Preservations around Jerusalem

it is so wild to walk around the City and remember that one is walking on thousands of years of history. in America, we get excited when something is over one hundred years old! within Fresno, my house is considered old because it was built in the 1920s. however in Israel, a more common historical era is the Byzantine period from 330 AD!

walking around the Old City of Jerusalem, tucked in to the Jewish Quarter, our group stumbled upon "The Broad Wall" or "Avigad's Wall" along the Transversal Valley.



as the City Wall moved over the centuries, this section of the wall has been preserved as a reminder of all of the city changes. looking down from the top, we could identify where the street level used to be and how tall the wall used to stand.





the section of the wall that remains is well intact. it is called "The Broad Wall" for the obvious measurement of the wall, which was to strengthen the weaker northern side of Jerusalem. What is seen is the foundation of the wall, possibly the foundation that was underground for a city wall of Jerusalem during the time of Hezekiah. it is believed that the wall was built by King Hezekiah to fortify the city of Jerusalem against an attack from the Assyrians in 722BC.

I'm Home!

well, Jerusalem that is, my second "home" these past weeks. it feels so great to be home, unpacking, and relaxing in my hotel room. even though we'll be leaving again in three days, it does feel nice to settle. I believe we have only 10 more days left of our trip. the time has flown by so fast and yet my brain could really use a rest! ha! however, I have grown so much as a Bible reader and am looking forward to the incredible insights I fill discover in the future because of this trip.
I have just returned from a three day travel of the Sephelah and Negev. pictures are to come of many hiking trips, visits to fort sights and waterfalls and a swim in the Dead Sea!
thanks for the thoughts and prayers as our group travels. I have felt incredibly safe traveling with around the country. of course there is a feeling of the unfortunate tensions of the land, but in no way have I been afraid for my safety. praise God!
I promise to dive deeper into explanations of my travels in the coming days, but for right now, I need to rest my body! good night!

one week down, two to go!
tomorrow we head out for three days of travel in the land. I will not be able to post probably until Thursday. we will be traveling to the south, visiting Negev. moving north-east, we will visit the Dead Sea; maybe even take a dip! we will also be nomads in a sense; moving around to two youth hostels! we are always going to be taking some great hikes. hopefully I have have more pictures than sunburns at the end of the week! thank God for sunscreen!
I am learning a lot in the land. we had our first exam today. so many of my previous thoughts of the Holy Land are being turned upside down! I am realizing that my Bible education has not been as intense as it should have been. and as a result, my brain is hurting with information overload! however, I am having a great time and will definitely come back with wonderful stories and pictures of this challenging, yet rewarding time.
thank you for the prayers. I have felt very safe during our day trips. my body has let me know when I need some down time and I am grateful for that instinct! and know that all of you are in my prayers as well. I miss home and am looking forward to sharing my trip with you!

Hezekiah's Tunnel

on our OT Jerusalem walk, we took a tour of the South-East part of the Old City. the Kidron Valley lies on this side of the city, outside of the city walls. the valley is much like the Hinnom Valley, rich in step houses.

located in between the Kidron Valley and the Central Valley (yes, they have one too!) , is the City of David.



within the City of David is the elaborate ancient water system of Hezekiah's Tunnel. after walking around some of the excavations around the center, our group walked through the pitch-black, underground tunnel used to bring water into the city in times of siege. this secret system collected water from the Gihom Spring and channeled it through to the Siloam Pool.



the walk was a third of a mile long, and at times the tunnel was not very high. even I had to duck!




also at time water came up to my mid-thigh!



I thought I would put up a picture that would show off my leggies! ha!



I am thankful to Tyler Enns for guiding me, as I did not have much of a flashlight.



he ended up taking pictures every ten feet to track where the tunnel was leading us! the walk was very exhilarating! I was smiling the whole time!



this is a mural of what the Siloam Pool would look like. the water would be collected there at the end of the tunnel.



this is what it looks like today...



our group watering our feet!

*News Flash*

The President of the United States is in Jerusalem! I find it humorous that the closest I've come to the President I had to achieve it by traveling outside of my home country to the other side of the world! and guess what? he's staying right around the corner from our hotel! crazy! the King David Hotel, where the President is staying, is on the other side of the Hinnom Valley from our hotel.



I should clarify. valleys in this land are much smaller than our Central Valley. reading the Bible and stumbling upon a valley in the text, I previously assumed the land was like my valley: large, flat, surround by tall mountain ranges. the valleys here are more narrow, with steep sides coming down to a point. usually houses cover the sides, built in a "step" fashion, one on top of the other. very different from the spacious Central Valley!