I originally thought I would just post pictures of my trip to Israel on Facebook, but after I realized how much I was going to see, and the amount of pictures I had, I realized how incredibly obnoxious it would be for me to blow up Facebook with all of that. SO I'm actually posting on the blog! First time in 3 years friends!
I got this fortune about two weeks before my trip.:)
I sent this to my niece when I boarded my flight to Tel Aviv.
We weren't positive, but we thought this was the entrance to a Mosque.
Looking at Tel Aviv
Old stone steps
Love that door
Angela and Jason
The next morning we headed North to Akko. Akko has so much history, but we saw all the Crusader ruins. Not so much ruins because it was all in great condition. We walked through the Templar tunnels and ate lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the Crusader Harbor. We toured the Citadel and the Sea wall. It was a really amazing day! So beautiful to stand in those ruins right on the Mediterranean.
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Crusader Port
Lunch and trying to message my husband.
Love this guy! He's a sweet one!
Marketplace in Akko. The merchants would set out their goods in the bottom arches and sleep on the second level above.
Courtyard of the Citadel
Yummy sweets
So pretty!
Another courtyard
The food was so yummy!
On the sea wall
Damascus Gate leading in to the old city
Me sitting in the Church of all Nations
Very old olive tree. Here is some really interesting information about the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.
From there we went to the tomb of Mary, where they say Mary was buried. And then we started a long and very steep climb up to the Tomb of the Prophets.
Looking down into the church where Mary's tomb is.
Mary's Tomb. People leave notes and prayers.
Praying and writing a note
The Tomb of the Prophets
There was a sweet old man that does the tours there and he led us down into a very dark cave with little candles lighting our way to the tombs of Zachariah, Haggai and Malachi. It was too dark to take pictures, but there were large holes in the walls of the cave where the tombs were. It was pretty cool.
From there we went to a sort of overlook that looks toward the Old City of Jerusalem.
Walk back down.
Kidron Valley
Jerusalem
The largest Jewish cemetery in the world. According to Jewish tradition, it is here that the Resurrection of the dead would begin once The Messiah appears on the Mount of Olives and head toward the Temple Mount.
The Mount of Olives was amazing! My only regret is that I didn't get a chance to go back. It was so moving to stand in a place where there is such rich Christian history. Christ wept for Jerusalem there. He ascended to heaven there. Oh my word! It was the perfect way to start things because it only got better from there.
This was the first two days, I'll do the next two days in my next post since they were extremely full!