I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked- Part 2

The western wall is located at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount.  It is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard and is one of the most sacred sites in Judaism, outside of the Temple Mount itself.   Also known as the "Wailing Wall", it was constructed by Herod the Great and dates back to around 19 B.C.  Many Jews come here to offer their prayers to God by placing small slips of paper between the cracks in the stones.

Jews Praying at the "Wailing Wall"

Western Wall of the Temple Mount or "Wailing Wall"

In the southwest corner of the Old City recent archeological excavations have uncovered remains dating back to Jesus' time. On the south side of the Temple Mount steps from the first century that Jews of that time would have used to enter the temple area can now be seen . Nearby, approximately 25 feet below the present street level, lies the main street of Jerusalem of 2000 years ago. This street would have spanned the entire length of the western wall of the temple and, once again, is one of only a few places in Jerusalem of today where we can be virtually certain that we have walked on the same exact streets as Jesus walked.

Steps to the Temple

1st Century Main Street

As you gaze at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount from street level you might notice that there are stones protruding from the wall at one particular spot.  This is actually the remains of Robinson's Arch,  named after the American archeologist who identified it.  The arch supported a monumental stairway leading up to the Temple Mount plaza.  These structures were built by King Herod between 37 and 4 B.C.

Robinson's Arch Today

Robinson's Arch in King Herod's Time

Possibly the most important archeological discovery of the last 100 years was the discovery of the "Dead Sea Scrolls" at Qumran in 1947.  The scrolls that were found in caves by a shepherd boy contain some of the earliest known manuscripts of many Old Testament books.  The Shrine of the Book Museum in Jerusalem contains many of the original manuscripts found at Qumran.  Also, located behind the museum is a model of the city of Jerusalem in the time of Christ,  This 1:50 scale model, which is also topographically correct, helps the visitor visualize all of the buildings of ancient Jerusalem in 3-D format.

Shrine of the Book

Model showing Fortress of Antonio

Model Showing City of David

 Wyeth Luter, Robert Bluethman, Karen Bluethman, Wesley Brown,

Bart Huemmer & Sue Brooks View Jerusalem Model

Pool Of Bethesda Model



Model of the Temple