We got to see more things in Jerusalem today, and spent most of the day up on Temple Mount.
This is me at the Wailing Wall, which is the only part of the original temple from biblical times that still exists. This was a part of the outer wall.
Here is a view that shows the walls of temple mount from one corner. The current walls in Jerusalem were rebuilt by muslims, the Ottoman Empire Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificient. He had his architect beheaded afterwards because he made them too small and left out part of the city.
We saw protesters as we were waiting in line to go up on temple mount. They protest because Jews aren't allowed to pray up there, only Muslims. The protesters were planning to cause some trouble but fortunately they didn't get in till after we left. A day later they caused the temple mount to be closed because of some riots.
We got yelled at by some Muslims up on temple mount. These two ladies were yelling "Allah Akbar" real loud, over and over again, at any one that came near. Our guide said it was a good saying, but it was not nice the way they were doing it, because they were yelling at the tourists.
The security guards up on temple mount were Israeli. Here are three women security soldiers. The King of Jordan has jurisdiction over the temple mount (not the Palestinians or Israeli) but Israel provides the security.
Part of the plaza on top of temple mount.
This is the Dome of the Rock on temple mount. It is the third holiest spot to Muslims, where Muhammad ascended up to heaven, after riding his flying steed Al-Buraq from Mecca to this spot.
This top of temple mount is a holy spot to Jewish and Christian people too, where the next and final temple is to built. Most think it is right where the Dome of the Rock is located, but our educator said it's actually a little to the north on a direct line with the Golden Gate in the old Jerusalem city walls, where the Messiah will return to Jerusalem.
Next we went to see the Wailing Wall up close. Jacquelyn wrote a prayer on a piece of paper and put it in a crack in the wall as is the custom.
I thought it interesting that you could see Jewish rabbi's and soldiers with machine guns praying side by side at the wall.
We toured the Davidson Dig outside Temple Mount. They are excavating things all over the city because there is so much history that has not been uncovered.
This is a corner by one of the gates along the southern wall, where Neil Armstrong was quoted as saying he was more inspired standing where Christ once stood than standing on the moon.
This is an authentic bagel we bought and ate. Quite different from the ones we have back home.
We went to the place where they are digging out David's City, which the the part of Jerusalem where King David had his city back in those days.
We went down into Hezekiah's Tunnel. It was a tunnel the Jews built through the rock to a natural spring so that they could water into the walled part of Jerusalem during a time of war with the Assyrians.
We are in the tunnel and it had cold water running through it about knee height in depth.
The tunnel was built 700 years ago and was 1,750 feet long, which is 1/3 of a mile. It was really long.
New we went to the Israeli Museum. They had a scale model of the entire city back in biblical times.
Everything was built out of stone back then and the city had walls around it.
Some artifacts in the museum.
The bones of a woman and small dog (up near her head).
In the museum.
This stone was taken from Beit Lehi Cave at an archeological site where some think there is a connection with the Mormon prophet Lehi.
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