January 27, 2000. Tuesday morning, I was greeted with a chilly breeze and overcast skies. The weather was less than cheerful, but it did not matter. I was going to Jerusalem! After breakfast, we met for class at 8 AM. Bill Schlegel introduced some of the geographical features of Jerusalem, and gave a brief historical survey of the land. The lecture only served to whet my appetite more for what lay ahead. At 9 AM, we were dismissed to go pack our sack lunches and gather all our belongings, and by 9:30, we were loading up the bus and on our way.
40 excited faces peered out the windows of the bus as we meandered up the Judean Hill Country. The weather was beginning to clear, and our anticipation was rapidly growing. Half an hour later, we approached the “Old City” of Jerusalem. As you probably guessed, the “Old City” stands in contrast to the “New City,” which has largely been constructed in the last fifty years.
Half of the group, led by Randy Cook, disembarked the bus near Jaffa Gate (on the west side of the old city wall) and the other half of us, led by Bill Schlegel, continued onward to Damascus Gate (on the North side of the city wall. This Gate, like a few of the other seven gates, is named because of the city or region that it faces. Damascus is much further to the north, in modern Syria.
Another example would be “Jaffa Gate,” which is named because it faces west to Jaffa/Biblical Joppa). It was here, at Damascus Gate, that our Jerusalem adventure began. After a few moments of lecture, Bill led us to an alternate entrance immediately below the Damascus Gate. This entrance took us through a small tunnel and then opened into a large chamber that was most likely a guard station.
Adjacent to this room was a stone stairway that spiraled several stories up, all the way to the top of the Old City Wall. From here, looking south, we caught our first glimpse of the Old City, with houses scattered about and the famous Dome of the Rock conspicuously rising out of the city in the Southeast. After a few minutes, we journeyed eastward along the top of the wall. Below us on the right was the Moslem quarter of the city. A group of children waved and yelled at us as we walked by. They seemed friendly enough…until a little girl started throwing rocks at me! Don’t worry, this Stephen was not stoned to death on this visit to Jerusalem. In fact, I caught the first rock she threw, and was tempted to throw it back at her. However, common sense (and my conscience) told me to refrain.
We eventually reached the northeast corner of the Old City, which offered us a breathtaking view of the Mt. of Olives a short distance to the east. Perhaps a mile of valley separated us from the higher mountain beyond. Standing along the top of the wall, we gazed out across the Kidron Valley, and together, we read Zech 14: “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south…and the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”
My friends, let me tell you, this place is real! It is nothing less than breathtaking to consider both the past and the future of this monumental site. Here Christ ascended, and here, we know He will return. We followed the city wall southward and descended into the eastern bloc of the city. Here, we learned and saw firsthand the Pools of Bethesda. Bill even gave us a few minutes to explore some of the cisterns and climb around on the ancient walls. Then, we entered St. Anne’s Cathedral, and Bill asked me to conduct the group of students in singing “It is Well With My Soul.” What an experience! Our voices danced throughout the giant cathedral, echoing the beauty of God’s lovingkindness.
By early afternoon, we were standing at St. Stephen’s Gate on the eastern side. We had lunch along the Via Dolorosa, and then traveled south until we reached the famous Western Wall (also known as the “Wailing Wall”). We stayed here for a while, and were able to go right up to the wall itself. How heartbreaking to see God’s chosen people chattering their Jewish prayers in vain repetition! If only they understood the Truth.
Well, I’m running out of time, so I’ll make a long story short: We exited the Old City through the Zion Gate on the South, and then followed the perimeter around to Jaffa Gate on the western side, stopping to view the Hinnom Valley to the southwest. We then entered the city once again and walked around for a while, seeing “David’s Citadel” (which was really built by Herod), Shaaban’s shop (which is heavily frequented by IBEX students every semester; he’s about the only shopkeeper in town who can be trusted; he offers a fair price for his merchandise without a lot of haggling), and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the traditional site of Calvary and Jesus’ tomb).
How would I summarize my first impressions of the city? I had been forewarned about the “dirtiness” of Jerusalem, so it didn’t take me by surprise. The tourist atmosphere is annoying, but I guess it can’t be avoided. The many religious chantings and practices brought tremendous burden upon my heart. I loved seeing the places that I’ve learned about all my life. It made me want to go back there and spend time alone with the Lord.
25 years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Israel for a semester through the Master’s College IBEX program. To celebrate the 25th anniversary, I’m sharing highlights from my journal, emails, and photos. Feel free to share your own IBEX memories here as well!
Pinch Of Clay 