Bethlehem, Palestine and Jerusalem, Israel

One of my lifelong dreams has been to visit the sacred cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The lucky day arrived that we were able to tour the sites of these two cities. Our ship docked in the port city of Ashdod and we took a bus inland toward Jerusalem. We stopped to take in the view of Old City Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

The drive continued until we reached the border gate between Israel and Palestine. As tourist we had no problem passing over the border. We had a guide from Palestine join our group to escort us during our time in the city of Bethlehem.

Church of the Nativity was built over the spot Jesus was born. The first church was built in 326 A.D. by the ruler Constantine’s mother. That church was destroyed in 530 A.D. Soon after another church was built in the spot in which it still stands today. During the rule of the Ottomans the church was neglected and much of the decoration was covered by plaster. Today, after years of constant restoration a hidden treasurer was revealed, another mosaic angel was discovered under the plaster.

The Church on the site has three different parts which are controlled by three different groups. The main alter and center section of the church is Greek Orthodox. The Greek section is the oldest part of the church that is currently being restored. The columns that line each side display paintings from the Crusaders of Saints and the Virgin Mary.

 

The two other sections of the Church of the Nativity are Roman Catholic and Armenian. The Armenian section the boasts entrance to the cave which contains the site of Jesus birth and the manger. During Jesus’ time homes and shops were built in front of the caves in the hills around Bethlehem. Livestock was kept in the caves behind the homes. Therefore, the spot Jesus was born was in a cave. The Armenian part of the church sits directly over the cave.

The Roman Catholic section of the church is much more modern with an inner courtyard and stain glass windows. It also sit on top of the same cave system where Jesus was born as well as the cave where St. Jerome lived while translating the Bible into Latin so God’s Word could be shared with the rest of the world.

While it was hard to leave this sacred place, our tour had to move on. We drove back to Jerusalem and then started our walk by entering the Old City through the Jaffa Gate. 

The narrow streets are filled with shops and restaurants. It is packed with people from three major religious groups who are in the city to see their sacred sites. Jerusalem is very holy for Christians because it is the place Jesus lived, preached and died on the cross. It is holy for Jews because it is the place where the oldest Temples in the world were built with the last remaining wall still standing within the Old City, The Western Wall. It is also the third most holy city on Earth for Muslims because it is the site where Mohammed ascended into heaven.

Our tour focused on the footsteps of Jesus by walking down Via Dolorosa and seeing the stations of the cross. Out of the 14 total stations of the cross, we saw 10. It was tremendously moving and emotional experience, especially in the Church of the Sepulcher on the spot of Jesus death.

The final 5 stations of the cross are inside of the Church of the Sepulcher. The church was built in 326 A.D. by Constantine the Great on the mount where Jesus was crucified. As with the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, this church is also controlled by same three Christian groups (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenians). Each has control of different stations of the cross within the church.

An interesting fact about the Church of the Sepulcher is that for many generations, two Muslim families have taken care of the operation of the church site. The families have the keys to the church and are responsible for opening it each morning and closing it at night.

Our last stop on our walk through Jerusalem was the Wailing Wall  as called by westerners or as the Jewish call it, the Western Wall. It is the most holy site to Jewish people because it is the last piece of the wall that supported the Second Temple built around 20 B.C. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Westerners call it the Wailing Wall because those that have come to visit see pilgrims line the wall with their hands pressed flush against it with tears flowing down their cheeks.

The Second Jewish Temple is the same temple that is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible where Jesus often visited and turned over the tables.

Jewish and Christian people make pilgrimages to Jerusalem and visit the Wailing Wall. Men and women are required to approach it in different areas. Men must cover their heads and are offered a yamaka.  Many people leave notes and prayers to God within the space between stones of the wall.

Just behind the wall lies the Dome on the Rock, a very holy site for Muslims. The center of the Dome is the spot where the Prophet Mohammed started his Night Journey to heaven.

The very same rock inside the dome is extremely important to Jewish and Christian people as well. It is believed that the rock is the Foundation Stone from which the world began. It is from that rock that God used the dust to create Adam, the first human.

Non-Muslim people are allowed to enter the site under the supervision  of the Muslim people. They are not allowed to take anything with them, including books, phones or electronics of any kind.

The experience of walking in Jesus footsteps and seeing the important places of our world’s history was a truly amazing experience that has been unmatched in our travels. While the streets are absolutely packed and it can be overwhelming at times, I can’t wait for a chance to return to Israel again.