Monday 30 April

Our final full day in Israel began with a 5.15 am wake up call and a 6.45am bus departure for the Temple Mount. As we made the short journey, we read from Psalm 122 and committed our day to the Lord in prayer. We met our new local guide, Rami, a Palestinian Christian. The Temple Mount is hotly disputed territory - but we were reminded of just how central Mount Moriah is and has been in the redeeming purposes of God - a place of sacrifice for Abraham, David and Solomon - the site of the Temple where God's presence was manifest among His people in the Holy of Holies by the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat and the Shekinah glory of God. Now controlled by the Muslims, the raised platform structure that once housed the Jewish Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, is now home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.  We viewed the internal access point of the main eastern gate, the "Golden Gate", which Jesus likely passed through on the day of His triumphal procession by the Palm Sunday road.

Much of the structure appears to be original Herodian stone. Just as in Jesus' day, the soreg fence/dividing wall, highlighted the difference between Jews and Gentiles, so today all non-Muslims cannot enter the two buildings and behaviour/dress is strictly controlled. Thanks be to God that in Christ, the dividing wall of hostility has been broken down.

Then on to a tour of the Western Wall tunnels, an underground maze of largely man-made vaulted cisterns, aqueducts etc that have built up around the western retaining wall to the Temple Mount - built by Herod the Great. Several Ashlar stones cut and placed to form the foundation course of the wall are simply huge, 12 - 15 metres in length, one estimated to be over 500 tonnes in weight. These stones mark the closest physical place to where the Holy of Holies once stood, leading a number of devout Jewish woman to be praying there. These stones are to this day the largest stones dressed by hand ever to be incorporated into any man-made structure. How did they do it?

Along one section of the tunnel, our guide pointed out that the ancient paving stones we were standing on were original Herodian and certainly where Jesus would once have walked.

After a much welcomed coffee break in the Jewish quarter, we visited the Burnt House - an archeological site approximately 5 metres below street level - and viewed a film that sought to interpret the site as evidencing remains of the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

Our final tour destination in Jerusalem was the Palatial Mansion in the "Herodian Quarter", a large and luxurious residence dating from Herodian times/ the time of Christ - potentially similar to the home of Caiaphas, where the Sanhedrin met at night to put Jesus on "trial".

An early start led to an early finish, leaving time for last minute shopping or return to the hotel for a well earned rest. We conclude our tour of Israel with a renewed appreciation of the love of God, the redeeming grace of Christ, a deep love for Israel and its people, and a commitment to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem".

Phil Mercer

Our group heads up the raised, enclosed pathway to the Temple Mount

Phil and guide for the day, Rami, on the Temple Mount near the Dome of the Rock

One end of the huge cut stone in the Western Wall - nearly 15 metres long and weighing over 500 tonnes

Lem "holds up" the other end!!

Emerging from the Western Wall Tunnels onto the Via Dolorosa

Tim and Lavena entering The Burnt House

One of the rooms in The Burnt House

Room with mosaic tiled floor in the Herodian Quarter

A spice stall in the Muslim Quarter as we walked back to the hotel