Jerusalem, Western Wall

One very important place to visit in Jerusalem is the Western Wall. The Western Wall is the visible remnant of a retaining wall that long ago supported the 2nd Temple, which was built by King Herod. This was the final Temple, the one where Jesus visited, the one that was ultimately destroyed by the Romans in 70 a.d. Since this is the visible reminder of a once huge and awe-inspiring place of worship, people of today who revere the Judeo-Christian tradition find this a noteworthy place to visit.


Jerome, Carl, Grandpa and I with the Western Wall in the background. The Western Wall is inside the Old City. I think we entered the Jaffa Gate to get here. It was bustling with activity. We soon split up to go to our separate spaces.



This is a good shot of the men's section.


This is the Women's section. It is divided by a long plastic barrier, about six feet high. At first I thought it was odd, the separation of the sexes. Within minutes though, it felt like I entered a prayerful sisterhood, if only for a short time. The tradition for visitors to the wall is for them to write their prayer or petition on a tiny strip of paper, roll it up, and wedge it in the cracks between the giant blocks that make up the wall. A close friend of mine had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and I placed my prayer for her recovery in the wall, too. I noticed that when people finish their prayers and leave the wall, they back away until they are about 25-30 feet away from it. The reason, I found out, is that they believe that God had dwelled in the Temple, and since this is a remnant, if He is still present here, you would never turn your back on God.



Israelis do not have their heads in the sand like we do in the United States. They know that bad guys with ill intent are in their midst, and they are not shy about maintaining a security presence. There were young, well-armed soldiers on patrol at the Wall. I felt safe there.



While standing near the Wall in the Women's section, I looked up and noticed a lone white dove high above us, calmly observing the scene. This biblical symbol of peace was an interesting contrast to the armed soldiers. I mulled this seemingly paradoxical symbolism and wondered what it meant. Did it mean that peace, like the dove, is out of reach? Or did it tell me that where there is strength, and faith, there is also peace? I hope it is the latter.