Israel Day Six Part I: Christ's Final Days

Our sixth day itinerary was a walk through Christ's final days on earth. It was inspiring to visit the many places believed to be where the important events of the atonement, crucifixion and resurrection took place. You don't have to see these places in person to affirm your conviction of Jesus Christ, but I'm a very visual learner, so visiting these places was like putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Having more of my senses involved in learning about Christ was definitely a faith enriching experience.


We started the day with a visit to this viewpoint over the Old City.


This is probably my favourite photo of the whole trip. We didn't take many photos of the four of us, but I cannot say enough what a great experience we had traveling with Rachel and Glen. They are wonderful friends, and we had the best time.






A section of the thousands of tombs outside the Old City


King David's tomb is visited through gender-specific portals.




Hagia Maria Sion Abbey where King David's tomb is located.








An "upper room" where the last supper could have taken place.








The Garden of Gethsemane, at least one possible place that could be where Christ suffered beyond description. This garden today hardly echoes the reverence that its possible history claims. It is a very chaotic experience filled with tacky tourist vendors pushing postcards and "holy" sprigs of olive branch. So it was difficult to compose any sort of real personal reflection in this garden. I managed to capture images of the garden that betrayed the maelstrom about, and it is really only through these photos that I can contemplate what might have occurred here.














Inside the Church of All Nations at the Garden of Gethsemane


Nearby the officially named Garden of Gethsemane is another olive tree garden. Largely because of the utter absence of tourists and all things tourism, this place inspires more reflection of historical and personal significance of what Christ suffered on our behalf.














Steps at Caiaphas' Palace where Jesus surely would have trod. Jesus was arrested and taken to Caiaphas, the high priest, where he was incarcerated.


Inside Caiaphas' Palace


From Caiaphas' Palace


View of the wall separating the West Bank from the State of Israel around Jerusalem


A cross section of a developed Israeli hillside


Laundry is the grand unifier




At first the visit to the Garden Tomb, another spot believed to be where Jesus was buried and rose again, seemed much more tranquil and reverent. Controlled by a British charity organisation the place is devoid of any tacky tourism riffraff, however, the site holds such significance for devout Christians of all denominations that it is a place of intense and often loud worship of many varieties. At times it was difficult to listen to our guide because of the boisterous show of adulation.


That said it was still a place of great hope and promise.




Inside the tomb where Jesus would have lain before rising again on the third day.




Switching gears a bit . . . we spent a bit of time walking through the very colourful Muslim Quarter in the Old City.


Carob juice vendor




These remote control stands were everywhere.


A boy playing beneath "Apostle Peter's Prison." Jerusalem is amazing.
















Grape leaf vendors were scattered everywhere delicately laying out their grape leaves for display.


More carob juice