Mount of Olives, Herodion, and Bethlehem

June 20th
Today we spent time on the Mount of Olives where we saw the Garden of Gethsemane and All Nations Church, then we stopped at a vineyard, went to the Herodion, and went to Bethlehem.

I loved spending time on the Mount of Olives. It has a beautiful view overlooking Jerusalem. We walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified. There is a small garden with olive trees that may be up to 1500 years old. The trees look ancient with their wide bottoms that have split off and tangle together. Right next to the garden is the All Nations Church. The outside of the church has a beautiful mural with Jesus praying in the middle facing up to heaven. Inside the church the stained glass is dark, letting in little light, in order to commemorate the night Jesus prayed in the garden and was betrayed by Judas. This created a contemplative, powerful effect, setting it apart from other churches I have been in. There were people from all over the world sitting in the pews, praying, and observing the different aspects of the church. I sat behind two nuns and listened as one of the people from our group played “It is Well With My Soul” on the organ. I felt at peace, and like I had walked into a space that is always in a state of commemorating this event and capturing the feeling it holds. I felt like Jesus was speaking to me that he knows suffering far more than I can even imagine. And he bore this suffering so that I wouldn’t have to. It was so meaningful to know that Jesus deeply understands my suffering, he has been through even greater pain, and I can release my suffering to him because he has chosen to bear it for me.

From there we stopped at a vineyard. On one side was a fertile, healthy vineyard and on the other side was the natural terrain of thorns and bushes. I could also see where a vine was still growing in the earth but was choked out by the thorns and bushes. We also saw the remains of a watchtower there. It was just like reading parables in the Bible!

Then we went to the Herodion, which was Herod’s summer palace and the place of his burial. It is carved out of a mountain, looking like a volcano. We could see the remains of a huge swimming pool, which would have been very luxurious in the heat here in Israel. We also saw Herod’s tomb, where his body was carried from Jericho all the way to this location. The top of the Herodion has a view of the wilderness where David shepherded and fled from Saul, as well as the homeland of Amos. It also has a view of Bethlehem, making me realize how dangerous it would have been for Jesus to be born there with Herod in pursuit of him.

From the Herodion we went to Bethlehem. Bethlehem is under Palestinian control and can be difficult going in and out of. We went to the traditional location of Jesus’ birth, which is a huge church with multiple altars inside. The church was crowded with tourists and the site of Jesus’ birth was a small room, so it was cramped and stuffy. Everything was gaudy and felt tourist oriented. On the street in Bethlehem were vendors selling plastic baby Jesus dolls. It felt like such a contrast from the All Nations Church, and to be honest was kind of disappointing. In coming to Israel I had no idea that churches had been built over all the important biblical sites. I was expecting Calvary to be a hill and Bethlehem to have a stable! So I think I am still adjusting to the way these biblical events have turned into ornate commemorative creations. There is still beauty in the churches and altars, but in some of them it feels like the meaning of what they are commemorating has been lost in all the show.