Israel

I’ve spent the last few days traveling throughout Israel. I’ve learned so many new things, I feel like my brain is about to explode! While reading through the travel guide, trying to decide where to visit first, I started reading the history of the Hebrews. I learned that the Jews moved to Canaan because a leader named Abraham said that God commanded him to take the Jews there. Solomon, who was the king after the time of Abraham, built a temple for the Jews to worship and perform sacrifices in. After reading about this, my friends and I decided to go there first.

Solomon’s temple was destroyed twice, first by the Babylonians and then by the Romans. However, one wall is still remaining from it. It is called the Western wall, or wailing wall by tourists. Once part of the temple, it now serves as a place for people to send their prayers. To take part in the tradition, each of my friends and I wrote our own ‘prayer’ and stuffed them into little crevices in the wall. There were so many notes with prayers written on them and stuffed in the wall, it was hard to fit ours in! However, it was an amazing experience to be part of.

The Wailing Wall

Next we walked along the Via Dolorosa. The Via Dolorosa is said to be the path that Jesus Christ took on his way to his crucifixion. The pathway was very smooth, due to all the people who have walked it. It takes you through colorful Arab markets full of spicy colors and vivid colors. I thought this was a little ironic due to the reason this pathway is famous, but we enjoyed it very much.

A sign on the walk of the Via Dolorosa

We started off the second day with a museum about Judeo-Christian traditions. This museum was very educational and I learned so much about the beliefs of the Jews and Christians. Jews believe that every human being is created in God’s image and everyone has a divine spark that can’t be taken away. They also were given moral freedom, so everyone is responsible for their actions. I also learned how the spreading of these ideas spread throughout the world.

Our last stop in Israel was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is said to be built on top of the spot Jesus Christ was crucified and buried. It is very intricate and fancy, with gold finishing and a cross on top. Although this is a Christian church, the owners of it are actually Muslim! How ironic, right? I thought this funny fact was an excellent end to my stay in Israel. Next stop, England!

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Judeo-Christian Tradition contributions:

• Everyone is created equal
• Each individual person has worth (individual worth)
• Every person has responsibility to oppose injustice and oppression