Today we began our day by driving to the top of Mt Scopus and looking back on the Judean wilderness. From this vantage point in Jerusalem we could view the Dead Sea in the distance. From there just a short drive brought us to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the entire city of Jerusalem.
After Shawn Thornton shared some thoughts on top of the Mount of Olives, we began to walk down the Palm Sunday Road toward Jerusalem. We stopped halfway down at Dominus Flavit – the church that commemorates where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Rick Scarborough shared a devotion there. Then, we continued our walk down the hillside past the Mount of Olives cemetary to the Garden of Gethsemane. After visiting the Church of All Nations and the small garden near the church, we received special access into another part of the Garden that was gated and quiet. There, Donn Chapman shared his heart.
Next we boarded our bus and drove across town to the Israel Museum where Tsion showed us the Model of Jerusalem as it was in the 1st century AD (or CE for Common Era – as is typically stated in Israel). Next we went to the Shrine of the Book and saw the 2000 year old scroll found at Qumran, where we had been the day before.
Next, I left the group to have a short meeting at the offices of the Ministry of Tourism while they went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial. I met up with the group again at the office of the Mayor of Jerusalem. We had a brief but delightful meeting with the Mayor, Nir Barkat – a special treat.
Next back to our hotel to quickly change then back on the bus for dinner at Bahazer Restaurant with two representatives from the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Back to the hotel to sleep a few hours before our next adventure.