Built by the Knights of the Order of the Hospitallers in the twelfth century, this isolated fortress protected the eastern side of the Crusaders' kingdom.

Perched on a hill of the Issachar Plateau 1,700 feet above the Jordan Valley, this fortress enabled the Crusaders to control the road below and "protected" its inhabitants from the local population. From their isolated position, the Crusaders were unable to exert any daily influence on the people in the valet below.

Muslims attacked this fortress from AD 1180-1184, and then besieged it again in 1187. After resisting sieges for a total of seven years, the 50 knights and 450 soldiers surrendered and left for Europe. The Muslims then destroyed the fortress so it could never be used again.

Today, the ruins of Belvoir stand as a grim monument to the tragedies that occur when people misunderstand Jesus' message and do not live by the truths he taught. Only by living in our culture and confronting evil as it presents itself in daily life are we able to influence it positively for Jesus.

Jesus called his people to be community builders, not fortress builders. He called his people to confront evil with the "weapons" of love, forgiveness, and sacrifice, not the swords and spears used by Crusaders.

Masada is a large rock plateau that creates a desert stronghold in the Judea Wilderness. In Old Testament times, David hid from King Saul in this area. We don't know that David ever stayed in Masada, but David had surely seen or heard of its huge size and steep cliffs.

During his hiding, David wrote, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer" (Ps. 18:2). In this Psalm, he used the Hebrew word that literally means "masada", providing a fitting picture of the unshakeable protection and strength of God.

Later, Herod the Great fortified Masada with towers and a high wall. The top of Masada could be cultivated to provide supplies for the defenders. Herod also built a system of cisterns to store water and storehouses to contain necessary supplies.

When Jerusalem during the Jewish Revolts against Rome, the Jewish patriot Eliezer Ben Yair and 960 people with him escaped to the top of the mountain. The Romans spent two years laying siege to the mountain. According to Josephus, when the Romans reached the top, all but five of the people had taken their own lives rather than surrender to the Romans.

Remembering the ancient defeat of these Jews, modern Israeli army recruits swear their oath of allegiance at Masada. They are given a gun and a Hebrew Bible, and they swear to never let Masada fall again.

The Old Testament view of sin and judgment created a model of reality separated into three different parts.

The Holy
In the Biblical times, once something was given to God, it belonged to him alone and was considered holy. Anything devoted to God or used in his service was to be set apart. Similarly, every Christian is holy, set apart to serve God. As a result, we cannot and must not serve any other person, idea, or thing. Every aspect of our lives (including our jobs, schoolwork, families, and friendships) should be dedicated to serving God alone.

The Common
Anything that belonged to the Old Testament Israelites was considered common. Although they were under the ownership of the people who physically owned them, they were to be used in godly ways. In the New Testament, the holy and the common were joined. Everything, even the ordinary, is now to be used for God's service.

The Abominable
God abhors abominations. An abomination was anything associated with the worship of other gods, or any behavior that distorted the standard of living God intended for humans. Leviticus 18 included a list of improper behaviors such as adultery and homosexuality. As God demonstrated by sending the Flood and the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, he will punish those who practice these unlawful behaviors.

The Lamp Below the ladder leading to the sleeping loft is a typical "window" wall that allowed air circulation and more openness between rooms. In the window wall is an oil container made from the skin of a goat. Similar skins were used for carrying wine or water. The photograph on the right displays a small lamp typical of household lamps from first-century Israel. They burned olive oil and provided a small amount of light. Most people went to bed at sunset and got up at dawn. Honest people did not work after dark (hence the phrase "works of darkness"). The bridesmaids of Jesus' parable are described as having such lamps. The difficulty of providing light gave birth to a Jewish proverb Jesus quoted: Someone with a good eye is generous while someone with a bad eye is stingy. In that sense, Jesus said, the eye is the lamp of the body. A good eye provides light and a bad eye only darkness.

Every home provided storage space for harvested food, as well as for additional possessions. Since life depended upon raising, preserving, and storing food, it was essential to store it so it wouldn't spoil or be eaten by rodents or insects.Some foods were hung from the ceiling. Other foods, such as grain, wine, and oil, were stored in large jars in cool places like this pit next to the main room of the house.

For poorer families, the line between being able to eat and starving to death was this type of storage. Jesus encouraged people to live by faith that God would provide. Those who were obsessed with providing for the future to the point of hoarding earned his criticism.

In Galilee, the ancient village of Qatzrin has been excavated and reconstructed. Although it was populated centuries after Jesus' time, scholars believe that the buildings and artifacts discovered there represent the practices of the first century.

A typical Galiliean home was built of basalt (dark volcanic rock) and had either one or two stories. A stonemason (sometimes translated as a "carpenter") used a wooden scaffold as he carefully squared the larger rocks and wedged smaller stones in between to provide stability and strength.

Sometimes walls were plastered with mud and straw. The doorframe was built of shaped stones and covered by a wooden door. A courtyard, located between various rooms of a family's housing complex, was paved with stones.

Roofs were often made of wooden beams topped with tree branches and covered with clay. When it rained, the clay absorbed water, sealing the roof. Sometimes people did their work on their roofs, which needed to be repaired every year. (See Matt. 24:17; Mark 13:15; Acts 10:9.)

A typical Galilean kitchen contained a domed oven for heating and cooking when the weather was cold. Animal dung, the pulp of pressed olives, and small branches were used as fuel.

Common kitchen utensils included hand grinders for making flour, cooking pots, reed or palm-leaf baskets for gathering and storing food, a broom,' and stone water jars. Small gardens, vineyards with grapes and olive trees, and some small livestock provided most of the people's food. (See Luke 15:8.)

A Galilean family room, the center of family life, was probably used for eating, storing food, and socializing when the weather was inappropriate for being outdoors in the courtyard. Wealthy people reclined as they ate; poorer people sat on the floor or benches. Food was served on pottery plates or in pottery bowls.

Jewish laws regarding "clean" and "unclean" apparently required that different pottery be used for different types of food (so that meat and dairy did not mix, for example). (See Matt. 23:25; 26:23.)

Provisions such as grain, wine, and oil were stored in large jars in cool places. (See 1 Kings 17:7-14; 2 Kings 4:1-7.) Other foods were hung from the ceiling. Life for first-century Jews depended upon raising food and protecting it from spoilage, rodents, or insects, so the people needed to store it well.

Jesus encouraged people to live by faith in God's provision, and he criticized people who were so obsessed with providing for the future that they hoarded goods. (See Matt. 6:25-26, 31-34; Luke 12:16-26.)

Sleeping Quarters, sometimes located on the second floor and accessed by ladder, had beds made of wooden frames with rope stretched over them. A mat was then laid on each bed. Sometimes more than one family member slept in the same bed (Luke 11:5-7).

Poorer people often slept on mats placed on the floor. People could take their mats with them when they traveled. (See Matt. 9:2-6; Mark 2:3-12.)

Lighting was provided by small olive-oil lamps that were supplied from a goatskin oil container. Most people, however, went to bed at sunset and got up at dawn. Honest people didn?t work after dark, hence the phrase ?works of darkness? was developed. (See Luke 22:53; Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11-14.)

A storeroom contained the all-important farming tools and supplies that most families needed in order to provide their own food: wooden plow, sickle, brooms, winnowing fork, a sieve for grain, rope made from plant fibers, an animal skin used as a churn for butter or cheese, etc.

Typically a wooden plow with an iron point was pulled by a donkey or ox over the small fields in which grain was grown.

At harvesttime, farmers cut the grain with the sickle, then placed the grain on a hard stone surface called a "threshing floor" where it was crushed (threshed) by a small sled dragged by animals.

The straw and grain mixture was then thrown into the air on a windy day. The lighter straw and chaff blew away; the grain fell and was collected. Finally, the sieve separated any chaff that remained. (See Matt. 3:11-12; Mark 4:26-29.)

This view is from the outer wall of the upper fortress of the Herodion. You can see the astonishing magnitude of this palace. Herod's workers began with a natural hill considerably higher than other hills in the area. They constructed double cyndrical walls nearly 220 feet in diameter, the inside of which can be seen here. The finished cylinder was more than 90 feet high.Between the two walls, seven stories contained apartments, chambers, and storage rooms. The top three stories have been destroyed over time, so you must imagine that the wall the picture was taken from was more than 40 feet higher.

On each of the compass points were defensive towers. Those on the south, north, and west extended outside the cylinder but not inside, so they are not visible in this photo. The massive eastern tower was 55 feet in diameter and more than 120 feet high. The view from the tower was spectacular. Inside the upper stories of this tower were the royal apartments of Herod and his family.

Since Herod was buried in the Herodion and his tomb has never been found, some have suggested he is buried in the base of the tower. Ehud Netzer, the archaeologist responsible for excavating this fortress-palace, believes that is unlikely because Jewish people were usually buried outside the places where they lived. He proposes a site near the lower palace, which has not yet been excavated.

Inside the cylinder were several magnificent structures. On the right side, next to the eastern tower, are the remains of the peristyle garden. Columns stood around the outside with a roof to the wall outside the garden. This left a large area in the center open to the sky for trees, vines, and bushes. On the far end of the peristyle was a semicircular niche where statues were placed. Just above it, on the right, was a doorway that led through a 200-foot tunnel, then down 300 stairs to the colonnaded terrace below. On the lower left are the remains of a large reception hall, called a triclinium, with benches around the outside. Originally, this room had a roof and its walls were covered with colored plaster. The floor was probably a mosaic.

During the First Jewish Revolt, well after Herod's death, the reception hall was turned into a synagogue by the religious zealots who defended it against the Romans. Beyond the ramp into the fortress (left behind by the archaeological team and not part of Herod's structure) is the bath complex. It included a vaulted caldarium (hot bath), a small, round tepidarium (warm bath), and a small frigidarium (cold bath). One can imagine Herod enjoying the luxurious warmth of his bath while Jesus was born in a cold stable nearby.

In the distance, in the top center of the photo, looking northeast, is the city of Bethlehem. Today it is a large town of more than 25,000 people. In Jesus' day it was a small town of, at most, a few hundred. The proximity between the massive fortress of Herod and the place where the Messiah was born is a graphic picture of the way the lives of these two Jewish kings were both intertwined and in stark contrast.

People in Galilee often lived in family housing complexes known as insulae (singular: insula). Although not everyone lived this way, many people (particularly extended families) combined living units around an open courtyard.

This living arrangement allowed extended families to live, work, and interact with each other on a daily basis. The family's values were preserved as young people learned from the stories of older family members. As sons married, they built additional rooms on the family insula and brought their bride to live with their extended family.

Jesus and his disciples may have lived in such a family compound in Capernaum (Matt. 12:46-13:1; Mark 2:1-2; 7:17). And Jesus drew on insula imagery to give a picture of heaven (God's housing complex) in John 14:2.

Jericho, which literally means "fragrant place," boasts a pleasant climate with plenty of sunshine and a lush oasis watered by Elisha's Spring. The city is located north of the Dead Sea, 17 miles from Jerusalem.

There are actually three cities at Jericho: an Old Testament city, a New Testament city, and modern Jericho. It is the oldest-known city in the world, with archaeological finds that date to at least 9000 BC.

As one of the few gateways into the Judea Mountains, Jericho was a natural place for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. After crossing the Jordan, it was the first city they defeated. In New Testament times, Jericho became the site of a luxurious palace built by Herod the great as his winter retreat.

From Jericho, the main road to Jerusalem (sometimes called the Jericho Road) winds through the Judea Wilderness to the west. Many Bible characters traveled this way to Jerusalem.

The Bible makes several references to Jericho. It was the city:- called the city of palm trees (Deut. 34:5).- where Rahab received the spies (Josh. 2).- where Joshua placed a curse on anyone who rebuilt the city (Josh. 6:26), a curse that came true for Hiel of Bethel (1 Kings 16:34).- Where Elijah ascended to heaven (2 Kings 2:4-15).- Where Jesus met Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-20).

David's City
The Jerusalem of David's time, located on a narrow strip of land (Mount Moriah), was about ten acres in size and populated by aprroximately 1,500 people. The city was naturally defended by the Kidron Valley to the east and the Tyropean Valley to the west. It was originally named Zion and received fresh water from the Spring of Gihon.

Events that happened there included Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:1-2, 14); David purchasing the threshing floor of Araunah, which became the site of the temple (2 Sam. 24:18-25); and Solomon building the temple on Mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1-2).

Lower City
The lower city housed most of the common people during Jesus? day. It was built on the slope of the Western Hill, reaching into the Tyropean Valley; where Jesus sent the blind man to wash the mud from his eyes in the Pool of Siloam.

Upper City
The upper city was the highest area in Jerusalem (located on the Western Hill now named Mount Zion). Herod built his palace here, and many wealthy Jews also lived in the upper city. The area was dominated by affluent Hellenists.

Business District
Although not named by many ancient sources, this district inside the Second Wall held many shops and markets. Jesus walked through the area on market day on his way to the cross.

New City
During and after Jesus' time, the city expanded north, and many wealthy people built large villas in this new area of Jerusalem. Herod Agrippa walled it about thirty or more years after Jesus' crucifixion.

Just as it did in Jesus' day, modern Jerusalem stands as a center for Jewish culture and religion.

The Bible does not actually link the place of Gethsemane with a garden. It is called Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36) and an olive grove (in some versions, a garden). Both names are correct. Gethsemane (which means "oil[s] press") would have been located in or near an olive grove referred to as "a garden.' Jesus apparently went to an olive press located near an olive grove.This photograph was taken in the area traditionally called the Garden of Gethsemane. It is located on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, near the city of Jerusalem, and at the edge of the Kidron Valley. Only (twelfth- and thirteenth- century) tradition gives support to this specific location, but because it fits the Biblical description, it helps give people a clearer picture of the appearance of the place where Jesus spent his last evening before crucifixion. No remains of a gethsemane have been found on the grounds of this garden.The olive trees on both sides of the path are ancient. Some have suggested the roots could even date back to Jesus' time, and the trees are probably more than 1,000 years old. The flowers are a modern addition. Just beyond the stone wall is the bottom of the Kidron Valley. The slope of the hill on which Jerusalem is built, also covered by olive trees, is visible beyond the valley. The wall of Jerusalem (built in the fifteenth century) still maintains an ancient appearance and actually follows the line of the wall of Jesus? time. Beyond the all is the Temple Mount. This gate is now called the Golden Gate. It was the main eastern gate to the Temple Mount at the time of the Temple. It is probable that the guards sent by the Temple authorities came through this gate on their way to arrest Jesus. While it is not clear exactly where Gethsemane was, it must have been nearby. Jesus could have seen the mob that was coming for him because of the proximity of Gethsemane to the city and the Temple. The guards were carrying torches in the dark night.

A cave nearby was recently identified as containing an ancient olive press. Early (sixth-century) tradition supports this cave as being Jesus' Gethsemane. Its location near Jerusalem, near the olive groves, close to the Kidron, and in a cave where pilgrims to Jerusalem might stay the night (Matt. 26:30, 36) make it a possibility. Of course, regardless of whether it is the actual place where Jesus went to pray, its location and appearance in a large cave can help us picture Jesus enduring his night of agony.

Hinnom Valley
This valley formed the western boundary of the Upper City of Jesus' time; it began along the Western Hill and ended where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet.Just west of Jerusalem, this valley was at one time the city sewage dump, and the place where Judean kings sacrificed their children. The valley, with its filth, rottenness, and burning flesh, came to symbolize hell.

Kidron Valley
About three miles long, this deep wadi formed the eastern border of Jerusalem between David's city and the Mount of Olives. During the reforms by Israel's kings, idols and many other pagan objects were disposed of here. The spring of Gihon, the source of Hezekiah's tunnel, and the garden of Gethsemane are in this valley.

Mount of Olives
This mountain, standing about 2,641 feet above sea level, stands east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It is approximately 325 feet higher than the Temple area and the highest peak in the area.Jesus entered Jerusalem, gave his final teaching, and ascended to heaven from here. Some scholars believe this may be the location for Jesus? return.

Tyropean Valley
This valley lay between David's City and the Western Hill where the Upper City was located.Hezekiah expanded the city into this valley. The Western Wall of Herod's Gentile Court was located here, as was the Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent a blind man to wash (John 9:1-2).

Western Hill
Once within the walls of ancient Jerusalem, the Western Hill was located at the southwest corner of the city.It is very sacred to the Jewish people because it is the traditional spot of David's tomb. The upper room where Jesus ate the last supper is found here as well (Luke 22:1-38).

Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley marked the western and southern edges of Jerusalem, beginning along the Western Hill and ending where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet. In the Old Testament, it was often the site where people of Judah sacrificed their children to Baal (2 Kings 23:20; 2 Chron. 28:3,4; Jer. 7:31; 19:5, 6; 32:35).

King Manasseh of Judah added to the negative reputation of the Hinnom Valley by sacrificing some of his own sons in Baal worship there (2 Chron. 33:6). He also practiced sorcery and witchcraft in defiance of God's law. King Josiah, Manasseh's grandson, later destroyed many of these pagan structures and practices. But by that time, Israel was so involved in paganism that God's judgment soon fell upon the people.

Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley also became the perpetual burning-garbage dump and city sewer. Residents sometimes called it the "valley of the sewer" or "the valley of the pagans."

By Jesus' time, the Greek translation of Hinnom Valley, gehenna, became a synonym for hell. Thus the English versions of the Bible translate "Valley of Hinnom" in the New Testament as "hell." With its pagan history and its burning sewer stench, Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley serves as a vivid metaphor for both the Christian and Jewish concept of hell.

The main water supply for the city of Jerusalem was the spring of Gihon, which flowed out of a cave on the eastern side of the hill on which the city stood. The Hebrew word means "gushing out" and was given because the spring does not have a steady flow but bursts from the rock at various times each day. Before David captured Jerusalem about 1000 BC, the Jebusite inhabitants dug a shaft from the city into the cave. Thereafter, they were able to draw water from the pool below.

The entrance to the cave was outside Jerusalem's walls, in the Kidron Valley. This was a significant weakness in the city's defense because the water supply was exposed to enemies. In fact, it is possible that Joab, David's commander, entered the cave and climbed up the shaft to capture the city for David.

When King Hezekiah learned that the dreaded Assyrian army had arrived in Israel, he recognized the threat his exposed water supply posed for Jerusalem's survival. He dug a tunnel through the ridge on which the city was built, bringing water to the other side, and then covered up the cave's opening. (The walled part of Jerusalem was a lower elevation on the western side of the ridge, so the water could flow to a pool, the pool of Siloam, within the city walls.) To this day, this extraordinary accomplishment ranks as one of the engineering marvels of the ancient world.

This tunnel was created by Hezekiah's workmen more than 700 years before Jesus. Working from the spring of Gihon on one side, and the western slope of the ridge of Jerusalem on the other, two teams of workmen created a tunnel by chiseling through solid rock, at points more than 140 feet underground.

The tunnel is 1,748 feet long and follows a circuitous path. The distance in a straight line between the spring and the pool of Siloam, where it empties, is slightly more than 1,000 feet. The winding course of the tunnel adds more than 700 feet to its length. How these two teams chiseled a tunnel barely two feet wide, with a drop of just 12 inches in the quarter-mile length, to meet in the middle amazes even modern engineers. Some speculate that workers followed natural cracks in the rock or seeping water. However it was done, the result helped save the city of Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege.

When visiting Jerusalem, modern students of Bible history often choose to walk through Hezekiah's tunnel. Still today water flows through it more than waist deep. At some points, an adult must bend over because the ceiling is so low, and at many places the tunnel is so narrow that both shoulders rub the walls. The chisel marks left on the walls by the workers as they dug through the rock are a silent testimony to the vision and determination of the Israelite people.

The tunnel is evidence of Hezekiah's resolve to do everything possible to prepare his people to face the Assyrians. Though he trusted God totally, he made sure that he had done all he could, including undertaking a project as astounding as this tunnel. That should be the approach of every follower of Yahweh who is called to confront evil. If we would trust God as much as Hezekiah did, and expend the same effort and display his vision, we as a Christian community could make a significant impact in the struggle to promote God's values in our world.

The water flowing out of this cave, the source of the spring of Gihon, is the reason Jerusalem was built on the ridge above.The spring provides more than 34,250 cubic feet of water per day. The water runs from the cave a short distance (about 33 feet) to a water chamber.

Above the water chamber, a shaft was dug 37 feet up to a tunnel. The tunnel continues another 65 feet to a vaulted entrance just inside the city walls. People in the city would enter the upper tunnel and walk to the top of the shaft. From here they could lower their containers to the water chamber below.

The chamber could not handle the volume of water from the spring, so most of it drained into the Kidron Valley, where it was channeled along the base of the ridge for irrigation and other purposes.

This gate was built in the sixteenth century, long after New Testament times. Several years ago, the Herodion remains were accidentally uncovered below this gate, indicating that it was probably built over the one used when Jesus visited the temple.

The Bible predicts that the Messiah will enter the temple through this gate. Years ago, Islamic leaders blocked the entrance and built a cemetery in front of it to prevent the Messiah from entering. If the closed gate would not stop him, the cemetery would, because as a Jew, the Messiah would become ceremonially unclean if he touched anything connected with death; thus, he would not be able to enter the Temple Mount.

By tradition, the Last Judgment is to take place at this gate. Since city gates were used as courthouses, it is easy to see why the Bible would describe that event in a location like this one. "Believers" would be blessed with entrance into the New Jerusalem.

Though the gate shown here was built long after biblical times, it reveals the beauty of ancient gates.

The photograph shows the spot where the tunnelers met nearly at midpoint. The ability of these people to cut this small tunnel without modern instruments or tools is astonishing. The fact that they were only 10 feet off horizontally and none at all vertically appears almost miraculous. Is it possible that God's hand was in the project itself? Given Hezekiah's faith and his trust in God, it seems to be the best explanation.

In 1880, not far from here, several boys playing in the tunnel discovered writing chiseled in the ceiling. Called the Siloam Inscription, it describes the dramatic moment when the two teams of workers met. Scholars have noted that it is one of the few texts memorializing a great event from the perspective of the common people who accomplished it.

One translation of the inscription reads: "While the laborers were still working with their picks, each toward the other, and while there were still three cubits to be broken through, the voice of each was heard calling to the other, because there was a split in the rock to the south and to the north. And at the moment of the breakthrough the laborers struck each toward the other, pick against pick. Then the water flowed from the spring to the pool for 1200 cubits. And the height of the rock above the heads of the laborers was 100 cubits." The writer obviously was familiar with the event and with the tunnel. Maybe it was the overseers of the project, or maybe a worker. Whoever the writer was, he recorded an amazing achievement.

Unfortunately, the inscription was taken to Istanbul during the Turkish rule of Palestine in the late nineteenth century and is now in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. It appears another miracle is needed to return it to its original home:Jerusalem, the city of David and Hezekiah.

This photograph shows the southern stairs as viewed from the west, looking onto the stairs and Herod's massive Temple.

On the right side of the photo is a straight joint in the wall. This is the beginning of Herod's extension of the Mount to the south (left), which enlarged the Mount by more than 100 feet. The less crafted stones to the right are clearly visible, showing the contrast between the old Temple Mount and Herod's extension. The massive stones of Herod's construction also contrast sharply with the smaller stones laid above them later in history.

The partially reconstructed "broad staircase," also called the Southern Stairs, led to massive Double Gates. Pilgrims entered these gates and went through magnificent passageways leading to the floor of the Mount above. The width of these stairs was more than 200 feet! The staircase was composed of 30 steps, with a landing after each step. This layout probably made the ascent slow and respectful. Part of the staircase has not been reconstructed so we can see the structures beneath it.

On the foreground side of the steps were ritual baths-mikvoth (one of them can be seen just on the right side of the photograph at the bottom of the steps) where worshipers could bathe to be ceremonially clean before worship. After the baths was another smaller stairway (no longer existing), which led to smaller gates, the Triple Gates, believed to have been for priests to enter the storerooms located under the Temple Mount floor on this corner of the platform.

Archaeologists believe there was a large plaza at the foot of the staircase to handle traffic of literally millions of pilgrims during the major festivals. One can imagine people, including families with children, joyfully climbing the stairs to the Gentile Court above and then to the Temple itself. The view from the Mount of Olives, where this picture was taken, must have been spectacular as throngs of pilgrims went up the stairs to worship God. Jesus was among this crowd, both as a boy and as a rabbi with his students.

It has been suggested that the Christian fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) may have occurred on these steps (Acts 2). Since it was 9:00 AM on a holy day, the time of morning prayer, large crowds would have been entering the Temple. The disciples went daily to the Temple Courts, so they too would have been arriving for morning worship. This staircase was also used by other rabbis as a place to teach. There were baths nearby, where the baptism of 3,000 converts could have taken place. In his sermon, Peter referred to David?s tomb, which was in the city nearby. Wherever the miraculous events of Acts 2 occurred, the large crowds of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the festival did hear the disciples' message and believed that Jesus had come as Gods Messiah. At that moment, the disciples were filled with God's Spirit and became his new, living, growing Temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17).

This view is of the Temple, looking west. The Temple was one of the greatest buildings commissioned by Herod. The front was 170 feet high and 170 feet wide. The back portion was 170 feet high and 115 feet wide.

The building was made of white marble, and the inside was covered with gold. The door was overlaid with gold, and there was gold on the roof spires. Josephus claimed that people could not look at the Temple when the sun was reflecting off the gold on the roof. The Temple's beauty was indescribable. No part of the Temple was left standing after the Romans destroyed it in AD 70.

This building symbolized the presence of the glory of God himself. When Jesus died, the veil to the inner chamber (Holy of Holies) was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing the access of all believers now to have God's presence through Jesus. On the Christian fulfillment of Pentecost, God took up residence in a new temple;his community of believers (1 Cor. 3:16-17).

The enormous Temple Mount of Herod had a 45-foot-wide colonnade around it. The eastern colonnade was called Solomon's Colonnade and was used by Jesus and the early Christians as a place of meeting and teaching. More than 40 feet high, the roof of the colonnade rested on the outside wall of the platform on one end and on two rows of columns on the other. The southern colonnade was much larger and more than three stories tall; it was called the royal stoa. The Sanhedrin met on the eastern end of the stoa. The remainder was the commercial center for the Temple. It was probably in the royal stoa where Jesus confronted the merchants and disrupted their market because they were cheating the people and intruding upon the Gentile's place of prayer (Matt. 21:12-13).

This model gives us a good idea of what the colonnade of Jesus' time looked like and shows why it would have been an attractive place to sit and discuss, worship, and preach.

This section of the Temple Mount Wall dates from the time of Herod. The Temple stood on the floor above the wall shown here. This particular wall would have been more than 40 feet above the street in Jesus day. The Roman destruction of the Temple and later construction here have filled in the area beneath the plaza.

The wall with the arched opening is a later addition and is clearly made from smaller stones. If you enter through this arch, you soon come to Wilson's Arch, which supported a bridge extending from the Upper City to the Temple Mount above. This area was a place of public gathering in Jesus' time as well, though on a lower level than the plaza of today. For many years the Jewish people came to this place to pray and to mourn the loss of their Temple and the city of Jerusalem. At that time, this section of wall was known as the Wailing Wall. Today the Jews have returned to Jerusalem, and so this section of the wall is now called the Western Wall. It is an important place for prayers, as shown here.

This is also a location for bar mitzvahs, in which boys take on the adult responsibilities of faith at age 12 (similar to Jesus' first Passover, described in Luke 2:41-50). The women and men are separated by a dividing wall, as the Jews and Gentiles were separated at the Temple in Jesus' time. Many of the men in this picture are wearing prayer shawls (tallits) with tassels on the corners, similar to those on the hem of Jesus' garment (Matt. 9:20).

Though the stones of the Temple Mount are weathered, they still stand as powerful reminders of the awesome glory of the Temple complex of Jesus' time