Owls on the Mount of Olives.
Today we started at the top of the Mount of Olives, looking out over the panorama of the city below us. We then walked down the mountain, visiting the Dominus Flevit church, where we saw a First Temple Period burial area and ossuaries; the Garden of Gethsemane and the adjacent Church of All Nations; and Mary’s Tomb. Along the way David explained why the Mount of Olives likely became Jerusalem’s primary burial ground: the prevailing west-to-east winds carried the smells of the cemeteries away from the city.
Visiting the Western Wall.
After a brief stop in the Kidron Valley we visited the City of David, a small hill to the south of the Temple Mount. According to extensive archaeological excavations, this is the oldest part of Jerusalem, the place where the city was founded. It was inhabited by the Jebusites, one of the Canaanite peoples, until David conquered it and made it the capital of his new kingdom. Today, the City of David sits in the middle of an Arab village called Silwan.
Our final stop was the Western Wall and its tunnels, which have been extensively excavated. Walking underground along the Western Wall at the level of the streets in Roman times, David explained to us how King Herod was able to move the enormous stones that weigh several hundred tons.
Listening to David.
After the bus brought us back to the hostel and we had a short break, we hosted our first evening speakers. Two representatives of the Parents’ Circle – Families Forum joined us to tell us about the organization, which fosters understanding and reconciliation between Jews and Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories. They also shared their personal stories of loss and friendship.
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