Old City and Going North

Our day started with our leaving our hotel in Bethlehem passing by the wall that separates Palestine from Israel and going into Jerusalem.

Due that this was the Sabbath I could not take pictures of the Wailing Wall today when we were there. I was surprised that 8:00 AM there was already a large crowd praying at the wall.

From there we started going through the "Stations of the Cross". There are 14 stations, but we only got through 8 before we had to leave. Here is a shot of one of the streets where we walked.

Then we went to the Garden of the Tomb. This has to be the highlight of the trip for many of us. This area is different than most because the land was purchased by a charity in the UK and has kept it as much like it was at Jesus time, rather than building a church or shrine. It was very nice and we had a nice guide that was special to this site. He did an excellent job.

Here is the entrance to the tomb.

After we looked into the tomb we gathered at a special place that was set aside just for us, read some scripture and had communion together.

Then it was off to Ceaserea and then up to Haifa , where we saw this great sunset and then drive inland to Tiberias along the Sea of Galilee. Tomorrow we will take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, visit Nazareth, and other important sites in this area.

Thanks you for praying for our safety. We are grateful that no one has become ill or injured on this journey.

In HIS love and mine,

Jim