Monday morning we started our day touring the Tomb of Samuel. It is the traditional burial site of the biblical Hebrew prophet Samuel, atop a steep hill and situated to the north of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot. We climbed steep stairs to see Jerusalem from the top of the mosque built in the 18th century. It was formerly a church. The tomb itself is located in an underground chamber where a small synagogue is located. I was fortunate to have my picture taken with a group of Jewish students on the roof of the mosque.

Once we left the Tomb of Samuel, we were on our way to the Garden Tomb.

Just outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem is a small hill with a Moslem cemetery that many Protestants believe to be the burial site of Jesus. 

"and He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha."  Luke 19:17 In 1867 a quiet enclosure containing two chambers was discovered near "Skull Hill". British General Gorden was a leading advocate for this site to be the purported place of the Crucifixion. It was purchased by the Garden Tomb Association of London in 1893. Because the site has all the details described in the Gospels, the Garden Tomb is a center for Christian meditation. After seeing the Garden Tomb we had a brief but exceptional devotional in one of the gardens, led by fellow traveler Dr. Jack Wilhelm. 
 
From the Garden Tomb we visited The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum. It contains the priceless biblical scrolls and scroll fragments discovered by the Bedouins at Qumran.  Also on display at the Museum is a 1:50 scale model of the City of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple, the time of Jesus. The model is made of marble, stone, copper and wood.
 
Now it was time to head toward Bethlehem. As we approached the walls of Bethlehem I noticed signs indicating we were entering a Palestinian territory. The girl at the military checkpoint, albeit nice, would not grant Bambi and Yuval entrance into the City. We pulled into a nearby parking lot and waited. I'll never forget pulling up in front of a dumpster and seeing numerous cats fleeing in haste. There were so many stray cats around, most seemingly healthy. I guess they survived off of scraps. My mom would have tried to take as many as she could home with her. Now that I think of it, I might have packed one or two in my suitcase if I could.


George eventually showed up and we changed buses. George, an Arab Christian, took us to a restaurant inside the walls of Bethlehem where we had a buffet lunch. From there we met our tour guide, Essah, who took us to the Church of the Nativity and to the Shepherds' Field.

The Apostle Luke tells the story (Luke 2:1-7) of the census ordered by Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed, or enrolled, in his own city. Because Joseph was of the lineage of David, and Bethlehem was the "city of David", he took his wife, Mary, "being great with child" from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be "taxed".    "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room in the inn."

The grotto where Jesus was born has been sacred from the very beginnings of Christianity. The first church was built over the grotto by orders of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine and his mother, the Empress Helena, in the first half of the 4th century.


This church was partially destroyed during the Samaritan revolt of the 6th century. The original entrance was filled in and made low and narrow in order to protect it from the Moslem invaders and to prevent them from entering on horseback.  This entrance is called "the Door of Humility".   


East of Bethlehem is the Shepherds' Field where the Angel appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of Jesus: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."  Here we walked down into a cave in the Shepherds' Field where shepherds would herd their sheep to protect them from inclement weather.

 
We were done touring Bethlehem and now it was time to meet back up with Bambi and Yuval outside the City walls.

On our way back to Jerusalem that evening, Yuval asked Bambi to pull over when he spotted a rather large group of young Israeli soldiers.  Our group got off the bus and enjoyed photo sessions with the soldiers, who seemed very ecstatic to get so much attention from a strange bunch of tourists!  




As we drove back to our hotel that night we passed the Western Wall where I was able to take a picture with the moon in the backdrop.