Day 9: Jerusalem

Day 9, Jerusalem - Model of Jerusalem at Herod’s time, the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls), Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, the Garden Tomb (and the Place of the Skull).

The Jerusalem model is huge - probably 70’ x 70’. Shows the relationship of the Temple with the other structures in the city - Herod’s palace, Pilate’s palace, the other spots. Doesn’t show where Golgotha would have been - that’s not known for sure. But the model illustrates how the temple dominated the landscape in Jerusalem.

The model is next to the Shrine of the Book, where the Qumran scrolls are housed and copies displayed, and the Aleppo Codex is displayed. Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, the oldest Jewish bible known was the Aleppo Codex, written around 1000 AD. For whatever reason, no Torah (Law) or Tanech (whole Old Testament ) older than 1000 yrs is known of, other than the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is interesting that 20 copies of Isaiah were found in Qumran, and one copy is virtually complete. A copy of this is displayed in the Shrine of the Book. (The Aleppo Codex, original, is also displayed. No photography allowed inside here.)

Yad Vashem. I really don’t know what to say about this. Physically, the museum walks you through the prejudices of Christians through the ages, including mass murders especially by the Crusaders. Then through the vicious turn the prejudices took with the Nazis in Germany. Ironically, ‘only’ about 250,000 German Jews were left to kill there. (Roughly half saw ‘the hand writing on the wall’ and escaped). But 3,000,000 in Poland. Almost 1,000,000 in Russia. Another 2,000,000 in the rest of Europe, and some in North Africa. Altogether 6,000,000 people killed. Unfathomable. Yet somehow, out of this absolute horror, something good has come. After 2,000 years of the Diaspora, the Jews have a homeland. Who can doubt God’s hand?

The Garden Tomb. There’s nothing definite saying this was the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, but it fits the description in the gospels. The hillside looks very like a skull, and it’s just outside a 1st century gate (where the Romans would have wanted to display criminals). There was a tomb discovered, in what would have been a garden. It felt right, and it’s in Jerusalem. But He’s not there - He is risen!

Concluded with communion in a chapel on the Garden Tomb grounds. The Nunns (all 5) did an excellent job of readings and explanations from Luke, Mark, and John. Nuns don't usually preach, but this was fine, as long as they don't make a habit of it. (Only the Catholic/parochial graduates are expected to get that. But BOOO anyway!)

No more blogs ‘til we get home. It’s fly time tomorrow! But we do have some sight seeing scheduled - Elah Valley where David slew Goliath, possibly Bet Shemesh, maybe Old Jaffa. We’ll see. I'll write one last blog when we get home.

Greg