Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Today was another new adventure.  We went to the Armenian & then Jewish Quarter.  Learned about the history of Jerusalem.  How small the town was for centuries.  Year 1800 only 12,000 people.  1900 80,000, butt a lot of the Europeans.  Saw how the the "old city" is divided into 4 areas.  Walked into the Jewish Quarter.  It was basically destroyed in the 1967 War and now is re-built.  The Main Synagogue was just finished. Went through the Roman built area Cardo (heart of the City). Stopped at a promenade overlooking the City and just a few steps further was the Wailing or Western Wall of the Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in the Year 70 AD.  This is the most sacred section to the Jewish people.  But we went to an archaelogical dig to the south.  This was even better than going to the Wall.  Since 1970, they have been digging away at the temple.  They have unearthed the steps that Jesus and the people of his time actually walked on leaving the temple , the walkway around the temple.   Even the Money Changer's and Animal Seller's booths .  I have added the pictures of the steps and the booths.