While working on Jerusalem’s present day water infrastructure, workers uncovered a section of the city’s ancient aqueduct and a 14th century bridge near Sultan’s Pool, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday.

The aqueduct conveyed water to the Temple Mount during Solomon’s time.

“The bridge, which could still be seen at the end of the 19th century and appears in old photographs, was covered over during the 20th century,” said Yehiel Zelinger, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “We were thrilled when it suddenly reappeared in all its grandeur during the course of the archaeological excavations.”

Zelinger explained that the aqueduct actually began in Bethlehem at Solomon’s Pools and ended at the Temple Mount cutting through the neighborhood today known as Yemin Moshe, across from Mount Zion. Its route has been documented by scholars. The bridge, Zelinger said, was built in order “to maintain the elevation of the path along which the water flowed.”

“Two of the original nine arches that were in the bridge were currently excavated to their full height of about 3 meters,” Zelinger said.

The bridge, rebuilt in 1320 by Sultan Nasser al-Din Muhammed Ibn Qalawun according to an inscription on the bridge, was constructed in order to replace a bridge from the time of the Second Temple period.

The Israel Antiquities Authority and Nature and Parks Authority plans to expose the entire length of the bridge and integrate it in the framework of the overall development of the Sultan’s Pool, as part of underscoring the importance of the water supply to Jerusalem in ancient times.

The Gihon Corporation, name for Jerusalem’s ancient source of water, is assisting in funding the excavations.

By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy  Land.

The name Ben Hinnom most probably means Son of Hinnom, Hinnom being the owner of the land, but the valley's name in Hebrew, Gei Ben Hinnom, resembles the Hebrew word for Hell, Geihenom, and despite its peaceful and innocent appearance, its history makes the name well deserved.

Right below Mt. Zion, outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, lay a deep valley, green and wide, that separates the old city of Jerusalem from the modern neighborhoods of the city. In fact, the valley, known as the Ben Hinnom valley or Gei Ben Hinnom in Hebrew, separates the Old City from the first Jewish neighborhood built outside the Old City walls, Mishkenot Sha'ananim (established 1860).

The name Ben Hinnom most probably means Son of Hinnom, Hinnom being the owner of the land, but the valley's name in Hebrew, Gei Ben Hinnom, resembles the Hebrew word for Hell, Geihenom, and despite its peaceful and innocent appearance, its history makes the name well deserved.

 It was here, in the Ben Hinnom Valley, that people in ancient times used to sacrifice their first born children to the foreign gods, the Molech and the Baal. The Israelites that a few hundred years back had adopted the Mosaic faith upon receiving the Torah, emulated their gentile neighbors and adopted this custom as well.

It is told of King Ahaz of the Kingdom of Judea in relation to the Ben Hinnom Valley: "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign... and he did not that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father; but he...made also molten images for the Baal. Moreover he offered in the valley of Ben Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel"( II chronicles, 28:1-3).

King Ahaz was not the only Israelite to follow this custom. This custom was quite prevalent on those days. Actually, it was so common, that the prophet Jeremiah preached the Israelites and warned them against it: "(they) have filled this place with the blood of innocents and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal; which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called... the valley of Ben Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; and I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies... (Jeremiah 19: 5-7);
Jeremiah's prophecy manifested itself later on in history, when Jerusalem was captured and the Holy Temple destroyed by the Babylonians and once again by the Romans a few hundred years later.

The deepest part of the valley is called the Sultan's Pool, named after Ottoman ruler (Sultan) Suleiman the Magnificent (1494-1566) who made it usable. There is a bridge leading to the pool that used to serve as a dam. Today the place is mostly dry and serves as a scene for festive summer concerts that attract multitudes of people. Visitors can also enjoy the Artists Quarters adjacent to it (Hutzot Ha-yotzer), hosting different art galleries of local artists.

 The Sultan's pool in the Ben Hinnom valley is also known as Batsheba's Pool. This name is an informal name derived from a common mistake. The Tower of David inside the walls of the Old City is towering just above the valley and the pool. The tower was built in the Ottoman Era, but people mistakenly thought that the Tower of David really was a tower from King David's time, and figured that it must have been from there that he saw Batsheba bathing in the near by pool. Hence the mistake that led to the name.

The valley itself is a part of the graveyard surrounding the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a Jewish practice not to build graves and graveyards inside the city walls, therefore the area outside the walls used to be a burial area during all the different eras of history since Jerusalem became a Jewish city (over 3000 years ago). One can see there graves from different times and eras in the city's history dating back to the Second Temple era and before that as well.

All in all, when walking through the Ben Hinnom Valley, one can hardly suspect the bloody history of the place, but once one knows of that history, it's impossible not to feel an eerie feeling around the place. That same feeling crawls into one's heart even when praying in the beautiful synagogue at the Yemin Moshe neighborhood right above the valley.

That said, one can learn a lot of the different historical levels of the city of Jerusalem by taking a stroll through this beautiful valley of hell, Gei Ben-Hinnom.

Written by : Avital Yona, first published in Eastory.

This chronicle of Solomon's Temple was created by Sir Isaac Newton and originally published within "The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended" by Sir Isaac Newton (1728).

On Tuesday, 17th or 18th October 1009, a group of workmen entered the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and started demolishing what was then (and is now) the holiest site for Christians worldwide. Who ordered them to do so, and why?

The answer lied on the banks of the Nile, inside the head of the Caliph of the Fatimid Empire Abu 'Ali Mansur al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah. This man, whose Arabic name literally meant "Ruler by God's Command", ruled from his palace in old Cairo over a vast strip of land stretching from modern Tunisia in the west to modern Syria in the east, including all of the Holy Land.

Al-Hakim's reign, which began at the age of eleven, was a relatively troubled one. The Caliphate under his rule faced opponents abroad, such as the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad (which saw his rule as illegitimate on the grounds that he was a missionary of Shi'ite Islam rather than Sunni Islam). In addition, the army under Al-Hakim's command was torn by rival factions.

Al-Hakim repeatedly exhibited eccentric and capricious behavior. Besides executing several viziers (chief ministers) in a short period of time, he was very much obsessed with his subjects' morality. This obsession found expression in strange rules regarding every aspect of their daily lives (down to their diet), and also in harsh measures taken against non-Muslims.

The most famous of these measures was the 1009 order for the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This large complex, originally built in the 4th century, contained several chapels and churches commemorating key events from the New Testament regarding Jesus' crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.

The workmen assigned for the job started by demolishing the empty tomb of Jesus and the dome above it. Chunks of wall that fell as a result blocked access to many parts of the church, thus saving them from destruction.

The church had already faced a similar assault between 614 and 622, when the Byzantines were temporarily driven out of the region by the Persian Empire. The destruction of 1009, however, had much longer implications. Until the end of al-Hakim's reign in 1021 Christians were banned from approaching the ruins, and only in 1042 his successors reached an agreement with Emperor Constantine IX regarding the church's reconstruction.

Further repairs and a substantial enlargement were made by the 12th century Crusaders who took the country from the Fatimids.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher we can see today is, architecturally speaking, the magnificent sum of all these past constructions and reconstructions.


Amir Rosenbaum is  the Co-Founder and owner of the Holy Land Gift site, Eastory.

 

Tourists to the Holy Land walk right past one of the most important sites in Christian history without realizing its significance.  Noted archaeologist and author Shimon Gibson claims that the place of the trial of Jesus is not near the Antonia fortress, as the route of the Via Dolorosa (the "Way of Suffering") marks, but rather in a completely different part of Jerusalem - now a small, unmarked park near the Jaffa Gate. 

In his newly published book, The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence, Gibson claims that the starting point of the Via Dolorosa, which has been walked for centuries, is incorrect and reflects "a tradition with no historical basis whatsover."

"It is amazing for me to think that thousands of Christian pilgrims pass by one of the most important, tangible sites of Christian history without realizing it. It is not known and there is no sign posted," Gibson said in a recent interview I conducted for Travelujah.

Gibson, who has spent the last 30 years excavating numerous sites which are relevant to the story of Jesus, admits that some of his conclusions may be controversial. He is convinced, nonetheless, that the ancient stones and ruins have an important role to play in unraveling many of the mysteries surrounding Jesus's final days and first-century Jerusalem.  "Books which deal with Jesus tend to be written by theologians and historians who might make use of archaeological data, but not always. They usually use archaeology as a garnish, for a bit of illustrative material but not more than that.  I decided to start with the archaeological context."

His other findings include a new interpretation of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and a proposed location for the tomb of Jesus.

What to see if you really want to walk in Jesus's footsteps

I asked Gibson what pilgrims should plan if they really want to "walk in Jesus's footsteps."  He suggested four sites, not always on the typical itineraries:

1.  The Bethesda and Siloam Pools

These massive pools were thought for many years to have been water reservoirs. Yet Gibson argues that they were not designed to conserve large quantities of rainwater but were actually built for ritual purification needs.

Jerusalem was packed with thousands of Jewish pilgrims during Jesus's time who came to celebrate the Passover festivities and attend the Temple. These pilgrims had to undergo ritual purification before ascending to the Temple. Gibson suggests that Jesus was trying to establish a new movement of baptism, with alternative purification and healing procedures centered at these pools. 

It was at these pools, Gibson believes, that the "main activities of Jesus took place while he was in Jerusalem."

2.  Flight of Steps south of the Temple Mount

The Temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world and more than twice the size of the Athenian Acropolis.  Gibson said that here "you can get a sense of the crowds that would have climbed up.  They story of the Jesus overturning the tables took place here too."

3.  Mt. Zion

Gibson is currently excavating in this area, known in the Byzantine tradition as the area of the "House of Caiaphas".  While the exact location of the first-century house of the High Priest is still unknown, there are many palatial homes from that period being uncovered. Gibson writes that it is "great fun to thread the soil through one's fingers, digging up fragments of cooking pots and storage jars, occasionally hitting upon a coin, but ultimately the main thrill is in being able to reveal the outline of the households, kitchens and installations, dining halls and bedrooms, dating back some 2,000 years."

4.  Park between Jaffa Gate and the southwest corner of the city (Trial location)

In this small park are the remains of a gateway system with a large expanse that Gibson believes was the site of Jesus's Trial. He doesn't believe the Trial would have been inside Herod's palace, as commonly believed, since the palace was a very private residence.  "It is inconceivable that Herod would have done business in his home."

In his book, Gibson makes the case for this location and uses recent archaeological finds to name the Trial's exact physical setting. He believes "the Trial was out in the open, conducted in front of the crowds."   

The Final Days of Jesus paints a picture of life in first-century Jerusalem that brings together the latest archaeological discoveries with the traditional sources. Author Shimon Gibson is currently a senior associate fellow at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and an adjunct professor of archaeology at the University of North Carolina. He previously worked in the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Gibson wrote in his book, "There is magic in its stones.  Jerusalem is one of those special cities that many put on the list of places they most want to visit during their lifetime." We recommend this book as a must-read for anyone who wants to uncover a bit more of that magic.

To buy the book click here: The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence

The Final Days of Jesus: The Archaeological Evidence

HarperCollins 2009

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Lori Kaufmann is Co-Founder of Travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land.  Based in  Israel, www.Travelujah.com connects people to the Holy Land by allowing users to share their experiences, write blogs, upload their pictures, create profiles, Search the Bible, learn with experts , book tours, hotels and Christian guesthouses and journey into the Land of the Bible.

An ancient Byzantine era church was discovered recently in the Jerusalem Hills at a construction site in Nes Harim, according to Ha'aretz Newspaper. Local residents unearthed the site which previously had been covered by pine trees and terraces.

The Israel Antiquities Authority exposed the excavated church, which  is paved with mosaics and decorated with an ancient inscription written in ancient Greek. Dr. Leah Di Signi, a leading expert ifn ancient inscriptions at the  the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,  deciphered the inscription: "O Lord God of Saint Theodorus, protect Antonius and Theodosia the illustres [a title used to distinguish high nobility in the Byzantine period] - Theophylactus and John the priest [or priests]. [Remember o Lord] Mary and John who have offe[red - ] in the 6th indiction. Lord, have pity of Stephen."

As first reported in Ha'aretz,  the first excavation in the site in November 2008 revealed the church's narthex - the broad entrance at the front of the church's nave. A carpet of polychrome mosaics  adorned with geometric patterns of intertwined rhomboids separated by flower bud motifs was inside. Much of the mosaic was defaced and destroyed by vandalism.

The same excavation also revealed a complex wine press that was partly exposed consisting of at least two upper treading floors and and arched cells, likely designed to assist in the fermentation process.

According to archaeologist Daniel Ein Mor, "We know of other Byzantine churches and sites that are believed to be Byzantine monasteries, which are located in the surrounding region. The excavation at Nes Harim supplements our knowledge about the nature of the Christian-Byzantine settlement in the rural areas between the main cities in this part of the country during the Byzantine period, among them Bet Guvrin, Emmaus and Jerusalem."

A first Temple-Era Bone Seal engraved with the name Shaul discovered in the excavations in the Walls around Jerusalem National Park in the City of David

During a visit to the City of David in Jerusalem, the Knesset presidium, headed by Speaker Reuben Rivlin, a Hebrew seal that dates to the time of the First Temple was displayed for the first time. The seal was found in an excavation that is being conducted in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority, under the direction of Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa and Eli Shukron of the IAA, and underwritten by the ‘Ir David Foundation'.

The seal, which is made of bone, was found broken and is missing a piece from its upper right side. Two parallel lines divide the surface of the seal into two registers in which Hebrew letters are engraved. A period followed by a floral image or a tiny fruit appear at the end of the bottom name. The name of the seal's owner was completely preserved and it is written in the shortened form of the name Shaul (or Saul). The name is known from both the Bible (Genesis 36:37; 1 Samuel 9:2; 1 Chronicles 4:24 and 6:9) and from other Hebrew seals.

According to Professor Reich, "This seal joins another Hebrew seal that was previously found and three Hebrew bullae (pieces of clay stamped with seal impressions) that were discovered nearby. These five items have great chronological importance regarding the study of the development of the use of seals. While the numerous bullae that were discovered in the adjacent rock-hewn pool were found together with pottery sherds from the end of the ninth and beginning of the eighth centuries BCE, they do not bear any Semitic letters. On the other hand, the five Hebrew epigraphic artifacts were recovered from the soil that was excavated outside the pool, which contained pottery sherds that date to the last part of the eighth century.

It seems that the development in the design of the seals occurred in Judah during the course of the eighth century BCE. At the same time as they engraved figures on the seal, at some point they also started to engrave them with the names of the seals' owners. This was apparently when they started to identify the owner of the seal by his name rather than by some sort of graphic representation."

It appears that the "office" which administered the correspondence and received the goods that were all sealed with bullae continued to exist and operate within a regular format even after a residential dwelling was constructed inside the same "rock-hewn pool" and the soil and the refuse that contained the many aforementioned bullae were trapped beneath its floor. This "office" continued to generate refuse that included bullae, which were opened and broken, as well as seals that were no longer used and were discarded into the heap of rubbish that continued to accumulate in the vicinity.

 Ras El Amud Neighborhood  - Jerusalem surroundings area

Settlement remains dating to different phases of the Middle Canaanite period (2200-1900 BCE) and the last years of the First Temple period (eighth-seventh centuries BCE), including an inscription in ancient Hebrew script that mentions the name Menachem, were recently exposed in an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting in the Ras el-Amud neighborhood of Jerusalem, prior to the construction of a girls’ school.

Among the remains from the First Temple period is a handle on which the Hebrew name Menachem is engraved. According to archaeologist Dr. Ron Beeri, the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This important find joins similar names that were found in archaeological excavations in the Ancient East and in Israel in particular. The names Menachem and Yinachem are expressions of condolence – possibly related to the death of family members”.

Dr. Beeri adds that such names already appeared earlier in the Canaanite period: the name Yinachem was found written on an Egyptian pottery shard that dates to the eighteenth dynasty and the name Yinachemu is mentioned in the El-Amarna letters (from the fourteenth century BCE) as the name of an Egyptian governor on the Lebanese coast.

This is the first time that a handle with this name has been found in Jerusalem. The name Menachem is known from the corpus of Hebrew or Phoenician names and seals that bear this name were found in Israel, Assyria, Cyprus and Egypt. The name Menachem Ben Gadi is mentioned in the Bible. He reigned as king of Israel for ten years in Samaria and was one of the last kings of the Kingdom of Israel. According to Kings 2 Menachem Ben Gadi ascended the throne in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, king of Judah. Menachem, king of Israel, is also mentioned in the texts of the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser III, as Menachem of Samaria and as one of the kings from whom he received tribute.

Photograph: Mariana Salzberger, Israel Antiquities Authority

The discovery of an ancient aqueduct that served as the principal water supply to the Sultan''s Pool outside the Old City of Jerusalem was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority. The aqueduct, which supplied pilgrims and residents with water for both drinking and purification, was discovered in a salvage excavation in the city's Mishkenot Sha'ananim neighborhood ahead of the planned construction of the Montefiore Museum at the site, the state-run archeological body said. The upscale district overlooking the Old City walls, which is now a top city attraction for artists and painters, was the first Jewish neighborhood outside the Old City.

Currently a popular venue for large outdoor cultural events in the city, Sultan's Pool, located at the foot of the neighborhood, was for hundreds of years one of the city's most important water reservoirs. The aqueduct was repeatedly used and repaired for about two thousand years, dating back to the Second Temple period, to supply the many pilgrims who flocked to Jerusalem with drinking water, said Dr. Ron Beeri, director of the excavation at the site.

The recent excavation focused on a section of the previously uncovered "low level" aqueduct, one of two ancient water conduits that originated in the Hebrib and Solomons Pools and terminated in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. He said that the location of the aqueduct was "extremely successful and efficient," noting that his team had uncovered aqueducts dating from four different periods at the site, ranging from the Byzantine to the Ottoman The impressive, three-meter high Ottoman-era aqueduct found during the dig included a tower and a ceramic pipe which diverted water to Sultan\'s Pool, as well as to a public fountain which was built for pilgrims. The low-level aqueduct is to be incorporated in the planned Montefiore Museum to be built by the Jerusalem Foundation at the site.

 Source: Jerusalem Post, June 16, 2009

 Upon entering Jerusalem's Old City through Jaffa Gate, you are enveloped in the bustling and colorful David Street, lined with souvenirs shops and local shopkeepers. Now, an archaeological dig has confirmed that this very street has been on the map, literally, for 1,500 years.

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the find this week. At the time, the thoroughfare was 4.5 meters below the current street level. The road dates from the time when Jerusalem became a Christian city in the Byzantine era. While other locations on the Madaba Map have been discovered, the road had remained hidden until now.

The existence of the road is confirmed on the Madaba Map, an ancient mosaic map of Jerusalem from the 6th century. It is located in a church in Jordan and is the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of Israel.

The Madaba Map describes Israel with an emphasis on Christian sites at a time when the country transitioned from paganism to Christianity. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is among the identifiable sites on the map. All of the churches on the map are portrayed with red roofs on the map.

Dr. Ofer Sion, director of this excavation, said that after digging through "a number of archeological strata" the team discovered meter-long flagstones of the ancient street.

"It is wonderful to see that David Street, which is teeming with so much life today, actually preserved the route of the noisy street from 1,500 years ago," Sion said.

During the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries), Jerusalem was a Christian city. Thousands of Christian pilgrims came to Jerusalem to worship and many left written descriptions of the city and its holy places. The Madaba Map was one of them, showing the city walls, gates, the main streets and the churches. The main throroughfare, the Cardo, was a colonnaded street that bisected the city from north to south.

The IAA said that the 8- by 16-meter Madaba Map also clearly showed an entrance to Jerusalem from the west through a large gate that led to a single, central thoroughfare on that side of the city. Excavations had never been performed in this area since it is still a main thoroughfare in the Old City frequented by tourists and locals alike. However, the dig will continue now allowing tourists to catch a rare glimpse of history.

The flagstones found were cracked from the burden of centuries. Next to the road archaeologists also discovered a stone foundation which supported a sidewalk and a row of columns. Other artifacts discovered in the excavations include pottery vessels, coins and five small square bronze weights that shopkeepers once used for weighing precious metals.

During the Middle Ages, a very large building that faced the street was constructed on the stone foundation of the Byzantine period. Later, during the Mamluk period (13th to 14th centuries) rooms were built inside this structure, apparently used as shops and storerooms. Beneath this building, right below the street that runs between David's Citadel and David Street and leads to the Armenian Quarter, is a cistern, 8 x 12 meters and 5 meters deep, which supplied water to its occupants.

By Nicole Jansezian for Travelujah.com

A rare gold bell from the second temple period was discovered in the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, adjacent to the Western Wall, last week. The bell was apparently sewn to the garment worn by a high official in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period, making it approximately 2000 years old. The excavations are being conducted at the site on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, in cooperation with the Nature and Parks Authority and underwritten by Ir David Foundation.The drainage channel  begins in the Shiloah Pool and continues from the City of David to the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, near the Western Wall.

According to the excavation directors, archaeologists Eli Shukron and Professor Ronny Reich of Haifa University, "It seems the bell was sewn on the garment worn by a high official in Jerusalem at the end of the Second Temple period (first century CE). The bell was exposed inside Jerusalem's main drainage channel at that time, among the layers of earth that had accumulated along the bottom of it. This drainage channel was built and hewn the length of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, on the bottom of the slope descending to the Tyropoeon Valley. This drainage channel conveyed rainwater from different parts of the city, by way of the City of David and the Shiloah Pool, to Nahal Kidron".

The main street of the Jerusalem is in the region of the excavation, above the drainage channel. This road ascended from the Shiloah Pool in the City of David and an interchange, known today as ‘Robinson's Arch', was built in it, by way of which people entered the Temple Mount. Apparently, the high official was walking in the Jerusalem street in the vicinity of Robinson's Arch and lost the gold bell that fell from his garment into the drainage channel beneath the road.

We know from biblical sources that the high priests, who served in the Temple, used to hang a gold bell from the fringes of their robe. Thus, for example, in the ‘Tetzaveh' Torah portion, in the Book of Exodus, there is a description of the high priest Aaron's robe: "All of blue...it shall have a binding of woven work ...And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about".

It is impossible to know for certain if the bell did indeed belong to one of the high priests; however, the possibility cannot be entirely discounted.

The Old City of Jerusalem is famous for, among other things, its eight unique gates*, none of which are more impressive than the Damascus Gate.

Built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538 as part of a total revamp of Jerusalem's walls, the Damascus Gate featured a majestic crown-shaped parapet. But during the heavy fighting in and around the Old City during the Six Day War in 1967 the Damascus Gate's "crown" suffered considerable damage.

With so many ancient and biblical sites on their plate, it took Israeli archaeologists over 40 years to get around to it, but this year the Damascus Gate was finally restored to its original glory.

Allaboutjerusalem.com

"The Old City of Jerusalem is a focus of interest for people the world over and the number one tourist attraction in Israel," said Elad Kendel, director of the Old City Basin in the Jerusalem Development Authority."The city walls and the gates are the first thing that everyone sees when they arrive at the Old City, and it is therefore important to us that tourists, both domestic and foreign, see the city in all its glory," Kendel added.

The Jerusalem Development Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority have concluded a comprehensive cleaning of the gate's ancient stones and restoration of its famed parapet.

But getting the parapet just right was no easy task. Archaeologists had to consult photographs of the Damascus Gate taken during the early 20th Century when the British governed Jerusalem.

"Because of its beauty, Damascus Gate is also the most documented of Jerusalem's city gates and its historical material and numerous photographs facilitated an accurate restoration of its appearance," explained project architect Avi Mashiah. "Every single decoration, including all of its features, was studied and restored by us down to the smallest detail, in order to provide visitors to the gate as full and complete an experience as possible," Mashiah continued.

Damascus Gate lit up during the recent Jerusalem Light Festival. Credit: Allaboutjerusalem.com

To lessen the likelihood of the "crown" falling into disrepair any time soon, the archaeologists fixed them to the rest of the gate using special undetectable anchors.

The restoration team did not stop with the Damascus Gate, and is continuing their work along the length of the Old City's walls in a large-scale effort to enhance the impact of this holy city on visiting pilgrims.

* Including the closed Golden Gate. Jerusalem's Old City has seven open gates.

* * *

Author: Ryan Jones, Travelujah

On the slope of the City of David hill, where the Kidron and Ben Hinnom Valleys meet, the Ancient Shiloah Pool was discovered just a few years ago. This magnificent pool was constructed 2,000 years ago during the days of King Herod, in Jerusalem's glorious building tradition. This grand pool served as an important meeting point for Jerusalem's pilgrims, who would arrive in the city to visit the Temple Mount on the three major Jewish holidays: Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), and the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot).

The pool is mentioned in the New Testament as the place where Jesus has performed a miracle, as he healed a blind man (John 9 7). An impressive road once connected the Shiloah Pool to the Temple Mount and served as the central axis for all of Jerusalem's pilgrims and visitors. Shops and businesses once lined the length of the Herodian Road and enjoyed the road's centrality and the wide exposure that they had to the many pilgrims who filled Jerusalem on the holidays. The way that leads from the Shiloah Pool in the direction of the Temple Mount reached 600 meters into the valley whose Greek name once was the "Tyropoeon" which means the valley of the cheese mongers.

During the Hellenistic Period the road was lined with the shops and factories of dairy product manufacturers, such that when the winter rains would come, the valley would be washed clean of the refuse and smells that were a by-product of the dairy industry. During Jerusalem's Herodian period the road was paved and at its foot, the Shiloah pool was formed in order to store water for drinking and for the bathing purposes of the visiting pilgrims.

The road became more central and important because of the increasing pilgrimage phenomenon and because of the importance of the Shiloah Pool in the culture of the pilgrims. Specifically, the Shiloah played a critical role in the Libation Ritual ceremony - during which the waters of the Shiloah Pool were brought as an offering at the Temple Mount itself.

Charles Warren in the shaft in 1873  Credit: City of David

In the drainage channels situated beneath the road, impressive artifacts were discovered from the time of the Great Revolt against Rome. The channels themselves and the rare artifacts discovered bear a striking resemblance to the description of Josephus in his book "Wars of the Jews," Volume 6, which tells the story of the Jews who hid "in the tunnels beneath the Shiloah." Thus, this new excavation was able to authenticate Josephus' moving historical description of the aftermath of the Revolt in Jerusalem.City of David is now offering a new tour to showcase this new "Pilgrims Route". The short version of the tour begins from the pool of Siloam and continues to the Givaty parking lot next to the City of David visitors center. The tour length is about 1 hour.

City of David Sidebar:

City of David is opened as follows:

Winter Schedule (Beginning on October 3, 2011):
City of David Tours (English): 10:00am, 2:00pm, Friday: 10:00am
City of David Tours (Hebrew): 10:00am, 2:00pm, Friday: 10:00am
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour (Hebrew only): Friday only: 10:00am
Segway Tour (English): 1:00pm
Segway Tour (Hebrew): 10:00am, Friday: 9:00am, 11:30am

Summer Schedule (until Rosh Hashanah, September 28):
City of David Tours (Hebrew): 10:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, Friday: 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm
City of David Tours (English): 10:00am, 4:00pm, Friday: 10:00am
Hasmonean Aqueduct Tour (Hebrew): Friday only: 10:00am
Segway Tour (Hebrew): 10:00am, 4:00pm Friday: 9:00am, 11:30am
Segway Tour (English): 1:00pm

Entrance to Warren's Shaft and Hezekiah's Tunnel is permitted until one hour prior to site closing time. Tickets can be purchased up to two hours prior to site closing time.
A person who has bought a ticket for the last entrance time to Warren's Shaft cannot continue his tour through Hezekiah's tunnel.
Paid parking is available at the Givati parking lot.

Tours in English are available on site for visitors. For an up to date schedule please visit http://www.cityofdavid.org.il. Group tours are available by reservation in advance. For information and reservations call 02-626-8700 or - rcv@cod.org.il. For groups -shimi@cod.org.il

General admission pricing is 27 shekel for adults (about $8) and 14 shekel for children ($4). For those prefering a guided tour (highly recommended) the price is 60 shekel per adult and 45 shekel per child. Independent travelers that are members of Travelujah can receive a 15% discount in advance by contacting Travelujah.

Visit www.cityofdavid.org.il

The Israel Ministry of Tourism officially announced the upcoming itinerary for Pope Benedict's trip to the Holy Land. The Papal delegation with is to include 40 representatives from the Vatican and approximately 70 representatives of th foreign media, will arrive on May 11th. The Pope will meet with the Mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barakat, local leaders, President Shimon Peres as well as the Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel (the Chief Rabbis, the President of the Moslem Religious Court of Appeals, Christian religious leaders and the heads of the Druze Community). The Pope will also meet with leaders of the Palestinian Authority Mohammed Abbas during his visit to Bethlehem on May 13, 2009. The official itinerary is posted below: •

May 11, 2009 - Pope to arrive in Israel; official ceremony with President Shimon Peres and visit to Yad Vashem Martyrs' and Heroes' Memorial of the Holocaust. Pope Bernedct XVI will also meet with the Council of Religious Commuity Leaders in Israel. In the evening there will be an Interfaith Dialogue meeting at Notre Dame Center.•

May 12th, 2009 - Visit to the Temple Mount and meeting with the Grand Mufti. He will also visit the Western Wall, Mt. Zion and the Cenacle (the Site of the Last Supper), Heichal Shlomo Synagogue (the Great Synagague) as well as a visit to Gethsemane Church. A mass will be held at the Kidron Valley. •

May 13th - Visit to Bethlehem and meeting with Palestinian Authority Leader Mohammed Abbas. A mass at Mangar Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, will be held. •

ay 14th - Visit to Nazareth and meeting with local leaders. A Holy Mass in Nazareth at the Mount of Precipace overlooking the Jezreel Valley will be held. A prayer at the Church of the Annunciation is also planned as well as a meeting with local religious leaders in the Galilee. •

May 15th - Meetings with local religious leaders at local Churches in Jerusalem. A farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport will be held. Pope Benedict XVI will return to Rome on a special EL AL flight at the conclusion of the ceremony. If you wish to plan a tour following in the footsteps of this memorable Papal visit, please let us know. We have arranged special priced tours for groups of 15 people or more.

Saturday Night - April 18th.

The crowds swelled and pilgrims came from all over the world to join in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire Ceremony. The festivities occurred at the sacred Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the believed site of Jesus's crucifixion, buriel and resurrection by many - located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Church was built on the orders of Emperor Constantine in 325, and has attracted a steady stream of pilgrims since its construction with the exception of a few periods in history. Control of the grounds and interior is sharply divided between Catholics and various Orthodox denominations, in a tenuous status quo that often degenerates into physical violence between monks, and has prevented much-needed structural repairs.

Considered a miracle that occurs annually on Holy Saturday - the day after Orthodox Easter Sunday when at precisely 2 pm local time, a sun beam believed to shine through the windown in the ceiling of the Church lights a lamp placed inside the tomb of Jesus. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theofilos III entered the tomb structure of Jesus at the Church and after the lighting of the lamp, he lights a few candles with the holy fire and passes them to worshippers in the Church. The fire then spreads rapidly amongst the church-goers. An olive lamp is expected to bring the flame to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, where street celebrations are also held.

Traditionally, the pilgrims were expected to bring back the fire to their own communities in Eastern Europe and Russia.

Situated well off the beaten path, in the heart of the American Colony neighborhood of East Jerusalem, set behind the gated walls of a a 120 year old building lies the home of  the new Prayer House. Baptists have owned the building for the past 40 years. It has served as a university student ministry center, a New Testament Study Center, a YWAM base and various other ministries.

The setting is quite unique and its location is indicative of its mission of peace and co-existence. The north and south sides of the building are bordered by two schools (a Christian ARab school on one side and a Moslem school on the other). To the west, there is a view of the adjacent ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim.  Inside the large two story home are several rooms available for prepare. On the main floor is the Prayer Chapel, offering a beautiful space for group worship and study. The central focus of the chapel is the 4.4 meter X 3.8 meter HARVEST FIELD mural. The mural features the "Seven Species" of Deuteronomy 8:8 and the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37-38 "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." with hand painted frescos on the walls.

Upstairs there is a large interactive prayer room designed with numerous corners that are ideal for meditation and reflection. Visual displays on prayer and the scriptures are available in various areas and there is simple yet powerful corner where one is invited to author his own prayer on a stone. In order to maintain the spiritual ambiance and reflective nature of the space, visitors are asked to speak in whispers and to remove their shoes prior to entering the upstairs room.

The setting is a perfect venue for groups interested in joining together for an hour of prayer or reflection during or after a day of tour and/or learning. Anita and Dale Thorn run the ministry and the facility is open to individuals and groups.

"My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations."   Isaiah 56:7

For contact information - dthorne1938@gmail.com or call 02-626-1439.
The center is located at 35 Nablus Road, and less than a five minute walk from the American Colony Hotel, the Garden Tomb and the Damascus Gate.

On Sunday, October 4th, tens of

millions of Christians worldwide will unite

for the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, a day specifically set

aside by more than 1,200 global leaders (click here to view a partial list of

leaders

<https://www.daytopray.com/getdoc/5287369d-9486-48f4-af9f-e10d01b69f10/Signat

ures.aspx> ).

YOU can make your presence felt and pray for God's power and His peace to

flood the streets of Jerusalem by doing three simple things:

1. Make sure your local church is participating on October 4th.

The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is NOT a single location event

but rather a worldwide celebration day when LOCAL CHURCHES pray for Jerusalem

in their Sunday services, in accordance with Psalm 122:6. There will be a

Jerusalem Celebration on this day carried live on GOD TV around the world,

but the real thrust of the initiative is on the local church level. Please BE

SURE that your church is participating! To receive your FREE equipping packet

now, and to obtain helpful materials such as posters, prayer cards, videos,

flyers, and children's resources for your local church, go now to

www.daytopray.com <https://www.daytopray.com/Ministry-Resources.aspx> .

2. Please forward this link to as many people as you can.

The goal is to reach 100 million Christians within the next 30 days with this

timely message for the Body of Christ. Help us meet this goal for the Lord's

sake and for His advancing Kingdom! If you will simply take a moment right

now and forward this link on, especially to your pastor, close friends, and prayer

partners, we can literally sound a global trumpet to bring clear focus and

awareness to this urgent prayer effort. It really, really makes a difference

if you will take only five minutes and forward this e-mail.

3. Sign the "Call to Prayer Resolution".

Thousands of Christians from all over the world have signed this document,

calling for a day of global prayer for Jerusalem and all her inhabitants. Add

your voice to this growing number today. Click here to sign the "Call To

Prayer Resolution". <https://www.daytopray.com/Prayer-Resolution.aspx>

Finally, the Jerusalem Celebration of the Day of Prayer for the Peace of

Jerusalem will be carried live into 192 nations on GOD TV. If you are in

Israel at that time, please plan to join us for this celebration. If you

cannot be in Israel, GOD TV will be broadcasting this event internationally,

LIVE on October 4th (broadcast schedule will be available closer to the event

date). Also consider having your church link with the Jerusalem celebration

of the DPPJ by viewing the event on GOD TV! Go to www.god.tv

<http://www.god.tv/>  for more information.

We thank you for putting action to your prayers and for taking part in seeing

God's true peace for Jerusalem unfold in this hour of history!

May the Lord's shalom rest over each of you,

Rev. Robert Stearns

Co-Chairman, Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Dr. Jack Hayford

Co-Chairman, Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

P.S. If you have not yet done so, please make sure to add your name to the

thousands of Christians around the world who have signed the "Call To Prayer

Resolution." Be sure to check out the free online resources as well as the

DPPJ materials available in more than 15 languages.

Perched on a small hilltop overlooking a beautiful courtyard and situated just outside the New Gate of the Old City, lies the majestic Notre Dame Center, a 145-room guesthouse managed by the the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. According to Father John Solana, the local representative of the Holy See, the historic guesthouse is also the selected property for the upcoming Papal delegation that iss arriving on May 11, 2009 with Pope Benedict XVI. The 70+ members of the delegation will be hosted at Notre Dame and, in fact, other important events surrounding the visit have and are occuring at this venue. On the evening of May 11th a special invitation only Interfaith event will take place at the John Paul Center where leaders from all three faiths will meet to discuss dialogue and understanding.

The guesthouse enjoys a long and rich history in Jerusalem, initially a school, later as a hospital and most recently as a guesthouse for all denominations of Christian visitors from around the world. the rooftop of the Notre Dame Center offers one of the most rewarding views of the entire city of Jerusalem. Adjacent to the property is a professional hospitality training center for Palestinian youth as well as a permanent exhibition on "Who is the Man of the Shroud". The Legion of Christ, known as the Legionaries of Christ, is a Roman Catholic order that was founded in Mexico in 1941 by the late Father Marcial Macial, LC. Its mission is to extend the Kingdom of Christ in society according to the requirements of Christian justice and charity.

George Salfity is a shining example of perseverance and dedication. General Manager of the landmark YMCA Jerusalem, built in 1933 and one of the most prominent Christian guesthouses in the Holy land, George feels he is "where he's meant to be."

For George, the YMCA  is a part and parcel of himself. He spends much of his time each week away from his wife and 4 children who live in Jerusalem, working late nights at the property and attending to all the details of day to day management. When the building was nominated in 1983 for a Nobel Peace prize for reconciliation and co-existence work, he was proud, "this is a Christian institution and it is open to all."  The property's mission of being a place for tolerance and co-existence is reflective of George's personal philosophy. He makes it a point to recruit and maintain a diversified staff of Jews, Arab Muslims and Christians. In fact members of the YMCA board come from many backgrounds. There are 21 board members, of which 7 are Jews, 7 are Arab Moslems and Christians ,7 are Internationals.

During his 29 year tenure at the YMCA he has hosted dignitaries that used the A La Carte Restaurant including Madeline Albright, Warren Christopher, and Hillary Clinton, who visited the famous kindergarten on site. Many of the local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) use the extensive facilities of the YMCA for meetings and other events including the US Embassy, French Consulate, Turkish consulate, Red Cross and many more. The YMCA is ideally located in the heart of the Western side of Jerusalem, directly across the street from the King David Hotel and down the street from the David Citadel, the new Mamila Hotel as well as numerous shops and restaurants.

George is living his childhood dream. Some children want to grow up and be policeman while others want to become teachers, baseball players or doctors.  At the age of 21 George Salfity swore that he would one day work at the historic YMCA.

George was born back when Jerusalem was a divided city and the Mandelbaum gate physically separated the East and the West sides of the city. Movement was restricted and places like the American Colony and Notre Dame were located in what was considered "no man's land" between the Eastern Arab areas and the Western Jewish sections of the city. The Old city of Jerusalem was off limits to Jews and the western side of the city was not open to residents of the east. It would remain divided for 19 more years.

After the 1967 war, the Jewish government immediately unified the city and the physical walls were opened. George, a resident of the Old City was one of several school children to receive a scholarship to attend one of the most prominent day camps in the city, the YMCA Jerusalem, located on King David Street directly across from the prominent King David Hotel.

Children from all over the city attended (and still attend) the day camp at the YMCA, and George mixed with Jewish, Moslem and Christian children from all parts of the city. "In the beginning it was not easy to get along" said George, "there was a stigma because I was from the Old City."  He explained how the kids divided themselves into three cliques; the Israeli kids, the well to do Arab kids, and the scholarship kids, who tended to be from the Old City. " George felt himself to be firmly in the third and yet slowly the children began to mix .  How did they overcome their differences? "We played sports together", continued George, "that's what bonded us."

As summer camps often do, George's camp experience changed his life. He was exposed to new people, new cultures, and in his words "a whole new international world". It was very cosmopolitan and more glamorous than anything he'd known growing up in the Old City. 

In 1979 George graduated from De la Salle high school, a Christian school located just inside the New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. He immediately began working part time at the YMCA as a waiter, later moving to the Kings Hotel. He continued his studies at Tadmor, the recognized hospitality management program in Israel and received his hotel management degree. George earned his degree as a Certified Hotel Manager in 1996 at the Education Institute of the American Hotel Motel Association in Lansing, Michigan. His "hands-on" training included stints at the King David Hotel and the Laromme Hotel (now the Inbal) both located in the western side of Jerusalem. He also taught hospitality management courses at the University of Bethlehem and the Hotel School at Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem. Today he feels very lucky, "it is not every child who grows up and lives his dream."

La Rotisserie, the understated 80-seat upscale restaurant at Notre Dame has finally reopened its doors after a four-year hiatus and a substantial renovation project that added a new bar, among other things. Historically this restaurant was considered one of the finest restaurants in the city, if not the country. The restaurant has been significantly renovated with wide new windows, extensive lighting, muted furniture, a new European chef, Rodrigo Ganzalez-Elias, was brought in from Spain to oversee the fine dining experience which includes fabulous foix gras, smoked salmon, fish, meats and other European specialties. A prominent yet inviting bar promises to be the new after work destination for NGO's, journalists, tourists and consuls and business people. While visiting the restaurant diners included the Nuncio and the Latin Patriarchate as well as others from the local Catholic community. At a recent reception there, we mingled with H.E. Archbishop Aris Shirvanian, Director of the Ecumenical & Foreigh Relations of the Armenian Patriarchate, representatives of the Custody, the Slovanian Consul, the Chilean Counsul, as well as a number of local Palestinian Christians including Habib Khoury, Mazan Qupty, Issa Hebesch, the General Manager of the American Colony Hotel, and local Israelis. Average check for food is 200 shekel per person.

La Rotisserie is located at Notre Dame, the 145-room guesthouse situated directly across the street from the New Gate.

The second papal visit to the Holy Land in nine years has been picked up by leaders of the Jewish State as a clarion call to beckon Christians from all nations and denominations to visit the Holy Land.

"The fact that he's actually coming here to the Holy Land conveys a strong message to Christians  around the world that they should come here," Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said at a media briefing. "The government of Israel joins this message in calling Christians, come to the Holy Land, come as pilgrms, we ae ready to receive you and welcome you."

Misezhnikov spoke of Christian sites as well as other packages the State of Israel can offer - from spa treatments to holy sites - that can provide a "spiritual, extraordinary experience in a country with extraordinary landscapes and a progressive infrastructure."

Indeed, old infrastructure is getting a facelift while new is being added.

Some of the ancient sites renovated include the room in the Old City believed to be the site of Jesus' last supper. The site on Mount Zion will be host to a personal and private visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

Also in Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley, once a haven for drug dealers and users, has been cleaned up and will host Jerusalem's first papal mass. The valley separates the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem's Old City. Nestled between the Eastern Gate and the Garden of Gethsamane, the valley is now home to newly planted olive trees and refurbished tombs of  including the Pillar of Absalom, the Tomb of Bene Hezir and the Tomb of Zechariah. The mass will seat up to 6,000 worshippers in the historic location.

Besides sprucing up historic and ancient sites, Israel has invested in new structures as well. "As a government we have drawn numerous lessons from previous visits (by officials)," Misezhnikov said. "All of the infrastructure is going to remain and will of course this infrastructure is designated for future."

In Jesus' home town of Nazareth, for example, a 7,000-stone seat amphitheater has been built on site for future use.

"This is one of the important things that will remain and will be an economic lever," said Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jaraisy. "We know this will be seen from around the world. This is first-class exposure and will encourage tourism in the future. We are expecting a wave of tourism following this. We hope for a specific call from the Pope for people to come and make prilrimage to the Holy Land."

By Nicole Jansezian

A 128-person delegation comprised of leaders from the Pentecostal Church of God proclaimed their support for Israel and an undivided Jerusalem with a signed declaration of prayer presented to the Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Sunday.

Bishop Charles Scott (left) and Mayor Nir Barkat

At a time when replacement theology and apathy are pervasive in the American church, "understanding the theology of the situation is paramount," Charles Scott, general bishop of the Pentecostal Church of God told Travelujah, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land.

Scott said the declaration and the group's visit is not simply symbolic of its support for Israel, but is going to be felt through action.

"We intend this to be a juggernaut," he said.

Scott estimates that the ripple effect of this visit will reach a quarter million of the church's constituents. The goal, Scott said, is education about Israel through literature and media, and ultimately, tourism to Israel.

This is apparently the first time a denomination itself has made a public stand with Israel. The Pentecostal Church of God is a 91-year old denomination founded in Chicago in 1919. Its membership consists of 620,000 people in 60 nations. Of 37 districts within the United States, more than half were represented on this trip to Israel and most of the trip participants were on their first trip to Israel.

The delegation praying in City Council chamber

The group met Barkat at Jerusalem's City Council chambers and presented him with the written declaration, which is also hanging up at the Church of God headquarters in Joplin, Missouri.

"We wanted this to be a demonstration that we really supported Israel, not just in declaration but in covenant," Wayman Ming Jr., general secretary of the Pentecostal Church of God, explained to Travelujah.

Robert Stearns, director of Eagles' Wings ministry which hosted the trip as part of their Watchmen on the Walls program, told Mayor Barkat this large delegation was evidence that "a new kind of Christian was coming forth on this earth."

"We will not remain silent" in support of Israel, he said.

Barkat said that the group were "shareholders in the city." He urged the leaders to go back to their members and encourage more trips to Israel. Tourism also blesses Jerusalem by creating new jobs for Israel's poorest city, he noted.

Barkat was elected mayor of Israel's capital city in 2008. One of his goals is to bring 10 million tourists a year to Jerusalem. Representatives from Eagles Wings and the Pentecostal Church of God have joined the cause to help make that goal a reality.

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah (www.travelujah.com) the only online social networking community focused on learning about the Holy Land and providing Christian interest travel products and services to Christians worldwide. The Israel-based spiritual travel portal allows users to learn about the Holy Land, create and share content, and book unique, high quality travel experiences through a network of Christian guesthouses, hotels and to

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is one of the seven annual holidays instituted by God in the Tanakh, or Old Testament. As such, it is viewed as a "Jewish" holiday. So it must seem strange to Israelis and Jews everywhere to see thousands of Christians make the journey to Jerusalem every year in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:16-17 to celebrate Sukkot.

Indeed, so many Christians converge on Jerusalem every year for the Christian Feast of Tabernacles celebration that it is by far Israel's largest annual tourism event, injecting an estimated $15 million into the local economy in a matter of days.

So, while most Israelis aren't complaining that Christians desire to mark one of "their" holidays in such grand fashion, the question remains - why?

Travelujah asked a number of participants at the Feast of Tabernacles hosted by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem to answer that question.

"Zechariah says the nations will all come up to Jerusalem for Sukkot, so we are fulfilling that prophecy," said Judy Ball from North Carolina, referring to Zechariah 14:16.

The ICEJ website notes that "the Bible describes the Feast of Tabernacles as the third of the three annual feasts which the people of Israel are commanded to celebrate in Jerusalem."

As Christians, the ICEJ states that it "believes that celebrating the Feast each year honors the Lord in anticipation of the fulfillment of the words spoken by Zechariah when ‘the nations...shall come up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles' (Zech. 14:16)."

Ball said that she and her husband have been making that journey of anticipation for the past 14 years, and today lead the ICEJ intercession team at the Feast.

"We see it as a perfect opportunity to not only intercede for Israel, but also for the nations that are all represented," Ball told Travelujah.

Beyond that, Ball also sees the huge influx of Christians during the Feast as "an opportunity to help promote peace in the region and build bridges between Christians and non-Christians. God not only loves the Jews, but all the people of this region, so we are here to pray for them, too."

Herta and Irene from Austria, who are by comparison relative newcomers to the Feast, said their participation and decision to come up to Jerusalem with a group of 20 fellow Christians was a simple expression of faith.

"We want to bless Israel," they said, adding that "our roots are here, in Israel. We have the same God."

In truth, it should be little surprise for those who read and believe the Bible (be they Christians or Jews) that people from all nations come up to Jerusalem during Sukkot.

Sukkot is a harvest festival. It occurs just after the summer harvest has been gathered, and the first fruits of that harvest are to be brought up to Jerusalem as a sacrifice to God (Leviticus 23). Sukkot is also known as the Feast of Ingathering, which, like most things in the Bible, has a physical and a spiritual meaning.

In the physical, that passage refers to the harvest season, and to offering a thanksgiving sacrifice to God for His provision. In the spiritual, many Bible teachers believe this is speaking of an ingathering of the nations that will be drawn close to God by the Word He gave through Israel.

Sukkot also has tremendous messianic overtones, and is closely related to the closing of Jesus' earthly ministry and his anticipated return.

The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah, or the Great Supplication. During Hoshana Rabbah, Jews of faith will wave palm branches while calling out to God for salvation and for the coming of Messiah.

Psalm 118 is recited, and special emphasis is put on verse 26: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord..."

Jesus' early followers, being all Jewish themselves, made use of these messianic Sukkot traditions when welcoming him into Jerusalem:

"As they approached Jerusalem... A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hoshana to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hoshana in the highest!" (Matthew 21:1, 8-9)

As they had been for generations, the Jews of that time were anxiously awaiting their conquering King Messiah, and so greeted Jesus with those signs and symbols they had been taught during Sukkot. But Jesus had other plans, knowing that he must first conquer death and fulfill the spiritual aspects of redemption by allowing the shedding of his blood for the people's sins.

Jesus was coming to die, not to reign. But he did acknowledge that the Sukkot traditions were accurate when he told the people they would "not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,'" a clear reference to the Sukkot prayers.

And so it is that those Christians who have reconnected to their Hebraic biblical roots join the Jews in viewing Sukkot as the season in which Messiah will arrive and establish his kingdom from Jerusalem.

Is it any wonder that so many Christians would desire to be in Jerusalem at the time of Sukkot?

Ryan Jones writes for  Travelujah, a Christian social network focused on fostering a deeper connection with faith through Holy Land tours. You can plan, learn and share your holy land experience on Travelujah using our in-depth locational content, user and expert blogs that can take you off the beaten track, and individual or group tour booking services.

"Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles." Zechariah 14:16

Entering Jerusalem's International Convention Center during the annual biblical festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), it is clear one is among the nations, people from every corner of the earth come up to the holy city for a single purpose: to take part in the fulfillment of that ancient prophecy.

Hosted by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, the Christian Feast of Tabernacles is a gala event. And with 2010 marking the 30th anniversary of the ICEJ (the ministry was actually born out of the inaugural Feast of Tabernacles celebration in 1980), this year's opening event, held  on September 23rd in Jerusalem, was even that much more spectacular.

"We know that God is present here because he has promised to meet his people here in Zion during the Feast of Tabernacles," declared ICEJ Executive Director  Rev. Malcome Hedding.

ICEJ International Director Jürgen Bühler added that what the 5,000 participants who had filled the International Convention Center in Jerusalem to overflowing were doing "has been going on for 3000 years. For 3000 years the Jews have been obeying God's command to come up to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot."

Opening night started in dramatic fashion with an impressive shofar blast and the sound of various international voices reading from Isaiah chapter 62:

"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch... You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her a praise in the earth."

Following was a brief but powerful musical and dance performance accompanied by the images of past and present events that have formed the modern State of Israel - with a poignant reminder that God has vowed to one day make Jerusalem a praise in all the earth. In today's tense political atmosphere, where Jerusalem represents one of the thorniest issues standing in the way of peace, that may seem like a wishful thinking.

But the ICEJ is standing firm on that divine promise.

"Given that the issue of Jerusalem has again come to the fore, this year's Feast is dedicated to reaffirming global Christian support for a United Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty, a message that will be reinforced at several events during the festivities," said ICEJ Media Director David Parsons.

That message clearly touched Israelis, all the way up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, in a pre-recorded video greeting, told the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles participants:

"Three decades ago when some countries decided to move their embassies out of Jerusalem, you decided to come to Jerusalem. At first you came by the dozens, then you came by the hundreds; now you come by the thousands.

"Year after year you come from over a hundred countries to march through the streets of Jerusalem; and in doing so, you remind the people of Israel that we are not alone. You remind us that there are people across the world who recognize that in returning to Zion, the Jewish people have returned home.

"So on behalf of my country, and on behalf of my people, I say thank you. Thank you for your moral clarity. Thank you for your solidarity. Thank you for supporting the one and only Jewish State. Thank you."

Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov addressed the gathering in person, adding to Netanyahu's greeting by noting that Jerusalem is also "the spiritual capital for people of faith all over the world."

"Welome to Israel, the land of God; welcome to Jerusalem, the city of King David, the eternal and undivided capital of Israel," said Misezhnikov. "Welcome home!"

The welcome messages were followed by what is in some ways the most dramatic element of the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles - the Procession of the Nations.

During the procession, the flags of most of the 100 nations represented at the Feast were paraded across the stage. There was the expected representation from Christian-dominated Western countries. As has been the case for years already, the Brazilian contingent in the auditorium was huge, dwarfing even the American representation.

For first-timers at the Feast, there were also some surprises during the procession, as the flags of the Muslim nations of Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as just about every poor and impoverished African and southeast Asian country made their way across the stage.

The presence of these nations at the Feast made the event real, put it beyond being merely a colorful and dynamic display of solidarity. It is clear that for a great many Christians around the world, the life-changing experience of being in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles in accordance with God's Word is an opportunity worth stretching their meager means or risking further social rejection to be a part of.

But in the end, it was the host nation, Israel, that won the most thunderous applause, as the Feast participants loudly and passionately reaffirmed their love of and commitment to the Jewish state.

The ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles is a production with tremendous impact that is easily on par musically and in terms of presentation with anything Broadway has to offer. Only this is not entertainment. It is a sincere and powerful expression of faith in God and His Word by the hundreds who put on the Feast and the thousands who attend  and participate in it.

Ryan Jones writes for  Travelujah, a Christian social network focused on fostering a deeper connection with faith through Holy Land tours. You can plan, learn and share your holy land experience on Travelujah using our in-depth locational content, user and expert blogs that can take you off the beaten track, and individual or group tour booking services.

Jerusalem, Israel  More than 400 Christians attended Sunday's International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem in the Israeli capital, and upwards of 300 million Christians had committed to participating from their home nations including tens of millions who watched it live on God TV.

Founded by Dr. Robert Stearns in 2002, the founder and executive director  of Eagles' Wings Ministries, a dynamic organization focused on building bridges of relationship and hope around the world, the Day of Prayer is a global grassroots prayer initiative that links the Christian liturgical calendar with the biblical, Jewish calendar.

Dr. Robert Stearns, welcoming Archbishop Joseph - Jules Zerey, the General Patriarchal Vicar of the Greek Milkite Catholic Patriarchate 

This year the event was held at the Haas Promenade overlooking Jerusalem's Old City. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, giving the keynote address, reinforced the importance of a united Jerusalem.

 "Jerusalem is special to three billion people of faith in the world. No other city in the world is a destination that fills our hearts like Jerusalem. My mission for the city is to return it to its role of 2000 to 3000 years ago and to welcome people from around the world, to explore our ancient past and build our modern future."

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat giving the keynote address

To do this Barkat insisted Jerusalem must be kept open to people of all faith to enjoy and to freely practice their religion and he was very proud to point out that during  Ramadan, which fell in the latter part of August/September 2010, there had been over 200,000 Muslims who had freely traveled to the city in order to visit the the Temple Mount to pray.

"As major I'm committed to maintaining that. This is not trivial," he emphasized, "Jerusalem must keep reunited, undivided and be the sovereign capital of Israel. It is the heart of the world. You can't divide the heart," he continued, "I read the Bible, and it is very clear who the capital of Jerusalem is for."  

According to the website set up for the event, the Day of Prayer has "quickly become the largest Israel-focused prayer event in history." More than 300,000 churches from 175 nations annually take part in the event.

Ray Ramirez, Music Director and  International Christian Embassy Jerusalem performance group

The people and ministries behind the Day of Prayer note that while they "pray every day for Israel, we seek on this day to unite believers around the world in raising a cry to Heaven on behalf of this troubled, but strategic land and its people."

The Day of Prayer brought together a diverse group of Christians, Arabs and Jews and including  Rev. Tom Hess who gave the invocation, Dr. Bishop Naim Khoury from the Holy Land Baptist Mission,  Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey from the Greek Melkite Catholic Patriarchate,  Rabbi Shlomo Riskin from the Center of Jewish Christian Understanding, and many others who all joined together with Christians in petitioning the Almighty on behalf of the holy city.

 Rev. Tom Hess, founder Jerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations giving the invocation

By: Elisa Moed and Ryan Jones for Travelujah.

Travelujah is an Israel-based Christian social network focused on fostering a deeper connection with faith through Holy Land tours. You can plan, learn and share your holy land experience on Travelujah using our in-depth locational content, user and expert blogs that can take you off the beaten track, and individual or group tour booking services.

Happen to be in Jerusalem? This Thursday, October 13 - Shababeek restaurant, located on Shimon HaTzadeek in Jerusalem is having a very special Fish Lovers Night. Travelujah members receive a 20% discount.

Enjoy Sea Bass, Red Mullet, Shrimp, Denis or Salmon and other favorites at one of Jerusalem's best restaurants.

Prices are:

Sea Bass   - 180 NIS

Red Mullet - 140 NIS

St. Peter    - 110 NIS

Denise/Salmon/Shrimps - 130 NIS

All prices include VAT

Reservations are recommended at 02-532-2626

Want to really experience the essence of Jerusalem?

Join Travelujah this Tuesday evening, April 26 at 7 pm. We've planned a very unique night walking tour of the Old City. Visitors and residents of all denominations will enjoy this stroll through the ancient streets of the Christian Quarter including visits to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jewish Quarter and more on April 26 at 7 pm. With one of our experienced licensed tour guides, you'll have an opportunity to learn about the history of Jerusalem andto experience the historic alleyways and special atmosphere that is found only at night.

Participants will get an inside look at the Christian and Jewish community of the Old City including, among other sites, a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at night. Participants will also enjoy  a ‘behind the scenes' look at the new Wujoud cultural center and small museum  situated within a historic 650 year old building owned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate with a lovely terrace overlooking the heart of the Old City and the major street of the shuk, David Street. Founder Nora Kort will provide a tour of the museum as well as a brief lecture on the Christian community of the Holy Land. Tea will be served.

The group will be meeting just inside the Jaffa Gate at 7 pm and the tour will also conclude at the same spot.

Register in advance by clicking here or call 052-744-4033.

Space is limited. Cost 100 shekel.

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Jerusalem's brand new light rail service officially began operations on Friday and over 40,000 people used the service on its inaugural day.

Of course, the price was free - and will remain that way for two weeks after which time the price will be the same as a bus, or 6.4 shekel per ride, and for those with the special RavKav card they can have unlimited rides for 90 minutes.

Credit: AllaboutJerusalem.com

Official operating hours when fully opened will be 5:30 am to past midnight. 14 trains were operational on Friday.

Jerusalem's light rail was built at a cost of over  $1.4 billion and took over 10 years to  build. Former Israeli Prime Minister and Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert proposed the idea in the mid 1990's and the project was overwhelmed by a number of disputes which delayed its development and eventual opening. The rail links the east and the western parts of the city despite the fact that no final status peace agreement yet exists between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, immediately after the Six Day War.

To see a video on the new light rail click here:

Other Transportation News - New buses

The first of the new BRT buses are already operated by Egged along express routes in Jerusalem . These buses are 18 m long, with four double doors specially adapted to allow the entry of wheelchairs and baby carriages.

In the future, satellite information systems will be installed on the express bus lines and they will have priority at traffic lights all the way along the route. The 150 brand-new buses that will be arriving in Jerusalem during the coming year will meet the Euro 5 environmental quality standard and are considered particularly environmentally friendly.

The first high-speed route from Hebron Road to Ramot already serves tens of thousands of passengers, bringing them to the city center quickly and in comfort via four rapid transit bus lines.

For more information on the new train and bus line and the map, please visit AllaboutJerusalem.com's website. 

Combining pilgrimage to the Holy Land and athletics, the Pope John Paul II Games later this month will feature a peace run from Bethlehem to Jerusalem and a soccer game with Italian, Israeli and Palestinian players. Two lucky people can win an all expense paid free trip to the Holy Land in order to participate.

The mission of the trip, organized by the Catholic Josper community in Italy, an entity of Pilgrimage organizer Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, an activity of the Vatican, is to unite people through sports and to encourage dialogue. Star athletes from Italy are expected to join the tour including, from the famous designer Versace family, Giusy Versace, the paralympic athlete who lost both her legs in an accident, and former soccer stars Demetrio Albertini and Damiano Tommasi.

Participants in the Peace Marathon, 2009

Some 500 participants will join the tour from Italy and 100 Haitians will also take part, adding a new international flavor this year. Both Israelis and Palestinians will join the soccer game and the run, as they have in recent years.

According to the website, the JPII Games "evangelizes through the instrument of pilgrimages and promotes values that exalt the dignity of man and his being a creature of God."

The JPII Games, October 21 to 25, are not competitive. This year, the organization is offering a free trip to two people who are inspired "peace builders." The tour allows Christians to participate in a pilgrimage that promotes peace while at the same time allows them to experience their Christian roots in the land where it all began.

Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi and Centro Sportivo Italiano, the Italian Sports Association, brings star athletes and pilgrims from Italy to participate in these athletic events with both Palestinians and Israelis.

The peace run begins at Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus. A soccer game will take place at the checkpoint in the middle of the 12-kilometer run. The runners then continue together in from the checkpoint to Notre Dame.

Plaza outside Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; credit Travelujah

Another highlight of the trip will be a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth and the Mount of Beatitudes.

"In the Holy Land it is likewise hoped that sports, which by their very nature are a vehicle of peace and use a universal language, represent an opportunity for people who normally live with different rhythms and customs to meet and embrace," the sponsoring organization said.

Bishop Narcuzo inside the Church of the Annunciation Nazareth with Chilean miners earlier this year. Photo: Travelujah

In a homily, Pope John Paul II once said: "Sports have spread to every corner of the world, transcending differences between cultures and nations. Because of the global dimensions this activity has assumed, those involved in sports throughout the world have a great responsibility. They are called to make sports an opportunity for meeting and dialogue, over and above every barrier of language, race or culture. Sports, in fact, can make an effective contribution to peaceful understanding between peoples and to establishing the new civilization of love."

To register to win the all expense paid free Holy Land trip visit this link: http://www.jpiigames.com/en/educational.html

*   *   *   * 

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah, the leading Christian social network focused on connecting Christians to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

For the last four years Jerusalem has hosted a the Open House Jerusalem Project, which provides an opportunity for residents and tourists alike to get a glimpse inside many seldom seen historical or otherwise unique homes throughout the city.

This year, the Franciscan Convent of St. Saviour in Jerusalem, theseat of the Custody of the Holy Land, was one of several special 'homes' which hosted a large group of mostly Israeli Jews, including young people, families and small children.

The project is similar to other 'open house' initiatives found in major cities worldwide, such as London and New York, and provides  visitors an opportunity to learn about the historic heritage of prominent or historical  homes and buildings as well as the architectural styles and, as in this case, the unique lifestyle and character of the people who live there..

Several local administrative and cultural bodies, including the Jerusalem City Council, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Society for the Preservation of the Israeli Historical-Cultural Heritage, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

This past weekend St. Saviour's Convent, situated in the heart of the Christian quarter within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, participated for the third time hosting almost one hundred people divided into two groups. Brother Oscar Mario Marzo guided the first and the Brother Alberto Pari was the guide of the second group. The tour included the parish church of St. Saviour, the refectory with its fine paintings and the Custodial Curia, and for the first time visitors were allowed to admire the Custody's cellar which included wine-making equipment and large old barrels which, until the 1950s, allowed the Franciscan friars to produce the wine for all the religious families of the Holy Land.

Courtesy: Franciscan Media Center, Custody of the Holy Land

The initiative has a positive impact on connecting the local Israel public with the Christian and more particularly, Franciscan culture and lifestyle. Visitors have a unique opportunity to converse frankly and directly with the Friars and to ask questions. The dialogue helps to build bridges of mutual respect and cooperation and of course, represents a very warm gesture of Christian hospitality and fellowship.

For more information on the Franciscan Convent of St. Saviour visit the Custody website.

Just outside of Zion Gate is a cluster of religious sites that will be especially popular in Jerusalem this week as Jewish and Christian feasts converge and bring to light these locations on Mount Zion.

The Jewish Feast of Shavuot (Weeks), celebrated by Christians as Pentecost, begins on Tuesday evening. The holiday comes 50 days after Passover and Easter.

The site of the Upper Room is a memorial to Jesus’ Last Supper and the place the disciples waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, both of which are believed to have occurred in the general vicinity.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” Acts 2:1-3

The site is also holy to the Jews as the traditional location of David‘s tomb. Mount Zion Church, with the Last Supper and Upper Room, is one floor above David’s tomb. The building where both are housed was built in the 12th century.

Entry to all locations is free of charge and pilgrims to all sites respect the others’ religious observances.

The word Pentecost is from the Greek, meaning 50. The word is based on the scripture in Leviticus 23:16: “Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.” Fifty days also elapsed between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Shavuot is one of the three annual pilgrimage feasts to Jerusalem, along with Passover and Tabernacles. Consequently, Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews on the day the disciples received the Holy Spirit and when Peter stepped outside and spoke to thousands of people of the testimony of Jesus.

By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting to the land.

So you've been to Jerusalem before, seen the major sites and have done the "tourist thing" already, perhaps more than once. Now it is time to go a little farther off the beaten path in the Israeli capital and find some nooks on the road less travelled.

Travelujah has some suggestions for several nontraditional sites you can see if you only have two days in Jerusalem, or you can stretch these sites into a three-day visit. The locations are laid out in geographical order, but can be rearranged, skipped or revisited. Please note that opening hours and admission fees are subject to change.

Day One

Starting your tour on Nablus Road in East Jerusalem, you can first find yourself at The Prayer House, a relatively new house of prayer run by the Baptist church. The 120-year-old building was once the Swedish consulate but was sold to Christians in 1968. The building has been used for many purposes over the last three decades, but now is dedicated to prayer and quiet reflection. The location, on the seam line between Jewish, Muslim and ancient Christian neighborhoods, is an ideal place to pray, according to Anita Thorne who runs the house along with her husband, Dale. This is not another site to visit, it is an interactive experience, Anita says. Visit only if you plan to pray and spend time in quiet reflection.

Once back on Nablus Road, head toward the Old City. Along Nablus Road is a small turn off to the Garden Tomb, believed by many to be the burial an resurrection site of Jesus. The garden and sepulchre may have been owned by Joseph of Arimathea. The peaceful gardens also provide an overlook to the possible site of Golgotha, the hill of the skull, where Jesus was believed to be crucified.

Before entering the Old City walls, to the east of Damascus Gate, is Zedekiah‘s Cave, or Solomon's Quarries, traditionally thought to be the source of the stones for the Temple. Jewish and Muslim legends claim that tunnels in those caves extended to the Sinai Desert and Jericho. The cave is named after King Zedekiah who is believed to have fled from the Babylonians through these tunnels in 587 B.C., only to be later captured soon after. The caves' paths lead into tunnels under the Old City.

Into the Old City, the Wittenberg House on Haguy Street was frequented by Mark Twain from September 1867. At least one of the 50 letters that became the basis for his book "Innocents Abroad," the most widely read travelogue in American literature, was written there and could be the inspiration for what Twain calls the Mediterranean Hotel in his writings. The Wittenberg House became famous when former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon purchased an apartment in it and lived there several days a week with his wife.

Onto the Via Dolorosa, the guest house of the Ecce Homo Convent, run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion, provides spectacular views of the Old City and Mount of Olives. The name "Ecce Homo," in Latin "Behold the man" refers to Pontius Pilate's statement recorded in John 19:5: "Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them: ‘Behold the Man.'"

Peer into the Temple Mount area from the rooftop of the guest house and across the expanse of the Old City. But don't forget to head to the underground as well. The building, located at the beginning of the traditional Via Dolorosa, is built above a canal constructed at the time of the Hasmoneans in 2 BC that serviced cisterns in the Temple Mount area. The building also houses a pavement known as the Lithostrotos, large flat stones laid by Adrian that served as a plaza and marketplace to Aelia Capitolina, the name that Adrian gave to his new city, built in 135 AD on the ruins of Jerusalem.

If it is time now for recharging, the perfect place for a cappuccino and slice of delectable homemade carrot cake is Christ Church. Near the entrance of Jaffa Gate, Christ Church is the first Protestant church in the Middle East, built in 1849. The compound houses a church, guest house and a cafe. Besides the food and patio to help facilitate recharging, there is also ancient history to be seen at the Heritage Center. In addition to the restored church is a three-dimensional model of the Old City, historic documents, medieval Bibles and a 2,000-year-old water reservoir that leads to an ancient tunnel.

Now check your watch. Plan to be at the St. James Armenian Church at 3 p.m. This is the only time the oft-bypassed monastery is open to the public. Located within the residential compound, the church built in the 12th century, shows layer upon layer of architectural styles added as it stood through the years. Attesting to its age however is the fact that there is no electricity in the building still. Oil lamps provide the only illumination by night and the sun by day through scant windows. The Armenian service is primarily chanted by priests in ancient Armenian.

For a small overview of the Armenian presence in Jerusalem - the community has had a presence on Mount Zion since 301 AD - visit the Armenian Museum, also located in the convent but accessible through a separate entrance further down Armenian Patriarchate Road.

Heading into the Jewish Quarter a fascinating site with a mysterious historical story is the Burnt House. The home belonged to a Jewish family who lived there before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD It was excavated in 1970, found buried beneath layers of soot and destruction. Within the house, archaeologists found a kitchen, work rooms and a small ritual bath plus stone water jars, inkwells and Roman coins.

Buried under a layer of ash and covered with soot, the house was probably burned down. A spear was also discovered there along with the bones of an arm that apparently belonged to a young Jewish woman who may have been reaching for the weapon to defend herself against the Roman seige. Photos of the bones are on display. As evidenced by some of the remains, the house may have belonged to the Bar Kathros family, a priestly family, which had abused its position in the Temple, as legend has it.

Time for dinner? Head back to the Armenian Quarter for a relaxing meal in the garden at Bulghourji Armenian Restaurant and Garden. The garden is located adjacent to the Old City walls and sits between the police station and the Armenian seminary. Here you can sample some Armenian style appetizers such as stuffed grape leaves, burekas (cheese-stuffed pastries), lahmajoun (Armenian-style pizza) and bulgur wheat salad, the establishment's specialty for which it is named. Western sandwiches, salads and meat dishes are also available.

You can wrap up the day with a light and sound show at the David Citadel Museum. The walls of the museum come to life with a technological walk through the history of the land. This restored citadel was constructed 2,000 years ago by Herod the Great. The panoramic route along the citadel towers provides breathtaking views of the city. The 45-minute state-of-the-art sound and light show, called "The Night Spectacular" is not narrated, but the images serve to paint 1,000 words about the history of the city.

By the end of day one, you've seen sites in all four quarters of the Old City.

Day Two

Now it is time to step out of the Old City and get a different perspective of Jerusalem. Beginning just  outside the walls near the Temple Mount and Western Wall plaza, head to what was once Jerusalem's center, the City of David, established by David as his headquarters and palace when he left Hebron and became king of Israel some 3,000 years ago. David's conquest of this Jebusite city is described in 2 Samuel.

On the surface, the City of David looks like a modern neighborhood of Jewish and Arab residents bordering the Arab town of Silwan, the Kidron Valley and opposite from the Mount of Olives. But underground, this site reveals archaeological finds of yore including excavated fortresses, passageways and water systems. The tour ends at the Gihon Spring, Jerusalem's major water source for some 1,000 years. You can actually walk through the spring in the Hezekiah Tunnel,  underground in water - the depth depends on rainfall and time of year, but is at least ankle and knee high at some points.

The Gihon Spring was stopped by Hezekiah when he saw Assyrian King Sennacherib approaching the city. Had the king found water in abundance, Hezekiah feared he would have certainly conquered the city (2 Chronicles 32:2-4).

Overlooking David's city is the Hill of Evil Counsel. A Byzantine tradition identifies this hill as the place where Caiphas and his colleagues conspired to arrest Jesus (John 11:47-50). Today this hill provides a scenic vantage point to view the Old City from the South. Called, the Tayelet (or Haas Promenade), the scope of Jerusalem is laid out before you. You may rent segways (motorized standing carts) to cover the breadth of the hill, where the United Nations' headquarters are located today. Mosaics on various portions of the promenade show the direction of an aqueduct built by Herod the Great to bring water from well past Bethlehem, through his summer palace and to the Second Temple.

Nearby, the German Colony, now a yuppie neighborhood replete with cafes and trendy boutiques, was developed by the German Templars in the 1870s. There are two cemeteries in the neighborhood, a Templer cemetery on Emek Refaim Street, and next to it an eclectic Christian cemetery where lie Ulysses S. Grant's Jerusalem tour guide Rolla Floyd and Dola Ben-Yehuda daughter of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the father of modern Hebrew. She was married to a  gentile and is buried at his side. Another notable Christian, globally renowned and beloved Bible teacher and Christian author Derek Prince, was buried there as well in 2003 after spending much of his life in and devoted to Israel.

In town is another exciting Christian attraction: The Bible Society on Jaffa Street, has an exhibit called the Bible Experience, which walks visitors through the development of Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), materials used in recording the Bible through the generations and modern translations of the Bible. The exhibit contains the oldest known Book of Esther on papyrus in Greek, a full-size replica of the Gutenberg press and first edition Bibles printed in more than 50 languages.

If you want to stick with the water theme, you can hop in a car to Sataf, a serene park with ancient aqueducts and caves, just west of Jerusalem. Here on Mount Eitan, ancient mountainous agriculture is practiced as it was by the Israelites thousands of years ago. Today the work is still done by hand or with the help of farm animals, with no machinery or pesticides. Two springs, Ein Sataf and Ein Bikura, flow into the Sorek riverbed. At Ein Sataf you can walk through a cave following the tunnel to the other side. Be sure to bring a flashlight. On site is also the remains of a 4,000 BC Chalcolithic village with some of the oldest agricultural traces in the region as well as the remains of a pre-1948 Arab village.

There's no better night cap than that provided at the Bible Lands Museum. The museum holds concerts every Saturday evening during the summer serving wine and cheese while showcasing a variety of ethnic musics. The price of admission includes entry to the museum, which is a must. The collection of archeological artifacts transports you to ancient Middle Eastern cultures arranged chronologically and featuring objects, inscriptions, jewelry, seals and scarabs from Ancient Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Persia. The museum seeks to illustrate the connection between the various peoples of the region. Also on site is a garden with trees and plants mentioned in the Bible.

Where to Stay?

Notre Dame Guest House - A very nice, 145-guest rooms are offering twin-bedded accommodations and private washrooms and located just outside the New Gate of the Old City.

Rosary Sisters - A modest guesthouses, located on Agron Street, across from Independence Park

St. Charles - Located in the German Colony

For Reservations: Contact Holy Land Tours - Travelujah

The Prayer House

35 Nablus Road. Hours flexible, but call in advance of visit: 02.626.1439. Free.

Garden Tomb

Conrad Schick Street, off Nablus Road. Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5:30 p.m. Closed Sundays. Free, but donations accepted.

Zedekiah's Cave

Near the Damascus Gate. Daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: 10 shekels.   

Wittenberg House

Haguy Street

Ecce Homo

41 Via Dolorosa. Daily 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: 7 shekels. Contact: 02.627.7292

Christ Church

Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Across from David Citadel entrance near Jaffa Gate.

Armenian Museum

Monday to Saturday, 9 am. to 5 p.m. Admission: 5 shekels.

Burnt House

2 Hakara'im Street. Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Jewish holiday eves 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission: 8 shekels. Contact: 02.628.7211

Bulghourji Armenian Restaurant and Garden

Daily from noon to 11 p.m.

David Citadel

July - August: Sunday to Thursday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; September - June: Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday: closed; Saturday, holiday eves, holidays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission: Museum 30 shekels; Night Spectacular 50 shekels; Both for 65 shekels. Contact: 02.626.5333

City of David

The City of David has different hours and prices depending on what you are interested in, from a site tour for 12 shekels to a motorized "Segway" tour for 160 shekels to 4x4s for 300 shekels and up. Consult the website for hours and prices: www.cityofdavid.org.il/info_eng2.asp

The Bible Society

17 Jaffa Road. Contact: 02.625.1849

Sataf

There are a number of ways to reach the Sataf. Sataf Junction is located at the intersection of Routes #395 and #3965

Bible Lands Museum

Museum Row, 25 Granot Street. Open Sunday to Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and holiday eves 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission: 32 shekels; Saturday Night Concerts (Tickets include museum admission): 75 shekels. Contact: 02.561.1066.

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah, the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering valuable planning resources, travel and tour services, user and expert blogs for people interested in learning about connecting to the land.

Looking for a way to contribute to the Holy Land on your visit? Table to Table is dedicated to "rescuing food" in Israel and provides an opportunity to participate in volunteer activities that support the needy. Over 36% of all children in the country live below the poverty line and Table to Table provides much needed excess food to those in need. More than 4,000 volunteers a month assist Table to Table. We've picked clementines with our children's school and strawberries during the winter, both of which were very fun and meaningful activities for kids and adults alike. Volunteering in the fields is a wonderful way to not only give back, but to connect more intimately with the land and the Bible. Travelujah is happy to develop special programming for groups that want to participate in a meaningful volunteer experience during their visit. Some examples of programming options include:

Project Leket is a wonderful activity where participants go into the fields and orchards of Israel to glean fruit and vegetables that remain unpiced at the end of the season's harvest. The rescued products are distributed to non-profit organizations feeding people in need.

Sandwich Preparation is organized and executed almost daily and has alllowed many Israeli children to have a proper lunch. Volunteers can come to Ra'ananna early in the morning to prepare sandwiches which are delivered each school day along with fruit and vegetables to over 75 schools in central and northern Israel. Over 25,000 sandwiches per week are prepared.

Food packing volunteers collect excess food from more than 500 functions a month from many banquet halls and restaurants and deliver the leftover items to needy residents.

Author : Rabbi David Ebstein

17^th of Tammuz

July 9th, 2009 marks the Hebrew date, the 17^th of Tammuz, the date on which the Romans breached the walls surrounding Jerusalem (Mishnah Ta'anit 4:6). Three weeks later on the 9^th of Av, they destroyed the 2^nd Temple.

In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, 39:2 we learn that "in the eleventh year of (King) Zedekiah, on the ninth day of the fourth month, the [walls of the] city were breached." This means that before the destruction of the 1^st temple built by King Solomon, the walls were breached on the 9^th of Tammuz, and not the 17^th. Despite this minor discrepancy, both events are commemorated on the same date, as are the destructions of the first and second temple which both took place on the 9^th of Av-Tisha B'av.

The mishnah (edited by Rabbi Judah the  Prince, 210 AD) teaches us that there are other calamities connected to the 17^th of Tammuz: the burning of the Torah and the erection of an idol in the Temple by Apostomos during the period preceding the Maccabean revolt; the cessation of the daily sacrifices (korban tamid) during the Roman siege of Jerusalem; and the breaking of the tablets by Moses. The rabbis connected the Torah reading for the 17^th of Tammuz to the breaking of the tablets, by having us read verses from Exodus, 34:4-10 that remind us that Moses carved the tablets of stone for a second time. This special reading provides us with an element of comfort as we remember the destruction of the first set of tablets.

If you are in Jerusalem on the 17^th of Tammuz you may not notice any change in the life of the city and its inhabitants. The fast of the 17^th in Tammuz does not preclude work or travel, although it is observed by a fast from sunup to sundown. The day is punctuated by regular morning and afternoon services that contain special references to the fast day both in the liturgy and biblical readings.

Rabbi Isaac Klein (may his memory be for a blessing) reminds us that "the days between the seventeenth of Tammuz and the 9^th of Av are considered days of mourning, for they witnessed the collapse of besieged Jerusalem, beginning with the breaching of the walls on the seventeenth of Tammuz, and culminating with the burning of the Temple on the ninth of Av. Since exactly three weeks passed between these two events, the period is known as the "three weeks." In rabbinic literature is is known as bein hametzarim, between the straits, derived from a verse in Lamentations 1:3, which was interpreted as referring to the days between the seventeenth of Tammuz and the ninth of Av.

During this 3 week period, observant Jews refrain from joyous celebrations like weddings, and on the Sabbath, read special prophetic portions that emphasize the somber mood. The mood as reflected in various customs becomes even more somber from the 1^st of Av (the month following Tammuz) to the 9^th of Av. Many Jews do not eat meat or wine, refrain from swimming, and do not have their haircut. All of this leads up to the 9^th of Av which is a full fast day, beginning at sundown and ending at sundown the next day.

•1)      As a rabbi and a tour guide, I find myself teaching about this holiday, the ninth of Av, quite often, especially as I lead groups through the southern and western excavations. I frequently teach them the following Talmudic passage:

Our rabbis have taught: When the First Temple was about to be destroyed, bands upon bands of young priests with the keys of the Temple in their hands assembled and mounted the roof of the Temple and exclaimed, "master of the Universe, as we did not have the merit to be faithful treasurers, these keys are handed back into Your keeping." They threw the keys up towards heaven. And there emerged something that looked like the palm of a hand, and received the keys from them. Whereupon they jumped and fell into the fire. Babylonian Talmud Taanit 29a

I am fascinated with this legend found in the Talmud, and it makes me wonder who today contains the keys to the temple, to the future of the Jewish people and to the state of Israel. There are many keys and keeping Israel strong in the 21^st century requires that all of us need to be "faithful treasurers" so that we can insure that Israel is a home where all visitors and residents of all faiths remain free to practice their religion.

For those of you who will in Israel on the 9^th of Av, (beginning on the evening of July 29^th and continuing for 24 hours), you might want to know how this unique holiday will be observed in the land of Israel. Perhaps the most prominent observance of the holiday can be noticed in Jerusalem where countless congregations begin their evening prayers at the Haas promenade in southern Jerusalem. From this unique location, you can see the old city, the Ottoman walls built in the mid 16^th century, and a faint outline of the city of David created by King David and his son, King Solomon close to three thousand years ago. From this location, you will also be able to see remnants of the second temple built by Herod approximately two thousand years ago. The view, especially at night is breathtaking, dramatic and full of hope.

On the 9^th of Av Jews observe the anniversaries of the destruction of the first and second temple, both of which resulted in exile, destruction and massive loss of life. It is one of the saddest days on the Jewish calendar. It is not surprising then, that congregations like to go to the Haas promenade to look at the ancient city of Jerusalem and contemplate these terrible moments of destruction. As we gaze upon the flickering lights of the old city and the new city of Jerusalem, we read from the book of Lamentations the following: "Alas! Lonely sits the city once great with people! She that was great among nations is become like a widow...bitterly she weeps in the night, her cheek wet with tears. There is nobody to comfort her..."  (Lamentations, Chapter 1:1-2)

As we listen to the lament of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in the year 586 BCE, I am always struck by the contrast between what was and what is. Almost 2600 years ago, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were exiled to Babylonia ("By the rivers of  Babylon, there we sat, sat and wept, as we remembered Zion..."Psalm 137:1). Almost 2000 years ago the Romans brutally took advantage of Jewish disunity and destroyed one of the wonders of the world, the temple that was built by Herod. And today, as we look at the old city of Jerusalem, remembering those moments of destruction, I am filled with joy.

Why? When I read Lamentations, the first word is "Alas." I can't quite understand that word and therefore I prefer the Hebrew, which in some texts says ‘oy' and in others says ‘woe.' Nobody ever sat around after the destruction and said ‘alas!' The language was much stronger. And today, as we are in Israel during the 61^st year of the 3^rd Jewish commonwealth, while I do think about the destruction, the ‘oy', my oy has turned to joy.

In the 21^st century, Israel is a sovereign nation, in control of its destiny, with its capital here in the holy city of Jerusalem. I mourn for what was lost, but I also am filled with joy at what we have achieved. The ninth of Av for me is a mixed bag. I am compelled to remember the past and what was lost, but my focus must be on what we have achieved and how we can continue to redeem Jerusalem from her modern day woes.

On a more prosaic note, many observant Israeli Jews observe the holiday by fasting for the entire day, beginning from the night before. In the evening and the morning of the 9^th of Av, the book of Lamenations is read in its entirety, and afterwards, Kinot, or additional lamentations are recited.

Written by: Rabbi David Ebstein

After 30 years, the Feast of Tabernacles celebration hosted by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) has become an icon of Christian love and support for the Jewish state.

This year, the theme of the ICEJ Feast of Tabernacles is "Jerusalem: A Praise in the Earth," which harkens back to the founding principle of the ministry - to support Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

"The Feast theme of 'Jerusalem: A Praise in the Earth' is meant to emphasize the original mandate of our ministry at our founding, which was to stand in solidarity with Israel in its 3000 year-old claim and connection to Jerusalem," ICEJ Media Director David Parsons told Travelujah. "The future of this city is once again coming into focus worldwide, and we will be laying stress to the fact that our position remains the same as three decades ago - that Jerusalem is and should remain the united capital of Israel only."

Parsons said that during this year's Feast,which began on September 23 and runs through September 29th,  the various speakers and lecturers will be expounding upon the "rich biblical truths concerning Jerusalem and its central place in God's redemptive plan."

That message will also hit home for many Israelis who remember well the mass exodus of foreign embassies from Jerusalem in 1980 when Israel officially reunited the city by annexing its eastern, Arab-dominated half.

The Feast of Tabernacles and the founding of the ICEJ was a direct response to that exodus, and was welcomed by Israelis who were feeling increasingly isolated as the first major act of Christian kindness since the nation's rebirth.

Held every year during the week-long biblical feast of Sukkot (tabernacles), the Feast of Tabernacles sees upwards of 5,000 Christians from more than 100 different nations flood Jerusalem carrying a message of love, hope and peace for the Jewish people.

The ICEJ was actually born out of that first Feast of Tabernacles celebration in 1980. The Feast event became the centerpiece of the ICEJ's mission to comfort Israel and the Jewish people, as well as begin the fulfillment of the biblical prophecy stating that "the nations...shall come up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:16)

During the Feast of Tabernacles, which has for years been held at the Jerusalem Convention Center, participants are treated to daily seminars about Israel's place in their Christian faith, the Hebraic roots of the Church and the difficulties facing the modern Jewish state. Every evening, the participants come together in the Convention Center's main hall for a time of worship, biblical performances, and teachings and speeches by renowned scholars and top Israeli officials. Booths are set up for other local Christian ministries engaged in aiding and comforting Israel to get to know the thousands of Feast participants.

On one very special night, as many Israelis as can fit in the Convention Center are invited to come and see just how the Christians are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and to hear a special message of reconciliation and support after so many centuries of widespread Christian persecution of the Jews.

Ryan Jones writes for  Travelujah, a Christian social network focused on fostering a deeper connection with faith through Holy Land tours. You can plan, learn and share your holy land experience on Travelujah using our in-depth locational content, user and expert blogs that can take you off the beaten track, and individual or group tour booking services.

A little known, off the beaten path, museum focusing on the historic Christian  presence in the Holy Land brings a new dimension and rich diversity to the Jerusalem cultural scene.  The Wujoud museum, situated within the walls of the Old City, in the Christian Quarter has slowly been making its presence known in this multi-cultural city and cradle of faith.  With so many cultural offerings in Jerusalem, there has yet to be a place specifically focused on the Christian presence in the Old City, which is what the new Wujoud museum offers. 

Wujoud, which means existence, is set within a 650 year old building owned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, situated in the heart of the Christian Quarter. Built during the Marmeluke period, the building was recently renovated and includes lovely verandas and view points, including a setting overlooking one of the Old City's ancient dry pools, Hezekiah's pool.  After two years of rehabilitation the center opened in May 2010 and has welcomed groups from all denominations. 

Wujoud Founder Nora Kort with a personalized bread stamp

Founder Nora Kort, who started the organization over 20 years ago, explained to Travelujah that the mission of the museum is to showcase the Christian communities presence  in the Holy Land and how it has remained a part and parcel of the fabric of the city.  

"The fact that Christians have been here since ancient times is often overlooked", explained museum founder Nora Kort, herself a member of the Greek Orthodox  community.

Nora personally meets groups at the museum and speaks about the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The center offers light breakfasts and lunches that are prepared by local Christian womens groups.

"We are working to bring beauty and life into the Old City.  The 'living stones' are more important than the 'dead' stones.", she said referring to Christians who lived here long ago. 

"People can come here to meet people and listen to shared stories." 

The mission of the center is to be a cultural meeting point in the Old City, not just for Christians but for all denominations.

"Culture brings peace and reconciliation amongst people", Nora says, " Humanity transends all borders."

The Wujoud Cultural Center and museum can be visited by appointment. The facility can fit 120 people and the cultural center can seat up to 70 people. Meals can be prearranged. 

For further information contact nkort1@bezeqint.net

Side Bar 

On April 26 at 7 pm, Travelujah is offering a special night tour of the ancient streets of the Christian Quarter including a night visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Jewish Quarter and more. Participants will get an inside look at the Christian community of the Old City including,  get a ‘behind the scenes' look at the new Wujoud Cultural Center and Museum situated in the Christian Quarter. The focus of the museum, which is the only one of its kind within the walls of the Old City, is to tell the story of Christians in the Holy Land. The museum is set within a historic 650 year old building owned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, and overlooks one of the Old City's dry pools, Hezekiahs pool.  Wujoud organization founder, Nora Kort, a member of the local Greek Orthodox community, will provide a tour of the museum as well as a lecture on the Christian community of the Holy Land.

Register in advance at info@travelujah.com Cost 100 shekel.

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Elisa Moed is the CEO of Travelujah.

It is the season of Lent, the 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter, and Israel's Christian community is bustling with Easter preparations from the spiritual to the culinary.

Jerusalem, of course, is central to the Easter story. Within the next month, thousands of pilgrims will converge in Jerusalem, where Jesus died and rose again. The Catholic and Orthodox Easters coincide this year and come during the Jewish Passover. Catholics and Orthodox Christians use different calendars to determine the dates of their feasts. Easter is the most significant holiday for Christians in the Holy Land, even more of a draw than Christmas.

"Christmas, in the West, has eclipsed Easter whereas the big feast of the Church is Easter," Father Athanasius Macora, a Franciscan monk serving at the Custody of the Holy Land, told Travelujah, the only Christian social network focused on learning about and traveling to the Holy Land. "It is the central feast, the most important feast of the church. With the local community (in Israel) you do appreciate the importance of Easter."

Indeed, the ceremony and involvement by local Christians and pilgrims from all over the world that go into Easter week have a tendency to take over the Old City. Marching bands replete with bagpipes and drums gear up to represent their parish on Holy Saturday. Women begin baking the traditional Easter cookies, maamoule, butter cookies filled with dates or walnuts. Eggs will be painted in pastels and distributed to children.

Lent is marked differently by the different denominations. Some fast more, some less. But no matter how it is marked, lent is a time of internal, personal preparation for the upcoming feast.

"It is a spiritual retreat for the entire church. It involves fasting, but above all, the goal is to try to change one's life to come closer to the Lord in preparation for the Easter celebration," Macora said. "The goal is to arrive at some positive change in your life, to create a space for the risen Lord."

All of the events and services of Easter will bring to mind an event during Jesus' last week before his death and resurrection. A mass at Dominus Flevit will recall where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. At Gethsemane, one can reflect on Jesus' last few hours before his arrest. A processional takes place on Good Friday on the Via Dolorosa, the path many believe Jesus took carrying his cross to Golgotha. And at the Holy Sepulchre, the possible sight of his death and resurrection, participants can remember the sacrifice plus the power of the Son of God to die for us, and yet overcome death.

The Palm Sunday processional is perhaps the most visual of all the masses. From the Mount of Olives hundreds of people join the processional to St. Anne's in the Old City carrying palm and olive branches, in a touching reflection of Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem one week before he was killed.

Macora said there are 4,000 Catholics in Jerusalem.

By Nicole Jansezian, Travelujah

Nicole Jansezian writes for Travelujah.com, the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. Travelujah is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting with or traveling to the Holy  Land.

There are few places as diminutive from the outside and yet grandiose on the inside as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church was built originally in 325 A.D. by Constantine's mother. He was the first emperor of Rome to officially convert to Christianity. He razed a former temple of Venus which had been built on the site several hundred years before during Hadrian's effort to rename Jerusalem Aelia Capetolina.

The site is of course traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus was crucified and where he was later resurrected in the presence of his twelve disciples. It also known to house the last four Stations of the Cross.

The building you'll visit today however is not the original building, nor is it even the original remade building or even the remade original building. In fact, few places have been destroyed and rebuilt more times than the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The church was destroyed by Persians in 614A.D. and then rebuilt for the first time soon after that. However, the church was to see additional destruction, being burned to the foundations in 1009 A.D. by Hakim, the Sultan of the Muslim Caliphate at the time (he's sometimes known as "Hakim the Mad").

It was partially rebuilt later in 1048 A.D. when money was provided by Constantine IX of the Byzantine Empire. However, the church built by Constantine IX's money was not nearly as grand as the original church that Constantine had built. While no official explanation is offered for this, it's reasonable to assume that the Byzantine Empire, of which Constantine was ruler at the time was already facing a sharp decline, which eventually led to its ultimate destruction so he simply didn't have the money to do the rebuilding properly.

A proper rebuilding effort would have to wait until 1505 A.D. when a group of Franciscan monks came to the Holy Land with the intention of remaking the Church of the Holy Sepulcher into something truly grand and spectacular. The monks succeeded spectacularly; however what you'll see when you visit today is still not much of what they built.

That's because their vision was largely destroyed in 1808 when the church once again was burned to the ground, though this time by accident rather than deliberately. It was rebuilt yet again at that time and at the same time, a number of different groups began to lay claim to the church, with the groups now sharing power amongst themselves.

The groups include the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, under the auspices of the Vatican. However, the primary power in the church rotates between the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church (the Greek Orthodox Church however maintains most of the control of the building).

A renovation plan was begun again in 1959 and it continues to cause controversy with each group who controls the church jockeying for position and the Israeli government attempting to get the parties to talk so that the church can be properly preserved without prejudicing any one group's claims t the church. An old ladder rests outside one of the windows of the church and has been there at least since the middle of the 19^th century. However, because the various factions who control the church have not been able to agree on how to renovate it, the ladder has remained in place all this time.

Because the church has so many different groups claiming ownership and was rebuilt at various time (parts date from the 1048A.D. construction, other parts from 1505A.D. and most parts either from 1808A.D. or from the modern renovations begun in 1959 A.D.), it can seem pretty confusing with different styles dominating different parts of the building. However, the over-all effect is still quite stunning and beautiful.

The most important place in the church is of course the place of the crucifixion, where it is believed that the Jesus' cross was placed outside the city walls of Jerusalem in 33 A.D. (There is another, competing location which was identified in the 19^th century called the Garden Tomb, however most people still look to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as being the place of the actual crucifixion of Christ.). This part of the church is run by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and includes what some describe as a "rocky outcropping" where the cross is believed to have been placed. The area includes the 12^th station of the cross, which is the rock of cavalry and 11^th station of the cross, which is run by Franciscan monks. There is also the "Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross" in the same area. The 13^th station of the cross is there as well, with a statue of Mary Mother of Jesus and that is where His family moved Him after He was killed on the cross (according to most traditions).

The Stone of Anointing, where the body of Jesus was prepared by Joseph of Arimathea before it was buried is located just inside the entrance to this area.

The Edicule is the place where Jesus was initially buried after he died on the cross. The cave is no longer there having been destroyed completely by Hakim (that would be "Hakim the Mad" who we mentioned above) in 1009 A.D., however the tradition that this is the place where the cave was initially is quite strong.

The "Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea" is here as well and it is an actual tomb dating from the time of Jesus. It's largely looked to as archeological proof that the place is indeed the final resting place of Christ.  However, while archeologists have been able to date the tomb to the time of Jesus, there are no markings and the area was actually discovered fairly recently during renovations in the building.

Two locations inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher also lay claim to being the Prison of Christ, where Jesus was held before His crucifixion.

A number of chapels are located in the Armenian part of the church as well, including the Chapel of St. Helena and the Chapel of St. Vardan, which is said to contain relics from Hadrian's temple to Venus and Constantine's original church. There is also the Chapel of the Invention of the Holy Cross, where the original cross Jesus was crucified on was said to have been found and finally the Chapel of Mary Magdalene, where Jesus' mother met Him after His resurrection.

Overall, the church is really an overwhelming place to take in and as we said at the beginning of this article, it's all accessed through a small door which makes it all the more unique of an experience.

The church is located at the corner of Suq Khan e-Zeit and Christian Quarter Rd in Jerusalem's Old City. to experience candlelighting inside the Church View Candlelighting at Calvary.

Eric Hammer writes for Travelujah, the only Christian social network where people can learn, plan and share their Holy land travel experiences.