Impression Report, Biblical Jerusalem Field Study
Andrew Sharp September, 9th, 2013
Where: We
went to a part of the old “broad” wall thrown together from rubble, we went
past the dig that wasn't too far from the Temple Mount where gold coins were
discovered recently, to an outlook above Hezekiah's Tunnel, through Hezekiah's
Tunnel, through the old sewer line that lead towards the Davidson's Center, had
lunch, went to the approximate location of the upper room went to the
Davidson's center, a ritual cleansing room called a micvah then to the south
west corner of the temple mount, the Southern Steps,
then St. Anne's church/the
sheep pools/
pools of Bethesda, then home.
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| Last stop of the day: Bethesda |
Details:
First we went to the “broad wall” a wall built by Hezekiah in response to the
approaching Assyrian army. It was hastily thrown together and as a result
wasn't as neatly built or as organized as most of the walls. Mostly it looks
like they took rock and tossed it into a pile and put some semi-faced and
semi-organized rocks on the outside edge to make it function as a wall. It even
appears to have cut through some houses in their hurry to get it built.
We passed
quickly past the location of the Ophel excavation (I believe that was the one?)
where some gold coins and artifacts were uncovered recently with quite the
claim about their age.
Then stood
far above the entrance to Hezekiah's tunnel and looked down into the Kidron
valley at lots and lots of trash. Namely the filling of the valley some 40-60
feet by all the trash that collected there through history.
Next we went
through Hezekiah's tunnel. To this day water still runs through it, though not
in the same amounts or intervals. The whole of the hike was down hill of
course, but gently so as we wandered in the dark underground shaft, to the
constant noise of our feet splashing in the ankle, calf, and sometimes
knee-high water. It was cool, but not cold (not to a Montana resident at least)
and clear. No one is entirely sure how the tunnel was built. Surely it was dug
with picks and the like, but each end of the tunnel was started about the same
time, and they met in the middle, the pick marks are evidence of that. But how
did they find each other in that solid tomb of stone? We don't know.
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| Andrew also enjoyed watching some of the excavations around the City of David |
Next we
discussed the pool of water that gathered at the bottom, possibly the pool of
Siloam. Then we went and had lunch. Mmm, lunch.
We went to
the approximate location of the upper room discussed in Acts, where the church
began. We could almost hear the sound of the great rushing wind mentioned, and
it meant more considering we have felt the nightly breezes and now know that
the writer of Acts would have been familiar with them, and unlikely to have
attributed some slight breeze with any notice. One wonders if he was thinking
of the ferocious sound of the Hamseen (spelling?) the powerful east winds.
Next we went
to the Davidson's center which discussed some of the old temple in all it's
glory. Huge, almost white in color and filled with people from all over. Surely
it would have been an amazing sight and would have made quite the impression on
those coming to see it for the first time. And it's likely that many people did
come to the new temple for their first time in a state of awe and wonder.
Appropriate for a temple to the Lord.
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| The area of Robinson's Arch |
That lead
into our walking around the south and south west section of the retaining wall.
Looking at Robinson's arch, what would have been a very large multi-section
staircase up to the temple mount. We also looked at the ritual baths known as
“Micvahs,” where one would go to be ceremonially cleansed. And we took a quick
moment to look at “the place of the trumpeting to,” a section of stone that had
that inscription. Lastly, the southern steps. Or did we go to the Davidson's
after the southern steps? I cant recall. But it was all pretty great.
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| The corner where the trumpeting inscription fell |
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