the beginning of the end

Sadly, this is going to be one of my last posts in the Holy Land. We are leaving on Thursday and I can’t believe it! It has been a busy few weeks and I’m sure the next few days will be just as busy! A few weeks a go we went to the Israel Museum and we had a huge list of things to check off for one of our classes. It was a really cool museum but after a while we were struggling to stay interested. We decided to sneak pictures with all of the sculptures even though you are technically not supposed to take pictures in the museum. Eventually we had a suspicious security guard following us around like a chicken with his head cut off. We still were super sneaky and managed to get some good pictures. Last week we had our last out of Jerusalem field trip. It was a great one to end on. First we went to Qumran, which is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. It was great to go there because we had just seen the actual scrolls in the Israel Museum. Our next stop on the field trip was Masada. This was one of the last standing cities during the first Jewish revolt. When the people of the city saw the Romans coming to fight them, they decided to all commit suicide instead of being humiliated by the defeat they would have faced by their opponents. It was a really cool site but kind of creepy at the same time.  It was very very hot because we were right next to the Dead Sea and below sea level but it was worth it. Next we went to Ein Gedi, which is a natural reserve, and we got to go in some waterfalls for a little while to cool off. Then the climax of the field trip came with a nice dip in the Dead Sea! It was the strangest feeling to just be able to stand there in the water with no effort at all! You were able to just glide on top of the water and lie there and not have to worry about treading water. I couldn’t help but think that it would have been so nice if my water polo team in high school was able to play in the Dead Sea! After our swim we boarded the bus to go home with salt caked all over us and we said our final good-bye to the Dead Sea. We recently went on another field trip where we visited different churches in the Old City. I am always amazed at the number of churches here. Just when you think you have seen them all you find some side road that has 3 or 4 more on it! Our first stop was Terra Sancta. We father Molina talk to us about the architecture of the church and the typical architectural elements that are found in most churches today. It was beautiful inside and I loved the detail of the interior. We also went to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, St. Mark’s church, Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox church and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This was one of my favorite field trips and I couldn’t get enough of the architecture and detail in the churches. Today we had a free day and we went to the Dome of the Rock for the last time. It was nice because it was our first stop of the day and so it was pretty empty so we got some great pictures of the Dome. Then we went around the entire perimeter of the Old City and took pictures at all 8 of the entrance gates. It was very sad to think that this was one of our last opportunities to get pictures in these places. This summer has flown by and it is amazing to think of all the sites I have seen and people I have met. I will never forget Jerusalem and the memories I have made here.

Outside the Temple Mount, Al-Aqsa Mosque in the background 

Lauren posing by her favorite statue at the Israel Museum

Ceiling of Terra Sancta

Terra Santca

Detail on columns in Terra Sancta

TC, me and Jess in Terra Sancta

Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Rock of Unction where they believe Christ's body was laid after the crucifixion 

Rock of Unction from above

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Prayers in the wall at the Holy Sepulcher

Alexander Nevsky church

Alexander Nevsky

Cave 4 in Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

Jess and I at Masada 

Garden Tomb

Al-Aqsa Mosque

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock, women in burkas 

Everyone in the Dead Sea!