Feral Cats and Falafel

These are only a few of the things that we encountered today!

Students Katie and Alicia  praying with other women at the Western Wall.

Well, we finished up what felt like several days today. There isn’t much words can say about all the amazing things that we’ve seen so far. So, I’ll show you some photos and just give some tidbits of our adventures.

Here we have the Damascus Gate which takes us into the Old City.

This is the old Roman road into the Old City.

After entering the Old City early in the morning, we began by heading towards the Western “Wailing” Wall where hundreds of Jews come to pray.

The Western Wall early in the morning.

Since it was Friday morning, there were extra people there getting ready for the sabbath to begin. We only had a minute until we made our way with George, our awesome guide, down to the tunnels underneath the Old City where we saw the foundations of the wall to the city and the bedrock from Herod’s time. We were able to get a better concept of what the temple platform would have looked like and began to truly understand how these enormous limestone bolders were moved into place so carefully.

Underneath the edges of the old city.

After emerging from below, we made our way through the streets of the city as the markets began to open and we made our way along the Via dolorosa, or literally, “The Way of Grief or Suffering.” We followed the supposed path of Christ as he was being sentenced to death. As we walked the road we saw people everywhere selling goods, smelled falafel and spices, heard clarinet music by men playing on the streets, and saw the ground below us, and walked along stones older than our minds could conceive of. It was truly a sensory enveloping experience. Even the sewer covers were interesting. If you’ve never poked down when you are somewhere new, try it sometime. Not all ground underneath your feet looks or feels the same.

Walking along the path through the streets and markets that line the city.

A sewer covering in the pathways of the Old City.

During our journey we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where we saw one of two tombs of Jesus (this one being the most accepted one). Pilgrims came from all over to pray and to include the presence of this holy and historical place into their lives, if only for a few minutes.

The front of the heavily ornate tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

We saw the pools of St. Anne, and listened as some of our classmates sang aloud in what might have been the most incredible acoustics ever created. The McChoir should be proud.

The ruins of the pools at St. Anne’s. Fun fact, this is French territory.

Outside the front of St. Anne’s.

We ate lunch in the Jewish Quarter followed by a chance to visit the Western Wall one more time. After this we went over to the garden tomb where Golgotha is thought to be and another tomb that is thought by some to the the actual tomb of Jesus.

The opening to a tomb thought by some to be his final resting place before his ascension into heaven.

Our last stop of the day was just as enriching as our Appalachian Trail-like walk through the old city was. We made our way over to the Sabeel, Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center. There, we were greeted with warmth and listened to the story of one of the founders, Cedar Duaybis, as she told us of her experience of being a Palestinian Christian in occupied territory.

Cedar speaking to the group about her personal experiences since the 40’s about her life as a Palestinian Christian living in occupied territory.

Ted and Paula with Sabeel founder and director, Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek.

After another wonderful dinner from our hosts, we gathered together to talk about our experiences. Some were overwhelmed with emotion, others were amazed at the history, and all were left wondering what happens in such an incredible place such as this, where everyone is vying for a piece of the “holy pie?”