I had to come to Israel for my business and decided to take a small detour to see Jerusalem on the weekend. I had suggested Tevia come along as well as this was something we have always wanted to do and to take advantage of one ticket paid for by my company. It is a long flight to Tel Aviv, but we arrived on Thursday afternoon and rented a car and drove out to Jerusalem after landing. It was about an hour drive and we didn't have any issues finding our hotel. We had chosen a hotel based on tripadvisor and one that was cheap but had great reviews. It was very cute and quaint and in a quite residential neighborhood.
One thing we hadn't expected was it to be so cold. It was only in the 50s upon arrival and quite windy. We had been on a plane for quite some time and were a little hungry so we asked the hotel where to go. He suggested a place down the road about a mile that used to be a train station. We walked down there in the cold (at this point it was in the 40s and dark) and bundled up. The place was very cool and we found a little stand that was making falafel and other food. We ordered some food and it was amazing. It was a great start to our trip.
Unfortunately the night wasn't as good. Our room was by a bunch of teenage girls who pretty much partied all night. I think they finally settled down around 1 or 2. I didn't get much sleep. I even went out and asked them to be quiet at one point. With little sleep I was frustrated and in the morning we went down for breakfast. I complained and they apologized and assured me they were leaving that day and it would be quiet that night. Breakfast was amazing. Simple and flavorful.
We had arranged a private tour with a guy named Marty for a few hours. We met him at our hotel at 8:30 and drove up to the Old City to look around. He was great to have around. With so little time in the city, we thought it worth paying for a guide and I think it was worth it. I've wanted for years to go to Jerusalem, so we were excited to start. It was cold and windy, but we were up for it.
I think we all have preconceived notions of what something is going to be like. I definitely had an idea in my mind what Jerusalem would be like. I mean, this is the religious center of several large religions and something I'd read about for my entire life. My first impressions were how old and cool the old city looks. My second impression was how it no longer really feels like a religious spot, but more of a commercial spot with tons of markets and restaurants, etc. This make sense as people still live in the old city, but it was a little disappointing. The city is split into 4 quarters: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Armenian. I frankly had never even heard of the Armenian religion.
There were several things we told our guide we wanted to see. We entered Jaffa Gate (there are 8 gates into the Old City, one of which is sealed: the Easter Gate or Mercy Gate, where Jesus will return). We traversed the city learning about the history and seeing the different levels and sections going back for thousands of years. It is pretty amazing to think you are standing in a spot that not only Jesus stood, but Solomon and David.
We went to the Western (or Wailing) Wall to see the people praying there. This wall is what is left from the original temple (now where the Dome of the Rock stands). It is pretty much the only spot the Jews can go near the old temple site. They had three sections: one where only men can go, one for women, and a newer spot further down for mixed groups. Our tour guide was Jewish and told us a lot of the discussions about feminism within Judaism. It was very interesting. We exited Dung Gate and looked over the Kidron valley and the City of David. It was cool to hear the history of the area. From there we walked up to the Garden of Gethsemane. Like all religious spots, there is a church here. This one was a Catholic church just put up a hundred years ago or so. I really had expected this part to be a very spiritual experience. This was the location of the Atonement. But I found it very difficult to be too moved when you are surrounded by so many tourists. The garden is fenced off. There really isn't a place to sit and reflect as they move you through quickly. It was disappointing. Very cool, but disappointing. This was probably the them of the day for me. It is hard to feel spiritual (for me) when you feel like you are in a line at Disneyland.
It was cool to see the Eastern Gate, which is now walled up (by the Muslims centuries ago). This is the gate Christians believe Christ will return and Jews believe the Messiah will come. The Muslims built a cemetery in front of it to spite the Jews since some priests aren't allowed in cemeteries, so this would keep the Messiah from coming.
We reentered the old city through the Lion's gate (or Stephen's gate). It was Friday so the Muslim holy day and it was packed with Muslims going to the mosque to worship. No non-Muslims are allowed to enter that area (usually) so as we approached the Israeli police stopped us.
From here we took a quick side trip to the
Pool of Bethesda. This is the site where Christ cured the man who couldn't get to the pool. This area required an entrance fee but was not very crowded. This was one of my favorite spots of the day. There is a church here (Roman Catholic again) and our guide suggested we enter and sing as the accoustics were awesome. I sang in the empty chapel and it was pretty cool. You can see the pool and it was cool later to see this scene in the LDS bible videos as it looks just like it.
We then began the
Via Dolorosa which is the traditional route Christ took after being scourged and given his cross. It has several stations you follow, each one a spot Christ allegedly stopped. Many of these are not in the New Testament or even in any scripture, so likely people just made some of them up. They are split at different churches along the way (from different denominations). These include where Christ was scourged, where he got the cross, where he fell, where Simon took the cross, where he stopped and rested his head and finally ends up at the site of his crucifixion and burial. These last two are in the
Church of the Holy Sepuchre. This church is split between several churches including the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Catholic and others. This is very odd as a Christian, to have a church be split between several churches. There are lines to see the place where the cross was in Calvary and then further down is a monument to where he was buried (different from the Garden Tomb where several Protestant churches believe Christ was buried). So here you have thousands of Christians lining up to go through different church stations mixed with many different Christian religions. This was fascinating if not a little off-putting. We did not stand in line to touch the place of the cross or touch the anointing stone (where Christ's body was anointed) or go into the tomb (replica) as the lines were so long and who knows if this is really where these things took place. But it was interesting seeing all these people, some very overcome as they touched these spots and thought about their Savior.
This was the end of our tour and we then ate lunch in the Old City (Shawarma!). It started to get cooler and rainy, so we headed back to the hotel for a nap and relaxation. It was the beginning of the sabbath at sundown, so everything was closed. To eat we just went to a shop (likely ran by Muslims as it was open) and grabbed some crackers and cheese and chocolate milk. I slept great that night.
Saturday (the sabbath) we got up and got dressed and checked out of our hotel and headed to BYU Jerusalem for church. Sacrament is held on Saturday. It is located on the Mount of Olives. We arrived and were asked by the guard if we were LDS, which we affirmed, and then were allowed in. We explored the gardens briefly before entering. The view is AMAZING. You can see the whole Old City with the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, etc. We entered the building and the chapel faces west (towards the old city) with huge windows so you can see the whole landscape. It was moving just to sit and see the view. We talked to several people as we awaited church to start. The meeting was one of the most touching services I've ever been in. It was amazing to take the sacrament as you see where Christ held the last supper and was crucified and resurrected. The speakers were fantastic and there was a musical number that was perhaps the best I've ever heard. It was truly a spiritual experience for me and was a stark contrast to how I had felt the day before. I wanted so bad to have my children experience this. As I looked at the East Gate, knowing that this is where Jesus would return triumphant into the city, my testimony was strengthened.
We had planned on going to the Dead Sea that afternoon before heading to Tel Aviv as the workweek starts on Sunday and I had meetings. But I changed my mind in church and decided to stay. I wanted to visit the Garden Tomb and then go through the Old City again. The weather was a little better and I am glad we changed our plans. The Garden Tomb was mostly empty when we went and I enjoyed this feeling. We then entered the old city through the Damascus Gate and ate lunch at a great place in the Muslim quarter. We then went back to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre again as I wanted to spend a little more time there. We finished doing the Ramparts walk where you literally walk the walls surrounding Jerusalem (old city). We then got in our car and headed to Tel Aviv.
To summarize, Jerusalem was an amazing visit. But by far the most spiritual experience was sitting in the chapel at BYU and seeing the place where Jesus walked as we renewed our covenants with him. I think that had we had a chance to go up to Galilee, where it is less touristy and more open for reflection, etc., we would have had more of a spiritual experience there. But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to come and see this holy city, where three religions claim it as a place of holy worship. Three religions that over thousands of years have fought, reclaimed, and lost the city. Now it is shared by all as a sort of compromise. It is not a big city and was even smaller in the days of Solomon and David. Here sat the Holy of Holies and now the Dome of the Rock and just down the way the burial and ressurection of Jesus. The center of the religious universe on a small hill in the middle of the desert. It was a great experience.
