Dome of the Rock and Jewish Quarters

Yesterday was yet another amazing day! Today Catie, Jamie, and I went to the city for our free day! Our first stop…Dome of the Rock and Temple Mount! It was incredible! I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved going to this site. The Muslims built the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount because they believe that this is the spot where Abraham sacrificed Ishmael. Inside the Dome, there is a big rock in which they believe was the sacrificial altar. I wish we could have gone into the Dome of the rock, but it is not allowed. Anyway, the outside was beautiful and we had such an amazing time taking lots of pictures of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Dome of the Rock

After the Temple Mount, we went to Jewish Quarters on the Cardo Street. The Cardo Street was the main street of the Byzantine ear in the 4^th century. It had a lot of old remaining ruins and pillars. It was really neat to see. Our second stop was the Broad Wall, which looks like a pointless pile of stones but it has so much more meaning. The Broad Wall was part of King Hezekiah’s building in the 8^th Century BC to enclose a new quarter outside the city wall. Right next to the Broad Wall was the Ariel Center, which was my favorite stop for the day. I loved going to the Ariel Center to learn more about the First Temple Period. There was an audiovisual show that describes all the city’s history from 1000 BC to 586 BC. Another group was there too, so we had a lot of fun learning about the city, as well as learning how to write our names in ancient Hebrew. After we got out of the tour, we had about an hour to spare before our reservations at the Hurva Synagogue, so we, of course, got ice cream! I can’t believe how much ice cream I have eaten in Jerusalem, but it is all SO good! MMMMmmmmm! I love it! The Hurva Synagogue was really interesting because it told a lot about the Jewish History as well as the site, but I had a hard time focusing because I was so tired! I am glad we went to the site though because it had a lot of amazing pictures spots. 

Stephanie, Jamie, me, and Katie at the Ariel Center

Overlook from the Hurva Synagogue

 For the rest of the day, we shopped around and enjoyed the city. I truly love the city! It feels so nice to just walk around, look at the shops, and smell the spices. I remember the first day in Jerusalem that I was a little bit culture shocked and I never thought I would ever feel comfortable. So much has changed since I first arrive in Jerusalem. I sincerely am loving every minute of my experience here.