Holy Land Pilgrimage Journal (Day 9)

Friday, 20th September 2019

This morning, we ventured back into the Old City of Jerusalem through the ‘Dung Gate’ to visit the ‘Western Wall’ and its tunnels to explore the foundations of the original western side of the ‘Temple Mount’. This was a fascinating journey into one of the most sacred spaces of Judaism. As we learned about the historical significance of the Western Wall as the only really visible and accessible wall of the Temple Mount that survived the Roman destruction of the Temple and Muslim occupation, you get a sense why Jews choose to pray at this space. Their prayers at this section of wall are a longing for redemption and renewal of Israel. I couldn’t help but feel their longing and anguish as the Muslim prayers rang out over the loudspeakers from the Islamic ‘Golden Dome of the Rock’ built on top of the Jewish Temple Mount. Regardless of where you sit in this space politically, the clash of two monotheistic religions in the Holy place is very real. Given Judaism is the historical and religious roots of Christianity, there is a natural empathy for the Jewish longing for redemption. The tunnels of the Western Wall were a fascinating and enlightening journey, literally down the stony pathways of history. The realisation in one section of the tunnel that you were walking on original paving from the second temple period (516 BC – 70 AD) was surreal. I must confess that I was probably more intrigued by the engineering and architecture of the Temple Mount from than the religious significance (though, I did engage with that too). The sheer size and weight of the stones used to construct this wall was impressive. It any wonder that it is still standing today!

Once we left the tunnels, we were given the opportunity to pray at the Western Wall (men on one side and women on the other). I found this to be an interesting exercise that did conflict a little with my spirit. The sight of countless prayers written on pieces of paper folded and stuffed into the cracks between the rocks was somewhat sad. The spiritual significance of the wall has moved into a mystical space for many religious people who see the wall as possessing some sort of power. Even so, I stepped up to the wall and prayed, not to bricks and mortar, but to the Cornerstone of my faith, Jesus Christ, who is the Rock upon which His Church is built. The wall itself doesn’t hold the same significance for me as the ‘Temple’ of spiritual significance for me is the one the Holy Spirit establishes within the lives of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the Chief Cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

This is the indestructible ‘Temple of God’ and Jesus is the Cornerstone to whom I pray for the redemption and restoration of His people.

From the Western Wall we visited the ‘Burnt House’ (Katros House) and a high priest mansion that gave us an insight into the dwelling places of the upper class in the city of Jerusalem. Again, I found the architecture and social family structures fascinating. These sorts of visits help to create a clearer picture of the society and world in which Jesus lived and ministered. This would have been the sort of house the High Priest Caiaphas would have owned, where Jesus was brought to and accused. The class distinction between a humble carpenter’s home and that of the high priest would have been stark.

After lunch, we left the Jerusalem walls of the Old City to visit the ‘City of David’. This was indeed a fascinating trip that also focused on the second temple period. It is archaeologically known for its Canaanite infrastructure dated to the Middle Bronze Age, and its newer structures from the Iron Age, built by Judean kings. This site offered contrasting views from David’s palace over a neighbourhood of Silwan, a Palestinian Arab village, intertwined with an Israeli settlement, to underground views of King Hezekiah’s water tunnels that would have sustained the city. These tunnels are a complex labyrinth of limestone passages that weave through the side of the mountain, providing channels for the underground spring of fresh water. The tunnels exit once flowed into the ‘Pool of Siloam’, which is the place where Jesus healed the blind man and possible place where the 3000 saved at Pentecost were baptised.

Finally, we ended the day at the Garden Tomb, which is another possible location for the burial of Jesus. This stunning location provided a view of a cliff face believed to be Golgotha, the place of the skull. A close look at the structure of the cliff shows some caves that resemble the face of a skull. Although, erosion and ground movement in recent years is diminishing this appearance. While there is no definitive proof which site is the actual tomb of Jesus, the location and geographic features of this site seems to better fit the biblical narrative than the site of the Holy Sepulchre. Walking inside the tomb was a powerful experience being inside the space where the body of Jesus may have laid. Yet, the fact that the tomb is empty is where the real power lies, because we worship a resurrected Lord! The simplicity of the tomb and beauty of the garden manipulates our desire for this to be the place rather than the opulence of a man-made structure. We concluded the day with a beautiful communion service in the garden which allowed us each to sit and engage with our resurrected Lord in this sacred space. In these moments, the words of our guide range true, “It’s not the site but the event that is important.” Knowing where the actual tomb is located is of little consequence to my faith, whereas, knowing that the resurrection actually happened is of eternal consequence and significance. It was a precious time for each of us and a very fitting way to end a full and rich day.