Shabbat in Israel (Pt 3)

We hadn’t fully decided our plans for the rest of Friday due to not knowing how the morning was going to go. So after showering and eating, we decided we would head out to BYU (Brigham Young University – a Uni for our church) and take an afternoon tour. This was in the complete opposite direction to everything else we had been to and is more out in the suburbs. We took a bus and after being the last ones on it even the bus driver was confused about where we were going.

We got off and walked to the campus and as we came closer we could see a sign. “NO TOURS TODAY”. Again it was another effect of the war. It was such a balance for us to be missing out on different things because of the war but also experiencing places so much quieter, with no lines or even solo due to the war. Overall we decided at the end of our week there that we got the better end of going when we did. (Not that we had a choice on timing haha)

I wanted to go home at this point. I was tired, I had already walked a lot but not wanting to use up precious time Nathanael said there was a special place not far away that we should go and see it. I resentfully started walking because I knew he was right but I was tired, hungry and pregnant. Thankfully for Nathanael, it turned into a beautiful afternoon.

We walked to a bus stop which took us a short drive and we arrived at the Chapel of Ascension. This is where they believe a footprint was left behind by Jesus leaving the earth and ascending to heaven. Again, was this really the place, maybe, was it his footprint, possibly not. But if it wasn’t ‘here’ was it really near….yes and that is something special.

After there we headed down to the tomb of the prophets. This was closed on Fridays so we didn’t think we could do it but the gate was open so me being me was already walking in to suss it out. A man came out and asked if we wanted to go in and we said yes, He gave us a light and instructions on what was down there and to return the lighter when we were done. We paid him $10 AUD like the Church of Ascension and went inside. This is where the last three prophets of the Old Testament were buried and it was cool to explore all on our own and see what it looked like. Different shaped tombs indicated if you were a prophet or not etc.

Finishing there and feeling blessed we could tick that off our to-do list while walking past we continued to the Jewish Cemetery. This was fascinating as you have rows and rows of Jews who have paid in today’s money millions to be buried here. This is where Christ is told to come again or for the Jews to come for the first time and so they will be there when he does. It was fascinating to see.

As we continued down the hill we came across the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane. Not wanting to put pressure on myself to feel anything we walked around and took our time thinking. It was nearly closing time and was fairly quiet but there were still several groups around. As we sat in the chapel which is built around the rock that Jesus apparently fell on during his prayers we thought and pondered. Not long after everyone was gone and we were sitting in that space all on our own. This would probably never happen pre-war. How we were this lucky to be sitting in our own thoughts alone in this sacred place. It’s another experience we will never forget.

After leaving there we headed almost directly across the road to another church which is said to be the tomb of Mary. This was nice to go and experience. Something I really enjoyed about this trip was learning more about Mary. Being a mother now myself it was insightful to think about how she would have felt and how she may have handled experiencing all of this.

From there the next place to go was up the hill to the City of Old Jerusalem. It was nearing 5pm which was close to the start of Shabbat. Which is the sabbath for them for Israel. It starts when the sun goes down on Friday until the sun goes down on Saturday. Public transport stops, and shops close, it’s a really sacred time, especially for Jews and Old Jerusalem.

I had heard that experiencing the Western Wall on Shabbat was a nice experience to see the Jewish people worship. So that’s where we decided to head. By this point though I was really tired. Struggling to walk up the long steep hill after having walked almost 15km at this point. We entered the back entrance of Old Jerusalem and the start of the Via Dolorosa.

The Via Dolorosa is the path that Jesus walked as he was trialled, condemned, and carried His cross to Golgotha. Along the way significant things happened and they are recorded for you to see and ponder over. This is where we thought it would be easy to get to the Western Wall. We were wrong.

There is only one way on Shabbat to get to the wall. Due to the ongoing tension between the Jews and the Muslims who currently have possession of ‘Temple Mount’. You cannot enter parts of Old Jerusalem due to their security. So after playing quite the maze game and trying to follow signs all of which basically pointed a direction to the Western Wall we made it.

There are rules at the Western Wall on Shabbat. You cannot take photos, have your camera out, take videos etc. There is also a male and female side to worship on that is blocked in the middle. Nathanael and I both took some time going to the Western Wall and watching as the Jewish community worshipped and the start of the sabbath occurred. I really relished the experience of seeing others worship, their customs and dedication.

After a long day we headed home ready for a good sleep and to go to church in the morning for our own time to worship. We were excited to have a sleep in until we realised that the Tomb Garden that we wanted to see wouldn’t be open on the remaining days we had at times we could attend. So off to bed for an early start to rush there before heading to church.

The Garden Tomb was small and it is also believed to perhaps be the spot of Jesus’ tomb. Although this isn’t something they claim. It was more of a space with a beautiful garden that showed you what the space and area may have looked like at the time. I’ll share more about the other place that claims to be Jesus’ Tomb but it certainly doesn’t look like it once may have.

It was really nice to be in such a peaceful and respectful area and to feel closer to God before heading to church. We left there and caught the bus out to church. It was at the same BYU center we had tried to tour the day before. We were glad to arrive and see it was open and church was actually happening. We met some nice people, Nathanael was even asked to give the opening prayer.

It’s a very small branch of people and I think a lot of them were visiting themselves or living there for work but the view was amazing. The church is set on the hill near the Chapel of Ascension and it overlooks all of Jerusalem and in particular Old Jerusalem. They have gorgeous large windows which you can stare out as you sit in church.

After having a little look around the building and feeling like we saw everything we would have with a tour we headed out. We happened to head out at the same time as an adult son and his elderly father who spoke Spanish. Nathanael speaking Italian could converse a little with them and they offered us a lift home. He was a crazy driver. He was in a nice new little electric car but man I felt the most unsafe driving with them than I ever felt in Cairo.

With most things closed on Shabbat we thought it would be a good opportunity to go to a Western Wall Tunnel Tour but they were closed on Shabbat which isn’t very clear on the website so we had a traditional hummus lunch and went exploring the places of Old Jerusalem we hadn’t been.

This included visiting the Room of the Last Supper (Upper Room), The Church which is built around where Mary was claimed to have died. The tomb of King David where the Jewish people were worshipping, again men and women were separated.

It was another good day, we got some souvenirs as Shabbat was ending and the city was coming alive again. We headed back to our apartment where we got our food delivered. It didn’t come with cutlery and all the accommodation had were plastic spoons so Nathanael with his fried rice managed but I enjoyed the task of using the handle of two plastic spoons as chopsticks for my noodle dish. Off to bed because bright and early (You’re seeing a theme here right?) we were heading off for a full-day tour of Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea.

It was an epic adventure, followed by our final day in Jerusalem. Click here to keep reading the final Part Four.

Love Sarah Kay, xx