Today was all about Jerusalem. The majority of our day was spent in the Temple Mount area, the most contentious 35 acres in the world. We arrived early to get through security before lines got too long, and spent several hours exploring the Temple Mount area and discussing the Biblical relevance of different areas. It is somewhat difficult to fully envision what the Mount looked like in Jesus’ day after it had been expanded by Herod the Great. While much of the exterior walls are standing, changes to the structure have been significant as it has changed hands over the centuries. Solomon first built a temple here around 960 B.C. And various parts were destroyed (both by assaults from armies and earthquakes) and rebuilt in different locations. The Mount area is now controlled by the Muslims, who have built several mosques and the large shrine called the Dome of the Rock. As a result, there are significant restrictions on what can be brought onto the Mount (no Bibles or religious materials) and what can be done while there (no praying, speaking from the Bible, etc). This all led to a very dark and oppressive feeling among the group.

With this in the back of our minds, though, we also studied how this place played a key role in the ministry of Jesus. Key events that happened here were the clearing of the Temple (Mark 11: 15-19), Jesus teaching in the Temple Courts (John 8:2-11), and others. The disciples also often met in the Temple area.

Just to the north of the Temple Mount, we visited the remains of the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the lame man in John 5:1-13. Very little remains of the original pools, as the site was home to a series of churches. However, a portion of the southern pool and stairs is still visible. Our morning wrapped up with a walk up the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which we had visited previously, and lunch at a small hummus (which, along with espresso, we have become quite fond of) restaurant in the Muslim quarter.

Completing our visit to the Temple area, we toured the Western Wall Tunnels. This is an area of tunnels that have been excavated along the western wall to expose a number of structures from Jesus’ time, including cisterns, columns for a storefront, and the massive master course of blocks for the Wall (measuring 45 feet long, 11 feet high, and 15 feet wide!). This tunnel was originally secretly excavated by Orthodox rabbis to get closer to the former site of the Holy of Holies, inciting violence when the Muslims discovered the excavation.

The National Museum of Israel, which houses many of the archaeological finds of Israel, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, and a national art gallery, was our next stop. There were several particularly significant items in the exhibits, including David’s stone, the Pontius Pilate inscription, and a Gentile warning stone from the Temple. Seeing these physical remnants of the Biblical story continue to cement the reality of God choosing to do His work in an actual place during an actual time. The museum also has a replica of the city of Jerusalem at Jesus time. The scale of the model is an incredible 1:50, giving a very detailed rendition of what the city may have looked like.

Prior to meeting for class again after supper, our day wrapped up with an off-the-beaten path stop at Tombs of the Sanhedrin. Contrary to the name, this is not the place where members of the Sanhedrin were buried, but a 1st century tomb that shows a great example of a quarried tomb, similar to what Jesus may have been buried in.

We continue to be overwhelmed with the information we are learning, and look forward to sharing it with you. We have one more full day here, which will be spent again in Jerusalem, before heading home. We look forward to seeing you all soon.

In Him,
Pastor Matheny and Matt Brand

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