Jerusalem is Israel’s largest city by surface, but has less population than Tel Aviv.  Overstating the historical significance of Jerusalem would be difficult.  The Old City of Jerusalem is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to the cornerstones of three faiths, Judaism, Islam and Christianity with approximately 460,000 Jews, 225,000 Muslims, and 15,000 Christians.

Religion has the power to unite people with set rules, beliefs and traditions.  A Christian, Muslim or Jew in the USA,  Asia or Africa will all have relatively the same teachings based on their specific faiths.  This creates a beautiful sense of community.

On the other hand, Religion has as much, if not more, power to divide.  There is discord both amongst, as well as within each of the three faiths and their sects.  Catholics and Protestants, Shia and Sunni, Orthodox or Conservative etc.  Consequently, there has been much violence amongst and within the three for as long as they’ve been practiced.

The Western Wall, The Dome of the Rock and The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, along with numerous synagogues, mosques, churches, their associated traditions and teachings have anchored these faiths to the city for millennia.

We’ve traveled the world in a secular way to some of the most holy places for many faiths.  I’ve done my best to research, and experience aspects of these religions, and don’t intend offence to anyone reading.  I’ll simply tell you what we saw in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Western Wall – The Kotel

If you’ve ever seen a travel show about Jerusalem, you’ve seen the Western Wall with the extraordinarily devout Jewish people rocking back and forth whilst praying or reciting the book of psalms.  (Some visit the site daily to recite the entire book.)  The Prayer Plaza is a site of pilgrimage for Jews and non-Jews world-wide.

Visitors tuck slips of paper with prayers and requests into the wall in hopes that they’ll be answered.  Tradition says a person who goes to the Western Wall, and prays for 1 request for 40 consecutive days will have that request granted.  FYI: You can even sign up on-line to have someone make the 40 days of prayer for you by proxy, for a fee of course!

But, why is it more effective to pray at the Western Wall than anywhere else?!?  What’s wrong with praying at a  neighbourhood synagogue, home, etc.? Couldn’t the person just make the request from Albuquerque if needed? The answer can be sweetly summed up with a quick Google search for some Rabbinical wisdom.

…although G‑d is everywhere, His light shines stronger in some places than in others. He compares this to the human body: You are everywhere in your body, yet you are far more conscious of your mind than of your toes. So too, in the universe that G‑d created, there are places, times and states of being where we are able to be more aware of Him—and it is from those places/times/states that our prayers can fly best.

from: http://www.chabad.org

We arrived in Jerusalem during Jewish holiday of Shavuot, and saw thousands of people making their way to the Wall.  The assortment of religious attire is fascinating!  Fuzzy fur hats, long woolen coats, knotted strings on shirt corners, tiny boxes tied to the top of the head, the list goes on. Check out  the Tefellin, the Tallit, the Shtreimel, and why they are customary to some, but not others.

Jewish women also have specific dress codes with black being the color of choice for most, with very modest hemlines and collars.  Most had their hair covered as is mandatory for married Orthodox women. We did not notice any women wearing pants.

The Bar Mitzvah celebrations we saw were super fun, but also upsetting.  The area is segregated into men’s and women’s prayer sections, so a mother isn’t able to attend her own son’s Bar Mitzvah celebration, but has to watch from behind a fence.  Though tradition, this was kind of unfortunate.

The ancient, 2,000-year-old stones of the Western Wall have witnessed the Jewish people’s birth, exile, and redemption.  This is where the Jewish nation’s past mingles with its hopes for the future.

from: http://www.thekotel.org

Outside of Temple Mount, the Western Wall is the most sacred site for the Jewish faith.  What we see today is  a remnant of the western retaining wall of the Second Temple built by Herod the Great.   Although, there is much more of the wall visible beneath the surface which we were able to see.

We did the tour of the Kotel or  Western Wall tunnels.  If you’re going to Jerusalem, make sure to pre-book a time for this tour as it is well worth the visit.  The Western Wall is a captivating and bewildering piece of the religious significance in Jerusalem.

The Dome of the Rock

This shining dome pictured above the Western Wall is an iconic symbol of the Old City of Jerusalem. The glittering golden dome was not always golden; it was refinished in the early ’90’s to its current state.  The dome is only a small part of the beauty of the building.  The Islamic art covering the exterior is phenomenal.

In addition to the Dome of the Rock, The Dome of the Chain and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are atop the site.  Muslims believe the “Rock” is the spot that Muhammad visited on his Night Journey, and the al-Aqsa Mosque is the spot from which Muhammad ascended to Heaven with the angel Gabriel to pray with other prophets.

As the third holiest site in Islam, The Dome of the Rock is obviously an important place of worship.  Unfortunately, due to conflict, Israeli police restrict the access of Muslim Palestinians to the site.   Men from the West Bank must be over 35 in order to apply for a permit to visit the site, and even then they are typically restricted to access on Muslim holidays only.

As non-Muslims, we weren’t permitted to enter either of the mosques, but we were able to tour the exteriors and grounds freely. On our return to Canada, a few people asked why we didn’t just say we were Muslim and go into the mosque.  Well…not only would that be dishonest, but also pretty obvious that we’re not Muslim through not knowing mosque customs or behaviour etc enough to pass muster.

The other huge reason is that faking isn’t really an option when officials ask visitors to quote passages of the Qur’an in Arabic at the entrance.   I have only mastered a few basic Arabic phrases, and I’m sure basic greetings,  “a man and a boat,” or, “a girl and a bicycle,” don’t cut it!

This Dome is also atop the holiest site on earth (The Holy of Holies)  for Judaism, which Jewish Law bans Jews from visiting. The Dome covers the Foundation Stone, believed by Jews to be the first part of the earth to come into existence, and the spot where God gathered earth to create Adam.   Jews also believe the rock is  the foundation for the Ark of the Covenant.

The Dome of the Rock is a flash point for tension.   The Friday that we toured the Mount of Olives, there was a scuffle/riot/police situation going on at the Temple Mount.

Recently, I read that the Temple Mount has been temporarily closed to visitors, and that the age minimum of worshippers from the West Bank was raised from 35 to 50 years. Clearly, there is no constancy or certainty of access which  really is unfortunate.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The holiest place in Christendom is The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Christians believe the church is the site of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

The Holy Sepulchre is nothing fanciful outside.  The exterior is blandly nondescript.  Oddly enough, the interior an utter hodge podge of decorative styles inside from highly ornate to completely run down and fire damaged.

At the time of the Crusades, there were  three primary denominations appointed to care for the church, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic Churches.   Since then, there are Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox churches and shrines within and around the Holy Sepulchre.

A schedule has been made to regulate times and places of worship for each sect.  Since 1192, the keys of the Holy Sepulchre were entrusted to a Muslim family, as none of the factions could agree on who should hold the key for fear of limiting the others’ access. A whole other kind of conflict exists at this holy place!

Eleven monks – seven of them Ethiopian, four Egyptian – were hurt in the violence which followed as the rivals hurled stones, iron bars and chairs at each other.

from: http://www.news.bbc.co.uk

For example, a 2002 scuffle between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church of Egypt that resulted in serious injuries.  And this, all because the Ethiopians objected to a Coptic Monk moving his chair a mere 8 inches in an attempt to find shade on a stifling summer day.

It probably doesn’t help that in 1970, the Ethiopians changed the locks on the rooftop chapel while the Coptics were attending midnight prayers, which is why the Coptic Monk was sitting watch/staking claim to the chapel in the first place.  The behaviour is mind-boggling!

Clearly, they’re a ridiculously territorial passionate bunch at the Holy Sepulchre, and any violation on boundaries  can bring on fisticuffs.  I don’t think this video shows the ethic of reciprocity that is supposed to be embodied by the Golden Rule.

Nothing represents the absurdity of the discord quite as well as The Immovable Ladder.  This little cedar ladder has been the source of conflict for over a century.  Due to Church governance, no cleric of any of the orders may move or rearrange property without the consent of all of  the other 5 orders.

No agreement can be made on who has the right to move the ladder.   To maintain status quo, no one dares touch it.  Yes, folks, that’s a 150-year-old argument about a ladder! (FYI: You can see it under the right window in the photo of the church above)

We didn’t see any of this conflict during our visit to this church.  We did wait with hundreds of pilgrims (mostly Russian and Ethiopian) to visit Jesus’ tomb.  The group in front of us was chanting and singing while waiting.  The zombie drone-like chanting was FREAKY, but the singing was pretty.

The tomb, the actual Holy Sepulchre, is the last stop on the Via Dolorosa, a walk following the 14 Stations of the Cross believed to trace Christ’s footsteps to the crucifixion.

The Via Dolorosa

We walked the Via Dolorosa in a round about way while exploring the Souk.  Some of the stations were very difficult to find.  Scholars doubt the path Jesus took was anywhere near this current path.   Through many centuries, they’ve been created, venerated and become fact to the faithful.

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We visited stations 10-13 inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but it wasn’t always possible/polite to photograph.  For example, there was a line to visit Golgotha.  Stopping to photograph and hold up legit pilgrims would have been obnoxious.

The Old City of Jerusalem, and the little we learned about traditions and religious practices was incredibly fascinating, frustrating and a little frightening at the same time.  The fervour of worship was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Faith, rather than fanaticism, entwined with tolerance would make for a much more peaceful region.  Here’s hoping.

~j