Close to 830 pages--or rather somewhere around 70% of the Old Testament. That is what I saw yesterday. One of the most interesting things that I have noticed since I arrived is how close everything is here. Close as the bus drives I suppose. Every Thursday we go on field trips as a group. Yesterday was one primarily dedicated to the geography of the area. We visited four different sites which amounted to one giant circle around the Old City.

Here are a few highlights.

This is a brief video clip from the top of hill northwest of Jerusalem. On the top is a joint mosque and synagogue--unique for this area, that commemorates the prophet Samuel. It was really cold up there, colder than I think I would like to admit.

Another really neat place was called the Haas Promenade which is located on a hill referred to as the Hill of Offense because it was the traditional location of the areas of worship of Solomon's pagan wives. They reason I include this a highlight is because it is the first view of Mt. Moriah that Abraham likely had when he was going there to sacrifice Isaac. The Way of the Patriarchs goes near there and the scriptures say that at a location similar to that one he left his servants and loaded the wood on the back of Isaac for the final hike.



The view shown gives a good idea of what I am talking about. Mt. Moriah extends from around where you see the Dome of the Rock back towards those larges buildings to the left.

I will be honest and say that it is almost surreal to see these places and think about what has happened on that very spot. Things look different, but probably not incredibly different. Just the same, I know that I look at it with different eyes from what Abraham probably saw it, but with a similar type of hope and faith.