Snow Changes Things

Our planned day was changed by the arrival of 4-5 inches of snow here in the capital.  Part of our group stayed back as use of the bus was impossible.  We walked through the snow and slush to the Jaffa Gate and entered into the Old City.  Reuben explained David's Citadel and the new excavation there that suggests it was here and not at the Antonio Fortress that Jesus was interviewed by Pilate and flogged.  That would mean the Via Dolorosa would begin here.

We walked through the Jewish Quarter, stopping at a couple overlooks.  All the shops of the Mamilla Mall were closed as well as almost all the shops in the Old City.  In fact, we tried to get into several of the historic places and they too were closed.  One Jerusalemite praised us for being hardy tourists.  She was impressed that we were out on such a day.

One stop we did make was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The traditional location of the death and burial of Jesus, Helena built this church over the place where a pagan temple had been built over the place where Jesus had been buried. As we say, this is probably the place but the feeling is what we will experience at the Garden Tomb.

Here are the sights of our day.