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| Temple Mount - Wailing Wall & Dome of the Rock - Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Jews Praying at the Western (Wailing) Wall - Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Stone of Unction in the Church of the Holly Sepulchre - Jerusalem |
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| Muslim Women at Temple Mount - Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Pat Touching Where Jesus Died on the Cross - Church of the Holy Sepulchre |
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| Praying at the Wailing Wall - Jerusalem, Israel |
Jerusalem, Israel (Religious) (5/17-21/2010) - The Holy Land is here!! Jerusalem is the center (and hot bed) of religious faith.
Because their most holy sites are located here (#1 Judaism, #1 Christianity, & #3 Islam), Jerusalem plays a very major role in three of the world’s major religions.
Because their most holy sites are located here (#1 Judaism, #1 Christianity, & #3 Islam), Jerusalem plays a very major role in three of the world’s major religions.
The 2000 Statistical Yearbook of Jerusalem lists 1204 synagogues, 158 churches, and 73 mosques within the city.
Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since King David proclaimed Jerusalem his capital in about 1000 BC. Jerusalem was the site of Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Today, the Western Wall (sometimes known as the Wailing Wall) is a remnant of the wall surrounding the destroyed Second Temple, the most sacred site of the Jewish faith, where they believe is the location of Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son Isaac.
Jerusalem has been sacred to the Jews since King David proclaimed Jerusalem his capital in about 1000 BC. Jerusalem was the site of Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Today, the Western Wall (sometimes known as the Wailing Wall) is a remnant of the wall surrounding the destroyed Second Temple, the most sacred site of the Jewish faith, where they believe is the location of Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son Isaac.
Synagogues around the world are traditionally built with the Holy Ark facing Jerusalem. We visited the Western (Wailing) Wall during a major Jewish holiday (Shevuot) - see photos. There is a feeling that comes over you about how sacred devout Jews consider this place. Jews come here to pray and place notes between the ancient stones (see photo) because they believe the presence of God resides here. Men and women must go to separate parts of the Wall to pray.
Christians also revere Jerusalem for its huge significance in the life of Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was brought to Jerusalem soon after his birth in Bethlehem (see separate blog post). It is believed that Jerusalem is the location of Jesus’ last supper as well as his crucifixion and burial (the Golgotha, now the site of the Christians most sacred site, and the beautiful Church of the Holy Sepulchre completed in 335 AD – see photo). Jerusalem has been a destination for Christian pilgrimages for the past two thousand years.
Pat and I walked the mile-long last path of Jesus (Via Dolorosa - the Way of the Cross) and made wishes for our family at the Stone of Unction in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where we also touched the place where it is believed that Jesus died on the cross and was laid afterwards (see photos).
In addition, Jerusalem is considered the third-holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Muslims believe that their prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from Jerusalem in 620 after miraculously being transported in one night from Mecca to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Temple Mount is topped by two Islamic landmarks intended to commemorate the event - the al-Aqsa Mosque and the brilliant glistening gold covered Dome of the Rock (see photo) built in 690 AD. We visited the Temple Mount but non-Muslims (us) are not allowed inside these holy Muslim sites.
For more about amazing Jerusalem, please see our other blog post:
Israel Jerusalem The Old City.
For more about amazing Jerusalem, please see our other blog post:
Israel Jerusalem The Old City.
Please see our other 7 blog posts about this historical and interesting country of Israel:
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AN - Sunday, May 30, 2010
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