Our first day in Jerusalem.

We started the day at the aruve line where Jesus mounted a donkey to ride into Jerusalem through the Eastern gate.

On the way people lined the streets with palm branches for sukkah, crying out “God save us!” The number of people in Jerusalem on this day, is about ten times the usual size due to the festival. At this time the people are looking for a messiah to lead a revolt.

Next we went to the Mount of Olives where we had a lesson on the Passover. We talked about the four cups of wine from Exodus 6:6-7. It was interesting to learn that Jesus refused the fourth cup which represents protection.

We also learned about Leil Shimurim or Night of Watching a remembrance of when the Jews watched for the Egyptians. We discussed how the disciples were unable to leil shimurim Jesus as He was praying.

We also discussed the fifth cup of the Passover or “Cup of Wrath” from Jeremiah 25. This has also been called the cup of Elijah. Jesus understands that he has to drink this cup of wrath in order to offer salvation for mankind.

Words can’t describe the rest of our morning walk and experience as we discussed the brutal suffering that Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans followed by a walk down the Via Dolorosa. Our walk ended at the Herodian Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At this church we viewed the empty tour and descended into the quarry beneath the rocks of Golgotha.

After lunch we went to the Herodian in Bethlehem. Here we also saw the town of the OT prophet Amos.

The Herodian is Herod’s favorite palace and the place where he is buried. After the palace was built Herod had a mountain constructed around the palace for security. The palace is just outside of Jerusalem and also close to the desert in the event that Herod needs to escape.

We compared the opulence and grandeur of Herod’s palace to the dark, smelly sheep cave where Jesus was born. We talked of how Jesus was born in the shadow of the Herodian.

Our day ended with a shopping spree at Johnny’s. Led by our fearless rabbi Kristiana!