"Up to Yerusalayem"

Leaving Jericho, one quickly feels the effort the bus makes to go from about 850 below sea level to what will be 2550 feet above sea level, depending on what part of Jerusalem one is actually in. Regardless of where one lives in Israel, he or she would certainly “ascend” if they were going to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not the highest point in Israel, that honor goes to Mount Hermon, however my impression is that it is certainly one the highest. Psalms 120-134 are called “Psalms of Ascent” for the very reason that these were recited as one ascended to the Holy City.
I was excited for Tracee because I remembered very clearly the excitement I felt the very first time I went up to Jerusalem. It had been a very holy moment for me when Judah and I first “went up to” Jerusalem in 2005.

One sees neighborhoods on both the east and west side of the road and then finally after going around a turn the Old City comes in to view with the temple mount and all the churches in and around the Mount of Olives and the Old City. Even modern constructions in Jerusalem have a very unique architecture. Jerusalem is actually built on many hills; (Psalm 121) and valleys. It is spread out and even without the large cement dividing wall between east and west Jerusalem the architectural differences speak reference to the respective Jewish and Arab neighborhoods. One goes from country to city very quickly in Jerusalem, at least approaching from the east as we did coming from Jericho. We did stop at a check point outside of the city and Israeli army guards boarded the bus and very nicely walked through the bus checking us out.

Our plan was to go straight to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane, but we were not sure we would be able to do so as the day before there had been some rock throwing protesters in that area and tours are usually diverted away from trouble spots. Nevertheless, by the time we arrived on the Mount, it was clear that all was quiet and Yoni had known earlier that it would be ok.

There is a view from the Mt. of Olives across the Kadar Valley that is absolutely breathtaking: one can gaze across the valley to the Temple Mount with the Al Asqa mosque and Dome of the Rock on top, then drift closer to the many churches that dot the Mount of Olives including the gold plated Orthodox church, etc. and finally one is captured by hundreds of white stone above-ground tombs that make up the old Jewish cemetery on the Mt. of Olives. Of course that description does no justice to the beauty that is the view of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives, yet breath taking it is!

Jerusalem: built up and torn down countless times, place of Religion and war; claimed by East and West; called the place of peace (salem is a form of shalom); yet the place where The Final Battle will be fought…Holy City…beloved by our LORD Jesus…it is beyond my understanding. She is now deep, deep, deep in my heart and under my skin! I recall while writing this…pray for the peace of Jerusalem…pray that it will be as its’ name means!