The 2011
Journey Home to Israel

Day 5 - Jerusalem

Friday’s Highlights

On Friday, Journey Home Tour participants explored more of Jerusalem — a holy city to the people of three faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — and walked the Via Dolorosa, “the way of sorrow” and the traditional pathway Jesus took from the “hall of judgment” to Calvary. They stopped in the last of 14 Stations of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, marking the place where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, and where he was laid in a tomb and then resurrected.

Earlier, Fellowship supporters viewed the Mount of Olives, where according to Zech. 14:4-5, the Messiah will return, and prayed in a private area of the Garden of Gethsemane (which means “oil press”) where it is believed Jesus prayed for all mankind, subjecting his will to the will of his father, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Jesus then returned to his disciples, saying, “Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Tour participants then offered praise and worship in St. Anne Church before heading to the marketplace in the Old City’s bustling Arab, Armenian, Jewish, and Christian quarters. There, they saw merchants hustling everything from fresh fruits, nuts and flowers to apparel, jewelry, Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Lakers t-shirts in Hebrew, children’s toys, popular Israeli foods such as shwarma and falafels, and Holy Land souvenirs.

Prayers for Rain Answered

Because water is so critical to Israel — and because Israel’s main tributary, the Jordan River, is in dire need of water — rain for Israel is a constant prayer request of Jews worldwide and Christians who visit the Holy Land and understand the need.

To the delight of Fellowship tourists, there was a thunderstorm Thursday night in Jerusalem and occasional showers throughout Friday morning and afternoon. The visitors delighted in wearing raincoats, carrying umbrellas, and sloshing through puddles on the walkways and streets.

Coming Saturday

On Saturday, the tour is headed south to the Dead Sea region where participants will visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls — on which all but one (Esther) of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible are represented — were discovered in caves in 1947.

They also will take a cable car to Masada, a stronghold steeped in Jewish history at the time of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome in 70 A.D., and float in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, which is 1,300 feet below sea level, before taking mud baths.

Today's Photos
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