My step counter is only saying 10700 steps but I’m sure it was a lot more than that. It doesn’t count if my left arm isn’t swinging and there was a lot of handrail hold going up and down hundreds of steps and steep ramps.
We were already awake at the 6:30 wakeup call. Had breakfast and on the bus by 8, as usual.
We went to (not necessarily in this order):
- The upper room – this is actually a church built on the traditional site of the last supper.
- King David’s tomb – another church built on the traditional site of King David’s burial tomb.
- Caiaphas house – this is believed to be the location where Jesus was tried.
- Peter the Rooster is Calling church and Antonio’s fortress – actually the name of the church is in Latin, but this is what it means. It is built on what is believed to be the site of Antonio’s Fortress where Jesus tortured and held.
- The garden tomb and Golgotha – these two sites are very close together. They may not be the actual sites, but the evidence is compelling. After exiting the tomb, we went to a private area and had communion, it was a very moving experience.
- Lunch and shopping in Old Jerusalem – the marketplace in Old Jerusalem was a very interesting place. Vendors everywhere selling everything with no price on anything. Bargaining was how it was done. A common line was: I’ll love you anyway but I’ll love you more if you buy something.
- St. Anne church – this was next to the pool of Bethesda which has been partially uncovered. It was no small pool, but was up to 40 feet deep and held 10’s of millions of gallons of water. The church was built by the Crusaders and the acoustics were amazing. We sang several songs and after each one the sound reverberated for several seconds.
- Walked the Via Dolorosa