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Nina Ingram: Israel, Days 5,6

"...this ceremony of blessings and symbols ends the day of rest and separates the light of day from the darkness of nightfall, the higher beauty of Shabbat from the common pursuits of the week..."Saturday
Today is Shabbat — A Day of Rest.
For the first half of the day, we could choose between an optional Shabbat service, touring (Tower of David Museum) or a visit to the Israel Museum. The second half of the day — real-real special for me, we would visit Golgotha Hill and the Garden Tomb.

I chose to visit the Tower of David Museum (set in the restored Citadel). We left the hotel and walked briskly through the hills for a magnificent view of Old City and climbed up to the ancient castle's Citadel which I learned was built by Herod the Great some 2,000 years ago.

We were told that the tower's strategic position at the city gates served all of Jerusalem's successive conquerors. There is so much rich history in this museum There were special designed models, displays and exhibits everywhere.

After lunch, we went to visit Golgotha Hill and the Garden Tomb. In this area there were tour buses all over the place and numerous people waiting to visit Golgotha Hill, Jesus' tomb and Jesus' resurrection site. I was so moved with emotions today. After viewing Golgotha Hill, Reverend Howard Chubbs led us with a meditation session before we each had an opportunity to enter the tomb. What a glorious opportunity for me to be able to experience these precious moments.

Sunset drawing near - we came together as a group (Christians and Jews) to take part in Havdalah. We were told that this ceremony of blessings and symbols ends the day of rest and separates the light of day from the darkness of nightfall, the higher beauty of Shabbat from the common pursuits of the week. We celebrated in song and dance. We had a wonderful fellowship.

Sunday
We began our tour today by making our first stop at The Sanctuary of Gethsemane. We were told that the place where this Sanctuary sits is known as the site where Jesus prayed the night before his crucifixion and where he was captured by the Romans. In the Garden of Gethsemane there are olive trees that are thought to be 1800 years old.

For the remainder of the day, we toured the Jewish and Christian Quarters of the Old City. These Quarters, as well as the other Quarters, have layers and layers of history. I was fascinated by the many ancient churches, synagogues and mosques. Included in our visit was the Upper Room where Jesus celebrated the Passover or Last Supper. This is the place where, as Christians, we believe that the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus' disciples and we celebrate the event as Pentecost.

In the Christian Quarter, we had an outdoor lecture and a two hour tour with Professor Daniel Rossing who is active in the field of interfaith relations. He discussed the dynamics of the relations of Jews, Christians and Muslims in ‘the unique setting of Jerusalem'. He noted that Jerusalem is a fascinating example of multiculturalism at work and that it is good to learn the art of operating in the "In between."

We ended our day with a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where several Christian denominations, each with their own beliefs, claim ownership to various parts of this one church.
We had dinner at Anna Ticho with Professor Reuven Hazan, Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Hazan led a very informative discussion on Israeli politics.

Tomorrow? Erev Yom Hazikaron -- Eve of Memorial Day for Israel's Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims — Humanity in the Face of Destruction