Day 8: Western Wall Tunnel and Temple Mount

So today is Sunday, May 22 and we set off again for the Western Wall where it was discovered that underneath the Arab quadrant was an area build up level with the top of the temple mount. When the Arabs took control of the temple mount area, they built up their subsequent neighborhoods to the same level. In order to do that, they built everything up on arches the holds the whole neighborhood up. Underneath was an area that the Jews discovered and dug a tunnel along the Western Wall.

After a far amount of hub bub with the Arabs, they allowed them to do this because for the Jews, they will not go on the Temple Mount itself for fear that they would come in contact with the area where the Holy of Holies was. So faithful Jews...mostly women, go along this tunnel and where they believe the Temple was, they sit and pray...in the tunnel...several of them at a time...

We walked along this tunnel, which goes the whole length of the temple mount...which then ends with an ancient aqua duct where water flowed for the city many years ago...

We then circled back to the Wailing Wall and the entrance to the temple mount on top. You can see Jeff holding a "Riot Shield" which is along the path that leads up to the temple mount...you never know when tempers might flare!

On the temple mount rests the "Dome of the Rock" which is the golden dome building. I always thought it was a mosque, but it's not, it's a monument to the story in Islam that Mohammed ascended to heaven from the rock on which the Jewish temple was built.

There is a mosque on the mount, but it is located to the far South so that when Muslims pray, which is always toward Mecca, which is South of Israel, the mosque will always be in front of them...

My wife had too much of her arms showing so she got to purchase this shawl in order to be "appropriate"...I think she looks great!:)

Then on the way out I saw a Hawaii Travel bus...hmmm...must have been quite a drive from the islands, don't you think?:)

From there we went to the Israel museum...