Walking the Old City Walls - Part 2

A short distance past the Damascus Gate, you can see the side of a hill that the city has encompassed. Looking closely at a portion of this hill, you can see how the rock formation resembles a man's face. Traditionally, this is known as Golgotha (Place of the Skull), the location of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between. John 19:17-18.

From the Old City Walls, this is traditional Golgatha with a bus station just below it. For the previous photo, I zoomed in on the right hand side of the rock formation. And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, Matthew 27:33.

When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Luke 23:33.

More aerial photos of traders and merchants right over the Damascus Gate. Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. Nehemiah 13:20.

The bald heads look like me but I'm taking the photo.

An Arab lady with her hands full from shopping balances more purchases on her head.

The gray domes are the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

In the Arab quarter of the Old City, this patio was right next to the walls.

More buying and selling across the street from The Old City.

Young Arab boys getting ready to play basketball.

East Jerusalem with Mt. Scopus and Hebrew University in the distance on the left. Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mt of Olives in the distance on the right.

Rockefeller Museum across the street from The Old City. In 1967, when the IDF Paratroopers were liberating Jerusalem, Rockefeller Museum was a temporary fortress for them while fighting the Jordanian Arab Legion who was in the Old City. No Palestinians were around. Between 1948 and 1967, the Arabs who lived in East Jerusalem and the West Bank were actually citizens of Jordan. King Hussein relinquished all authority over these areas in the mid-80's.

An Arab girls basketball team getting ready to practice with the Mt of Olives in the background.

Augusta Victoria Hospital on top of the Mt of Olives has an interesting history. From Wikipedia: "Augusta Victoria was built in 1907 as a center for the German Protestant community in Ottoman Palestine. The complex, completed in 1910, included the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension with a 65-meter belltower and a hospice for Christian pilgrims. The complex was named for Augusta Victoria, wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited Jerusalem in 1898. "

Young Arab boys playing football (soccer) with the Islamic Shrine in the background.

The Mt of Olives with a street that ascends from East Jerusalem. The traditional pathway for the triumphal entry is more of a walking path that leads to the Garden of Gethsemene. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,"Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!"Matthew 21:8-9.

Lion's Gate just ahead. The end of the walk.

At the base of the Mt of Olives is the Russian Orthodox Church with the golden onion domes and the Church of all Nations adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane. They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed." Mark 14:32.

This photo was not from the walls but from the street as I was walking along waiting for a taxi to come and rescue me from my journey.

Last Sunday morning I noticed this interesting political ad on King George Street. I thought I would take a photo before someone painted over it.

It was actually a quadrant of four posters on a very busy street. By the time I went home later in the afternoon, someone had painted over it. But I got my photos.

Walking the Old City Walls - Part 1

One of the more interesting walks you can take in Jerusalem is on top of the Old City Walls. Rampart's Walk as it is called starts from the Jaffa Gate. You choose which direction you would like to go. Going north from the Jaffa Gate will take you over the Christian Quarter, the New Gate, the Arab Quarter, the Damascus Gate, Herod's Gate, and finally Lion's Gate where the walk ends. Going south from the Jaffa Gate takes you through the Armenian Quarter, over Zion Gate, past the Jewish Quarter, and the walk ends at the Dung Gate. Not having any photos for the blog, last Sunday, June 7th, I took the northern route of Rampart's Walk. Below are Arab street vendors and shoppers at the Damascus Gate. The young Arab boy is getting an early start on learning the art of being a vendor.

Below is a close up of one of the Jaffa Gate walls where I started. Looking closely you can see all the bullet holes left from the 1948 and 1967 Wars. Of course, Jerusalem is no stranger to war. About 2600 years ago, Sennacherib of Assyria thought he could conqueor Jerusalem. Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem ... II Chronicles 32:2.

My ascent to the walls.

The entrance to the Old City at Jaffa Gate. This is where General Edmund Allenby and the British Army marched into the Old City during World War I. The British forces, including the ANZACS (Australian - New Zealand Army Corps) had defeated the Ottoman Turks down south at Beersheva and Gaza. The Turks pulled out of Jerusalem and went further north to continue fighting. General Allenby dismounted his horse in order to walk humbly into Jerusalem. He knew it would be a historical moment.

Looking through a defensive "hole in the wall" position. When these walls were built around 1500, the weapon of choice would have been string bows (bows and arrows).

Going up a little higher.

The walls of David's Citadel on the left. That is just the name of it today, these walls would not have been here during the reign of King David. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 1st Kings 2:11.

More of David's Citadel from on top of Jaffa Gate.

The beginning of west Jerusalem with the famous hotel named after King David. That is where many presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, etc. stay when in Jerusalem.

Norte Dame is located across the street from the northeast corner of the Old City. This is where the pope stayed when he was here in May. That is the Vatican Flag flying.

This photo catches the crescent moon of Islam from the top of a mosque plus the Vatican Flag. (The flag is actually across the street). At least one half of the world's population are following one or the other of these icons.

Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus north of the Old City.

The steeple of the Lutheran Church in the Old City. Either the steeple is starting to lean or perhaps without a gall bladder, my equilibrium is more to the right than before.

The entrance to the Old City from the New Gate. This is the Christian Quarter and all the stores are closed on Sunday. If I had walked on a Friday, the entrance from the Damascus Gate would have looked like this. The Jewish Quarter would be very quiet on Shabbat (Saturday).

Walking the walls headed east on the northern wall.

This highway is the dividing line between east and west Jerusalem. Prior to 1967, this would have been a border fence. You can see the tracks of Jerusalem's new light rail system adjacent to the highway. The light rail system is supposed to be finished in a couple of years. We'll see. For those of us who know the God of Israel as our Saviour, aren't we grateful that He has removed our sins from as far as the east is from the west. As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12.

Still headed east.

Mt. Scopus in the distance.

Plaza area just prior to the Damacus Gate.

Bouganvilla growing on the inside of one section of the walls.

The Damascus Gate is in the center of this photo but a little hard to distinguish. You can see Islamic mosques on the left and right in the Arab neighborhoods.

Thousands of people live in the Old City and still have to hang laundry on their rooftops.

The Islamic Dome of the Rock with the southern portion of the Mt. of Olives in the distance. The Dome of the Rock is located on the Temple Mount where the Lord Jesus will establish His throne for a thousand years. The apostle John records this in Revelation: Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4.

It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. Zechariah 12:3.

At first I thought I had to tightrope the narrow ledge on the left. Then I saw the steps. The lack of a gall bladder apparently affects your mind, too. This is the exit to the Damascus Gate. You could end your walk here. However, it is the same price as going on to the Lion's Gate.

Looking back from where I have walked. That is the Lutheran Church Steeple on the left and Norte Dame on the right. It made me tired to think that I had walked that far.

Arab East Jerusalem.

Arab dress shop at the Damascus Gate entrance. No Macy's here.

Rooftops of the Old City.

Buyers and sellers at Damacus Gate.

Fruits, vegetables, tennis shoes, clothes, etc. Each vendor is selling something different just like a flea market in the states. Zooming in you see many different cultures and faces.

Two Orthodox Jews entering the Damascus Gate next to the soccer balls and other toys.

You could get dizzy taking too many of these photos.

Zoom in on the upper left and there is an Arab lady sitting down asking passers by for help. That is very Biblical. Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?" John 9:8.

Sunrise from my patio. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.