In the Shadow of Herod

Today we enterd the last week of Jesus' life. Now, I've read the four gospels many times and thought I

knew that story fairly well. What I learned today was mind blowing. And if all I received today were the amazing parallels between Jesus' words and actions with Old Testament texts and the history of that time, that would have been enough. But to stand on the Mount of Olives, in an Olive grove very much like the one (if not the actual) in which Jesus spent the week, having walked the triumphal entry route and surveyed the Temple Mount was unbelievably powerful. We gained insights that are just not possible outside those conditions. What an impact!

Then came the enactment of the Last Supper and the final prayer in the olive garden. Oh, my. I had heard most of this material, including the fascinating and deeply moving meanings behind each of the cups before and during the meal, but the power of Ray's teaching combined with the literal geography and the culmination of the past twelve days made for one of the most moving moments of the trip. And there have been plenty of those!

We had another special privilege today. Somehow Ray arranged for us yo enter the Muslim cemetary

which usually present an impassable barrier to the Eastern Gate of Jeruslem. We stood right in front of it.

I haven't commented much on the politics of this region but any Israel traveler is certainly made aware of them. Today was a prime example. We toured all four corners of Jerusalem noting the startling contrasts between them and marveling that they exist at all. Before making our way to Bethlehem we had to change buses and drivers as our Israeli team was not permitted beyond the wall. This was made more ironic by the fact that Bethlehem is in Israeli occupied Palestine. If that sounds slightly bizzare it doesn't compare with actually being there. This is an impossibly complex land.

We visited Bethlehem for two reasons: to see the area in which Jesus was born and to visit the Herodian. I'll cover this more tomorrow, making this a two part post. Right now I have to get some sleep.

Tomorrow is our final full day here and then we begin the long journey home. I'll need all the rest I can get!