Author: Andrew Zimmerman

This morning we left our Jaffa Street apartment and walked to Tova’s place in Old City, our home for the next couple of days. We met Ohri, our guide for the day.

First stop was Temple Mount. We went through a security check point, and up the walkway.

We saw the Al Aqsa mosque. The largest portion of the mosque is actually underground. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter.

We saw a group of the “temple faithful,” Jews who want to maintain Jewish presence on the temple site. They are watched closely to make sure they don’t break any rules.

The Eastern Gate is fascinating. Yesterday we stood outside and looked at the gates blocked to prevent entry. Today we stood “just inside the Eastern Gate.”

The Dome of the Rock is the centerpiece of Temple Mount. This magnificent octagonal structure was built in 691 AD.

We had to be off Temple Mount by 10:30. We visited the Small Wailing Wall, which is actually closer to the temple location than the Western Wall.

We enjoyed a lunch of hummus and falafel. From there we went to a location on Via Dolorosa we were interested in seeing. Sisters of Zion convent has some historical significance, the location of the Antonia Fortress. Below the building is stone pavement long believed to date to Jesus’ day. The stone with the diagram of a Roman soldiers’ game is now thought to date from to around 130 AD.

More stops included church of the Holy Sepulchre and a rooftop overlook.

When I stepped outside our apartment this morning, I smelled the distinctive aroma of roasting coffee. Sure enough, a small coffee shop. We ordered a cappuccino and a filtered coffee, and were on our way.

We walked toward Old City, of course, entering through Jaffa Gate. We wanted to explore the Old City on our way to the Temple Mount Sifting Project.

We walked through the market area. We exited through Damascus Gate. This is the abbreviated version, maybe I can share more about the gates later.

We visited Zedekiah’s Cave, also known as Solomon’s quarry. Maybe the stones of the first temple came from here.

Following the city wall, we went by Herod’s Gate.

The next stop was Lion’s Gate. We got some pomegranate and orange juice for lunch.

We visited Eastern Gate, also known as Golden Gate, and Mercy Gate. This one is closed to ensure the Messiah cannot enter Temple Mount through it, in an attempt to thwart the prophecy in Ezekiel 40.

It was around 1:00, and we had some walking to do to get to the sifting site on Mount Scopus. So we walked down into the Kidron Valley and up towards the mountain. Mount Olives was to our right. We picked some olives on the way, but had to drink some water to get the taste out our mouths. Hot and bitter might describe them.

At the sifting project, our tour guide gave us some background and instructions. The material came from some illegal excavation that was done back in 1988. Now they’re going through it and finding a bunch of good stuff, including a half shekel coin used to pay the temple tax.

From there we walked over to Mount Olives. The view of Temple Mount in the deepening dusk was awe inspiring.

We walked back to Lion’s Gate and into the city. We found some good hummus and shawarma. Then back out through Jaffa Gate and to our apartment.

All in all, it was a full day, with a lot of walking. We thoroughly enjoyed every step!

Hello friends. We (Julia and Andrew) are planning to travel to Jerusalem next week. You are invited to travel with us by following this blog. We will not be posting to social media with every blog post, so follow the blog if you’d like to get the daily updates.

We enjoyed The Land immensely on our first trip. So much of the culture and history relates to Bible times. We plan to learn more about Jerusalem, and Jesus’ time there.

Here are some pictures we’d like to share from an earlier trip.

The land of Israel is fascinating. There is so much variety in a tiny country; such a variety of landscapes, peoples, and cultures.

It is the land of the Bible. Visiting the sites of Bible stories brings them to life in 3D. Jesus walked here. God’s covenants with people were made here.

I hope to share pictures of His Land through this blog. Feel free to follow if you’re interested.