A Morning Walk up the Mount of Olives

Today in Jerusalem I took advantage of the cool morning air to hike to the top of the Mount of Olives.

Looking up toward Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives

After a light Israeli breakfast my journey began by turning right out of the door at the Abraham Hostel.

Rothschild Hospital in Jerusalem

I walked down HaNevi’im Street, or the street of the Prophets.

An Italian Hospital, now Israel Ministry of Education in Jerusalem

There are many interesting old buildings from the British era and before.

Shops near the Damascus Gate

I turned onto Sultan Suleiman Street, where I saw several markets selling fresh food.

Small shop with fresh fruit

Sultan Suleiman is an Ottoman ruler who built the current walls of Jerusalem about 500 AD.

Man with cart near the Damascus Gate

I came up to the wall at the Damascus Gate,

Approaching the Damascus Gate

Where an old Roman gate can be seen below the entrance.

The Two Damascus Gates

I walked through the Walls of Jerusalem National Park and passed Zedekiah’s Cave.

Zedekiah's Cave

The walls are built on high bedrock in this area.

Walls of Jerusalem on Bedrock

Vendors were setting up the market at Herod’s gate (Flower Gate) as I passed.

Herod's Gate

Then I took a walkway through an Islamic cemetery.

Mount of Olives from Islamic Cemetery

I got a great view of Lion’s Gate from the cemetery which stood above the gate.

Stephen Gate in Jerusalem

From there I went into the Kidron Valley,

Kindron Valley, Absalom's Tomb in the valley

And passed the Church of St. Mary. There is a grotto here where Jesus prayed on the night he was arrested.

Grotto of the Virgin Mary

Also an Orthodox church, which is supposedly the place where the Virgin Mary was buried. This cave is quite ornate.

Tomb of the Virgin Mary

The Church of All Nations with its ancient Olive Trees is across the street.

Church of All Nations - Old Olive Trees

I found a set of stairs and walked up.

Stairs leading to top of Mount of Olives

The walk afforded great views!

View of Jerusalem from Olivet's Steps

There was a trail through an Olive Grove where I could picture King David and Jesus walking as they traversed the Mount of Olives.

Path through the Olive Orchard

The stairs were like a road with homes along the way.

Doorway along the steps

At the top I reached Pater Noster Church, which is reported to be a place where Jesus taught. This might have been the place he prayed on his last night.

Pater Noster Church from Entrance

There was a 10 shekel charge to get in, and my wallet was back at the Hostel, so I looked from the entrance, and decided to come back at some time.

Mosque of the Ascension

I walked over to the Church of the Ascension.

Dome of the Ascension

I listened to a guide inside,

The Place where Jesus ascended to heaven - Acts 1:8

Who explained the footprint of Jesus left at this spot.

Heel mark can be seen on the left

It was an interesting walk. I saw many of the tings I wrote about in my book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey. (If you have not bought one yet, now is the time to click the link and order your copy.)

The Gate into Jerusalem

The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.” (Ezekiel 44:1-3)

The Golden Gate into Jerusalem

Originally the gate was built during the reign of King Solomon. It was placed to the east of the new Temple because the sole entrance for the Tabernacle was placed on the east, in the direction of the rising sun. The priests used the gate to send the scapegoat away from the Temple and to take the Red Heifer to the Mount of Olives. After the first Temple was destroyed, Ezekiel said the Messiah would eventually enter through this gate.

The Golden Gate and the Dome of the Rock

In about the year 30 AD, Mark tells us, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven’ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts.” (11:8-11)

The road from Mount of Olives to Jerusalem

The Messiah entered the gate on a donkey according to the prophecies of Genesis 49:11, Psalm 118:22-29; Ezekiel 46:12; and Zechariah 9:9. He spent the week teaching in the Temple, and then he gave the gift of life, according to the prophecies, on the cross. Jesus was buried in the tomb for three days. Then he arose from the dead, walked among his disciples for forty days, and ascended to heaven east of the Temple and its Golden Gate, on the Mount of Olives.

A bird's eye view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

It is believed that Jesus will enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate when He returns in what is called the second coming. This is because when the Spirit left the Temple in Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar deported Israel, the Spirit flew above the Golden Gate and over the Mount of Olives.

An inside view of the Golden Gate

“Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God.” (Ezekiel 11:22-24)

Looking from Temple Mount past the Golden Gate to Olivet

I have written much more about the Golden Gate and its stories in a kindle book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey. This $2 book is an excellent resource for anyone traveling to Israel. It goes beyond the normal guide books to tell over 250 stories about the sites most tourists visit.

An excellent guide book for travelers to Israel

I learned a lot about the land of the Bible through three visits and by writing Israel: Stories for Your Journey (1.99 on Kindle), Many questions and ideas I formed about stories in the Bible were answered through seeing and studying the geography of the land. I invite you to visit Israel or read my book to learn more.

The Dung Gate of Jerusalem

By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. (Nehemiah 2:13)

A Bar Mitzvah near the Dung Gate

The Dung Gate could also be considered the trash gate because it was the most common place to dump the city’s refuse. One reason for this is that the Dung Gate was at the lowest point in Jerusalem. Beyond the gate was a steep drop-off into the Hinnom Valley. People in the city threw their trash over the cliff and down to the bottom of the valley so the people of Jerusalem would never see their trash anymore.

Exiting Buses near the Dung Gate

The dung gate of Jerusalem received its name because a cattle market existed at this place in the past. Livestock were brought in through the gate and sold in a market. When the animals were sold, butchers were available to process the meat and tanners were available to receive the skins which were turned into leather products Dung from the cattle and chemicals from the tanners were disposed of out the gate and over the hill in Hinnom Valley.

View of the Dung Gate walkway facing to the east

Across the course of history there were actually two Dung Gates. The older gate existed below the Pool of Siloam in the days of the First and Second Temple. The other Dung Gate, that exists today, is about three-tenths of a mile uphill from the old location in the city of Jebus. Both gates were known in the time of Nehemiah, the older gate was called the Dung Gate, the upper location was known as the Valley Gate. Both gates were located in the Tyropoeon Valley, which intersects Jerusalem.

Old and New Dung Gate sites

The Dung Gate today is an entry point for those wanting visit the Western Wall (Kotel). The gate is very busy today, and was a commercial center in antiquity. Close to the area are several archaeological sites. The Western Wall excavations are north of the Dung Gate and to the south of the gate the Israel Antiquities Authority is digging at what used to be the Giv'ati Parking Lot. They have found the home of Queen Helena of Adiabene (read more in my book - Israel: Stories for Your Journey) as well as other artifacts.

Experience Israel through its stories

I invite you to join me as I lead a group to explore the land of Israel or read my book to learn more.

Zechariah in the Temple

The Temple of the first century is a fascinating place! The Temple itself was the center of activity, serving thousands of people each day. The plaza around the Temple was a meeting place of pilgrims who came from long distances to bring an offering and merchants who were selling the offering to the pilgrims. It was a place of contention for Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Herodians, Zealots, and others who came to argue politics and religion. It was also a place for locals, who came to watch the commotion.

The Robinson Arch entrance to the Temple

The Temple itself was a modern building, having been totally reconstructed by King Herod the Great. The magnificent Sanctuary was a hundred cubits square and a hundred cubits in height. The Temple Mount measured five hundred cubits by five hundred cubits. Its largest open space was to the south, the next largest to the east, the third largest to the north, and its smallest was to the west. The King had erected the monstrous edifice in order to claim bragging rights (it was a third larger than Solomon’s Temple) and hopefully to appease the Jews who could be a rebellious and obstinate people.

Jerusalem at the time of Jesus

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist and the subject of this week’s readings in Advent Journeys, was of the generation of priests who had served in both the old Temple and the new facility. The priests enjoyed the spaciousness and modernalities of the new superstructure. The priests enjoyed the tables of marble upon which the sacrifices were prepared. They talked about parading down the colonnades on the east and west of the Temple itself early in the morning. They bragged about the wooden device which Ben Katin had made for the laver. They knew that no expense had been spared in the construction of the new Temple.

Underground tour shows large stones of Temple Mount

The magnificence and wonder of the construction can still be seen on the underground tour of the Western Walls. If you would like to see and touch the stone structure, please accept this as an invitation to join our family on a June 2018 tour of the Holy Land. More information can be found on our website.

Marker for location closest to Holy of Holies

Around the Temple were service buildings constructed to facilitate every portion of the work. There were six chambers in the Temple Court, three to the north and three to the south. Those to the north were the Salt Chamber, the Parwah Chamber, and the Rinsing Chamber. To the south were the Wood Chamber, the Golah Chamber, and the Chamber of Hewn Stone. There were seven gates to the Temple Court: three to the north, three to the south, and one to the east. Those to the south were the Kindling Gate, next to it the Gate of the Firstlings, and the third was the Water Gate. The one to the east was the Nicanor Gate, beside which were two Chambers, one to the right and one to the left; the one was the Chamber of Phineas, the keeper of the vestments, and the other the chamber of them that made the Baken Cakes.

Archaeological finds south of original Temple Mount

The new Temple was in every way a stark contrast to the Temple built under the leadership of Ezra, Joshua, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. Zechariah approached the Temple with a sense of awe each week of his service.

Israel Adventure - Day 13

We began today in our neighborhood with coffee and bagels at Bagel Cafe.

After breakfast we took the bus to the Albright Institute in Jerusalem. This institution helps facilitate archaeological research. They have fellowships and housing for graduate (PhD level) students in order to assist in research. We received a tour of the facility which included a library.

Following the Albright Institute we walked to the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum. Inside we found a great collection of pottery, artifacts, architecture, and even skeletal remains of people which have been found in Israel. We spent some time there and took lots of pictures.

Then we were on our own. The Rockefeller Museum is across from the Old City at Herod’s Gate, so we crossed the street. We did not go in Herod’s Gate because I got lost there on my first day in Jerusalem. Instead, we walked around the city towards the Jaffa Gate.

On the way to the Jaffa Gate we passed Zedekiah’s Cave. Tradition says the last king of Judea, Zedekiah, used this cave to escape the Babylonians. Some think Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant here … but a complete search has been made, and it was not found. Jeremiah probably hid the Ark in another cave more directly under Temple Mount. The limestone hills of Judea are filled with many caves.

We enjoyed the cave since the day was very hot and the cave was cool.

After departing the cave we went to the Jaffa Gate and to the Tower of David Museum. The museum is in a medieval fortress, or castle. Underneath the castle there are remains of King Herod’s palace from the time of Jesus. The museum contains the history of Jerusalem laid out in interesting fashion. There are lifelike displays which do not require much reading.

Above the museum there is a tower with a great view of the city. We spent some time looking, and then walking the ramparts.

After our visit we stopped at Aroma Coffee for one last cup of Cookies and Cream frozen Coffee.

We walked through the park, and stopped at the Artist’s Colony. We saw some great artwork. The first artist we visited just placed a piece in the North Carolina Museum of Art. We saw several shops, and then returned home.

After packing (yes, it was our last day in Jerusalem) we went to Jerusalem’s First Train Station for dinner. We found a great place we had not tried before, and ate a full breakfast. This included eggs, bread, salad, and items for dipping and eating such as feta cheese, cream cheese, olives, guacamole, jelly and other dips.

We arrived home and went to bed early since we had to meet our transportation to the airport at 3:45 a.m.