Day 7 kept us in Jerusalem for our last day before departing for Jordan tomorrow. We started the day by visiting the Tunnel of Hezekia and Siloam. Some of us chose to walk the “wet” tunnel despite the waist-high water; others chose the “dry” tunnel. Both brought water to the city.

Our next stop was the Temple Mount which we entered via a wooden bridge since we are not Muslim. At the end of the bridge Jews go to the right and are accompanied by armed Palestinian soldiers and non-Jews go to the left. This is the most sensitive spot in the world. The rules for visitors are strict: no praying, no religious items, no displays of affection even between family members, no inappropriate clothes. We saw the Dome of the Rock, the Dome of the Chain, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

We spent the remainder of the day touring the following:

The Upper Room (Cenaculum)- possible

site of The Last Supper

King David’s Tomb

Mount of Olives

Garden of Gethsemane-The garden at Gethsemane, a place whose name literally means “oil press,” is located on a slope of the Mount of Olives just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. A garden of ancient olive trees stands there to this day. Jesus frequently went to Gethsemane with His disciples to pray (John 18:2). The most famous events at Gethsemane occurred on the night before His crucifixion when Jesus was betrayed. Each of the Gospel writers describes the events of that night with slight variations, so reading the four accounts (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11) will give an accurate picture of that momentous night in its entirety.

As the evening began, after Jesus and His disciples had celebrated the Passover, they came to the garden. At some point, Jesus took three of them—Peter, James and John— to a place separated from the rest. Here Jesus asked them to watch with Him and pray so they would not fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41), but they fell asleep. Twice, Jesus had to wake them and remind them to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. This was especially poignant because Peter did indeed fall into temptation later that very night when three times he denied even knowing Jesus. Jesus moved a little way from the three men to pray, and twice He asked His Father to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but each time He submitted to the Father’s will. He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death,” but God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43).

After this, Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, arrived with a “multitude” of soldiers, high priests, Pharisees, and servants to arrest Jesus. Judas identified Him by the prearranged signal of a kiss which he gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter took a sword and attacked a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and miraculously healed the man’s ear. It’s surprising that witnessing this amazing miracle of healing had no effect on the multitude. Neither were they shaken by His awesome display of power as described in John 18:5-6, where either at the majesty of His looks, or at the power of His words, or both, they became like dead men, falling to the ground. Nevertheless, they arrested Him and took Him to Pontius Pilate, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.

St. Peter in Gallicantu under which is the cell where Jesus was detained the night he was arrested.

Church of all Nations-stands near the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and is built over the rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night before he was crucified.

Bethesda Pool-where Jesus performed on of his miracles, that of healing the paralyzed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred,” an event believed to have curative powers

Church of St. Anne-a very well preserved Crusader Church and is the site of the home of Jesus’ maternal grandparents, Anne and Joachim

Because many of these sites involved the last days of Jesus’ life, it was an emotionally difficult day but very enlightening.