This Year In Jerusalem

    Well, The City has so many facets one wonders where to attempt to catch any part of it's significance. Thousands of years of history compacted into a bustling modern city where new archaeological finds are cropping up constantly.

                                   The Old City from the Mt of Olives

     Now zoomed in some on the Eastern (Golden) Gate. Muslims many centuries ago buried their own dead in front of this gate to the dismay of Jewish folks.

                                                    Jewish Cemetery in the  forefront

Jewish Cemetery also to the left. Some want to buried as close to the Eastern Gate as possible since it is prophesied the Lord will return through this gate first.

Now we walked down in front of the Golden Gate which was walled in by the Muslims in 810, reopened by the Crusaders it was closed  by Saladin after regaining Jerusalem in 1187.  Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt it together with the city walls,  but walled up again in 1541, and it stayed that way (wikipedia).

                                       The Church of All Nations opened in 1924 from donations by 12 countries

                                                        It sports a modern organ

The Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized and prayed before his arrest

Olive trees will not die unless the roots are removed also

This one is estimated to be over a 1,100 years old

The Upper Room - Jesus last meal and Communion with the disciples

King Davids tomb -wonder if people will come to see mine after 2 or 3,000 years?

(very likely not the correct one -as our guide has said-"Don't spoil a good story with the facts")

Must have a harp with King David - of course

The Dung Gate probably named after the residue from the Jewish

Temple discarded into the Valley of Hinnom 

A defensive slot in case invaders made it past the main gate for archers

The "hole" at the bottom added later for firearms

Made some friends with a group of Jewish youth in The Old City

Bagels in Jerusalem, Yummy!