Day 11 Saturday: History, Herod and a Healing

Shabbat Shalom.  That was our greeting for today.  Breakfast was all prepared prior to 6:00 p.m. last night for Shabbat or Sabbath observance.  So our day was a bit varied.  We went first to a special plaza in front of the Knesset.  A very large Mennorah tells both Biblical and Israeli history. It is a magnificent reminder of the grace of God.  At the base is the Shema and along the bottom of the lamp branches is the verse from Zechariah, "Not by power, nor by might but by my Spirit says the Lord."

We then walked to the Israeli museum, taking time to trace all of our journey in Jerusalem so far using the couple acre model of first century Jerusalem.  It really helped to get this visual perspective of the city, the valleys and the buildings.  Following the model, we went through looking at the Dead Sea scrolls and artifacts located in the Shrine of the Book.  We followed this up with a 45 minute journey back through time in the archeological section of the museum.  We saw the originals of several of the replica items we saw at various sites.  We also saw a plethora of other relics, mosaics, busts, and other priceless pieces that have been found in Jerusalem and beyond.  It was an breath-taking experience.

Lunch was at Ramat Rachel, a kibbutz that overlooks Bethlehem.  Idan jewelers were there and some purchased some keepsakes.  Following lunch we made our way through a checkpoint and out to the desert to the Herodion, burial site of King Herod the Great.  From the top, you can see the outskirts of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and mountains of Jordan, Bethlehem, and all the villages within a significant distance.  It was amazing the opulence Herod used to prepare his final resting place.  Within a very short time, people had come and destroyed his tomb and sarcophagus.  He was greatly hated.  But what a site.  The top third of the hill was man-made because he wanted to see Jerusalem from there so the builders had to make it higher.

Our day ended by traveling back into town and visiting the Pool of Bethesda through the Lion Gate.  We read about the healing of the crippled man by Jesus in John 5.  "Do you want to get well?" was the question to the man from Jesus.  The issue was not always clear.  But the reality is when your faith goes from superstition to faith in Christ, healing comes.