After breakfast-on-the-go our troupe made its way back to the Jaffa Gate where we met Adam's brother, Collin, for an extensive tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. In under three hours we visited three of the world's most sacred spaces: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock, and the Western Wall. Of the three, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains fixed in my mind. Since as early as the 4th century, the church has housed the most significant places in the Christian tradition. The smells of burnt incense, ornate vessels hanging by gold and silver chains, towering domes, and glittering and colorful mosaics gracing arched ceilings are all part of the backdrop for the church's centerpieces: The assumed locations of Mount Calvary or "Golgotha," the place where Jesus' body was prepared for burial, and Jesus' tomb where he was intered and resurrected.
One of the challenges of visiting this sacred space were the droves of people flooding the halls, caverns, side chapels, and upper rooms wielding phones, cameras and recorders in hand. This stark contrast between noisy and selfie-happy tourists with dignified and hallowed relics, paintings, mosaics, prayers, even liturgy is typical of religious sites in Jerusalem. This is not to say the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had no effect on me or my companions. And that goes for the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall as well! Each site was clearly set apart from normal space, allowing for the mysterious divine presence to make itself know.
(As mentioned in previous posts, I intend to unpack the brief thoughts recorded here upon my return. Please forgive me for brevity).
A few more notes before signing off:
-After seeing the holy sites we decided to walk the northern ramparts of the city. These massive walls reaching heights as high as 50 feet were constructing by Sulaimon the Great, the luminous leader of the Turks in the middle of the 16th century.
-We had a chance to try our hand at bartering in the market places in the Christian Quarter today. The hunt for a Holy Land themed chess set is officially underway. No dice this day but I forsee luck around the corner.
-Our unnofficial rogue ferral cat standings finish at 107 after day 2. Special shout out to Adam for his sharp eyes and careful counting today.
-Schnitzel in the Jewish Quarter was to die for. I anticipate much more schnitzel before our time runs out here.
-Question yet to be answered: Is the Dome of the Rock symmetrical? Stay tuned.
-One of the last activities of the day was visiting St. Anne's Church in the Muslim Quarter where there is also the pool of Bethsaida where Jesus is said to have healed a blind man near the pools.
**Images, videos coming soon to "Sights, Sounds, and Tastes" tab. But for now, I must rest!