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Israel Study Tour with Orchard Hill Reformed Church
July 14-25, 2019
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Jerusalem
Today was our first day in Jerusalem! This was another big day for our group. Our first stop was the Temple Mount. This is the region where the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac took place 4000 years ago. Our guide Ronen, gave us the rich, but very complicated history that has unfolded over years and years. The Muslims control the Temple Mount currently, which made a very interesting dynamic to hear about.
Next was the The Western Wall. From there we learned how Herod the Great built up the area around the Temple. It was a massive achievement for the time. The walls around the Temple were absolutely stunning in size. The original walls go down 30 feet from the surface today. We were able to take a tour in tunnels that are down at the original footings of the Temple. The Jews believe the Western Wall is the closest place they can go without entering the original Holy of Holies of the Temple. At the Western Wall, we were able to join in the celebration of several Bar mitzvahs taking place right there.
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.
After lunch and some shopping, we headed to the Herodium. This was Herod’s summer palace up on a mountain top that had a view for miles around. We were overlooking the area where the Christmas story had unfolded. This was probably the fields where the shepherds were watching over their flocks by night. Quite a powerful perspective to take in!
Herodium
Herodium is 3 miles southeast of Bethlehem and 8 miles south of Jerusalem. Its summit is 2,460 feet above sea level.
Herod built or re-built eleven fortresses. This one he constructed on the location of his victory over Antigonus in 40 BC.
Our last stop for the day was the Church of Nativity. This is supposedly where Jesus was born and laid in a manger. Today, there are three branches housed in this church...Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic. They each have their own sections or wings of the church.
This was another packed day of overwhelming information that was steeped in history. It’s been an amazing experience to see the context of our Bible come alive in ways we’ve never experienced before.
Dan & Beth DeWaal
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