Late Bloomer: Israel Day 7 - Temple Mount, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Temple Mount

We started the day up at the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. The Dome is a a Moslem shrine (not a Mosque) which supposedly houses the stone on which Abraham almost sacrificed Ishmael (according to the Moslems). The Temple Mount area is the location of Herod's Temple but is now controlled by the Moslems and no archeology can be done there.

Dome of the Rock

Pool of Bethesda

This site is almost certainly the actual Pool of Bethesda that Jesus visited and healed the invalid. Since the city has been built up over and over, the actual location is well below the current "ground" level.

Pool of Bethesda

Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

We walked the Via Doloraos, the traditional path of Christ has he carried the cross from judgement to crucifixion. The stations of the cross are marked as you go. This is through the Moslem quarter of Jerusalem and leads the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Many believe that this church is the actual site of the tomb and the crucifixion. Basically the church is a large building built over a garden and a hill. You go upstairs the see the site of the crucifixion and you can go down to the tomb though mostly the site is filled with religious trappings. So rather than get a feel for the actual historic site instead you are impressed with peoples' veneration of the site in the past 2000 years.