Saturday - June 18, 2011 - Jerusalem

Bethlehem

Modern day downtown Bethlehem:

The Church of the Nativity

Armenian sanctuary of the Church of the Nativity:

Stairway down to the cave where the traditional site of Jesus' birth is:

Traditional site of Jesus' birth:

Traditional site of the manager:

Description of Bethlehem from ChristianAnswers.Net

Catholic sanctuary in the Church of the Nativity:

Chapel on site where Saint Jerome worked on translating the Vulgate version of the Bible in Latin:

Lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant managed by a Palestinian Christian:

A coffee shot (aka veeerrrrry strong coffee):

Mt of Olives

View of the Temple Mount from the Mt of olives:

The city of David - Excavation of David's palace toward the left:

Valley of Gehenna:

The Kidron Valley:

Camel ride anyone?

Jewish cemetery on the Mt of Olives next to Temple Mount on other side of Kidron Valley Muslim:

1st century tomb and ossuaries on the Mt of Olives:

Path Jesus took on Palm Sunday from Mt of Olives through Gethsemane, leading to the Golden Gate on the Temple:

Teardrop Dome - Traditional site on the Mount of Olives where Jesus wept:

Inside the Teardrop Dome looking out to the Temple Mount (I love that the cross covers the Dome of the Rock):

Garden of Gethsemane

Dr McCall looking out over the garden of Gethsemane:

Some of these olive trees in the garden are thought to be one to two thousand years old:

Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane:

Rock of agony in the "Church of All Nations," the traditional site where Jesus spent the evening praying before the crucifixion:

Garden of Gethsemane Scripture reading: Matthew 26:36-56; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1-11

Description of Gethsemane from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Sunday - June 19, 2011 - Jerusalem

Masada

Masada Scripture reading: Psalm 62:1-8

Description of Masada from Wikipedia

Cable car ride up to Masada:

Model of Masada looking west at the time of Herod:

Ruins of storehouses from the time of Herod:

Looking down from the top level to the lower two levels of Herod's palace:

Herod's bath house - The pillars left standing held up the floor of the bath. The heat from a fire built outside would go into the opening between the pillars to heat the water in the bath house:

Masada facing to the north at the time of the Roman siege during the Jewish revolt:

Stable area from the time of Herod made into a Synagogue during the time of the Jewish revolt - The place where the Jews decided to commit suicide and die free men rather than surrender as slaves to the Romans:

Dead Sea

Ruins of Roman camp from the time of the siege of Masada in the late 60's AD:

Looking down on the remains of the siege ramp built by the Romans:

Boulders that were thrown down on the Romans by the Jews to try to stop the siege:

Dead Sea Scripture reading: Genesis 13:1-13

Dave doing what the Israelis call the "swim float":

Description of the Dead Sea from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

King of Kings Church - Messianic congregation in Jerusalem

Description of King of Kings Church

Copyright American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise,
Reprinted with permission.