Wednesday, October 26 - we begin our day at this giant Menorah

The Knesset - the parliament building of Isreal

At the Israel Museum is a large scale model of Jerusalem of the first century. In the foreground is the Temple. The tall gold rimmed building in the middle is the Holy of Holies where the High Priest could enter only once a year to make a sacrifice for the people. Around that is the Holy Place where animal and burnt offerings were made. On the right side, with red tile roof, is a collonaded area where money changers and people selling animals for sacrifice did business. Jesus overturned the tables of those unscrupulous men here. The wall of the temple below this is the only remaining remnant - the Western or Wailing Wall. To the right of the Temple is the Antonia Fortress with it's four towers - one higher than the Holy Temple. This is where Pontius Pilate commanded the Roman soldiers. Right next to that is the Pools of Bethesda. Outside the city walls, at the top of the model is Calvary where Jesus was crucified. This model really helped us put in perspective all the places we had seen over the past days.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

The fountain is in the shape of the lid of the jars in which the scrolls were found. We must go down under this fountain to see the scrolls on display. The largest is the book of Isaiah - a complete scroll 760cm long.

The Holocaust Museum - named Yad Veshem - "hand pressing down". As we arrived, the clouds gathered and a brief but heavy rain fell - how appropriate - tears of the nations for one of the most black moments of history.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum but I snuck this one of the inside of a rotunda filled with pictures of those who died during the war - around the lower walls of this rotunda were hundreds of books recording the facts of each person lost.

As you exit the museum, the walls open up to an expansive view of Jerusalem - the hope of the Jewish people.

Good people in many countries saved the lives of Jews who otherwise would have been killed by the Nazis. Large walls list the names of those people who the Jewish people of Israel consider righteous for the brave things they did. Each name that is brought forward has to be vetted and documents or personal testimony must be given before their names are added to the wall.

Debbie Heikamp Putman and her husband Bob. Debbie's grandparents Lucas and Leida Koops saved the lives of two Jewish women during the war.

The Memorial to the Deportees. This is an actual train car that took Jews to concentration camps and their deaths.

This rock has been known as Golgotha - the Place of the Skull - for hundreds of years. Is this the place of Christ's crucifixion? Just nearby is the Garden with a tomb for burial.

The tomb in the garden - note the channel carved in the rock where the round stone was rolled in front of the opening of the tomb

A stone that was used to close the tomb

Inside the tomb - a prepared burial place - perhaps Christ was laid here.

We will celebrate communion here in the Garden - sharing the bread and wine and remembering Christ's sacrifice for our salvation. One of the most moving experiences of our trip.

After 9 busy days, full of information, emotion, and faith building experiences, we board our Air France flight to Paris, leaving at 7am. (We had to be at the airport at 4am for security checks) After a 5 hour trip and 1.5 hour layover, an 8 hour flight to Toronto brings us safely home. Good Bye, Israel!

Our Trip to Holland and Israel

We had the option to spend time in Holland before the Israel tour, so we decided to do this. On Sunday, October 9, after a Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter in law Tara's parents, we hefted our suitcases (and our turkey filled bodies) to the airport and boarded a KLM flight to Amsterdam

We were treated to a beautiful sunset over the north Atlantic Ocean.

We arrive in Holland on Monday morning at 8am. After getting our rental car - a Twingo by Renault - we drive north to do some exploring in small towns and villages along the inland sea, the Ijelsmeer. We spent the night at a hotel in Den Helder. It was an over cast, blustery and cool day.

Lovely traditional village of Marken

The harbour of Enkhuizen

Jack says "How good does it get! Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel beers all in a row!!!"

The Cheese Weighers Guild Hall in Alkmaar