One of the first places we visited today was Zion Gate. Pockmarked with battle scars, it’s not the prettiest, but shows steadfastness.
We also saw the Dung Gate. There were a lot of bar mitzvah celebrations nearby. But they enter through another, smaller gate.
We walked down a very steep hill to the Siloam Pool.
From the pool, the Pilgrimage Road led up hill to the temple. We walked a short stretch that has been excavated.
We walked through a drainage tunnel to an opening in David’s City. We watched an archeological dig in progress there.
Next stop was the archeological park next to Temple Mount.
The highlight of the park is the south steps of the temple. Some of the steps are original. This is one place they say you can be pretty sure Jesus really walked here. It is also likely where Peter preached his sermon on Pentecost.
Last but not least, we took the Western Wall Tunnel tour. This tunnel follows the entire length of the western wall of Temple Mount. The accessible portion usually called the Western Wall is only 10% of the total length. The largest stones are 40 feet long and 10 feet high, weighing 650 tons.
