3/29/2011 - The Arab Market

After coming out of the Via Dolorosa, we walked through the Arab Market.  The market is much more commercial than I remembered with most of the goods appearing to have been made in Japan or India.

We came upon a fruit stand that had raw almonds on the table.

A pile of green raw almonds.

 We then came to a stand that had cauliflower and another vegetable that had been died hot pink (apparently with beet juice).

 We saw many fruit stands, candy stands, clothing stands and meat stands (although I didn't see the goat heads and whole dead chickens that I recalled from 1971).

There were also a lot of spice stands, including one that had a pyramid of spices topped with the Temple Mount.

 We also saw some of the numbered Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa.

 At one point in the market we saw three priests in full habit almost next to a lingerie stand that had an outfit that looked like a Santa suit - an odd dichotomy of scenarios.

3/29/2011 - Wilson's Tunnel

Before actually entering the tunnel, Nir showed us two interactive models of the Temple Mount and the various transitions that it underwent through the centuries.

We entered the tunnel and the first thing we saw was a 500 ton stone that was the size of a small school bus.  As we walked along the low ceilinged, narrow tunnel, we reached a point that had a picture of a menorah from the Temple time.  At the top was the name of God.  Nir told us that this was likely in line with the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

There were several arched areas that were adjacent to the Tunnel.  The walls of the tunnel had been shored up and were definitely not natural.

At one point there was a large stone abutment on the side of the tunnel.  It was clearly an artifact from the Temple.

We then came to the Herodian Columns in the tunnel.

  Near the end of the Western Wall, we reached a point where the stones were setting on bedrock so it was actually on Mt. Moriah and not quarried stones.

At the very end of the tunnel the ceiling became natural stone that was very low and a much narrower passage.  This area was used as a water tunnel and was already in place before Wilson's Tunnel was dug.  You could see algae or mold on the walls.

Very low ceiling!

Finally, we reached a pool of water that was maybe one or two feet deep, but was runoff from the rains.

When we exited Wilson's Tunnel, we were on a portion of the Via Dolorosa.

3/29/2011 - The Southern Steps

We then headed to the Southern Wall and the stairs - one small and the net larger to show the walk to the entry gates - to the Southern Wall.  We again same Shir HaMa'alot as we went slowly up the stairs and sang the Shema when we reached the wall.

After some time, we returned to the courtyard of the Kotel (Western Wall) to prepare for our walk through Wilson's Tunnel - under the full distance of the Western Wall.  The tunnel runs under the arches that support the Arab Villages and the Temple Mount.