City of David (with Underground Tour) + Much More!

This was my first full day in Israel, and it started with a drive to the top of Mount Scopus (translated from Hebrew means 'mount of the spectators') where one gets a beautiful view of the entire city of Jerusalem. In addition to the view, you are able to see many of the historic sites of Jerusalem (which our guide pointed out)--Mount of Olives, Church of Ascension, Old Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock, and the Judean desert.

Walls of Old Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock

As our guide drove us down the mountain he took the time to point out all kinds of sites to us as we passed them. Since we were driving it was difficult to get pictures, but I was able to get a few.

Church of All Nations

Mount of Olives from Temple Mount

Garden of Gethsemane

Jerusalem Cemetary

more Jerusalem Cemetary

First stop inside the wall of Old Jerusalem was the Church of Dormition, where according to Christian tradition is the place where the virgin Mary died, or fell asleep. While there is what look likes a tomb, it is not the actual burial place of Mary, it just serves as a reminder of where she passed.

Church of the Dormition

Next stop was through the Jewish Quarter, and the Four Sephardic Synagogues. The four synagogues were not originally built as one large complex, but were rather separate buiding that gradually joined together as congregations gre and required extra space. 

The Eliyahu synagogue

Men sit in the chairs, women sit up above in balcony area

The Istanbuli synagogue

The Yochanan ben Zakai synagogue

Synagogue divided into two sections (usually with curtain in middle)--women on one side, men on the other

The Kahal Tziyon synagogue

And a few pictures from the small museum that is located inside the complex of the four synagogues.

Room commemorating the last supper

Western Wall (Wailing Wall)--This is one of the most significant sites in the world for the Jewish people.

Cracks in the wall are filled with pieces of paper--the prayes and hopes of those who visit

And lastly on to King David's tomb, and the City of David. It was pretty neat to walk through the City of David as well as the underground tunnels--to be a part of the history, and to think that the stones and walls you touch are a huge piece of history, as well as being something that King David touched himself.

King David's tomb--half of it because men and women are separated by a wall

statue of King David

City of David

Stairs leading to the underground

More stairs....going deeper

A well shaft

The Shiloach Pool (part of City of David--on the outside)

At times the pool overflows, and runs down the steps

A few other random pictures I took throughout Jerusalem......

burial graves

Outside walls of Old Jerusalem

The brick lines that are in the middle of the paths are actually the outlying edges of what used to be the older buildings.