2009

After dinner on Thursday evening, some of us went to the Church of Holy Sepulchre to watch the closing and locking of the door. On Friday this site was the end of our archaeological via delorosa walk. Here’s Liz outside the only entrance to the church.



After lunch we went to the site of the temple, destroyed in 70 AD. Herod the Great extended the platform area of the temple, making it one of the largest sacred sites in the ancient world. This human chain shows the size ONE massive Herodian stone!





Some experts say it’s an 85% possibility that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the actual site of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This first century tomb cut into limestone with Kristina in the foreground is key evidence for this claim.





These steps (mostly reconstructed) were part of Herod’s expansion of the temple site. Jesus and his disciples would have entered the temple complex on this staircase.





At the end of a long day of touring, we had time to shop. Here I am with Anna, Liz, and Hannah at a shop on King David Street.





The tower of Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer from the Lutheran Guest House where we stayed.





On Saturday we went to Bethlehem. This is the spot pilgrims have venerated for centuries as the birthplace of Jesus.





Here’s Carl on his way into the grotto of Jesus’ birthplace.





From Bethlehem we went out to the Judea desert to the Herodian, Herod the Great’s summer palace and fortress. This photo is the swimming pool, feed by aqueduct system from springs in the Judean hills.








After the hot climb up and down the Herodian, we all had frozen treats. Hannah chose the watermelon popsicle. She said it was good.
Watch for more highlights of the trip to Jerusalem:
• singing at St. Annes’s church
• video of the locking of the door of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Eric’s description of their visit to the Garden Tomb
• More!

We’re off to Jerusalem this afternoon until Saturday evening.  Until we return, we’ll leave you with this… the group singing Amazing Grace during devotions last night on the “beach” of the Sea of Galilee…

Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I did not return for my second dig season because of the food OR the ambiance of the dig “dining room.” We eat in an abandoned IDF (Israel Defense Force) building constructed on this hilltop after the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Grates over the window openings added since my last dig season (2006) have greatly reduced the amount of pigeon doodoo covering the serving tables and junk chairs. And the food is WEIRD! And all labeling is in Hebrew. Every morning is an adventure.

Today’s finds include a marble mortar, a metal pendant, broken part of a grinding bowl. In this video, Darryl demonstrates the proper technique for getting a big rock UP and out of a square.