacred Jewish site in Jerusalem. From the plaza view the Temple Mount and enjoy the breathtaking views of the El Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, sacred Muslim sites.
The Dome of the Rocks over the wall
Placing prayers in the cracks of the Wall
After the Western Wall and as we walked further, we stopped at a Spice Store. Plenty of samples to entice everyone.
Walk along Via Dolorosa (The Way of Suffering), the narrow, cobbled road that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, to Golgotha where he was crucified. Your walk begins at the 5th station of the cross and proceeds towards the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the 12th-century church believed to enshrine the sites of Christ's crucifixion, entombment, and resurrection.
Station 5 where Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.
Station 6 where Veronica wipes Jesus's face
Station 7, Jesus falls for the 2nd time
Other sites as we continued the walk
The know Buckeye nation is world wide!!
Stop at a store with a lot of hand carved items including large nativity scenes
Could see this church from the store and believe it is the Church of John the Baptist
Security was throughout the area
We have some long established businesses in the US but this tattoo parlor has been in business since the 1300s and over 27 generations of the same family.
Nearing the Church of the Holy Sepulcre and the last four Stations of the Cross
Church of the Holy Sepulcre is actually many chapels within a large building covering the area of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection.
In this big area with a dome roof over the chapel that covers the spot of the burial.
Entering the chapel
Hundreds of years ago, a marble slab was placed on top of the site to protect it from the many pilgrims who came to the site
We then walked up the steps (and up the hill) to Calvary and the site of cruxification
There is actually two chapels next to each other at the site. This is the Catholic chapel
The Rock where the cruxification took place is covered here and is them beneath the alter of Greek Orthodox chapel. You crawl under the alter and can place your hand into a hole to touch the Rock
Back down the steps and there was a wall that showed them them taking Jesus down from the cross and the preparing of the body for burial.
This is the slab that is believed to be where they prepared the body with oils. Oil drips from the lamps above onto the slab. People are putting these oils on different items
So the final four stations of the Cross are within the Church of the Holy Sepulcre.
After the Church, as we exited the gate in the wall, we took one last look on this remarkable place.
Heading back to the ship we saw some some more interesting things
There were protests throughout Israel because of proposed changes to the Judicial system
Never got close enough to know what the fire was
Pulling out a few hours late. Heard that part of the protests was that some workers went on strike in the afternoon. This included the dock workers and they left. After the Prime Minister changed course on the changes, they came back. A couple hours late but we got away.
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