Can you see what I see?

We started the day on the Mount of Olives. From this vantage point, we could see the entire city of Jerusalem below. We could imagine this as the backdrop as Jesus:

Answered his disciples’ question about the sign of his presence (Matt 24)
Continued his ride on colt into Jerusalem (Luke 19)
Told his disciples that he was soon to die and they would all be stumbled (Mark 14)

Jerusalem stands some 2,500 ft above sea level which made it one of the highest capital cities in the world during its peak and yet from this perspective it appears almost hidden since the Mount of Olives stands another 120 ft higher. Jerusalem is surrounded by 3 steep valleys (Kidron, Hinnom, Cheesemakers) which served as a natural defense. That’s why there are 3 walls built on the North side of the city by the time of Rome’s attack in 70 CE (the last of which was built just a few years before that war).

Nearby, we visited the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas betrayed Jesus. This Garden was outside of the city walls and was another area where Jesus went with his disciples. Mainly because most of his disciples were from Galilee and thus not well regarded by Romans. So this is why Judas knew where to find Jesus and the others on the night of Pentecost 33 CE.

It was something to see the Garden so full of olive trees - which are hollow in the middle making it difficult to know how old they are. But it is known that 2 of the trees are at least 1,000 years old and they are still producing olives. And that the press process used to make olive oil can be considered symbolic of Jesus’ agony on his last night there.

At the Israel museum, we saw a model of how Jerusalem would have looked a few years before it was destroyed by the Romans. It was like going back in time seeing this replica at the same view we had of modern-day Jerusalem earlier that morning. And it also helped that I had my diagram map from our study bible to follow along as key features were identified.

Also at the museum we saw an impressive exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls (no pictures allowed). Avi, our tour guide, pointed out the first reference to Jehovah’s namely Isaiah 1:2 in the scroll on display. The story of how these scrolls were written, how they have survived for over 2000 years, and how they were discovered and restored is strong evidence that the Bible we have today is really God’s original word. And it is yet another example of how God can, by any means necessary, preserve (and fulfill) his word.