Early in the morning on my sixth and final day in Jerusalem, I walked over to Temple Mount. This is the site of the first and second temples built by the Jews. The first temple was destroyed when the Jews were sent into exile by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the second temple was destroyed when the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 66 AD. When the Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 638 AD, they took control of this hallowed ground.
Only one of the entrances to the Temple Mount is open to non-muslims, and that is the one that is furthest south, the Moors' Gate. Access to this gate is right next to the entrance to The Western Wall Plaza, and as you ascend the ramp to the mount, you get a good look at The Western Wall itself.
Two of the holiest shrines in Islam are located on the the Temple Mount. The first is the al-Aqsa Mosque. This is the main worship center on Fridays for the Muslim population of Jerusalem. The building itself has been damaged by invaders, fire and earthquakes, and despite it's importance and functionality, it's appearance is nothing compared to The Dome of The Rock.
The Dome of the Rock isn't a mosque at all, it's function is that of a shrine. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside, and that was disappointing. Some believe the Dome of the Rock occupies the center point of the world. If it does, then it is a fitting building to occupy such a spot. Most of my pictures of Jerusalem where it is visible use the Dome as the center point of the shot. I couldn't help it. If you look back at my post on the Mount of Olives, you'll see that what I mean about it being the centerpiece of every picture. I must have 200 pictures of it from different angles. It's just draws your eye to it. It was completed in 692 AD, but fell into crusader hands at the beginning of the 12th Century, when it was used as a church and the al-Aqsa Mosque was used as a palace for the king, then as a home for the Templars.
Jewish graves on the side of the Mount of Olives
Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene
Dominus Flevit
The Seven Arches Hotel and the Mount of Olives viewpoint
The Temple Mount afforded great views of the Mount of Olives and the sites I had seen there a couple of days before, as seen in the above photographs.
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I picked up my rental car and left Jerusalem heading first west and the north through the Jordan Valley. It was clear in my rental agreement the the insurance on the car did not cover The West Bank. This is one of those Israel-only issues. The roads I took upon leaving Jerusalem, first Highway 1 West, the Highway 90 North, both passed through the heart of the West Bank. I was assured, however, by the lady at Eldan (The rental company I'm using) that these roads were if fact fine to be used since the were controlled by the Israeli police. But that just raised another question- If I stop for gas or a bathroom break does that mean I'm uncovered because I'm off that road? Fortunately, I didn't have to test it out, as I made the hour and a half drive without incident. Upon exiting the West Bank, I did get one of those checkpoint stops I had expected to get with Sam. I was stopped, asked to hand over my passport, pull the car up into an inspection area where I had to unload all of my stuff, leave the car doors, hood and trunk all open, then take all of my bags into a small hut where they were X-rayed. While I was doing that, my car was first visually inspected then give the once over by the bomb sniffing dog. I wasn't bothered at all by this, there is a reason that they have such tight security. I did witness an Italian couple who were quite put off by having to submit to the screening. The man for a while looked as if he wasn't going to comply, but the machine gun carrying soldier who came to talk to him was able to convince him it was in his best interest to allow it.
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My first stop after the checkpoint was the amazing National Park of Beit She'an. My original itinerary had forced me to skip this, but after altering it a little, I was so glad I didn't miss it. The ruins here are extensive and are from 20 different cultures, including Caananite, Israelite, Persian, Egyptian, Babylonian, Ottoman, Arab, Crusader, Byzantine, but most of all Roman.
The highlight of the site for me was the remarkably well-preserved Roman Colosseum. Seating up to 7000 in it's day, the site was powerful to witness. It was built in 200 AD, during the height of Beit She'an's Roman period.
The above picture is a look at the main boulevard, and in the background, the tel (city) on the hill where many of the other culture's ruins were found.
The public toilets were of special interest, especially since it is so hard for us by western standards to imagine public toilets without stalls where both genders took care of their business. What is even funnier is that these public toilets were considered the height of sophistication at the time.
My final stop was at Tzippori National Park, a few miles outside Nazareth. This site was occupied for over 450 years by the Jews, Romans and Byzantines. In Roman times, the city was known a Sepphoras.
The highlight of the park are the Roman-era mosaics, including the most famous one dubbed "Mona Lisa of the Galilee".
Other highlights were the main street and the Roman amphitheater, which were both fascinating, but paled in comparison to what I had just seen at Beit She'an.
I stayed the night at a wonderful place little place, the Zipori Village Country Cottages, located right at the base of the National Park. I enjoyed the stay here so much that I came back and spent three more days here later in the trip.
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