Lunch and the Western Wall Tunnels

As we were driving into Jerusalem, Kenny asked us the question,”If you knew that you were having your last meal on earth, would you want an omelet, tuna, or cheese?” We didn’t realize it at the time, but we were deciding on our lunch for the next day. We had about 30 minutes at the Western Wall and then we were to meet in the arch/tunnel which is the last arch on the left facing south on the plaza. It is in the bottom of the three story building. Kenny met us there with sandwiches for lunch: tuna, cheese, or egg. Since I like omelets, guess what kind of sandwich I had!

I had to take the picture of this cat because everywhere you go in Israel, and in Jerusalem especially,  you see wild cats – in the trash cans, trying to beg food from tourists... They are everywhere. There are several internet sites that are devoted to the cats of Jerusalem. This site even has an art project that includes photos of 248 cats.

This one seemed to sense that there was something afoot in the tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was omelet sandwiches for Judy and me.

 

And leftover bits from someone on the tour.

 

The name you see below on the plaque is the late Rabbi of the Western Wall.

Once we were through with lunch, those who wanted to could explore the Western Wall tunnels.

The part of the Western Wall that you have seen is the part that is visible at ground level. The rest is underground and was discovered by the British archaeologists Charles Wilson and Sir Charles Warren who, in 1867, sunk shafts along the lengths of the western and southern walls, revealing 18 courses reaching down to bedrock. Further excavations in the 1970’s have uncovered remains dating from the time of King Solomon. Today you can tour the ancient Herodian street at a depth of 50 feet below ground level, along the length of the wall.

 

 

 

At the start of the tour Kenny showed us a model of Mt. Moriah.

 

He then showed us how the temple mount was built on top of Mt. Moriah and how the city grew around the Temple Mount.

 

 

 

 

The Secret Passage…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that this room is used for prayer and study because it is close to the Holy of Holies.

 

This is the great hall.

 

 

We entered a room with benches where we could look at a model of the Temple Mount so we could see exactly where the tunnels were located as Kenny turned on the lights.

 

 

 

I was glad I found this labeled picture on the internet. It helps me understand better where everything is.

 

I read somewhere that the temple was approximately 10 stories high.

 

 

 

This would be Robinson’s Arch.

 

 

 

The base stones of the wall are incredibly huge. This one is the largest object ever lifted by man. It is 44.5 feet long, approximately 12 feet wide, and weighs an estimated 600 tons.  The rectangular holes in the stone were added in the middle ages. Their purpose was to hold the plaster which was applied onto the walls when this section was transformed into a water reservoir.

 

Of course, since this is part of the Western Wall, people leave their prayers in any crevice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lion’s Gate and the Western Wall

We exited the Temple Mount and the Muslim quarter through Lion’s Gate, the gate that leads to the Via Dolorosa. It is also known as St. Stephen’s Gate and, in Jesus’ time, it was the Sheep Gate. Christian Arabs call it St. Mary’s gate because the Virgin Mary is buried in the Kidron Valley below it. The Lion’s Gate is the only gate located on the east wall that gives access to the Old City. The East Gate has been sealed for centuries by the Muslims in order to prevent the Messiah from entering through this gate. (More on this later.)

During the Six Day War in 1967 when the Israelis recaptured the city, the 55th Paratroop Brigade entered the Old City through this gate and unfurled the Israeli flag atop the Temple Mount. Jews had not had access to the Old City since 1948.

Legend has it that the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent placed the lions on the gate because he had a vision that if he didn’t build the wall around the holy city to protect its citizens, he would be devoured by lions.

 

 

 

 

 

We are walking down toward the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives…

so we can get back to where we started.

This is the only entrance that gives access to the Western Wall. Europeans gave it the name of the “Wailing” Wall. The closest gate to the Western Wall is the Dung Gate.

 

 

 

Ultra orthodox women always have on a covering for their head. This is so they will not become vain about their hair.

As you are walking into the area, if you look to the left you see the Jewish area of the “new” city and if you look to the right you are looking at the Western Wall of the Old City.

 

This is another look at the Southern Wall with the Mount of Olives and the Jewish Cemetery in the distance. In the afternoon we will be sitting on those southern steps listening to Kay teach.

This is the way we entered the Temple Mount.

 

The protrusion you see on the side of the wall is Robinson’s Arch. This is all that remains of a great stairway, set on arches, that passed over the busy market street at the foot of the Western Wall, and led directly into the Great Stoa on the southern side of Temple Mount.

 

Of course, the security is very tight.

 

I don’t know how the men can stand to wear those long coats with vests and prayer shawls underneath. It is warm during the day.

I don’t know why there are men in the women’s line. Apparently there was no one on the men’s side. Kenny always went first to prepare our way. I think we had to walk through a metal detector. The yellow umbrella you see was always held by Diane so that it was easily seen and we always knew where the front of the line was.

 

This is the Western Wall, or Kotel, Plaza. To the right is the women’s section of the wall and to the left is the men’s. The Western Wall is the only fragment left of the Herodian retaining wall that was built in 20 BC to enclose and support the Second Temple. Jews believe that the Divine Presence has never departed the Western Wall.

In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple. During the Ottoman Period (beginning in the 16th century), the wall became the Jews' chief place of pilgrimage, where they came to lament the destruction of the Temple.

For centuries, the Western Wall was located in a narrow alley just 12 feet wide that could accommodate only a few hundred densely packed worshipers. But in 1967, immediately after the Six Day War, Israelis leveled the neighboring Arab district to create the Western Wall Plaza, which can accommodate tens of thousands of pilgrims.

At the same time, the Israelis made the wall about 6 1/2 feet higher by digging down and exposing two more tiers of ashlars (squared stones) from the Temple Plaza's retaining wall that had been buried by accumulated debris for centuries.

This is another view of the way we entered the Temple Mount.

We did enter the women’s side, but didn’t stay long because we didn’t want to intrude. The large stones that you see at the bottom are from the time of Herod. They were carved with such precision that they rest on top of each other without mortar.

Every crevice is filled with tiny slips of paper upon which prayers are written.

Buildings on the other side of the plaza across from the Western Wall. ..

The men’s side of the wall…

I left the area with a melancholy feeling. 

 

O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. Psalm 130:7