Our next field study focused on locations where Biblical events took place in Jerusalem—first during the Old Testament, and then during the New (Jesus’ ministry).
Our first stop on this field study was the broad wall. This is the wall that Hezekiah built when the Assyrians threatened.
Looking at the wall, you can tell that it was built quickly, because all of the stones (especially in the middle are roughly cut, or not cut at all, and look as though they had been thrown on top. This, plus the abnormal width of the wall, makes it stand out from others of that time. It was built to expand the city and bring in those who were living just outside of it for protection. Some of the houses that were in the way of the wall construction became a part of the wall, and those living there were displaced.
After staring at the wall that runs through the city now, we walked to the city of David, where we could see and understand Psalm 125:2 which says, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people”. It is such an incredible picture that is given in this Psalm, because it is true—Jerusalem (Once again, the eastern hill, where David’s city was) is surrounded by hills that are much higher than the eastern hill. To the East, south and west, hills go up, blocking your view of anything beyond them, and to the north, the temple mount is raised up above David’s city, but flattens out. This makes the temple mount Jerusalem’s most vulnerable spot, and so Solomon, to represent God as the city’s protector, built the Temple there.
We stopped to see (barely) the excavation going on below us at the tourist entrance, where they think that Kind David’s palace might have been. Right next to it is a retaining wall built by the Jebusites before David conquered them and took the city from. The wall is stepped and angles up toward where the palace would be, to hold it in place, so that it does not slide down the hill on which it’s built.
We walked into the entrance to Hezekiah’s tunnel, by Warren’s shaft (a long natural shaft underground that an archaeologist named Warren discovered), by the Gihon Spring, which runs down into the Pool of Siloam, our next stop. The pool of Siloam was a large pool that had steps going down into it, so that when the water level was low, it was still possible to draw water out. This was also the site of King David’s garden, somewhere in the vicinity. If I remember correctly, the pool of Siloam is the source of the water that was drawn and brought up to the Temple mount on the last day of the feast of Booths(the end of the dry season). They would pour out the water at the temple, and pray for the rains that were to come throughout the winter.
After lunch, we walked to the Temple mount where we saw the ruins of “Robinson’s Arch” on the western side of the Temple Mount. This was an archway that held a large staircase leading to the Temple. It is where Jesus would have entered and overturned the tables of the
moneychangers just inside. It was knocked down in 70AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple. The weight and impact of the arch falling crushed much of the street below it. The southern Stairs of the Temple Mount was another place we visited where Jesus, we imagine, might have taught, as crowds of people were coming and going. The Scribes and the Pharisees, whom he criticized for many things, could have easily heard Him and seen the illustrations that he used against them. For instance, Jesus compares them to “whitewashed tombs” (Mt. 23:27), which they could easily see from the southern stairs, just to the east on the Mount of Olives.
After leaving the Southern Stairs, we walked to the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the lame man in John 5. We briefly talked about what happened there and how the layout would have looked, before stopping in St. Anne’s Church, a crusader church built 20 feet away. This church is beautiful, it’s acoustics amazing. There is a seven second echo inside, which makes it a little bit difficult to preach (right, dad?). Like most churches we see here, it’s basic shape was the pointed arch, pointing us to God. Yet just about everything, the windows, the height of the archways, carvings on the pillars, were all irregular. Nothing in the building matches, although you would never notice with only a quick glance. This intentionally asymmetrical architecture, we were told, was made to remind us of our human imperfections, and God’s magnificence.
Well, it was starting to get dark, so we ended the day by going once again to a rooftop. This time it was on top of the Austrian Hostel. The view was amazing. You could see over the whole city and just as the sun went down we listened to the nearby minarets broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer. What an Interesting day.
Our first stop on this field study was the broad wall. This is the wall that Hezekiah built when the Assyrians threatened.
Looking at the wall, you can tell that it was built quickly, because all of the stones (especially in the middle are roughly cut, or not cut at all, and look as though they had been thrown on top. This, plus the abnormal width of the wall, makes it stand out from others of that time. It was built to expand the city and bring in those who were living just outside of it for protection. Some of the houses that were in the way of the wall construction became a part of the wall, and those living there were displaced.After staring at the wall that runs through the city now, we walked to the city of David, where we could see and understand Psalm 125:2 which says, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people”. It is such an incredible picture that is given in this Psalm, because it is true—Jerusalem (Once again, the eastern hill, where David’s city was) is surrounded by hills that are much higher than the eastern hill. To the East, south and west, hills go up, blocking your view of anything beyond them, and to the north, the temple mount is raised up above David’s city, but flattens out. This makes the temple mount Jerusalem’s most vulnerable spot, and so Solomon, to represent God as the city’s protector, built the Temple there.
We stopped to see (barely) the excavation going on below us at the tourist entrance, where they think that Kind David’s palace might have been. Right next to it is a retaining wall built by the Jebusites before David conquered them and took the city from. The wall is stepped and angles up toward where the palace would be, to hold it in place, so that it does not slide down the hill on which it’s built.
We walked into the entrance to Hezekiah’s tunnel, by Warren’s shaft (a long natural shaft underground that an archaeologist named Warren discovered), by the Gihon Spring, which runs down into the Pool of Siloam, our next stop. The pool of Siloam was a large pool that had steps going down into it, so that when the water level was low, it was still possible to draw water out. This was also the site of King David’s garden, somewhere in the vicinity. If I remember correctly, the pool of Siloam is the source of the water that was drawn and brought up to the Temple mount on the last day of the feast of Booths(the end of the dry season). They would pour out the water at the temple, and pray for the rains that were to come throughout the winter.After lunch, we walked to the Temple mount where we saw the ruins of “Robinson’s Arch” on the western side of the Temple Mount. This was an archway that held a large staircase leading to the Temple. It is where Jesus would have entered and overturned the tables of the
moneychangers just inside. It was knocked down in 70AD when the Romans destroyed the Temple. The weight and impact of the arch falling crushed much of the street below it. The southern Stairs of the Temple Mount was another place we visited where Jesus, we imagine, might have taught, as crowds of people were coming and going. The Scribes and the Pharisees, whom he criticized for many things, could have easily heard Him and seen the illustrations that he used against them. For instance, Jesus compares them to “whitewashed tombs” (Mt. 23:27), which they could easily see from the southern stairs, just to the east on the Mount of Olives.After leaving the Southern Stairs, we walked to the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the lame man in John 5. We briefly talked about what happened there and how the layout would have looked, before stopping in St. Anne’s Church, a crusader church built 20 feet away. This church is beautiful, it’s acoustics amazing. There is a seven second echo inside, which makes it a little bit difficult to preach (right, dad?). Like most churches we see here, it’s basic shape was the pointed arch, pointing us to God. Yet just about everything, the windows, the height of the archways, carvings on the pillars, were all irregular. Nothing in the building matches, although you would never notice with only a quick glance. This intentionally asymmetrical architecture, we were told, was made to remind us of our human imperfections, and God’s magnificence.
Well, it was starting to get dark, so we ended the day by going once again to a rooftop. This time it was on top of the Austrian Hostel. The view was amazing. You could see over the whole city and just as the sun went down we listened to the nearby minarets broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer. What an Interesting day.
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