Day Three June 16 NT Walk through Jerusalem

After a few hours of lectures from Dr. Robert Mullins we headed into the Old City of Jerusalem. Our first stop was the through the southern part of the city through the Armenian Quarter to a place that some have identified as the 'Upper Room'. The location is disputed because of the late architecture but a room in the upper floor of a home is likely.

We contuined throught he city until we reached an overlook of the Temple Mount. We appraouced through the Central Valley from t\he WEst. Our first view of the Temple Mount was at the south west cornber at a place called the 'Wailing Wall'. This is the place where Jews come to pray at the wall. This wall is not the actual Temple Wall but the Foundation or podium that it is built upon. What is fascinating is that some of the stones that we see are from Herod's time. On the other hand, it is heartbreaking to watch so many Jews praying who have not recognized jesus as Messiah.

Today the Temple Mount is the location of the Dome of the Rock, the third most holy site in Islam. The Temple Mount was originally built by King Solomon where he constructed the first Temple to God. That temple was destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. Herod rebuilt the Temple that existed in Jesus Day upon the Temple Mount. This location is also called Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah where Isaac was bond by Abraham in Genesis. After going through strict security we were allowed on the Temple Mount but not is any of the building located there today. It is a massive platform and I can only imagine what it looked like in jesus' day with all of it portico's. Dr. Mullins exp-lained that the Temple would have been about 1/3 taller than the present day Dome of the Rock. This sturcture would have been seen for miles and an unbelievalbe sight for the Jewish pilgrim coming to Jerusalem.

From the platform of the Temple we walked down to the southern side and looked at the excavations that have been recently unearthed of large stones that had been pushed off the Temple Mount when the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD. These stones are found on top of a road that ran alongside the western side. Around the southern end we were able to walk up the steps from the first century that lead to the 'Hulda Gates' where the Jews would have entered into the Temple. The Jewish 'miqvah's" located at the bottom of these steps are a reminder of the ceremonial washing where a Jew would immerse himself in before entering the Temple.

From the steps we took a long walk around the eastern side of the Temple Mount and entered back into the city through the Lion Gate. Around this western side is a Muslim graveyard while across the Kidron valley along the slopes of the Mount of Olives you will find Jewish graves. I can't imagine that this would have been Solomon's idea when he first constructed the first Temple. Scripture tells us that when Jesus returns he will come down the western slopes of the Mount of Olives and enter again into the City of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, we do not know where the Golden Gate of Herod's Temple is located because of the Mulsim graveyard