So to briefly review the weekend, Sunday morning our CIU group of seven plus a few decided to visit the Temple Mount. I'm not sure what I expected to find there, but it was much bigger and more peaceful than what I had imagined. I'll let the pictures describe the rest of the experience:
These boys were really into whatever it was they were discussing.
Posing with a couple Israeli soldiers
The Dome of the Rock
Koran lessons in front of the Dome of the Rock
She's got her own things to work on while Daddy studies the Koran.
A beggar lady on the steps of the Dome
A size comparison of our group to the Dome
Women guarding an entrance
The detailed mosaic work
A ant's perspective
Two really friendly Arab girls who introduced themselves to us at the Temple Mount
Being on such a sacred spot, we decided to discreetly "do church" and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It was a very precious moment of worship.
I gave each of these boys a shekel to take their picture after one of them fell off his bike. Haha.
Israeli soldiers praying in the Western Wall area
After our visit to the Temple Mount, we stopped by the Citadel museum, where we walked through the history of Israel from ancient times to the present.
Everything in the museum was a replica or diorama, but they were fantastic nonetheless. This one is Babylonian.
Hahaha...um, ancient figurines?
Suleiman the Magnificent
A huge and very impressive model of Jerusalem. Everything was accurate, except for the exaggerated size of many landmark buildings.
Even more impressive was our 89 yr. old tour guide, who explained in detail the history of Israel in a 2 hour tour.
I wasn't looking forward to the tour at first, having sat through plenty of lectures throughout the week already, but as we progressed through the various exhibits, I found myself grasping more than I had all week.
Later that evening, we had the privilege of listening to a Palestinian Christian professor share from his perspective on the social dynamics in Israel today. Listening to him share definitely mellowed out some of my previous views concerning Israelis and Palestinians; however, as is the case with anyone, his views are biased as well. I did walk away with from his lecture with a much better understanding of Middle Eastern sociology, but most importantly, I learned an important lesson: the conflict in Israel is not religious. And we, in the US, should not make it a religious one, because when we do, we doom the Jews to the overwhelming number of Muslims around the world to the number of Jews. The conflict is instead political and territorial. While we may fall on one side or the other on the debate, the fact remains that both sides feel wronged, and both sides have been wronged. Therefore, though it seems difficult or even impossible, we must pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Dr. Sabella
So, that was Sunday. Monday, we had an exam and very un-kosher burgers afterwards. 'Twas delicious. =D
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