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Holy Sites

Posted on June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 by Keryn Ross
Panorama from LaDonna and Eva’s roof

This morning, I was awakened at 5:30 by some noise–it turned out to be EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of my children. Who apparently had been awake since 3am. 

Jetlag, man. It’s a killer.

I went back to bed…but couldn’t sleep, thinking about everything we want to do.

Headed out to the Old City

So by 6:30 I was up, and we started getting ready for our first “real” day in the Old City. We first met up with Eva and LaDonna, and then decided to go to the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock first, and then to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

You wouldn’t believe the whining about posing for a tourist photo op.
Now with Dad!
More posing
It’s nice and cool in the morning
I love these kiddos

We talked about mountains in our morning devotion–how God wants us to value our relationship with Him, and how we often value things that we have to work hard to obtain. Seeking God on the mountains and in the temples takes time, effort, and sacrifice, just like climbing a mountain.

Or some of the hills in the Old City, with two grandmas and a kid in a wheelchair.

Two guards helping Gee with the wheelchair at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

To get to the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, you go to the Western Wall area (through security) and then over to the east (again through security). It was a little more complicated than I was expecting to get over to the Western Wall, but we were given great directions and people were super helpful.

East of the Western Wall
Western Wall, Thursday morning
Yummy at the Dome of the Rock (she is wearing a smock because her arms were bare)
Beautiful breccia with metasomatized basalts
Dome of the Chain (Judgment Place of David and/or Solomon)
Yummy taking a selfie in the Dome of the Chain
Gee at the Dome of the Rock
I love this picture so much. Zee helping Gee down the steps to the Dome of the Rock platform.

The Temple Mount was marvelously uncrowded–so few people, so much less stress. Hot and sunny, but just gorgeous.

As we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the crowds began to grow and grow and grow…and the heat increased and legs started to ache and tempers started to fray.

LaDonna and Eva started to wilt at this point. They made it into the Church, and LaDonna and me and my kiddos waited in line to go into the actual tomb. It was small and very crowded, but beautiful. I was so impressed with the fervor so many of the people there showed. This was a significant part of their journey and it was so neat to see their devotion.

I chose not to take too many pictures inside the Church–I’ll be back and take more pictures later!

Courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Part of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
The Sepulcher

We crashed after the Church–Bradley took the moms home while I led our children back to our apartment. Taking a siesta in the hottest part of the day is a very good idea, we’ve decided!

Walking to the Jaffa Gate for dinner
Jaffa Gate
Dinner!

We decided to walk over to the Jaffa Gate (part of the Jewish Quarter) to find some dinner. We found a great burger and sandwiches shop, and everyone found something delicious. I had a chicken shawarma sandwich with hummas and garlic tahini sauce, and it was SO good.

After walking back home in the early darkness, the breeze felt so good, and everyone was in good spirits (possibly a little over silly, too). There was some music playing where we ate, and it started out in a very ominous set of chords. We all looked around for the T-Rex or alien invasion or the rapture. Or, as someone misheard, “Velocirapture”.

“Why are there no more dinosaurs?”

“Because of the velocirapture!!!”

It was funny at the time.

1 thought on “Holy Sites”

  1. Telima says:
    June 2, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    I love reading these posts! The pictures are gorgeous and you all look like you’re having a good time. Love you all!!

    Reply

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