Israel: Holocaust Museum

We went to the Holocaust museum, devoted to "remembering." The pillars and gateway leading in to it contained a Scripture I love.

There were Scriptures thoughout.

 And military. Our two little ones did not meet the age requirement to see the museum, but went to the kids' portion with Firstborn.

The museum was beautifully created, chronological, and effective. The focus was continually on remembering and giving a voice to those the regime tried to eliminate. Case after case of display items pointed to the lives of those captured, tortured, and killed.

I really liked this Scripture, interspersed with the names of the concentration camps. It said to me, "He is here, too."

There was a small portion of the museum dedicated to the heroic efforts of those who sacrificed on behalf of the Jews. This was a hiding place for one man.

Shoes, confiscated from a concentration camp, where the owners had been cremated.

I was quite surprised at seeing the names of my children in so many places.

This was the doll of this little girl, who did survive and only died recently.

There was a beautiful display of the faces and names of all of those who others tried to eliminate, that they might be remembered.

It was very emotional, and we came out to a rainstorm. It seemed very fitting. We have watched the movie "Hiding Place," and recently Twinkle read the book The Boy in Striped Pajamas. I want my children to understand the extent of evil on this Earth, and how desperately we need Hope.

Israel: Museum

The museum was unbelievable, overwhelming, and hard to take in during just one day. I just tried to take a few photographic highlights. The girls enjoyed the Middle Eastern dress display, finding costumes from Turkey and from many different centuries.

 This was an altar from the 8th century BC.

 I found these ivory buttons, from the 14th century BC, to be charming.

There was plenty to keep the little warrior interested!

So many idols, so many false gods, found in this land. We've only to read our Old Testament to find the many times God's chosen race turned from Him.

This stone says, "And there they annointed David king."

 This was impressive to me. A small sanctuary was uncovered in Judah's southern border. Deep inside was the Holy of Holies, with a smooth standing stone, perhaps signifying God's presence, as well as two altars still bearing the remains of the last incense offered there. The sanctuary had intentionally been destroyed by King Hezekiah, who only wanted worship to be within the Temple of Jerusalem. Here is what was uncovered from the 8th century BC, made of limestone.

Earrings from the 8th-6th centuries BC.

Ancient writings, the oldest in the museum. Below is what they say.

This stone block fell from the Temple Mount during the destruction of the Temple. It says, "to the place of trumpeting..."which indicates it would have marked the place the priest would have stood to signal the beginning and end of the Sabbath.

And then we moved from ancient history to AD history. This ossuary (tomb) is for Joseph, son of Caiaphas.

And this is the original stone found in Ceasarea, with the inscription Pontius Pilate. (We had earlier seen the replica.)

I lingered here. In a burial cave in north Jerusalem, was an ossuary with the name "Yehohanan son of Hagkol," dating from the 1st century BC. The remains contained a right heel bone with an iron nail embedded in it, suggestion death by crucifixion. To date, though thousands of people were executed in this way, this is the only archaeological evidence found. They have reconstructed what was done. The legs were nailed to the sides of the post, and the hands were either tied or nailed to the crossbar. Of course, we know our dear Savior was nailed, as he invites Thomas to touch his hands. And his advice to Thomas is still for us today, "Stop doubting and believe."

So much to see, we couldn't do it all. As I was only a couple of days in my cast, I sat to rest, while the others went to see the art exhibit. To their joy, the museum contained some works of Monet! They couldn't wait to tell our art teacher.

On our way out, we stopped to see the replica of Jerusalem, including the Temple. It was about waist high. What a great museum, certainly more pieces than I've ever seen in one place!

Israel: Finishing Up Jerusalem

That night we walked back through the Old City, crossing from one quadrant to another. It was interesting to see the various people groups, Muslims, Jews, Orthodox, biding each other a happy "Good night!" as they crossed paths to their assigned quarters. The groups are not permitted to be in the "other" quadrants after sundown for security and peace. CC said it reminded him of the old cartoon Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf. Their day job was to fight to the death, but at the end of the day, they both clocked out, cheerfully greeting each other.

I haven't told you about the place where we stayed in Jerusalem. It was a small hostel which was the original home of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, born in 1858. As a boy, he studied the Torah, and his parents' hope was that he would become a rabbi. He learned three languages, but became increasingly convinced that part of the Zionist movement and the hope to reunite Jews involved getting their original language usable again. He married twice, to sisters. His first wife died of tuberculosis, leaving him with five small children. Her dying wish was that he marry her sister, so he did. Part of his plan was that his son, named Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda, would only speak this new language. No other language was to ever be spoken to his son. He even grew angry at his wife when he heard her singing a Russian lullaby to him as a baby. Indeed, the boy became the first native Hebrew speaker of the modern resurrected language. Ben-Yehuda worked to fill in gaps and create modern version of the language spoken today. He died in 1922, is buried on the Mount of Olives, and 30,000 people attended his funeral from all over the world.

To be totally honest, we had no idea we would be staying at a historical place until we got there and began reading. His home and the attached hostel is now used for groups who gather to research ongoing peace between countries. A group from Germany was there researching how to mend relations with Israel. I am glad we ended up there so I could learn this small piece of history.

Miss Middler is getting quite a knack for photography. She borrowed my camera and got these pictures of flowers at the Ben Yehuda House. Indeed, these pictures say, "shalom" to me.

We had one last day in Israel, so we decided to take in the Israel Museum.

The most famous draw of this museum, and what drew me, was the Dead Sea Scrolls. This display was a facsimile replica of the ancient scrolls, encased in a beautiful giant replica of an ancient scroll.

But these are the real ones. They rotate the portions in and out of storage to preserve them. But they always have at least one portion of Scripture on display. Here are portions from Ecclesiastes. No, I was not supposed to photograph them. I used no flash and several child lookouts, but I had to. I teach the Dead Sea Scrolls finding as authentication of Scripture to my Bible class!

It was a fun museum, and the Jews are very, very artistic and creative. This was one of my favorite photos from our trip.

More tomorrow: ancient dresses and Monet!

Israel: Garden Tomb

We then proceeded to the Garden Tomb. Some believe He was crucified, then buried in the spot where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is, others believe it is here at Golgotha and the Garden Tomb, due to the fact that we know He was crucified outside the City Walls.

For us, it was enough to see this tomb...

...and especially this.

What is most notable for me in believing it was here is this carved cross inside the tomb. The tomb was buried from 135-1880 AD. So who carved the cross? It had to be carved long ago. Disciples? First century church?

Behind us is the open door to the tomb!

                                                   

I was very overcome by it all. It's like being poured freshly pressed grape juice, in a 2 liter bottle, then being told you need to drink it all in 10 seconds. It was overwhelming and wonderful and hard to process through emotionally and spiritually all at once. The sun was setting, we knew we needed to get back through the city quarters, so we left. But I will take it all with me forever.

Israel: Golgotha's Hope

Our next place to see was what we all anticipated the most about coming to Israel: Golgotha and the Garden Tomb.

We were greeted by attendants who clearly viewed their job as an opportunity to show Christ to anyone who came to view this place. There was no fee; they are supported by donations. They greeted the kids and gave them a small book to fill in as they followed the path, in order to learn about this place and what happened here. How can I explain it except to say that the Holy Spirit fills us supernaturally, and I could tell these folks had that.

The Scriptures drew me in, I photographed all of them.

We wound our way through the path, and then came to Golgotha.

No fanfare, just a simple rock that has lasted for 2000 years. It is now facing a simple bus parking lot. The light shines where the sunken eyes and nose are.

I found that I needed to linger there, so I stayed as my husband and children moved on to the tomb. I wasn't sure how I would feel or what I would think when I saw the place that Jesus was crucified. I didn't plan or prepare how I might respond. I wanted to see what God might say to me.

When I stood there, all I could think about was my unworthiness and His deep love. Literally, a track of my life began to run through my head. So many times I have disappointed Him, and yet somehow thought I was, in some small way, righteous on my own. But I found as I stood there, the track wasn't a guilt-ridden track, sinking me into a depression at just how miserably I've failed him, it was just a deep sense that He knows it all, and yet He still came to Golgotha. I find as I type this, it is hard to put into words what happened to my heart that day. I can say that He met me there. The path my thoughts took were supernatural, and I knew He was speaking to me. All of the verses, all of the things I tell my Bible students, all of the principles by which I want to live that say, "It's all Him. It's none of me." took on a deep, deep meaning in my life and touched my soul. And I just felt an overwhelming sense of thankfulness and humility.

I found it ironic that I basically hobbled to get there. Each step that long day through crowded streets was taken with a surgical boot the size of a ski boot. It was a struggle to keep up. I was out of breath. In pain. Leaning on the arms of others. But then I made it there, just as the sun was setting, and He met me there. He had been waiting there for me. It was a small picture of "me." I'm pretty much crippled all the time. Struggling, limping, incapable of meeting a standard of perfection. But He never moved away impatiently. He just waited there. And when I arrived, He basically showed me that the way to walk is to let Him carry me because His perfect righteousness is, somehow, through Someone, Jesus Christ, transferred to me. I fully realize there are friends reading this blog who do not have this. And I can only tell you that if that moment, there, alone with the Lord, is a small taste of heaven, I want to spend eternity there. And I want you to spend eternity there. Begin your journey! Limp to Him!

Another strange thing that happened in my heart was that for the first time in my entire life, at 42 years old, I felt that I was truly ready to go to Him. Of course, leaving behind my husband and kids all the people I love would be sad. But I just felt so connected to Him at that moment, that I agreed with Him that I would be ready, whenever He called. I remember a time or two in my life feeling panic at the thought of dying. Panic at what I would leave behind. But that changed that day. These are the lessons He spoke to my heart.

There was a small church group sitting on the pews, taking communion, so we joined them.

And then we proceeded on to the Garden Tomb.