Day 3: Old Testament Walk

Another gorgeous day in Jerusalem.....

Today, the focus of our trip was Jerusalem during the Old Testament. The Old Testament definitely came alive today and I am anxious to read over again to visualize a "3D picture." We left from JUC at 7:30 in the morning. Waking up was not as easy as yesterday. However, the air was definitely refreshing.

We walked down to the City of David, and learned about ancient Jerusalem. We were able to see how the valleys in the land made the City of David a preferable place to live. From the lookout, we had a great view of the Mt. of Olives, and how the Hinnom and Kidron valleys joined and disappeared into the wilderness towards the Dead Sea. Our leader is all about using the topography map and understanding exactly where we are in the city. I definitely feel like I have a strong idea of where everything is, and am able to orient my self pretty well which is great!

It was fascinating to learn about all that went on during David's time, and how Jerusalem began right where I was standing. We also talked about the Babylonian destruction and invasion, and Hezekiah's reign. It was really interesting to learn about all the battles and how the City of David was destroyed and reconstructed numerous times, and how the temple was moved to different places. We were also able to observe a retaining wall, part of which are the remnants of Nehemiah's wall. An old house was also excavated from this wall, along with a toilet. That was interesting. Archaeologists also found parchment seals that had two names on them from the Bible. How cool is that : )

We then watched a 3D video about the City of David and Hezekiah's tunnel. It was really neat to visualize how Jerusalem was built up over the years. In the City of David, they also recently excavated David's palace (dated 10th Century). This was just found in 2005. It is crazy to think that there is still so many things located under the ground that are yet to be found and have been built upon for years on end.

Next was probably the craziest thing I have ever done in my life...We walked through Hezekiah's tunnel! Hezekiah had built this in order to protect the water source when the Babylonians were going to attack. Little did I know how crazy this tunnel would be. We all went in together, however my friend and I got a little "detached" from the group ahead and found ourselves alone... without a flashlight....in the pitch black. We were just feeling around the walls of the tunnel, with water up to our thighs. It was scary, but awesome! After about 15 minutes, our friends in front had stopped and for the rest of the way were able to see the tunnel. It was incredible. There were dents in the tunnel for where the lamps went. Some parts of the tunnel were probably 4 feet tall, and other parts 20 feet. The tunnel is only 1/4 of a mile long, but it felt much longer. It took us a little over 30 minutes to walk through. It was a really great experience that I will definitely remember!

When exiting the tunnel, we were at the lowest point of the City of David, and by the King's garden. This was also where the Pool of Siloam was located. We could see the steps that went down into the pool. We then hiked up back towards the Western Hill. Very steep! Apparently, this was our most rigorous day of hiking.

It is also neat to walk back to JUC since we walk right along the Old City Wall. I think this is one of my favorite parts of Jerusalem. Our Field Study ended at 12:30 for the day...so five hours total. After lunch, a group of girls including myself bought these very delicious Magnum icecream bars and ate them on the roof. It felt like it was 70 degress out...it was perfect. We then had class from 1:30-5:30. Towards the end, I was definitely ready for a nap!

After dinner, 11 girls from Taylor walked to the Old City. It was really neat to be walking around the city together. We went down to the Wailing Wall. It was such a powerful experience. Each of us went up to the wall, knealt down, and prayed. There were many women around me weeping and praying very loudly. The men on the left of us were even louder. There were tons of tiny pieces of paper in the wall and on the ground. It was interesting to see their different rituals. The women walked away from the wall backwards in order to show respect by not turning away from God.

On our walk back to JUC, were were walking along the top of the Old City Wall, looking out towards Jerusalem. Absolutely beautiful! The city was well lit up in the crystal clear sky.

That about sums up my day! Tomorrow, we will be taking a New Testament walk. This will be our last main day in Jersulem, and then we will be exploring more of the Holy Land! I'll do my best to keep you posted : )