After church at the BYU Center we toured some more. The Garden Tomb is one of my favorite spots. It was very peaceful and beautiful here.
Too bad I can't truly explain how nice it was to be in this garden, calm, quiet, beautiful, the picture gives an idea, but the feeling was incredible. This is an excellent candidate for the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. The Garden Tomb is located outside the city walls of Jerusalem and close to the Damascus Gate.
Our guide for this site was a very sweet English gentleman who bore a beautiful testimony of Christ and his sacrifice for mankind. I felt his humility and love for the Savior. Probably one of the sweetest experiences of the tour.
This is Golgotha, very possibly the site of the biblical Golgotha. This escarpment is located very close to the Garden Tomb and today is located behind a Palestinian bus station. Golgotha is the Aramaic word for skull. (Look closely, perhaps you can see why this could very well be the site.) Also this location is highly visible to people using the main road leading north from the city. For crucifixion to serve as a deterrent and a punishment, it makes sense that the crosses would be near a main thoroughfare.
This is the entrance to the tomb. I took this picture just to give an indication of how busy each of the sites in Jerusalem/Israel are. There are so many groups from all over the world visiting Israel.
Oh got lucky and got a picture without anyone in it, an accomplishment for sure!! This makes me think of Simon Dewey's painting of Christ's resurrection "He Lives".
Inside the tomb, this is # 4, the burial place.
This is also in the tomb, # 8, the unfinished burial place.
Kelly and I are in # 6 the weeping chamber. Very interesting spot to be indeed and too bad we didn't have more time to spend pondering and just being. Yet, so lucky to be able to see these sites and put something physical to all the stories I've read and studied for years. (Ok, I'm not that old!!)
The sign on the door that can be seen as one exits the weeping chamber. "He is not here for He is risen!" That is the good news of the gopsel.
It is a good thing your tour guide knew to take you when the garden was open. I would love to have been there. The pictures will have to work for now!
ReplyDeleteReally like the picture of the entrance to the tomb. With no people.
ReplyDeleteMy brother really loved the garden too! Too bad that there are just so many people around in such reverent places.
OK, I'm only a little jealous! LOOKS AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteI feel frustrated for you, I can only imagine how painful it would be. To be in this place and be on a time schedule. I mean I get why you have to be. But still I feel like I would get frustrated.
ReplyDeleteI also like the photo of the tomb with no one around. I can picture Mary standing by the opening.
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