Day - 18 - 50,000

Today was a free day so we just walked around the old city and finished up any shopping we had left.


Little did we know that it was National Jerusalem Day.


The Jews had many celebrations and parades that all met at the Western Wall. 50,000 Jews in all.


There were many fights between Jew and Muslim, and about 47 were arrested, and numerous injured. 


We managed to sneak to a place where we could see everything going on. We snapped a couple pictures before we were thrown out, rather we ran out before they could throw us out. 


I guess your not supposed to have girls in a Jewish study area. Signs would have been nice...

Day - 17 - Holocaust

Today started off exciting and ended very somber.


First we got to do a sift of part of the temple mount that was excavated. We found lots of small artifacts such as Roman glass, pieces of the original Dome of the Rock, very old pottery, and many other miscellaneous pieces. 

After we spent the rest of the day in the Israel Holocaust Memorial. Having been the the Holocaust Memorial in Washington I was shocked at the differences. In D.C. the memorial is very shocking and sad, in Israel there was much less emotion. It was difference in feelings from reading a novel to reading a text book.

Our guide told us that most Jews have an idea in their mind that their persecution during the Holocaust was a necessary evil in order for their nation to be re-established.

Day - 16 - Old City Exploration

Today we went to the old city to be shown the ropes.


This place is crazy. Completely crowded with people, and most of them don't really like each other.


Everything is built upon itself, so it's very hard to navigate around. 


The markets are packed with a ton of crap that no body wants, but for some reason people buy.


















We went up onto the temple mount, where the girls got hounded for showing too much skin. Apparently your a hoochie if you show your shoulders...


The Dome of the Rock is a beautiful building with its gold roof.

Both the Muslims and the Jews believe that in the Dome of the Rock sits the corner stone of the world. The very first stone God created when he created the earth.


I couldn't get inside to verify, so I'll just take their word.


We ended our day at the wailing wall.

Day - 15 - Travel to Jerusalem

We started the day at another tel, Tel Jezreel, and surprise, surprise we then went to Tel Maggido.

From there we traveled west to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to Caesurae.

There is a theater that dates back to the time of the Romans in Caesurae, that is still currently in use. Today they were having concert. 

During the hay day of Caesurae, King Herod had a 13 mile long aqueduct built from the area's main water source to his palace on the coast. The aqueduct had a consisted 1 degree slope the entire 13 miles of it. 

Of course climbed it....

Our last stop of the day was our arrival at our final hotel of the trip, in Jerusalem Israel.

Day - 14 - The Places Jesus Was

Today we went to Chorazin, which according to Matthew and Luke, were villages in which Jesus performed "mighty works." 

Something interesting I learned today was that according the the teaching of Jesus he was probably most likely aligned with the jewish sect of the Pharisees. This might explain Jesus' harsh words to the Pharisees. Who are you going to get more upset at for screwing up, your good friend or someone you have no relationship with?




In the Synagogue in Chorazin there is this interesting stone which seems to have the face of Medusa carved on it.












After Chorazin we went to the Mount of the Beatitudes. 

Then we went to Capernum, the place there Jesus called Peter, James, and John.






















On the shores of Capernum you can still find ancient fishing weights like this one that we found.

There are both a Catholic church which was built over what they believe to be the house of Peter,

And a Greek Orthodox church with crazy wierd pictures painted all over the inside of it like this one of the devil.

To finish off the day we went in a boat ride on the Galilee as the sun was setting.