Down the Via Delarosa....

 A couple days ago, 2 of the new students, Jeremy and Faith, wanted to go down the Via Delarosa to see all the 14 different stations of the cross. I decided to go with them, so I could tell you what it is like. The Via Delarosa or "Way of Sorrow", winds along the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, and is the 'tradtional' route Jesus followed bearing His cross from Pilate's Judgement Hall in the Antonia to Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion. It is highly unlikely this is the actual route He took, but as I told the students, even if it's not exactly the place, it's close enough for me to remember what He did for me!  This first picture is of the door to the Church of the Flagellation, where they remember the whippings. You are not allowed to take photos inside. This church and the one just below are Station 2 (sorry I am out of order:)

 This is the inside of the Church of the Condemnation, also part of Station 2. Across the street is the "Antonia Fortress" which supposedly was the site of the Roman Fortress where Jesus was condemned...that is Station 1. and I didn't get a pic of it.

 Walking down the Via Delarosa, looking for station 3.

 Well, I found station 4 (see the Roman numeral on the round sign?) Station 4 is where Jesus met his mother as he was carrying the cross.

 Whoops back up, I almost missed it. This is station 3, right next to it, where Jesus fell for the first time.

 This is inside the church that commemorates where Jesus met his mother.  In Israel, they build a church or memorial over every little thing they believed happened. Most times there's no way to know if it's really the exact site, but again, it doesn't matter too much - cause we're in Jerusalem which I KNOW is the right city:)

 The entrance to the church above, see the carving of Jesus meeting His mother.

 Station 5 remembers where Simon the Cyrene is forced to carry the cross.

 Entrace to the chapel about Simon and Jesus.

 Kid playing on the Via Delarosa with a chair:)

 Okay, here's station number 6. This was where "Veronica" (who's Veronica??) wipes the sweat from Jesus' face.

 I guess this is the chapel/church that commemorates her wiping His face (?)

 This must be station 7 (do you know your Roman numerals?)  This is where Jesus fell for the 2nd time.  Inside was too dark and too many people to get a picture. Wait a minute - about the door it says station 8!  I guess it must be both. Station 8 is where Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:28)

Well, here we are continuing along the Via Delarosa, looking for station 9. Funny thing is we never found it. Station 9 is supposed to be where Jesus falls for the third time, somewhere near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which we see next.  Sorry - I tried to find it! I need a tour guide...

 So here we are at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The last five stations of the Cross are all here. 

Station 10 is where Jesus was stripped of His garments.  You can hardly see it because of the shadow, but there are stairs on the right side of the courtyard, that lead up to the little chapel with the domed roof..that's the Chapel of the Stripping of Jesus' Garments. We couldn't go up there, at least I don't think we were supposed to.

 Just inside the church, you take an immediate right up some steep stone stairs, climbing up Golgatha's hill. You can see the rock of the mountain through this glass encasement, which is right next to where it is thought the cross was placed.

 These are the decorations just above the hole carved in the rock where the cross was lifted and placed into.  Station 11 is where Jesus was nailed to the cross. Station 12 is Jesus dying on the cross.

 This is dark, because it's a small enclosure that you have to kneel down to get into. Look at the circle on the floor...that's the hole where the cross was placed. People take turns, one by one, kneeling inside this box to see the hole. You can extend your arm down into the rock, about elbow's length. When I did that, all I could say was "Thank you Lord Jesus, for what you bore for me."

 Again a dark picture, but you can see Faith putting her left arm down into the hole in the rock.

 The rock mountain under glass on the other side of the site of the cross.

 From up where the site of the cross is, you can look down below to the 13th station, which is where Jesus' body was laid after being taking down from the cross.

 Here's the same stone, I have heard this called the stone of 'Unction'.

 The 14th, and last station is the site of the tomb. The tomb, of course was originally a carved out place in the side of a hill. Hundreds of years ago, the hill was take away around the tomb, and just the tomb preserved.  This is the entrace to it. The line was very long to get in there, only a couple people at a time can fit. There's one way in and the same way out.   There is a good deal of historic evidence that this may truly be the place of His death, burial and resurrection.   Just amazing to be here.

 Standing right in front of the Tomb, if you look up - you see this beautiful cuppola over the tomb.

I took this picture last semester inside the tomb. It's small in there...basically you see a rock slab, with alot of decoration around it.

Well, after all that heavy discussion...I took this picture of this very interesting vehicle as I was walking back to school. I have no idea who owns this, or what they were doing there (the car was empty). But they way it looked made me want to jump inside it and take a spin somewhere:)  Hope you enjoyed going down the Via Delarosa with me!!

Summer Fruits and gardens on campus!

 I woke up early a couple days ago and went out into the gardens and grounds around our JUC (Jerusalem University College) campus.   This is the season of the summer fruits, and I just wanted to show you what a beautiful place I am living at here in Jerusalem, hope you enjoy the tour.

 An arbor over a pathway....if you look over your head when walking beneath this you will see bunches of grapes hanging down!

 Ah, pomegranates!!  They are just beginning to get ripe. Some of the students have picked one and I've already tasted the sweet seeds inside. I'm waiting til they get just a little bit riper to pick and eat one.

 There's loads of pomegranates to go around.

 Picture of the grounds in front of the school buildings and dorms.

 Here's an olive tree.  I've never tasted an olive right off the tree...once these get ripe I will!!

 Here's some purple grapes hanging off the arbor.

 There also are green grapes hanging around.

 Another picture of the grounds, there are several places you can go to sit and read or study. Not sure what the tombstone-looking thing is, I probably should find out:)

The center of the buildings. The door to the left is where I go in to the dining hall. The upper door with the balcony in the middle is off the kitchen. The building to the right that angles out is the grad dorm where I live.

 Stairs going to the upper courtyard and entry to the dining hall.

 Entrance to a walkway that leads to a gate to a cemetary - you can see it way down there.

 Looking across part of the garden area, just so peaceful and beautiful.

 Up on the second story, the first 2 windows you see are from my bedroom!  The third window is in the bathroom which is right next to my bedroom.

 Another path in the garden area.

 Gate to the Protestant Cemetary.  Not sure who all is buried in there. But if you must be buried, having a spot on Mount Zion would be the way to do it:)

 I took this picture through the gate of the cemetary.

 I just can't stop taking pics of the pomegranates, they are so awesome.

A flowering tree just beneath the dorm building.



Another angle of the school buildings. You can see  guy in a red t-shirt (Ben) studying in the patio area.

Return to the Temple Mount!

Here's a video I took the other day with a long-distance view of the Dome of the Rock and the Temple Mount.   I know I showed you lots of pics of this last semester, but come with me again:

This is the courtyard in front of the Western Wall, a group of IDF soldiers gathering there. We often see large groups of soldiers in training, all healthy young men and women in Israel are required to serve in the army.

 This is a close-up of the Western Wall on the women's side...you can see the many slips of paper stuck in the cracks that have the written prayers and petitions on them.

 A little boy on his bike riding in the Hurva Square, in front of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter

 The five people in the foreground are all students I was waiting in line with to go up to the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock is. The Muslims only open this during certain restricted hours, and you are not allowed up there during their 5 times a day prayer times. You have to go through security first, then you cross the long wooden bridge that you saw in the video above to get up there.

 Now we're up on the Temple Mount, it is not crowded today.You can see the Dome of the Rock, the centerpiece of the Temple Mount, and the most recognized building and icon in Jerusalem.

 The Dome of the Rock is NOT a mosque (it's a shrine), but this is - The Al-Aqsa Mosque for public prayers is the first huge structure you come to when you get up on the Temple Mount. Only Muslims are allowed inside the Mosque or in the Dome of the Rock.

 This building is massive and aesthetically beautiful. Wouldn't be the same without that gold dome, however.

 This is the actual entrance to the Dome of the Rock. A couple of the guys we were with did approach the door to see if they could get in, but no way, they were turned away!

 Here's the side of the Dome, a few Muslim people sitting around outside it.

 Some children playing soccer on the Temple Mount. There are actually a couple schools up there.

 Here's the view of the Temple Mount side of the Eastern Gate (some people call it the Golden Gate). This is the gate that we believe the Lord Jesus will come through when He returns and comes down from the Mount of Olives, which it faces.

 The Olives are growing on the Temple Mount! There are so many Olive trees up there. They are not quite ripe yet, but maybe by next month they will be.

 Here we are, I'm the one in shades on the left:)  You can see several Olive trees in this shot.

 Now this is an interesting little Gazebo which sits just to the North east of the Dome of the Rock, and is right in line with the Eastern Gate. This Gazebo sits over a patch of exposed rock, it is the actual rock of Mount Moriah, visible amidst the paved stones of the Temple Mount that Herod built over the mountain.

 This exposed part of the mountain is very special and important. I have a dear friend (hi Edith!) who had a supernatural encounter with the Lord while at this very spot, and believes the Lord revealed to her that THIS was the very site of the Holy of Holies in the 2nd Temple, and this was the very place and rock where Isaac was bound, and the very place where Jesus' throne will be in the Millenial kingdom,etc (much more to her vision). The Muslims believe it was the rock that is beneath the Dome where Ishmael (not Isaac) was bound by Abraham....Well, one day we will see and know for sure, and every knee will bow....

 My new friend Matt standing on the rock of  Mount Moriah, beneath the gazebo.

 Is this the right place, Edith???

This picture is a little out of order, but shows some women facing the Western Wall, which is the only structure original to the 2nd Temple that is standing, a place sacred to many, and where hundreds of thousands of Jews and Christians come to pray each year.