Jerusalem: The Center of the Universe - Walk the "Holy City" with GaryTheGuide

What Muslims call Al-Aksa and Jews call the Temple Mount could be described as the connection between Heaven and Earth. It is the site of the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aksa Mosque, and it is where the Temples of Solomon and Herod stood. This spot represents where Christians, Jews, and Muslims envision the peace that awaits us all in the future.

It is filled with chapels and artifacts that narrate the stories of Jesus, his followers, and believers who shaped christianity throughout the ages. Recent restorations open up the ability to see stunning and colorful artwork, scenes that have been hidden beneath the dust for centuries.

There are three different sections of the Western Wall, the center of Jewish holiness for close to 8 centuries. The Hidden Wall helps you understand what this wall meant for Jews from the moment prayer began there in the 13th century. Ezrat Yisrael (the gender mixed area of the Western Wall) allows you to grasp how this wall is connected to the Temple, God's house on Earth. The traditional Western Wall (gender separated) allows you to see how modern Israel and it's people interface with this holy spot, an image that brings out the challenges and conflicts within the Jewish faith.

This is an optional site on the tour: Mount Zion is a neighborhood of enigmas. It's very name is confusing. We will visit both the Room of the Last Supper and the Tomb of King David, discussing whether these are the true sites. The discussion itself of the validity of these holy places, as well as the Dormition Church which sits next door, brings out colorful stories of Jews, Christians, and Muslims attempting to define themselves in an ever changing world.

This is an optional site on the tour: The original Jerusalem, built by a small fresh water spring, sat just south of today's Old City walls. In this small village, the Canaanites created a unique system of tunnels and walls to protect their water supply. These structures appear in the stories of the Biblical King David and his descendants. We will traverse these caves, exploring the stories of Kings, palaces, battles, burial, and miracles. [admission fee $5-9 (US) per person, not included in the tour price] (option of traversing a wet tunnel that will require water shoes and a flashlight)

enters Jerusalem, where Jesus ascended to heaven, and where holiness has been commemorated for millenia. Between fascinating churches and chapels, ancient graves, and politically charged neiighborhoods, we will experience some of the most moving views in Jerusalem. [admission fee up to $7 (US) per person not included in the tour price]