Day 08 - Herodium, Church of the Nativity, Johnny's (shopping), Israel Museum, Model of Jerusalem, Shrine of the Book, Archaeological Museum

Our first stop of the day was the Herodian. This palace/fortress sitting atop a large hill was yet another of Herod the Great’s marvelous dwellings. 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in a manger, literally in the shadow of the Herodian. It is no coincidence that the Messiah entered the world defenseless and weak, in the shadow of the most powerful man around. Herod thought he was powerful enough to control even the very nature around him.

Next, we traveled to Bethlehem to the visit the Church of the Nativity. This is the traditional site of Jesus’ birth and Jerome’s cave. Jerome was the first person to translate the Bible into Latin, which would allow it to be easily translate into numerous languages. The birth cave had a 2+ hour line and Jerome’s caves were closed, but we were able to see the intricacies inside the original church.

While in Bethlehem, we ate a truly delicious lunch of shawarma.Then we went next door and shopped at Johnny’s. Only 10-12% of the population of Bethlehem are Christians, the rest are Muslim. Johnny is a Christian, whose business has helped other Christian merchants and artisans, in his area, receive tourist exposure for four generations. From olive wood to jewelry, there was something unique for everyone to take home. Johnny was so kind in treating us to some delicious baklava.

After our shopping marathon, we headed to the Israel Museum. First, we enjoyed the model of Jerusalem. This fascinating replica was constructed simply by historical writings and traditions, before any excavation had occurred. While they have found some inaccuracies, what they got correct is truly remarkable. Yehuda and Laura gave us a crash course on important locations in the old city, so we will have proper context when we stand in those places tomorrow. Next, we ventured through the Shrine of the Book. We were able to see a handful of Dead Sea Scrolls and a replica of the entire scroll of Isiah that was found at Qumran. Lastly, we took the Yehuda tour of the Archaeological Museum. We spent roughly an hour dashing through the vast archaeological finds of Israel to see the original finds unearthed from many of the places we’ve visited in the last week. This was so helpful, to see so many important artifacts while also quickly refreshing our memories of all the amazing places we’ve seen so far.

Take a breath. Remember all the places we’ve visited; all of the steps we’ve taken through time. It is truly an honor to be in this place and experience its history. Tomorrow, we go to Jerusalem. That thought has me thrilled for all we’ll experience, but sad for how many days we have left together. Soak it in!

Until tomorrow…

Ashley Fuhr