2016-04-29 – Israel Jerusalem and Bethlehem Pictures

April 29, 2016 – Pictures from the first day in Israel – Arrival in Haifa and Jerusalem + Bethlehem.

Arrival in the Port of Haifa

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Drive to Jerusalem to the first stop – The Garden of Gethsemane and the Church built on the rock where Jesus waited to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot.

The inside of the church is somber to capture the mood of the moment where Jesus spent his last moments before going into captivity and execution.

The rock inside the church and outside where Jesus lay when he was betrayed.

The wall of he Garden of Gethsemane

Now to Bethlehem

The wall between Jerusalem and Israel side and Bethlehem and the Palestinian side with the check point we passed through.

Graffiti on the wall on the Palestinian side

Bethlehem shops including Stars and Bucks Cafe and KFC!!

Lunch at a restaurant in Bethlehem

The public convenience for all to use

Manger square & mosque above and the Catholic church, part of the church of the Nativity below

The church of the Nativity with it’s enterance to the Greek Orthodox part of the church.

Entering the church through the narrow and low opening, so made to prevent horses from being able to access the church.

Some of the original Byzantine floor

The Greek Orthodox part

The Aramaic Part

The Catholic part and entrance to the grotto which is connected to the grotto under the Greek sector which is where Jesus was born. The Christmas Masses that are beamed around the world take place in this grotto we visited and pictured below.

Jerucalem

The gold dome of the rock

The old cemetery

The old city walls and entrance

An old Roman road above and the Al Axha Mosque below

The Wailing Wall of the Temple of Jerusalem

Prayers being placed in the wall

wandering through the streets of Old Jerusalem

The Way of the Cross which we picked up at Station 5 and followed to the end

The place where supposedly Jesus stumbled and left his hand-print int he stone

Roman Road remains along the way of the cross

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The ladder that cannot be removed as it belongs to one sect, the window to another and the balcony to a third and none will allow the other to touch their property – an argument 130 years old and continuing to this day!

A pilferage exiting the church

Inside the Church

Bottom right hand corner is the entrance to the steps leading to the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross and where he lay on the cross for 3 days.

Where he was nailed to the cross

Where the cross stood and he died. Pilgrims are kneeling under the altar to kiss the remains of the cross / stone.

Overlooking the church which was the place where he was taken down from the cross and washed, prepared for burial. All three scenes – Death Preparation for burial and burial are depicted in the mosaic.

The Grotto where he was buried, now with encased and pilgrims lighting candles

A different parade of faithful, doing their pilgrimage to the Church given that is was just before Orthodox Easter,

All of us capturing the moment of this group as they made their way into the church

Arrival back by the ship and greeted by champagne and a gorgeous sunset