November 16th, 2011
Today on our final day in Israel, we went to the south west corner of the temple mount. We saw the steps that pilgrims would have climbed to access the temple mount. These same steps would have been used by Jesus not only for access to the mount but to teach and meet people on. It was another surreal moment to be standing on the very same steps that Jesus stood and walked. Just in front of those steps were some 53 baths that were used for ceremonial cleansing before anyone could enter the temple mount. We then saw very large, rocks and rubble that were still burnt black from when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 AD. While these rocks are not from the actual temple, they were part of some of the other structures on the temple mount and still lay today, where they fell and burned almost 2,000 years ago. It was from this southwest corner that the shofar trumpet would be blown. This point was also known as the pinnacle of the temple mount. It looks to the south west and looks over the ancient City of David with Mt. Zion at its 2 almost 3 o'clock (if you stood on top of the mount and looked out). When the Gospels say that while Jesus was being temped by Satan, he was brought to the pinnacle or high point of the Temple, and told to jump by Satan because God would protect him, (Matthew 4) it is thought to be this corner, this pinnacle that Jesus was brought to.
Late that morning we were free to roam the streets of Jerusalem. The market and shops were like a maze of dealers and shops and generally wall to wall people, with the streets no wider than two or three people across. At times I could almost hold both my arms strait out and have each hand in a store on either side of me. You could buy anything from sandals made of camel skin to candles to spices and fruit and herbs and every trinket you could imagine. We purposely wondered over to the Muslim quarter to experience their culture. Again, you could immediately tell you had entered into a new culture. We quickly found the market where we could have purchased some fresh meat, like a lambs head, tongue, intestine, or foot. Just about any part of the lamb or sheep. We even saw the butcher dig through the intestine and parts showing a customer the quality of the meet and item trying to sell him something. I can't even imagine living in that environment day in and day out.
We then walked and found our way out of Ancient Jerusalem and over to a little more modern and touristy part of Jerusalem called Ben Yahuda Street. It was a very modern open air mall and street full of shops and neat things, including a McDonald's where we ate for lunch.
We returned to the hotel and packed for the long trip home.
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| South West Corner of Temple Mount or Pinnacle |
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| Steps accessing the temple mt on south side |
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| looking to the south and the city of David with the temple behind me |
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| on the original steps where Jesus would have walked |
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| looking at the 53 baths below |
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| looking across to the mt. of Olives |
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| the burnt stones that have not been moved since the destruction of the temple |
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| the damage the falling stones did to the street below. |
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| the door ways would have been part of the open market in Jesus day |
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| the burnt stones |
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| the base of an archway the would have extended over the street in Jesus day |
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| markets and streets of Old Jerusalem |
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| Church of the Holy Sepulcher |
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| Muslim Meat Market |
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| Lamb Heads and parts |
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| incense and spices, the smell was overpowering |
