Jerusalem views

It was another amazing day in Jerusalem I'm leaving out the politics and social commentary for now and just sharing some of the skyline. 

The Church of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives.

 A view of the Mount of Olives.

 Speaking of which, this is my first olive tree.

 The Golden Gate to the Old City. According to Jewish tradition, this gate will only open when the Messiah appears. Let's just say it didn't see much action today.

 The Jewish Old Cemetery on the lower slope of the Mount of Olives.

 The Muslim Dome of the Rock in the Old City. Behind it is the Wailing Wall, the remnants of the Jewish Temple that was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 by the legions of soon-to-be-emperor Titus.

                                     

 The Garden of Gethsemane.This place was really moving to me. In case you weren't big on the New Testament, this is where, after the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for the cup of crucifixion to be taken away but submitted in the end to the will of God. He was arrested shortly after. He was said to have brought three disciples, Peter, James and John, to wait while he prayed. They all fell asleep. This caused Jesus to unleash another of his great one-liners: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

A closer view of the Church of Mary Magdalene.

 The Lion's Gate to the Old City.

Sorry, I can't remember the name of this garden. Good though.

By tradition, although I wouldn't bet the farm on it, this is where Jesus was condemned.

Next time, more edgy.