Today was an optional tour day. Nine of us went to see King Herod's summer palace and burial place. Our visit took us past an Israeli checkpoint into a Zone B which was interesting in light of the morning's conversation. As far as Herod's summer shack goes, it was amazing. It was built on an entirely man-made mountain. Our exploration involved lots of climbing and hiking through secret escape tunnels which was fun.
In the afternoon we visited the reputed site of John the Baptist's birth and the Church of the Visitation, where Mary visited Elizabeth as recorded in Luke 1:39-45.
We were reminded in different ways all day long that today was the Sabbath. There were no scrambled eggs or oatmeal at the breakfast bar because that would've required someone to cook - all the food was prepared beforehand. The elevators were set to automatically stop at each floor so you didn't have to break the Sabbath by pressing a button. All the shops were closed and there was very little traffic. The city lite-rail was not in service. Kendra and I went for a walk this evening and it was remarkable peaceful - just people strolling leisurely up and down the streets. However, Shabbat ended at 7:45 p.m. and immediately restaurants and shops began opening their doors. Soon the city was wide awake again and ready for business.
Tomorrow we leave Jerusalem and head to the Dead Sea. I'm super glad the weather has warmed up because I can't wait to go floating!
Pic Descriptions:
1. The view from Herod's summer place.
2. What his summer palace looked like (are you kidding me!?)
3. The way it looks today.
4. Our group exploring one of the tunnels that served as an escape route later on.
5. John the Baptist Church.
6. Inside the Church of the Visitation (What are they looking at? Could it be an angel? :-)
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