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Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives

Winding through the old city

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JERUSALEM...... A holy city to Moslems, Jews, and Christians, Old Jerusalem was a delight to wander. Once arriving in the Old City, it wasn't hard to find someone willing to guide me through the narrow, winding streets to a cheap place to stay. With that settled, I headed off on my own -- without a map -- to explore the maze of winding streets. I first stumbled my way to the Wailing Wall and then the Dome of the Rock mosque. Eventually I roamed around and discovered the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

There were two places in Jerusalem to see where Christ was crucified and buried. One location was in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. One upper room was claimed to be the actual location where the cross had been placed. Another lower chamber held the tomb. It was good to visit, and felt very holy, but I still preferred the hill of Golgotha and the neighboring Garden Tomb.

It was a truly amazing experience to walk through a city with such an important role in the history of the world. In some sections of the old city, it felt as if little had changed since Jesus and St. Paul walked the same streets. In other places a lot had changed. Jerusalem was a huge bustling city and the tourism industry was in full gear. My favorite place to rest and recover was the very peaceful Garden Tomb.

If you want to see more of the sites in Old Jerusalem, you know what to do.

Copyright 2001 by Phillip Martin All rights reserved.