youth pastor pilgrimage: Day 8: Bethlehem, Caiaphas House, Western Wall

November 14th, 2011
We boarded the bus and headed for Bethlehem which is controlled by the Palistineans. It is kind of like a whole new world as you travel through the check point and through the barbed wire wall that surrounds Bethlehem. It is almost like a ghetto. The Arabs live much different than us or even the Jews. While in Bethlehem, we went to the Lama Brothers Olive Wood shop. They had some of the most amazing jewelry, and olive wood carvings. They had the price to go with them too. But it was all hand made there in Bethlehem. Talk about one of a kind.
We left Bethlehem and went to Caiaphas house. No we did not go to the church of the nativity. I really didn't hear why other than security reasons. Plus, it is just a traditional site, meaning, it is very unlikely he was actually born where the church stands. So we went back into Jerusalem and visited the high priest Caiaphas' house. This is where Jesus would have stood trial and where Peter would have denied Jesus three times. Caiaphas got his power by paying the Roman government. The position of power would go to the highest bidder. Caiaphas was very corrupt. On the top level is a church. Down one level below the sanctuary was exposed rock and a smaller chapel. The exposed rock would have been the original rock of the courtyard where they may have brought Jesus and not far from where Peter would have been. It was at this level that we could see a hole in the bedrock of the floor. This hole was the only access tunnel to the "dungeon" or holding cell for prisoners. A criminal would come to trial at Caiaphas' house and be lowered into this hole that fed into a small room less than 10X10. A large rock was them put over the opening. The prisoner would sit and wait in the cold dark space as his trial and verdict was decided above him. From what we know and as far as we know, Jesus was given the same treatment. We were able to go down into the "dungeon" (by way of stairs of course). It was amazing to stand in the spot where we not only know Jesus was, but suffered and prepared to face the cross in a few short hours. WOW!
We then went back up to the courtyard and saw where Peter would probably have been as he denied Jesus and gotten a glimpse of him. Next to the courtyard were the original city steps that accessed the house. These would have been the steps they would have drug Jesus up and down to come and go from Caiaphas' house.
We then walked to the approximate location of the Upper Room where the last supper would have taken place. A 14th century church is build on the location. A short walk from there, off the tourist trail is a hole that is boxed in with chain-link fence. There were small steps leading down the passage way . It was here that the first graphed in symbol was found (the menorah, connecting to the star of David, connecting to the Jesus fish). It dated back to the 1st century. This is thought to be the remains of one of the first underground christian churches in Jerusalem.
We walked into the old city and into the Jewish Quarter. It was a Monday so we saw several Bar Mitzphas dancing through the streets. As we went through the Damascus gate there were holes in the floor that showed exposed walls of the city that dated back to Isaiah and even the kings. We had just a few moments to find and go in the Temple Institute where they are rebuilding the tools, and items that will go into the new temple when it is built. They already have several artifacts completed. All of them will be completed to the exact specifications found in the Bible. We were lucky to see a few of the artifacts that will go in the temple and be used for worship when it is built. They are training descendents of the priestly tribe of Levi for how to conduct temple worship when it is rebuild so they will be ready. There were no pictures allowed in the institute, but the Menorah is on display. It is made of pure gold.
From there we walked to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall. It is the foundation of the foundation of the 2nd temple. We got to go down and pray at the wall and see the notes stuck in the wall. For the Jews, this is the closet thing they have left to the temple. Everything of the temple was destroyed. This foundation is the only thing left. We were even able to go down the wall and "inside" to where a holy copy of the Torah is kept and see many orthodox Jews praying and studying. Very interesting and moving to see.
We finished our day with a walk to David's City. We saw the excavations of his city and palace. We saw the ancient walls of his palace and city. There was a "house" at this particular spot in the wall. This house proably would have predated David, but it may have been at this section of the wall that David brought the head of Goliath back to in order to show the inhabitants of the city what happens to those who oppose the God of the Jews. Years later, David would capture the city, and make it his capital.

Lama Brothers Shop

Being in this city is unreal. We would walk from 4th century walls and paths to 14th and 15th century walls and paths from the crusades in just a matter of minutes or even feet. I wish we could have taken lots of time and sat at each spot, looked around, studied and read the scripture and let it all soak in.
Be sure to check out the videos below.