Metaphor for My Last Two Years

On our itinerary for this trip we are scheduled to see Old Testament sites today. We saw some of them yesterday because of their close proximity to New Testament sites. I'm glad not to backtrack and do all the same stairs again! We headed for the Temple Mound. Getting up there means going through security. We were told there was to be no praying and no waving of an Israeli flag. While we were being questioned there was an older woman standing there unsure what to do. So when they ushered us on she joined our group.  She asked if it was okay and we assured her it was fine. Her name is Ann and she is visiting from Tasmania, Australia.

We had all worn pants to our calves and shirts with sleeves. When we got to the top three young Muslim men were there to make sure we were appropriately dressed. Stephanie and I got called out for having sleeves that were not long enough. I had brought a scarf I could drape around my shoulders. Stephanie put on a loaner shirt.

The Temple Mound is now a holy site for Muslims. It is where they believe that Mohammed ascended into heaven. We stood in the shade while Bob explained the layout for this site at the time of Jesus. Then he began to explain what buildings are currently there. A young Muslim man came over to set us straight. Bob was calm and handled it with grace. Because of Bob's reaction it became just a blip in the day.

The most impressive structure up there is the Dome of the Rock, a shrine to Mohammed.  It was built in 691 CE. Only Muslims are allowed inside. 

We walked around the site. We saw where the Huldah Gate led to on the Temple Mound. We got views of the Mount of Olives, which we will visit tomorrow.

There are 30 acres of space on the Temple Mound. When we were ready to leave Ann inquired about whether she would be welcome to tag along some more. Why not? Next we headed down to experience the Western Wall.

Men pray on one side and women on the other. I sat down first and wrote out my pray for a man in my congregation who is ill, my children and then for my future as a widow. Then I went up to the wall to pray. I truly didn't expect to feel anything other than I do when I pray at home. But as I approached the wall and could see women's out-stretched hands and hear their urgent voices I thought about how I was about to pray where thousands and thousands of prayers have been lifted up to God in this exact spot. 

I put my folded up written prayer into the wall. Then I began to weep and pour out my heart to God, when all of a sudden I felt something wet fall on me from above. I looked up and saw a pigeon. I looked at my shoulder and saw bird poop. It felt like a metaphor for the last two years of my life. I walked away from the wall feeling a bit defeated. Since we were headed down to City of David through the Dung Gate I had Laurie take my photo under the sign with bird poop on my shirt. The truth is I am not defeated. I am strong and wear my crap with pride!

The funny part about this is that the day before as I was searching for my hotel room key in my bag I must have touched some app on my phone that started Rick Steves talking. As I desperately tried to figure out what app was going and how to turn it off, I got to hear him describe what to do if a pigeon poops on your shirt. Whatever you do, don't rub it off. It just smears. Let it dry and it flakes right off. I proudly sported my pigeon poop through the City of David. (Rick Steves is right, by the way.)

While the rest of the group climbed the stairs to get a view of David's city, I got a slushy and sat in the shade. I have come to the conclusion I don't have to do everything. Then together we descended the stairs to see the ruins of what they believe was David's palace. It is at the top of a sloping hill. I now understand how King David watched Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop.  Down another set of stairs we say the excavation of a four room house, built into the wall of the city. My favorite part was the toilet. 

Then we began another descent. Along the way we learned about the water shaft of the city and the ingenious way the Israelites figured out how to get water, that was available outside the wall, without leaving the city.

This led us to the entrance of Hezekiah's tunnel. This is one of the experiences I have been most excited about as we planned this trip. We were all prepared for what came next. We all had on pants or shorts we could get wet. We put on swim shoes. I wore a headlamp. All prepared we stepped down into the narrow tunnel of cold water and began our descent to the Pools of Siloam.

It is not an easy journey for the claustrophobic. I thought it was a blast. Once down at the bottom I had no desire to climb back up. Bob, Zandra, Stephanie and Ann decided to return via the old sewer system.  Laurie and I paid the 5 shekels for a van ride back up to the Dung Gate. We met back inside the Old City and found a place we could have shawarma and falafels. 

After lunch we bid Ann farewell. Stephanie wanted to walk the ramparts of the Old City wall. Bob went to say hello to friends. Laurie, Zandra and I went shopping. We all met up for dinner at a lovely outdoor restaurant just outside the Jaffa Gate.