The Western Wall and Bethlehem

We began our tour today in the Rabbinical Tunnels which led us through the construction of the Temple Mount and their water system and the inner side of the Western Wall.

Our tour guide explained how of the tunnel is in continuation of the Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres (200 ft) long, the majority of its original length of 488 metres (1,601 ft) is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to the remainder of the Wall in a northerly direction.

After we spent time in the tunnels we cleansed our hands and visited the Western Wall also known as the Wailing Wall. Woman went to the right and men to the left.

The Southern Wall is a wall at the southern end of the Temple Mount and the former southern side of the Second Temple (also called Herod’s Temple) in Jerusalem. It was built during King Herod’s expansion of the Temple Mount platform southward on to the Ophel. The Southern Wall is 922 feet (281 m) in length, and which the historian Josephus equates as being equal to the length of one furlong. These are the steps that Jesus walked to get to the Temple.

To get to Bethlehem, we had to cross over into Palestinian territory and Roman, our guide, turned us over to George.

As we sat in front of the shepherd’s fields, George told us about how this was where the angels told of Jesus birth.

This is what a cave that people lived in looked like in Jesus time.

After spending a little time here, we rode the short distance to where Jesus was born.

The Church of the Nativity is one of the most sacred Christian sites in the world since at least the 4^th century AD up to the present. The sanctity of the site is maintained by the three churches occupying it. The construction of the church in 339 AD above the grotto, and its reconstruction in 533 AD, commemorates the birth of Jesus and attests to seventeen hundred years-long tradition of belief that this grotto was indeed the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

The association of the place that was believed to be the birthplace of Jesus is documented from the 4^th century AD and from then on the buildings added to it have been constructed to enhance this religious significance. The majority of the existing church today dates back to the 6^th century AD, but retains part of the 4^th century floor and some parts of its walls and columns, and have 12^th century and later additions that are obvious in the icon painting on the columns of the church. The 12^thcentury additions reflect the Crusades that led to one of the upsurges in pilgrimage activity.

The star is supposedly the exact spot where Jesus was born.

This is the church that is televised from Bethlehem at Christmas.

Some random photos from the three churches.

Tomorrow we begin at the Garden Tomb!