Thinking About What I Want to Forget

This day was different from the others. We started the day at the Yad Vashem Memorial site. This a place dedicated to remembering the holocaust victims from WWII. This was a difficult experience for me. For really the first time, I realized how weakly the Church, especially in Europe, responded to this outrage against humanity. I was also forced to consider the impact of this on the children. Having children of my own, this impacted me deeply. I only took a few pictures. The one below is a picture of one of the train cars used to transport the Jews.



Next we went on to the Jerusalem Museum where they have assembled a large model of the 2nd Temple Jerusalem. This model is based on the best archeological evidence available. We also were able to look at a few of the Qumran documents that were on display. I was not able to take pictures of these documents, but here is an image of what many believe the Temple looked like in the days of Herod.



Later we went to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was kept prior to the Ark's capture by the Philistines and the subsequent destruction of the Tabernacle. Below is the place that some believe held the Tabernacle.



Lastly we ended the day at the Garden Tomb site. This is a site that some believe was actually the site of Jesus' death and burial. This is based on a skull that some see in the rocks on the side of the cliff and the tomb that was excavated . Archeologists are dubious on this clain, but this site captures what I believe is the essence of the site, unlike the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I must say this was a pretty cool experience.





The gentlemen who gave us a tour of this site was passionate for Christ. He was talking about the tomb and the potential for this being the burial place of Jesus, he stopped and reminded us all that the big deal about the tomb is that Jesus is no longer there. He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Blessings - DC