Since today is the Sabbath, we have the morning free. As we stood on our balcony this morning and looked out over the town, it was amazing to see only one or two cars on the streets and no public buses running. We thought Haifa was quiet, but Jerusalem looks like a ghost town in comparison. One minute Jerusalem is a bustling city and the next minute it is almost still. Since one bank of elevators is designated for Shabbat and they were all jam packed, we ended up walking down 14 floors to the restaurant for a mostly cold, mediocre breakfast. After breakfast we went to the Israel Museum, a 30 minute walk from our hotel and one of the few things open. Of course today it decided to rain. We saw portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book (had previously seen where they were discovered). Walked through some of the art galleries, the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden and saw a great model of Jerusalem as it looked in the year 66 CE. After our usual lunch today we had an optional tour of the Christian Quarter. We saw the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other notable sites as we walked down the Via Dolorosa. We were on the rooftops of the Ethiopian Monastery area and climbed three flights of stairs in a hostel that used to be a church to get another great view of the Dome of the Rock. We exited the walled city through the Muslim Quarter at the Damascus Gate then went to Gethsemane to see Absalom's Pillar and Tomb of Zechariah. While there we heard the Muslim call to prayer echoing through the old city. We have seen so many old tombs/grave sites it is hard to keep them all straight. Dinner was at our hotel. We have an early wake up call tomorrow since we are headed to Eilat.
Shabbat at Leisure, Israel Museum, Christian Tour
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Jerusalem, Israel
Other Entries
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1Israel Itinerary
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2Early Departure to JFK and beyond
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3Arrival in a New Country
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4Touring Tel Aviv and Old Jaffa
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5To Haifa via Caesarea and Atlit
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6Haifa & Tel Megiddo/Druze Village Tour
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7To the Galilee via Akko & Safed
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8Galilee including Golan Heights and Katzrin
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9To Jerusalem via Beit Shean, Bet Alpha, and Qumran
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10Jerusalem, A day of contrasts
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11Jerusalem, Old City
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12Jerusalem, Free time and ushering in the Sabbath
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13Shabbat at Leisure, Israel Museum, Christian Tour
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14To Eilat via Dead Sea & Massada
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15Petra
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16To airport via Mitzpe Ramon and other Negev Sights
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17The Long Flight Home, 1st Leg
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18The Flight to Las Vegas and Final Thoughts
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2025-02-07