Israel: Day Seven

Greetings from our last day in Israel,

Tonight is the night we return to the land of bacon, breakfast sausage and pulled pork BBQ! GOD BE PRAISED!!!! This is our sort of lazy day. We get to sleep in, but me and a few others decide to get up and catch the light rail, think above ground subway train, to the Jewish Market. This is local, real life Israel not a tourist area. They will only take shekels. The market is filled with the sights sounds and smells of Israel. Fresh produce stands, meat markets, seafood markets, candy, fresh baked breads, pastries, spices and the list goes on. I want to get bags full of all of the above and go home and cook something extravagant. Instead I just gorge myself on pastries, fruit, candy and finally hot foccia bread straight from the oven only 4 shekels, which is basically a dollar. YUMMY! We catch the train back and it is time to put our bags outside our room doors and load up on the bus. First stop lunch. Another Kibbutz, this one commemorating Rachel. Full belly's and it is time to head to the upper room.

We approach the Old City at the Zion Gate but we don't actually enter as we turn west in front of the gate. The upper room sits above the Tomb of King David. This is another vanerated spots but may not he the actual location, but it does fit some of the scriptural evidences. There has been a chapel commemorating for centuries and during the Islamic control it was converted to  mosque, so now the site is a unique blend of Jewish, Christian and Islamic symbols and architecture. After an explanation and pictures, and a quick trip.to the Tomb of David. We are off to Caiaphas' house. I shared about this beautiful site yesterday, so I won't linger here with more words. Our time here as a group finishes with all.of us in the pit together singing amazing grace. It is pretty overwhelming.

A visit to the gift shop, mom gets me a stohl that the sisters of Carmel made and had delivered that morning. It is beautiful, but you don't get to see it unless yall let me preach in a robe every now and then. ;) On the bus headed to the Garden Tomb.

This is a site discovered in 1842 and offered as an alternate location for Calvaryand Jesus' empty tomb. It is a place that looks more like what one pictures when they think of the tomb and Calvary. There is a cliff, that sort of looks like a skull. Granted it is above a bus depot, but it is a real cliff rather than a protected spot under am altar. There is also an actual first century tomb in a garden. This places appearance tugs at your heart strings but the guide's explanation, a volunteer at the site not ours, feels a little like a time share sales pitch. After the tour we gather, both buses, for a communion service led by the bishop. It is a fitting close to an incredible trip. The only catch is a rumor running around that our flights been cancelled. They site is closing and we are urged back to the bus, headed to the hotel for dinner then departure for the airport.

Bad news, or perhaps good, THE RUMOR IS TRUE!!!!!!

Your brother in Christ
Faron