Messianic Moments: Report from Israel #3

By Janice Beurling

Shalom! We are here in Jerusalem safe and sound. As we adjust to this new time zone, we’re taking delight in all the sights and sounds of this wonderful city.

When we arrived on Thursday, our first task was to lay in some food supplies because, not only did Shabbat begin on the next afternoon (with almost everything closed for 24 hours), but Memorial Day and Independence Days will follow in quick succession. So we wanted to be sure we had enough food in the apartment to last us about a week. Shopping in the grocery stores and corner supermarkets is a challenge because most goods are labelled only in Hebrew. We’ve had to rely on pictures. Dad did try to talk me into buying a cleaning product he thought was laundry soap, but I was pretty sure it was something else since the pictures were of sparkling clean ovens and toilets! Nevertheless, we’ve succeeded in acquiring enough food to fill our fridge. Shop staff have been unfailingly helpful even when they don’t speak English.

Yesterday, we took a cab to the Old City and walked through the Armenian Quarter. Our first stop was a restaurant called the Armenian Tavern. From a simple door on the street, we went down some steep stairs into the basement which is lavishly decorated. We had the most wonderful lunch of grilled meats, grilled vegetables and pita bread. Afterward we walked out of the Old City by way of the Zion Gate and visited Mount Zion and the Upper Room. We saw many tour groups -- some from Indonesia and Sri Lanka, some from Germany and Spanish-speaking countries.

The Upper Room is not, of course, the same room where Yeshua (Jesus) and the disciples had their last Passover together and where the disciples waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot (Pentecost). Rather, it is a room built by the Crusaders about 900 years ago in the spot traditionally believed to be the location of the original Upper Room. The architecture of this room reminded Dad and me of the many churches and cathedrals we saw in France some years ago -- and not surprisingly since this room was built by men of the same period and nationality.

This morning we took a cab to the Garden Tomb and spent a wonderful hour wandering about the gardens of this pleasant and relaxing place. How delightful it is to step away from the crowds and heat to spend a few moments in the place that may have seen the most amazing day in history -- when the Lord rose from the grave!

Afterward, we walked down the street to the area of the Damascus Gate. A few steps away from the Peddlers Market, we found the entrance to King Solomon’s Quarries or Zedekiah’s Cave. This amazing cave system was a quarry, some believe, for the stones of Solomon’s Temple.

“Solomon also had 70,000 porters and 80,000 quarriers in the hills, apart from Solomon’s 3,300 officials who were in charge of the work and supervised the gangs doing the work. The king ordered huge blocks of choice stone to be quarried, so that the foundations of the house might be laid with hewn stones” (1 Kings 5:29-31).

Others believe this cave system was where King Zedekiah hid from the Babylonians when Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed.

Whatever its origins, it is the largest artificial cave ever discovered in Israel. The cave mouth, right below the Old City wall, was blocked hundreds of years ago and rediscovered in 1854. It was opened for tourists in 1985, with a pathway and lights through the cavern. The cave extends under the Old City itself. That’s some basement! At its longest, the cave is about 230 meters. At its widest, it is more than 100 meters. Its average height is that of a four-story building.

Dad, Krista and I walked through the caverns (Mom stayed at the top and guarded the entrance from any stray Babylonians). It was a fairly easy stroll down and not difficult to climb back up. In many places, the marks of ancient quarrying is clear even to the novice. Much of the stone removed from the cave was Melekeh stone, a soft white limestone that becomes very hard when exposed to the sun and air.

After we emerged from the dark, cool and humid cavern back into the warm sun, we entered the Old City by the Damascus Gate. What a change! In the quiet cave we were the only people. Entering the Muslim Quarter of the Old City was wall-to-wall people, loud recorded music and non-stop calls from shopkeepers. We slowly made our way through the narrow, busy bazaar. Eventually we reached a quieter, more open bazaar where Krista spotted a store selling leather sandals. The shopkeeper found her a pair she liked … and the bargaining began! My sister is not shy and soon she was walking away with her new shoes for her price.

We finally reached the Jaffa Gate and took another cab home. We’re enjoying a well-deserved rest, building up our reserves for tomorrow when we go to Tel Aviv for a special ceremony at an air base. Memorial Day begins tomorrow evening, followed by more ceremonies on Independence Day, so we may not have a chance to write again for a couple of days.

Shalom from Jerusalem!

Here are some photos Krista and I took during the last two days (click on images for larger versions):

Lunch at the Armenian Tavern in the Old City