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| The Dome of the Rock and the Western (Wailing) Wall |
The Citadel of David: "It stands there at the present day, an exceeding strong and fair castle and place of strength, on the top of a steep rocky crag...So now we stood still and gazed at the citadel of David...and there we mused upon how Jerusalem must have looked in the days of old..." (Wanderings, vol. VIII, p. 324)
"When Titus besieged Jerusalem he first of all burned the temple and afterwards the whole city. He overthrew the walls of the temple down to their very foundations, caused the mount whereon it stood to be cut away, and ordered it to be cast down into the brook Cedron, and filled up the ditches thereof, levelling it with the earth, as we read in the `Jewish War,' Book VII., ch. xvi., and in many other places." (Wanderings, vol. VIII, p.234.)
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| Praying at the Western Wall |
The Western Wall of the Temple of the Lord is all that is left of the Jewish Temple that stood at that site at the time of Jesus. It (the second Jewish temple to be built on the site) was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE (Common Era). According to the souvenir flyers (which Fabri certainly would have collected if they had been available when he visited), the Western Wall is "the most sacred structure of the Jewish people." Devout jews gather from all over the world to pray there and to leave slips of paper inscribed with prayers between its stones. It is a place, like many pilgrimage sites, where memory, identity, and time (both divine and earthly) come together. Pilgrims can run their fingers over the rough surface of the stone, hear the prayers of those around them, and connect, all at the same time, with the past, the present, and the future.
The Western Wall is a place that I would love to visit. The history is so rich. It reminds me of the movie, "Letters to Juliet," and the wall of broken romances where people looking for "Romeo" put love letters. Anyone catching my drift? Writing letters to God is slightly more significant though. It amazes me that people are sitting in plastic chairs. It would be much more fitting to see people sitting on stone or wooden benches. I believe Fabri would have been disturbed by the contrast as well.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stuck out to me in the picture of the western wall was that it is divided down the middle. What purpose does the divider serve? At first I thought it was dividing Jewish people from others but certain clothing the other people are wearing is giving me doubts.In response to Hannah's post I get where you were going with the movie reference. I think it is interesting that you consider the prayers put in the wall to be letters to God. I'm not really sure where you were going with the chairs though?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah about the Western Wall being the place that I would want to visit the most! I love the idea of all of these people coming together for the purpose of prayer. As a Christian, it is such a beautiful idea to me. I also love the idea of writing the prayers and putting them into the wall. It is almost as if they are leaving the things they are praying about behind and into God's hands at this place of prayer by the symbolism of them writing the prayers on a piece of paper.
ReplyDeleteThe divider is to separate the men's section from the women's section. In Orthodox Judaism, synagogues have a divider (a mechitzot) to ensure the modesty of both genders, and I think this is what the divider is for at the Western Wall, too. We saw a few very devout men walking in the plaza with their eyes closed, led by a child. Someone in our group said that this was because they had undergone a special ritual, and were in a state of purity at that time. Seeing an unbeliever right then would render them impure again, so they kept their eyes shut in order to remain pure until they prayed.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Samantha.. The plastic chairs look cheap and out of place. This is especially due to the fact that the Western Wall is so old, almost seemingly timeless, but the plastic chairs are just a splash of modernism that do not fit with the regal scene. Sorry to be confusing.
ReplyDeleteThe chairs can also be viewed as a very tangible statement on the relevance to the wall for Jewish people. It's very humbling to think that those stones have been touched and prayed over by so many generations over several hundred years (almost as long as Christianity has existed in fact). The chairs are obviously there because it is a practical and affordable material to withstand exposure to the Jerusalem climate. Possibly another way to say it would be that there may be scraps of notes that were written on papyrus or vellum tucked in next to notes written on recycled paper with a Sharpie or ballpoint pen.
ReplyDeleteThough Dr. Beebe was not able to get to explore some of Jerusalem until later at night, the pictures of the sights at night look so beautiful. It is so amazing to think about walking and being in the same places Jesus was over 2,000 years ago. Though, I do not feel like I have to put my written prayers in the Western Wall to be heard, it would be so amazing to be a part of that tradition. I hope to visit Jerusalem one day :)
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the Citadel of David. It's amazing that after 3,500(?) years it continues to be a stable and imposing structure. I'm interested to know what it looks like on the inside. Has it been maintained for historical purposes or has it been renovated and used for modern use?
ReplyDeleteThe picture of the Citadel of David is a really beautiful picture. I am also curious about what it looks like on the inside. It looks really beautiful on the outside. Especially with the lights shinning on it at night.
ReplyDeleteThe Western Wall is a place that one day I would like to visit as well. I was reading other comments above about the divider and how this keeps the men from women. I was curious how this works, if men or women have ever broken this tradition. Also, the pictures os the Citadel of David are beatiful. It would be interesting to see what the inside looks like.
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing that all of these structures are still standing. They must have had very well techniqes to their building so assure that they would last so long. Its all very beautiful and i would love to visit it someday.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the western wall picture..are some of the people sitting at desks? And I think I would be in total amazement seeing a part of history like that. It seems like we take things for granted in the modern world and don't venture out and see these things that we hold so dear to us. When I went to Mexico a few years ago we went into a church where people would leave their prayers at a specific statue and pray to that particular Saint on things like wealth and childbirth. When we got home and developed the pictures that we took inside that church they were all blurry and distorted very strange...
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the Western Wall is just indescribable. It is amazing to see how much the people of Jerusalem are devoted to their beliefs, because this something rarely seen in the United States.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are amazing. Just the thought of the structures still looking preserved as much as they are is a great site. The Citadel of David photo is a great example of how it is still in perfect condition even after so many years.
ReplyDeleteThe Dome on the Rock would be a fantastic place to gain more knowledge of the Muslim faith first hand. To be able to veiw how inspired people get at such a place whould truley be an inriching experience
ReplyDeleteMy interest in The Dome of the Rock is mostly architectural. It's such a beautiful structure, and the land it sits on has such an intense history, as does all of Jerusalem. The Wailing Wall has been on my list of places to visit for a long time, because it's such an important part of the Jewish faith.
ReplyDeleteI never realized how big the western wall really was. It's huge!It's amazing how many people come and pray throughout the day arounf the wall. The pictures are amazing and I am shocked to see not that many people. I was expecting more people around the wall.
ReplyDeleteHow did the locals treat you guys? All the pictures look like the pictures in the book. The dome of the rock really is impressive at night. Was it just lit up like that because of these holidays or is it always like that? How high is the Western Wall?
ReplyDeleteSome great pictures there, especially at night. Did you get to touch the wall and feel the smoothness of years of prayer? Isn't there an arch that contains rocks from the temple that are still rough? I hope you get a chance to go into the Tower of David museum, though destroyed and rebuilt a few times, it would be interesting to see the seat of the crusader kings. Wasn't it also the spot that Raymond held up in after Godfrey became king?
ReplyDeleteWow, the wester wall is massive. It seems to be holding up really well too. Its crazy to how big it is compared to all the people that come pray at it. Lots of people show up and it looks like they are prepared for 10 times more than are in the actual photo.
ReplyDeleteAre there any security checkpoints that you had to go through in Jerusalem, going to and from all these places? Or are those checkpoints mostly centered in and around the West Bank and the Gaza strip? Was there any mixing of cultures or did each side stick to there own districts and avoid each other?
ReplyDeleteI think listening to speakers at a conference is great, but you do need to take advantage of seeing the sights and the city of Jerusalem to get a full experience of what the city has to offer. The city looks amazing at night, and the historical structures such as the Citadel of David are very well preserved. Are the people is chairs waiting for their turn at the Western Wall?
ReplyDeleteIt seems strange that men and women would have to be seperated even while they are praying especially since in the Bible it says we are all made in God's image and are created equal. The plastic chairs were the first thing I noticed about the picture. I thought the people would just be on their knees or standing. I agree that wooden or stone benches woudld be more expected.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be very cool to visit Jerusalem and see all the wonderful sites you were able to see. The idea of visiting a castle like the Citadel of David is very exciting. Or gathering to pray at the Wailing Wall. It sure sounds like an exciting experience to be a part of. Also, I've always been interested by the religious significance of the Dome of the Rock, which would be an interesting site to visit as well.
ReplyDeleteThese photographs are really pretty, I feel that they catch the essence of Jerusalem. I was confused about the divider too, and the plastic chairs. I guess I just assumed people would just stand or kneel to pray. Are people there praying for really long periods of time (is that why they have the chairs?)
ReplyDeleteThe photograph of the Western Wall was truly cool. It's amazing to see how devoted people are in this region to their religion, especially compared to most people in the United States. That said, I am a bit surprised of the divider. I assume this is just another way of showing that they view women as being beneath men as a whole in society.
ReplyDeleteThe Western Wall/Wailing Wall is probably one of my top places to visit in this world. Just the history and the stories behind it capture my imagination. What I wonder is if only Jewish people can leave their prayers or letters here, or can anybody? I think the concept of writing it down to put out there in the world is kind of beautiful. Like a wishing wall.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that this wall is still standing after nearly two thousand years. The temple was probably magnificent when it was still standing. I think it's highly unlikely that anything we build today will last that many years.
ReplyDeleteI think that the picture with the monk on the phone is funny becuase, I guess, you wouldn't normally think of that when thinking of the monks in Jerusalem or at least I wouldn't think of it. I agree with Alicia, in that it is amazing that they wall had managed to still stand after so many years. The second picture is different because, for me, at first, it looks as though it's just modern buildings with street lights around, but then you look closer and you see it's actually a castle (though I don't think that's the right name for it) and you realize that a piece of history still stands. I would love to tour Jerusalem and learn more of its history.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that the picture of the monk is on the post after this on....how silly of me.
ReplyDeleteIts amazing how after all these years these buildings are still in great shape.I like how these buildings looks like during the night with the lights around them.
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