Day 11: Thursday, February 16

Today we focused on sites related to the Biblical passages concerning Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. Our goal was to understand why He was crucified, how He was buried, and what it meant to the Jewish people of the First Century that He was raised from the dead. We began our day with a panoramic overlook of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, the site of Jesus’ ascension to heaven and His future second coming. After viewing a tomb from the time of Jesus, we walked down the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane. Next we crossed the Kidron Valley and entered the Old City through Stephen’s Gate, stopping to examine the remains of the Pool of Bethesda. We walked parts of the Via Dolorosa, stopping at several of the places mentioned in the Bible, and arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the most likely site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. We visited St. Peter in Gallicantu, a possible site of the prison where Jesus was held. We ended our tour with a reflective time at a site that wonderfully illustrates Jesus’ burial and resurrection, the peaceful Garden Tomb. Overnight: Christ Church Guesthouse, Old City, Jerusalem