Solomon's temple

Our local guide Sam told us that the original temple built by Solomon was on the sit of the Dome of the Rock. Solomon's temple fell with the Babylonian conquest foretold by Jeremiah. The Israelites were exiled to Babylonia, but returned in 538 BC. Alexander the Great conquered the area in 332 BC, and the Maccabean rebellion was in 167. The Romans took over the area in 63 BC, but then Herod the Great reconstructed the temple. That was the temple in which Jesus spoke. Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple which occured in 70 AD. All the geneological and other records were destroyed in that fire, and the Hebrews no longer had the center of their religion -- no Holy of Holies, no sacrificial sites, nothing. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn into -- the one covering the tabernacle (Holy of Holies) which contained the Ark of the Covenant. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, once per year on the feast of Purim. The rending of the veil signified that ALL could now come to God -- Jesus was the new Ark of the Covenant. After leaving the Temple Mount, we went to the pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralytic. This is located near St. Stephen's gate and in the courtyard of the church of St. Anne (the traditional site of Mary's birthplace). Excavations in 1871 uncovered these pools that were used as a rain catchment during Herod's reign. The man healed of his paralysis was evidently not healed in his soul, because he turned Jesus in to the officials for healing on the Sabbath!

Cultural experiences in Bethlehem

We had time in the afternoon to shop in the Good Shepherd Store right across the street from our hotel. This was a recommended site -- "proven to be reliable, having fair prices and quality goods." They specialize in olive wood products, mother of pearl, and Jerusalem Cross necklaces. The Jerusalem cross, also known as the "Crusader's Cross" has several interpretations, but the one I like the best is this: the large red cross in the center represents Jerusalem, the center of the earth, and the four smaller crosses surrounding it represent the spread of Christianity to the four corners of the world: east, west, north, and south. I bought several of these pins and necklaces on the pilgrimage.

On the bus again, we traveled to view the countryside, and stopped to take pictures of an artificial mountain that contains a fortress inside. It was built by Hadrian. Herod the Great's tomb is said to be inside. This Herod is the one who murdered the Holy Innocents. He was not a full fledged Jew, but he became the King of the Jews from about 40 -4 BCE. He banished his wife and his legitimate son, and killed his favorite concubine and his three sons because he thought they were transpiring against him.

I got off the bus to take pictures, and slid on some rocks down the hill. Bruised my knee and twisted my back a bit, but otherwise unhurt. The worst thing was that I broke my camera in the fall and was unable to take any more pictures with it!

That evening, we met with students from Bethlehem University. The students are 65% Muslim and 35% Christian, and they learn about each other's religion. The university is run by the Christian Brothers. One student sat at each table at dinner that night, so that we could learn about her life, her aspirations, her studies. The young woman who sat with us was named Layla, and she was eighteen. She was a lot like some teenagers anywhere; articulate, intelligent, and charming. She was even keen on texting!