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Israel Study Tour - Campus Ministry @ GVSU
May 2-16, 2015
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The Temple
Today on our fifth excursion, we ventured throughout even more of Jerusalem. We started out the day learning about the original city of David and how David took the city from the Jebusites. Then we took a fun journey through Hezakaihas tunnel, a water system starting at the Spring of Gihone and then traveling underneath the City of David down to the Pool of Saloem.
Hezekiah's Tunnel
A 1750-foot (530m) tunnel carved during the reign of Hezekiah to bring water from one side of the city to the other, Hezekiah’s Tunnel together with the 6th c. tunnel of Euphalios in Greece are considered the greatest works of water engineering technology in the pre-Classical period. Had it followed a straight line, the length would have been 1070 ft (335m) or 40% shorter.
Pool of Siloam
The Pool of Siloam (Hebrew: בריכת השילוח, Breikhat Hashiloah) is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David, the original site of Jerusalem, located outside the walls of the Old City to the southeast. The pool was fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring, carried there by two aqueducts.
It was a very claustrophobic/wet 30 minute walk and we were so glad that we all had our flashlights in the pitch darkness of the tunnel. Then we went into the temple and we learned a lot about construction and design of the second temple. King Herod was the designer of the second temple and like all things he did or built, he spared no expense. We were all amazed with how large and precisely cut the stone blocks were cut and fit to make an impressive house (or Hebrew “byit”) for God to dwell. One of the stones that was discovered was 45 ft. in length, 11 ½ ft. tall, and 15 ft. thick weighing 570 tons! Another cool feature of the temple are the south steps entrance but Michael will tell more about that later.
Then we took a little walk and visited Ben & Stacie’s school (Jerusalem University College) that they went to where they met and studied the bible for two years. The last stop we made was tonight visiting the Wailing Wall where the Jews believe Gods presence is most powerful in the entire temple. It was a crazy party like scene because they were all celebrating Shabbat, which is like our Sabbath day of rest. There were prayers, dancing, chants, and overall an unbelievable experience and a great way to end the night.
- Eric Drew
Western Wall
The Western Wall is the most holy place accessible to the Jewish people because of Muslim control of the Temple Mount. Known in recent centuries as the “Wailing Wall,” this was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967. At times tens of thousands of people gather here for prayer.
Today we visited the Jerusalem Archeological Park, which had many aspects of the second temple to see in person, to touch and feel. We saw the western foundation showing the detail put into the construction, the Robinson Arch, and the southern steps. For many of us the southern steps was overwhelming. The southern steps were the main entrance to the temple where people would go to enter the first area of the temple. We learned that in the process of preparation for bringing their sacrifice to the temple they would have to perform a ritual cleansing called a Mikveh. They would enter a bath of Mayim Chayim (Living Water) and leave ritually clean. There are many of these baths around the southern stairs. This set the stage.
Southern Steps
An enormous flight of steps leads to the Southern Wall from the south. They were excavated after 1967 by archaeologist Benjamin Mazar and are the northernmost extension of the Jerusalem pilgrim road leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount via the Double Gate and the Triple Gate, collectively called the Huldah Gates. These are the steps that Jesus of Nazareth[2][3] and other Jews of his era walked up to approach the Temple, especially on the great pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. [2] The stairs that lead to the double gate are intact and "well-preserved."[4] The steps that lead to the triple gate were mostly destroyed.[4] / The risers are low, a mere 7 to 10 inches high, and each step is 12 to 35 inches deep, forcing the ascending pilgrims to walk with a stately, deliberate tread.[2] The pilgrims entered the temple precincts through the double and triple gates still visible in the Southern Wall.[5][2] Together, the double and triple gates are known as the Hulda Gates, after the prophetess Huldah.[2]
On the southern steps I recited my scripture I had memorized, Acts 2:1-24. I also read Acts 2:37-47. With all the time I had spent working on these verses I was excited and filled with passion in being able to recite them for the group but I did not expect how it was delivered, how it came out and the setting in which I got to speak. The verses cover the apostles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and the initial 3,000 Jews that converted, repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Awesome stuff in itself right? Then our mind was blown.
They are all together in one place, a house. All Jews at 9am on Pentecost would be at the Temple, God’s House. The setting for the sound from heaven, the tongues of fire, the filling with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, the crowd gathering, Peter’s message, and the mass of repentance and baptisms that set the start to the Church would have taken place at the temple and in the Mikveh baths around the southern steps. We were there! We were at the place that it happened! The realization at the importance of this spot was overwhelming! God gave the apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit in a place, at a time, to allow them to reach Jews from every nation under heaven, at the Temple on Pentecost. Talk about timing.
- Michael Brockette
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