Bethlehem

Due to our flight getting changed, we had less time in Israel. It was for this reason that we chose to do a day tour of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea in one day. Also, Saturday is the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, which means public transport plus most shops and eateries are closed.

The morning started when we arrived in Jerusalem, which is around an hour drive from Tel Aviv. Jerusalem’s old town is a walled city made up of four quarters - the Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Orthodox quarters. First we visited the Western Wall which is significant as it is the closest and oldest remnant of the Temple Mount, which was built by Solomon on land purchased by his father King David. The site is significant as it is where Abraham came to sacrifice his son Isaac. Later, the temple was burnt down by the Romans and the Western Wall was the only remains. Now, a mosque sits on the site of the original temple and until the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, Jews were denied access to the wall. Now, Jews from all around the world come to visit, touch and pray at the wall, making it the most important historical site for Jewish people. During our time in the Western Wall plaza, we had the opportunity to touch the wall.

Next we moved into the Christian quarter. Here, we visited the first, and most important Christian Church - The Church of Sepulchre. This church holds the sites of the most important biblical events, including the the site where Jesus was crucified and resurrected. The tomb where Jesus’ body laid was also in the church but the line was too long for us to have time to go inside. From Jerusalem, you can also see the Mount of Olives, the site where Jesus ascended into heaven.

After touring around the quarters of Jerusalem, we hopped back on the bus and headed for Bethlehem, to visit the Church of Nativity. This is the oldest church where services still take place. The building is made up of three worship areas - for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Greek Orthodox Christians. This church is also the site of the birth of Jesus. Again, the line into the actual area where Jesus was born was just too long, but we were able to catch a glimpse by peering down the exit.

After lunch, we traveled though the Judea desert to the Dead Sea. On the way, we passed by Jericho and the rolling dunes of the desert.

The Dead Sea was an incredible experience. The sea is 33% salt and the lowest place on earth. We floating around easily and smeared mud on our bodies to extract as many good minerals from the area as we could! After the swim I felt salty for hours!Read more