# 188 – First Church in Christianity

June 22, 2011

‘First Church in Christianity’ – Well, that’s what is says at the bottom of the sign. We didn’t go in. We couldn’t: it had just closed.

The Old City is divided into 4 – Jewish, Moslem, Christian and Armenian (which I think they should write as ‘Orthodox’, which would better explain the 4^th division. For surely, whether Armenian or Orthodox, it is part of the ‘Christian’ group. So where are the Catholics, you may ask? Sorry, can’t help you there. But what I CAN say is that the Russian Orthodox has a big say in the running of some of the Christian sites – and the Syriacs, as you see. Who? Oh, Google it…

They claim St. Mark’s Convent is the site of the place where Jesus presided over the Last Supper.

We were in Jerusalem for the day. We first visited the recently renovated and terrific Israel Museum. I was particularly interested in the glass, of course …

But there was a collection of prints from the Esterhazy (Budapest) collection, which included some quite stunning pieces…

Outside in the beautiful Museum grounds, there are many ‘Kodak moments’:

There’s one of those sculpture things that make you want to make silly pics like the first, and then there is the famous ‘Shrine of the Book’, housing the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. As you see, it is kept cool by constantly running fountains.

And then there is the terrific miniature reconstruction of the original city of Jerusalem, highlighting the Temple in the foreground. The famous Western or ‘Wailing’ Wall is all that is left of the wall you see in the reconstruction.  That whole temple area is now the area of the Temple Mount, which is the location of the Muslim Dome of the Rock. (A reminder of the feud in India over the site of a new Hindu Temple that caused the death of thousands: The Imam there said that it was against the Koran to build on a holy site. Hmmmmm…)

Then we went for a walk in town, where the crazy ‘light railway system is running….but without passengers. Don’t ask me, but this strange situation of disrupting city life will continue at least until October, when it i expected that the system will finally open to the public…

A walk along either the Sheruver or the Goldman promenades in the Talpiot part of town will give you fantastic views of the Old City – and also of the famous ‘security fence’.  In the following picture, it IS all wall, part of only around 9% which is so constructed. A reminder that this is because there had been constant firing of bullets from the neighbouring Arab village. Today there is none – bullets only fly in 1 direction, we calculated.

And then to the Old City for a sampling of ’Jerusalem of Lights’ week. Just before dusk, took some pics of the lighting decoration against the Jerusalem sky and the Old City wall….

…and then came night.. and people….

Lights, drinks….and security…

And some lovely views of the Old City, as we stole away from the crowds…

Yesterday, at 11.00 and 19.00 local time, the sirens sounded. This time just tests.  But a reminder of who we are, where we are, and that our neighbours don’t want us here.

Stephen