Faith Bible Church

Cedar Rapids, IA

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Day 7

Day 7. Mount of Olives. Garden of Gethsemane. The Herodium. Bethlehem. Our first day leaving Jerusalem on the bus and looking at the different approaches to Jerusalem.

at Herodium
Looking west from the Mount of Olives down on to the Temple Mount
2nd Temple Period Tombs
Senonian limestone. Looking east from the top of the Mount of Olives shows a new type of limestone, different from the west side. The west side of the Mount of Olives (the Jerusalem side) is good for farming. On the east side is wilderness. Shepherds care for their flocks on this side.
Eastern slope of the Mount of Olives
Dead Sea visible from the top of the Mount of Olives against the mountains
A section of the Ascent of Adamim – the ancient route used to travel from Jericho to Jerusalem
at Herodium
This guy was charging people for camel rides
Ossuary Repository (bone boxes) – In Jesus’ day, after a body decayed in a tomb, the bones would then be put in bone boxes like these. “Jesus never saw a bone box” – quote from our instructor!
Olive tress on top of the Mount of Olives
Murals inside the Sanctuary of Gethsemane
This garden is one of four traditional locations thought to be the site of Jesus’ time in the garden before His crucifixion. Of course no one knows where the actual location is. These trees pictured here are around 800 years old. But the garden probably resembled this.
The Herodium. Located in area C of the West Bank, Herod the Great built this fortress on a spot where he was a victor in battle. It is around 10 miles south of Jerusalem. He could gaze out toward his Jerusalem palace.
Below the fortress the square with the circle in it is believed to be a pool.
Base of Herod’s Tomb Monument. Archaeologists believe this could be the tomb where Herod’s body was placed. He wanted to be buried in the Herodium, a testimony to his greatness (very prideful man).
Entering the area inside the Church of Nativity that claims to be the site of Jesus’ birth and the manger where they laid baby Jesus.
People go inside, kneel, and kiss this star that they claim marks the place where Jesus was born.
The entrance into the Church of the Nativity.