August 27, 2007

• David’s Tomb & the Cardo

  After the Upper Room, we saw the tomb of King David. I recorded some of the chanting, and tried to show you the tomb – my camera ran out of memory mid-recording, but I thought you would be blessed with what I did record. I focused on the tomb – and chose not to film into the Synagogue, for I thought that would be disrespectful.

  Here are a few other pictures of the David’s Tomb area.

  

  Women and men were separated in all the Synagogues we saw, and even at the Wailing Wall they worshipped by gender.

  

  We asked what this throne was – it is Elijah’s throne, waiting for His return to earth.

  

  I loved this Star of David because of the interwoven triangles. It was like an embrace. Nurite, our tour guide told us that she saw the Star of David as God reaching down to his people – and the people reaching up to God form the two triangles that intersect. Later on God showed me that it is God reaching down to His people – sending His son – and His son reaching His arms up on the cross to die for our sins – where are we? – in the center of the Star of David, surrounded by the love of God and Jesus.

  Continuing on in our trip to Israel (from May), we visited some places where we could not bring a camera. One of them was the museum that housed the Dead Sea Scrolls. Remember that we saw the cave where they were found. I cannot tell you how awesome it was to see the actual texts. To realize that the words on those scrolls are the exact same words that we read today. The Hebrew texts of today do not vary from the text of old. The very words we read are the words given to the authors of the Bible by God.

  To get to this museum we entered the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

  It is here that I realized how hard won Jerusalem was.

  

  This is the Mount Zion Gate. See those pock marks in the walls, these are bullet holes from the time when Israel fought to regain Jerusalem.

  

  I cannot imagine how many lives were lost. It was truly a bloody battle for the streets are narrow, with few places to hide. Jerusalem was gained back by blood.

  

  Here we are entering the Cardo, which is the main heart of Jerusalem.

  

  

  Laban looking at a Mezuzah.

  

  This area of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters, Armenian (Christian, Orthodox), Jewish, Christian, and Muslim. Pastor Ted was sitting on a bench.

  In 1948 to gain supplies, a cable was strung to bring supplies into those who were trapped in the battle. At night bucket after bucket of supplies were brought in.

  The following information is from notes hastily scribbled. In 1630 Sulimen built a wall around the city, in the area of the Four Sephardi Synagogues. This was not part of the Muslim city – and although the Muslims want Jerusalem, they do not pray toward Jerusalem, they do not make pilgrimages to Jerusalem – they want Jerusalem because it is wanted by other religions.

  The crusaders came and fortified the walls. The Cardo is built over some of these old walls.

  

  Here are some of the original walls.

  

  You can glance down and see some of the old walls under the city.

  

  And an old cistern.

  It was Sabbath when we walked through the Cardo, so we could not go to the museum that day, but on clear display was something that took our breath away.

  

  Israel has been rebuilding the tools for use in the Temple that will be rebuilt. They are using scholars to reconstruct from Biblical research all the tools for the Temple. Here is the lampstand for the Holy of Holies – this is made of gold according to the pattern God gave to Moses. Later we will see part of the lampstand up close. This picture makes the lampstand look small, but it is as tall if not taller than a person.

  Hoping this walk through the Cardo blesses you!

  Heather

  • 7:47 pm
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