Jerusalem

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Jerusalem in just 3 days

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The best way to see the Old City of Jerusalem is by walking the narrow, ancient alleyways that twist and turns like a maze. Parts of the Old City like the Shouk (market) where the hustle and bustle crushes around you amid the presence of the past is pedestrianised.

Jerusalem - [ Through the ages it has been called by many names: Urusalim, Salem, Mount Moriah, Adonai Urah, Jebus, Jerusalem, Zion, the City of David, Ariel (Lion of God) God has declared that this is the place He will establish His Name and will dwell there forever.

Jerusalem is a religious center sacred to all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Via Dolorosa ends here, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Like most of the Old City, it is located within a small courtyard in front and the neighboring buildings built of Jerusalem stone. The dome of the church next to the spire of a minaret, the call to prayer echoing through the ancient alley ways. Inside the church, the place has been divided up among several Christian sects who jealously guard their piece of space.

This spot, the highest in the Old City, has been a sacred site since the Romans built their temple to Venus, and there have been several churches here, beginning with the one Constantine put up, followed by another constructed by the Crusaders.

It's been added onto since then, but it remains a square Gothic creation with vast ceilings and huge columns supporting it.

The volume of tourists is almost the same as in the shouk. Here, Christ was nailed to the cross. Herded down another set of stairs, past the slab of rock where his body was washed and, finally, a few feet away, the Holy Sepulcher itself. Everything is covered in gold and tapestries. Towards the back of the church are cool, calm, softly lit corridors, open onto small chapels.

Views of the interior and exterior of the traditional "Tomb of Jesus" inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is located above the Wailing Wall on the old Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif, in Arabic).

There is no commercialism here. In fact, you leave all your belongings outside: shoes, purses, cameras, money, and pass ports. Under the huge gold dome, is the quiet and peace of a place that exudes spiritualism. Men (and women, separately) quietly go about their devotions. People speak softly, nobody sells postcards or candles, and no one takes photographs. What light there is shines down from stained glass windows into the dome, onto a chunk of bare rock bordered by an elaborately carved wooden screen. It was here that Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, and here Mohammed is said to have ascended to heaven on his horse. The horse's hoof prints are supposed to be visible in the stone.

No matter what your beliefs, this is a unique place and nobody should miss out on an opportunity to visit it.

View looking south southwest at the Dome of the Rock (right, west) and the smaller Dome of the Chain (left, east)

Shrine of the Book

This is a must see. The Dead Sea Scrolls are housed here.

You walk down a sloping tunnel into the underground building that could double as a movie set for a Sci-Fi flick. The long halls are lined with glass-fronted recesses. Inside are various ancient scrolls found in the caves around Ein Gedi and range from dispatches from Bar Kochba to his troops during his uprising against Rome in 132 C.E. to even earlier documents, including legal papers relating to lawsuits, property deeds and loans.

Not until you are underground do you see the Scrolls themselves. The room is round and bi-level with walls of stone slabs like so many of the ancient buildings in the city. Some are just fragments.

View looking southwest down on the marl cliff that contains cave 4 (the caves were numbered in the order that they were found). The two dark openings in the center of the image open into cave 4. The one at the top is more probably original—much erosion has taken place in this area because of the crumbly marl. Cave 4 contained over 40,000(!) fragments of about 550 manuscripts. It, along with cave 1, yielded the greatest number of preserved manuscripts (those in cave 1 were more intact). In cave 4 the scrolls were probably stored on shelves (not in jars as in cave 1), and when the wooden shelves rotted and collapsed, the rotting wood, dampness, and climate took its toll on the documents. This cave is located just southwest of the site of Qumran.

Religious Jews pray daily for the return of the exiles and "Next year in Jerusalem" at Passover.

From Israel's national anthem, Ha-Tikvah (the Hope):

As long as deep in the heart,

The soul of a Jew yearns,

And towards the East,

An eye looks to Zion,

Our hope is not lost ...

From the ADL's Yearning for Zion:

The two-thousand-year-old daily prayers continually refer to the return to Zion, such as this one from the thrice-daily silent devotion: "And let our eyes behold Thy return in mercy to Zion. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who restorest Thy divine presence unto Zion." Among other numerous examples, the return to Zion is included in the grace after meals and Passover Seder tables resonate every year with the refrain "Next Year in Jerusalem."

The seventh blessing of the weekday Amidah prayer is called Ge'ulah ("redemption") and appeals to the LORD for redemption and deliverance.

Behold our affliction and champion our cause, and redeem us speedily for the sake of Thy Name. Blessed are You, Lord, Redeemer of Israel.


	Home Travel The World Asia Israel Jerusalem Tel Aviv The Holocaust Jerusalem Travel The World Jerusalem in just 3 days How to Get Around: The best way to see the Old City of Jerusalem is by walking the narrow, ancient alleyways that twist and turns like a maze. Parts of the Old City like the Shouk (market) where the hustle and bustle crushes around you amid the presence of the past is pedestrianised. Jerusalem - [ Through the ages it has been called by many names: Urusalim, Salem, Mount Moriah, Adonai Urah, Jebus, Jerusalem, Zion, the City of David, Ariel (Lion of God) God has declared that this is the place He will establish His Name and will dwell there forever. Jerusalem is a religious center sacred to all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher The Via Dolorosa ends here, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Like most of the Old City, it is located within a small courtyard in front and the neighboring buildings built of Jerusalem stone. The dome of the church next to the spire of a minaret, the call to prayer echoing through the ancient alley ways. Inside the church, the place has been divided up among several Christian sects who jealously guard their piece of space. This spot, the highest in the Old City, has been a sacred site since the Romans built their temple to Venus, and there have been several churches here, beginning with the one Constantine put up, followed by another constructed by the Crusaders. It's been added onto since then, but it remains a square Gothic creation with vast ceilings and huge columns supporting it. The volume of tourists is almost the same as in the shouk. Here, Christ was nailed to the cross. Herded down another set of stairs, past the slab of rock where his body was washed and, finally, a few feet away, the Holy Sepulcher itself. Everything is covered in gold and tapestries. Towards the back of the church are cool, calm, softly lit corridors, open onto small chapels. Views of the interior and exterior of the traditional "Tomb of Jesus" inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock is located above the Wailing Wall on the old Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif, in Arabic). There is no commercialism here. In fact, you leave all your belongings outside: shoes, purses, cameras, money, and pass ports. Under the huge gold dome, is the quiet and peace of a place that exudes spiritualism. Men (and women, separately) quietly go about their devotions. People speak softly, nobody sells postcards or candles, and no one takes photographs. What light there is shines down from stained glass windows into the dome, onto a chunk of bare rock bordered by an elaborately carved wooden screen. It was here that Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, and here Mohammed is said to have ascended to heaven on his horse. The horse's hoof prints are supposed to be visible in the stone. No matter what your beliefs, this is a unique place and nobody should miss out on an opportunity to visit it. View looking south southwest at the Dome of the Rock (right, west) and the smaller Dome of the Chain (left, east) Shrine of the Book This is a must see. The Dead Sea Scrolls are housed here. You walk down a sloping tunnel into the underground building that could double as a movie set for a Sci-Fi flick. The long halls are lined with glass-fronted recesses. Inside are various ancient scrolls found in the caves around Ein Gedi and range from dispatches from Bar Kochba to his troops during his uprising against Rome in 132 C.E. to even earlier documents, including legal papers relating to lawsuits, property deeds and loans. Not until you are underground do you see the Scrolls themselves. The room is round and bi-level with walls of stone slabs like so many of the ancient buildings in the city. Some are just fragments. View looking southwest down on the marl cliff that contains cave 4 (the caves were numbered in the order that they were found). The two dark openings in the center of the image open into cave 4. The one at the top is more probably original—much erosion has taken place in this area because of the crumbly marl. Cave 4 contained over 40,000(!) fragments of about 550 manuscripts. It, along with cave 1, yielded the greatest number of preserved manuscripts (those in cave 1 were more intact). In cave 4 the scrolls were probably stored on shelves (not in jars as in cave 1), and when the wooden shelves rotted and collapsed, the rotting wood, dampness, and climate took its toll on the documents. This cave is located just southwest of the site of Qumran. Religious Jews pray daily for the return of the exiles and "Next year in Jerusalem" at Passover. From Israel's national anthem, Ha-Tikvah (the Hope): As long as deep in the heart, The soul of a Jew yearns, And towards the East, An eye looks to Zion, Our hope is not lost ... From the ADL's Yearning for Zion: The two-thousand-year-old daily prayers continually refer to the return to Zion, such as this one from the thrice-daily silent devotion: "And let our eyes behold Thy return in mercy to Zion. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who restorest Thy divine presence unto Zion." Among other numerous examples, the return to Zion is included in the grace after meals and Passover Seder tables resonate every year with the refrain "Next Year in Jerusalem." The seventh blessing of the weekday Amidah prayer is called Ge'ulah ("redemption") and appeals to the LORD for redemption and deliverance. Behold our affliction and champion our cause, and redeem us speedily for the sake of Thy Name. Blessed are You, Lord, Redeemer of Israel.