Jerusalem of Three Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

On the Temple Mount.

Now that we are over our jet lag, our guide David decided we were ready to start even earlier today, so everyone grabbed a quick breakfast and hopped on our bus by 7:30. All this so we could beat the crowds to the Temple Mount, also known as the Haram al-Sharif. A special guide, Ibrahim Gazzawi, met us on the ramp leading to the Haram and led us around the compound, which includes Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Everyone got to explore the expansive space and marvel at the intricate designs and beautiful gold of the dome.

St. Ann’s Church

We exited the Temple Mount platform near the Lions Gate, and continued our exploration of the three Abrahamic religions with a visit to St. Ann’s Church, a Crusader structure said to be the site of Mary’s birth. After a beautiful serenade by some of the students in the church, which has great acoustics, we met another special guide, Jad Abu Saed, who led us on a tour of the Via Dolorosa, the stations of the cross. The last few stations are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where we ended that part of our tour.

Finally, our regular guide David led us back to the Jewish Quarter for a tour of some Second Temple Period ruins that were discovered in the 1970s after the state of Israel took control of the Old City from Jordan. The Jordanians had destroyed the Jewish Quarter after the 1948 war, leaving it in terrible condition for habitation but prime condition for archaeological excavations.

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Tonight we will go to the Tower of David, a Herodian structure now used as a museum, to see a sound and light show projected on the walls of the ancient structure, a perfect way to end our day of exploring the conjunction of Jerusalem old and new.

The Dome of the Rock