Jerusalem, Israel

We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday evening, which was the beginning of Shabat (Sabbath). Shabat starts at dusk on Friday evening and ends at dusk on Saturday evening. The origin of Shabat is the book of Genesis, which said that God created the world in six days and on the seventh he rested. The fourth of the ten commandments says, "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. On it you shall do no work" As a result, Jewish people worship, study and spend time with their families during Shabat. They do not work, go to school, study, do chores, cook, shop or do anything that would interfere with their obligation to obey the fourth commandment.
There is a long list of things that it is forbidden for Jews to do during the Sabbath. Jewish people who keep the Sabbath faithfully will not go to work or to school, do any housework or homework, use public transport, cook any food (all food for the Sabbath will be prepared before sunset on Friday) and will not go shopping. The Sabbath will be seen as a time to worship, study and enjoy time with family. I wish I’d known more about Shabat before we arrived in Jerusalem during this period!

We didn’t know that we’d arrive in Jerusalem at a time where public transportation wasn’t running and shops and restaurants were all closed. Thankfully we’d called our hostel in advance and gotten the access code as the reception desk was closed for the next 24 hours. We didn’t realize that we’d have to wander the streets searching for water and something to eat. After roaming the streets for awhile we came across a little market where we bought water, bread, turkey, cheese and yogurt for dinner then called it an early night.

The next day we headed for the Old City, which is jam packed full of historical sites, shops, cafes, residences and more. The Old City is a fascinating place. I’d expect even the best navigators would find themselves turned around in the convoluted maze of streets and alleys. We’d think we’re on the right track to a destination and then would wind up exactly where we started. I didn’t mind being lost though. Every turn had something interesting and unique to offer.
We entered the city at the New Gate and wound our way through the Christian Quarter to the Citadel (Tower of David). The Citadel was Herod the Great’s palace in the 1st-century and then changed hands several times in with future occupants including Muslim Armies and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, my tumble down the Citadel stairs in Aleppo is still fresh in my mind, so we admired the Citadel from a safe distance then sought out the Temple Mount, which is home to the Dome of the Rock.

The Temple Mount has too much history for me to even begin to explain, so I recommend you Google it. While we were en-route to the Temple Mount, we inadvertently wandered across the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This Church is claimed to be the holiest Christian site in the Old City as it is believed to be the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross, died and rose from the dead. This Church had an unexpected captivating and enchanting effect on me. The Church itself was rather simple on the exterior and stunning on the interior. The intricate mosaics that adorned the walls were especially impressive. The Church was filled with extremely passionate people who shed tears, said prayers and stood in awe as they considered what happened to Jesus at that very site.

We exited the Church and set off again to find the Temple Mount. This time we stumbled across the Western Wall en-route. The Wall was built 2000 years or so ago as a retaining wall to support the Temple Mount, but over time it has become a religious shrine for Jewish people. Today the courtyard attached to the wall serves as an open-air synagogue with segregated areas for men and women. Again, it is a long story so you can Google it.
After seeing the Western Wall we finally found our way to the Temple Mount. We got very close until we were turned away by soldiers as the site was closed for Shabat.

TJ was feeling really crappy again so we found our way out of the Old City and headed to the New City where we are staying. Everything was still closed at this point. It is very strange to be in a city that feels like a ghost town because everything is closed.