"Jerusalem - "Abode of Peace";"The Holy Sanctuary", is the capital of Israel, though not internationally recognized as such.
Jerusalem is a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Judaism, Jerusalem has been the holiest city since, according to the Torah, King David of Israel first established it as the capital of the united Kingdom of Israel in c. 1000 BCE, and his son Solomon commissioned the building of the First Temple in the city.[5] In Christianity, Jerusalem has been a holy city since, according to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified in c. 30 CE and 300 years later Saint Helena found the True Cross in the city. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third-holiest city.[6][7] It became the first Qibla, the focal point for Muslim prayer (Salah) in 610 CE,[8] and, according to Islamic tradition, Muhammad made his Night Journey there ten years later.[9][10] As a result, and despite having an area of only 0.9 square kilometres (0.35 sq mi),[11] the Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them theTemple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.[12] The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium BCE, making Jerusalem one of the oldest cities in the world.[13]"
Alley in the Old City
To the Western Wall, as known as Wailing Wall.
"The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount. It is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard and is one of the most sacred sites in Judaism outside of the Temple Mount itself.
According to the Tanakh, Solomon's Temple was built atop the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babyloniansin 586 BCE. The Second Temple was completed and dedicated in around 19 BCE Herod the Great began a massive expansion project on the Temple Mount. He artificially expanded the area which resulted in an enlarged platform. Today's Western Wall formed part of the retaining perimeter wall of this platform. Herod's Temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire, along with the rest of Jerusalem, in 70 CE during the First Jewish-Roman War."
Religious Reading @ the wall.
The Wailing Wall
Met an old Jewish gentlemen (originally from Canada) who was very friendly explaining the things to me. I was surprised to know that his family adhere to strict Orthodox Jewish Customs which includes no watching of TV, surfing Internet, or reading newspaper or anything that is considered a waste of time from a Judaism perspective.
"Haredi poskim (authorities in Jewish law) generally forbid television and films, reading secular newspapers and using the Internet for non-business purposes. They feel that mobile phones should be programmed to disable internet and other functions that could influence their users in undesired ways, and most companies in Israel now offer basic cell phones with limited capabilities to accommodate Haredim.[10][11] However, it appears that many Haredi people use the Internet, as evidenced by the large number of participants in "Haredi chat rooms".
Another important stricture is the prohibition of publishing/viewing photographs of women; the newspaper Yated Ne'eman in April 2009 digitally altered photographs of the newly installed Israeli cabinet to replace two female ministers with pictures of men, while another newspaper blacked the women out of their published photograph."
Wearing Kippah for the first time.
Jews @ the Wailing Wall
B&W
So this is how they look when they removed the hat!
View of the Wall from a higher position
"The Temple Mount, also known in the bible as Mount Zion or Mount Moriah and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary (Bait-ul-Muqaddas), is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Judaism regards the Temple Mount as the place where God chose the Divine Presence to rest; it was from here the world expanded into its present form and where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam.
Among Sunni Muslims, the Mount is widely considered to be the third holiest site in Islam . Revered as the Noble Sanctuary(Bait-ul-Muqaddas) and the location of Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven, the site is also associated with Jewish biblical prophets who are also venerated in Islam. After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in 637 CE, Umayyad Caliphs commissioned the construction of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock on the site.[1] The Dome was completed in 692 CE, making it one of the oldest extant Islamic structures in the world, after the Kaabah."
A Mosque inside Temple Mount
The interesting thing is that the security forces are the Israeli forces, but Temple Mount belongs to the Jordanian Authorities. Not sure what is the historical legacy.
"The Dome of the Rock is an important Islamic shrine and Jerusalem landmark located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. The structure, the oldest extant example of early Islamic architecture, was completed in 691 CE at the order of Arabian Umayyad Caliph, Abd al-Malik. The site's significance stems from religious traditions regarding the rock, known as the Foundation Stone, at its heart.
According to Sunni Islamic tradition, the rock is the spot from which Muhammad ascended to Heavenaccompanied by the angel Gabriel. Further, Muhammad was taken here by Gabriel to pray with Abraham,Moses, and Jesus. An important distinction is that this is to Islam what the Transfiguration of Jesus is toChristians, a fulfillment of scripture. After Muhammad's return, he called all that would believe him to join with him and be Muslim. It was at this juncture that Islam came into existence.
The Foundation Stone is the holiest site in Judaism. Just as Muslims pray towards the Kaaba at Mecca, the holiest site in Islam, Jews pray towards the Foundation Stone. Jews have traditionally regarded the location of the stone as the holiest spot on Earth, the site of the Holy of Holies during the Temple Period.
The most propitious site for Jewish prayer is the spot that is nearest the Foundation Stone. Because Muslim authorities refused to permit Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, the custom developed of praying near theWestern Wall, since it was the site nearest to the Foundation Stone, or on the Mount of Olives facing the site of the Temple."
\Stunningly Beautiful - Dome of the Rock
As a non-muslim, I am not allowed to visit the other two holy sites (Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia), so I am quite happy that I visited the 3rd Holiest site for Muslim.
A guide approached us to render his service and told us that if his service is no good, we do need to pay him. Well, we were quite upset and dissatisfied with his unprofessional service, but we still paid him. His command of english was bad, his historical knowledge was average, he was quite boring and the worst of all, he was trying to evangelize Islam to us. That was so unprofessional. May be he should pay us money for listening to him evangelizing his faith.
I forgot the exact word, but he was saying that Koran is best book in the world and we should read it, and if we do not follow Prophet Mohammed (since we already heard about the Prophet), we are all going to hell. Well, I decided to ask him about this:
"What would happen to the indigenous people living in the Islands of Pacific Ocean who are not exposed to Islam? Are they all going to Hell?"
He did not reply me, and wanted to avoid answering. And I asked him again.
His reply "I am not a religious scholar. Please do not ask me this kind of question."
My reaction was -...-"
On a happier note, we met our fellow Singaporeans who were stuck at the Israeli border.
=)
Within Temple Mount
Happy Muslim Students on excursion to Temple Mount
OLD CITY
The best Falafel Pita of the trip. It is cheap!
(Bought at the Muslim Quarter in the Old City - 7 Israeli Shekels = US$2 = S$2.60)
Armenian Quarter
One of the buildings in Temple Mount
View of the Wailing Wall, Temple Mount & Dome of the Rock
"The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem.
The site is venerated as Golgotha,[1] (the Hill of Calvary), where Jesus was crucified,[2] and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important Christian pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the resurrection of Jesus. "
Hordes of Pilgrims getting into the Church
Jesus laid here before he was crucified.
Wall painting depicting the last few stations of the cross - the final hours of Jesus.
The spot where Jesus Christ was crucified - A Pilgrim was kneeling down to touch the marble slab to mark the exact spot of the cross.
It was an interesting experience to be in the holiest place (for Christians) where Christianity started and the symbol of Christianity (The Cross) started. This is the source.
Jesus Christ
Tomb of Jesus and the place that marks his ascension to Heaven.
I like this picture!!! Hanging dirty linens and undergarments in the public. (In the Old City)
Bustling night in the alley of the Old City.
NIGHT IN JERUSALEM
Evening @ Ben Yehuda Street
Where is this street famous for?
"The Ben Yehuda Street bombings refer to a series of attacks by Palestinian terrorists and suicide bombers on civilians in downtown Jerusalem, Israel from 1948 until today. The attacks were carried out on Ben Yehuda Street, a major thoroughfare, later a pedestrian mall, named for the founder of modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben Yehuda."
Below is the "Concert" to support the building of settlement in East Jerusalem:
(Note: It takes quite a long time to load, but it is very interesting).
His view is too radical for my liking, as I do not know much about the historical conflicts, I shan't comment too much.
Excerpt from the Speech:
"Let our entire nation unite.
And speak clearly to the world and say
This is one land that the Creator of the world
Billionaires of non-Jews believe in the Bible
Open the Bible and you'll see
that this is the land that the Creator of the world
gave as an eternal gift to one nation.
The prime minister should turn to the president of the USA and say
Mr President your intention may be beautiful
But look into the Bible.
God gave/made this land to this nation
I love to give it to you or anybody else.
But I CAN'T
It is not mine to give away
This is God's gift to the Jewish people forever and ever."
What do you think?
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