Visit Israel – (Dome of the Rock and Dead Sea)

Welcome to the last steps of my Israel trip! To begin with, I love this series because blogging gave me time to process the trip. So often, I need quiet reflection to uncover lessons in life. Well, dear readers, thank you for coming along on my journey. I hope you visit Israel!

Visit the Museums of Israel

First, our group visited the Friends of Zion, the most amazing “museum” I’ve ever seen! To explain, the exhibits (speaking holograms, vibrant movies, and a live map of Israel) highlight significant Non-Jewish figures who supported the Jews during the Holocaust.

The takeaway? Many people sacrificed in a huge way for a cause unrelated to them. Consequently, our group walked away thinking, “Am I doing enough to promote peace? Christ? God’s love?” Tough questions.

Second, the tour led us to Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. Particularly, it impacted me greatly to think of the millions of Polish Jews exterminated by the Hilter regime since I’m Polish.

(One memorial at Yad Vashem)

Visit the Jewish Quarter

Afterward, we spent the afternoon walking and shopping in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, which had a distinctly Italian flair for me. I gravitated to the baklava.

Visit the Holy Places of Jerusalem

The next day, we headed for the Wailing Wall, which supposedly houses the presence of God since the destruction of the Temple. Folded, written papers with prayers line every nook and cranny. By the same token, I placed a few of my own prayers in the cracks.

Subsequently, our group headed to the Dome of the Rock. The Dome is the Muslim Mosque which sits on the Temple Mount (the location of the previous two Jewish temples). Tourist women covered their legs, arms, and necks. While there, I felt vibrations in my body radiating up from the sacred ground of the Temple Mount.

What Surprised Me Most?

Let me get real for a second here, and this might get me into trouble.

For the most part, I was uncomfortable atop the Temple Mount. To begin with, the anger interlaced in the controversy between Israel and Palestine is palpable. Hence, the air weighed heavy on my head and shoulders. The colors up seemed muted, covered by the evil surrounding the conflict.

Honestly, I did not expect to feel this way as I have no skin in the game. However, you need to visit Israel to understand the feeling.

Once we reached the Eye of the Needle (a gate to exit from Temple Mount) and re-entered the Jewish Quarter, instantly the sun seemed to come out and the heaviness lifted. For the entire trip, I felt similar oppression whenever I entered one of the Palestinian controlled areas of Israel.

Has Israel Heard of Michigan?

Truly, my people are everywhere!

Visit the Via Delarosa in Israel

In the afternoon, I took some private time to walk the Via Delarosa (the path Jesus walked to the cross). I started at the place where he was flogged and made my way to the church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Let me open up…it was a struggle. Not because I was overcome with emotion but because so many shops and people line the streets. Noise and commerce formed a cacophony of sounds. But, I prayed for God to supernaturally close my mind, and I envisioned what it must have been like for Jesus.

How often do we run into noise in our own lives?

Did His eyes look upon that stone? What would people have worn? Or said? What sounds would have filled the background?

Continually, I focused my thoughts as I walked through the Stations of the Cross.

Visit the Site of the Crucifixion

To clarify, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is nothing like I imagined the place of Christ’s crucifixion to be. The church standing on the historic spot is incredibly ornate with candles and gold everywhere.

I waited in line to duck under an altar and put my hand in the place where the cross supposedly stood according to the Catholics. They had an empty tomb there as well.

Now here’s the thing, the Catholics say Holy Sepulcher is the tomb and place of the crucifixion. However, the Greek Orthodox Church records a DIFFERENT place, and the Armenian Church yet ANOTHER place.

No one really knows the exact place.

And, I think God did this on purpose. God knew we would worship the place instead of Him, so He spread uncertainty about the location.

Visit the Garden Tomb

We visited a possible Garden Tomb (the place the Protestants say Jesus was buried). Across the way (behind a bus stop no less), we saw part of the face of a skull carved out of a hillside. This particular tomb had a different layout than was customary with the resting place to the right (most were opposite the door).

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed (Mark 16:5 NIV).

While waiting in line, one single dove walked up to us. The dove is a sign of the Holy Spirit. Amazing!

Visit the Dead Sea

On our last day before heading home, we headed to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The Jews stored the remnants in pots within the caves on the cliffsides for hundreds of years. Seemingly with divine intervention, no one found the ancient documents until Israel become a nation. Perhaps if found earlier, they likely could have been destroyed.

Next, we visited Masada National Park, which housed an encampment built by Herod and eventually overtaken by the Romans. To ascend, a cable car runs up to the top. The park was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon with the sandy cliffs and vistas.

Finally, we went to the Dead Sea. The water was chilly, but we floated in the salt!

I walked to where the water was waist high. Then, I picked up my legs, and voila, I didn’t sink at all! Crazy! Incidentally, a peninsula made entirely of salt jutted out into the water!

In conclusion, everyone should visit Israel at least once (Do it!!!).  So much history! Indeed, the depth of culture and heritage (our Shabbat hosts could trace their family tree back to David!) is inspiring. We all have something to learn from one another!

Visit Israel!

Shalom from the Holyland!

K.