A few months ago my wife Molly & I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel as part of an amazing journey with the Israel Collective. These are my journal entries over the course of the trip. Today’s post is the third installment. More to come!

Walking through the Garden of Gethsemane

DAY FOUR / 2.11.22 / Late Morning / The Garden of Gethsemane

I’m currently seated among the olive trees in the same garden where Christ was arrested on the night of His betrayal. To the west is the Temple Mount and to the east is the Mount of Olives (where we enjoyed the view yesterday). The Kidron Valley (where we are now) lays in-between. Yoav is currently reading to us from Matthew, “Not my will but your will be done.”

The birds chirp while LOTS of cars pass outside the walls of the garden. It’s Friday and from the Temple Mount you can hear Muslim prayers. If you look up you can see the Dome of the Rock sitting atop the spot where the Holy of Holies once stood inside the Jewish Temple. Even earlier in world history, this sacred space was the very location where Abraham bound Isaac. Now I hear honking car horns beyond the garden walls. Quite a crossroads we have here.

The garden is an oasis. The olive trees are very old with thick, gnarled trunks and young, sage colored leaves. The garden paths are lined with rosemary and if you reach out and touch the scent lingers on your hand. Just somethings I’ve noticed.

We began the day with a trip to the Garden Tomb - an idyllic spot near the Old City. It is among the locations which claims the possible site of Christ’s tomb & resurrection. I loved it. Even if it’s not the historical spot, it captured your imagination & spirit. You walked through a small gate into a lovingly tended garden. Eventually you came to a rocky hill where they know criminals were once punished - a stony outcropping which Britain’s General Gordon (of Khartoum fame) thought resembled a skull. Our guide was a charming English woman named Anne. She had a very gentle & caring energy, like a sort of treasured aunt. Anne recounted the history of the site and then recited the scriptural passages which told the story of Christ’s death. I soon had a lump in my throat. After a short walk back through the garden path winding around an ancient wine press, we made our way to the tomb itself. Anne brought us to the tomb entrance and recited the passage from John where the risen Christ reveals Himself to Mary … a personal favorite of mine. We took turns inside the tomb and then found a small chapel where we all shared communion together. So moving. Just what you want the experience to be.

Afterward came our bus ride to the Kidron Valley. Now here we are in Gethsemane - rosemary, honking horns and all.

[Later that day]

Our driver maneuvers the bus through impossibly narrow streets and we head up to another overlook. We have lunch at an Arab owned restaurant with a commanding view of the city. Fittingly, the restaurant is named City View. Time for more shawarma. After this comes a visit to the Old City. It’s walled and feels ancient - but we learn how the city has been leveled & rebuilt many times. The current ‘Old City’ which visitors experience is more medieval than biblical in outward appearance. The truly ancient sites are visible in pockets and exposed through excavation. We see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - a more likely historical site for Christ’s death & resurrection. Grand as it is, it lacks the simple joy of the Garden Tomb.

Along the way, we visit a Jewish artist named Udi who connects with Molly. He tells her that she’s meant to do something important - something which helps people. He gifts her a small painting and then gives her a smile and words of encouragement. How kind! Molly is appreciative and tears are shed. Here comes that lump in my throat again.

[End of the Day]

Tonight we went to the Western Wall at sundown on shabbat. It was remarkable. I’ve decided that it’s a misnomer to refer to the place as “the wailing wall” (at least on the sabbath) because the thousands of people there were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. They came to share & experience joy. There was singing & dancing, great energy, and vibrant prayer. As we approached the wall at sundown you could hear the nearby call to prayer for Muslims emanating from the Al-Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount. A collision of cultures if ever there was one.

The prayer area at the Western Wall is divided into two gendered sections - women to the right and men to the left. Young Israeli soldiers stood guard, but also chatted freely among themselves and with others as we walked toward the wall. We arrived at the entry area where we were all issued yarmulkes. We were also admonished that there would be no photos. Good. Visitors are forbidden to bring phones / cameras so it afforded you an opportunity for mindfulness.

A Wikipedia image of the Western Wall at night. Our visit was MUCH more crowded.

Historically speaking, the wall is what remains of the Second Jewish Temple which was built/renovated during the time of Herod. It’s made of light brown stone and looms tall above you in great segmented blocks which are stacked high. It’s the most sacred site in Judaism and our visit coincided with the holiest day of the week. At the base of the wall were gathered Jewish men of all stripes. Thousands of people. There were Hasidim with their hats, ringlets and long coats of black, reformed men in modern dress, and still others in-between. There were fathers with sons, brothers in arms, and hundreds of young students come over from the nearby Yeshiva. Everyone was having a joyous time. I kept looking about to see groups of men, arm-in-arm, interlocked in circular dances (like you might see at a wedding). Many prayed facing the wall and rocked back and forth while doing so. This is a method to help focus your prayer effort by uniting mind and body.

I walked around with a wide smile and open eyes trying to take it all in. You couldn’t help but realize that this was a unique & singular life experience. I offered a brief prayer at the wall myself by leaving a written note tucked inside one of the walls many cracks. No rocking required.

Afterwards we enjoyed shabbat dinner at the home of a local friend named Nathaniel. Unsurprisingly, the matzoh ball soup was delicious.

If you want to learn more about the Israel Collective, click HERE. If you’d like to learn more about our great tour guide, Yoav Rotem, click HERE.

Historic America in Israel: Aaron's Travel Journal PART 3