Day 9 – The Temple Mount, City of David, Pool of Siloam, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the Western Wall, and the Rabbinic Tunnels.

Just as Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem, we started our day in the Holy City. Today was all about the Temple. We started the morning on the temple mount and moved around and underneath the old city streets to see what things would have been like in the days of Christ.

Today was all about the temple in Jerusalem and the wall and tunnels around the city. All my life I have heard about the Temple and its destruction and that it was significant to Jews. Today, I lived it. We started at the Temple Mount - the current Muslim building that replaced the second lavish Temple that Herod the Great built. It is grand but the Temple was twice as tall. 

It was truly an elaborate symbol of our Christian roots.

A most memorable moment today was when we witnessed and touched the outer Western Wall of the temple mount - the wailing wall - of the old/2nd temple.  I was overcome with thanks that my God hears me anywhere I am when I pray, and because of his saving grace and the Holy Spirit I am with Him every minute of every day no matter where I am. I am not bound by the laws of the OT. I understand that Jews feel a need to connect physically with this wall, but I have a need to spiritually connect with God wherever I am!

When we got to the far point of the current city of David after walking through the elaborate system of water tunnels, Cole taught about Jesus healing the blind man (John 9) at the spring of Shiloam where we were sitting. Jesus is able to spiritually and literally heal and work miracles! He is the Messiah. 

We were reminded not to "leave Jesus in Jerusalem" as his parents had when Jesus was a young boy in Luke 2. The family had travelled days to Jerusalem from Nazareth for the Passover festival and accidentally left Jesus at the temple listening to the teachers! We should not leave Jesus behind after this trip and bring all we have learned back home to share with family and friends and spread the hospitality of our faith.

- Marcy Carrick