Saturday we got up early to go to the Old City. Our hotel was far from the city center because it was half the price of the closer hotels. It was right by a bus station, but, of course, the busses were not running on the Shabbat. So we took a taxi with an Arab driver. He was a very nice and friendly guy and we simply chatted about Jerusalem, and it was obvious he loved the city as much as any Jew could. Our first sight of the Old City was the large defensive walls on the West side as we drove through the Jaffa Gate. The walls are built of huge, cut stones and are impressive, but not more so than what I have seen elsewhere.
Once inside the gate, we realized that the Old City is not built for cars, as most of the streets are so narrow a car cannot pass. We only has a mile or so to drive, but we had to wait 5 minutes behind a truck taking out some garbage from a restaurant. Our driver took us as close to our destination as he could and we walked the rest of the way to the Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock.
The Western wall or Wailing wall. Note the division in the middle. Men have a large area on the left, women a much smaller area on the right. Don't walk into the wrong area or you'll get looks.
In order to get in to the Wailing Wall area, we had to go through a security check. Helen was wearing a blouse that revealed too much of her shoulders and had to put on a light jacket to cover them. Once inside, there were lots of people, and the four of us were strolling along, taking in the sights and chatting. Suddenly, a female guard rushes up to us, looks disapprovingly at me, gestures eagerly and rambles off something in a language I assume was Hebrew.
At first I am a bit dumbfounded, but we finally realize that the area in front of the Wailing Wall is divided into two sections by a portable wall. The smaller section is for women and the larger section for men. Since we had no idea, I had unwittingly walked into the women-only enclosure, which by the looks of the guard was not something that had happened since the time of King David. The funny thing was that in order to get in, we had to walk right by two other guards who had said nothing.
Anyway, I high-tail it out of there and instead head for the men-only enclosure. However, as I walk in, two male guards tell me – in a rather unfriendly tone of voice, as if I should have known this – to put on a cardboard skull cap. I was a bit taken aback and refused to go in, instead walking to a point where I could overlook the area. As I reflected on this, I found it a bit strange. I understand this is a religious area, but it is also obviously open to tourists. I have been to many different types of religious places, but this is the first time I have been required to wear a religious piece of clothing in order to enter.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I fully respect people’s right to worship as they wish and to set rules in a place of worship. In a Catholic Church, I have no problem with being allowed to witness the mass but not being allowed to take communion. Similarly, I have no problem with people saying that non-members cannot enter. Yet here I was allowed to enter the site, but ONLY if I would agree to wear a piece of clothing from a religion to which I do not belong. THAT I found quite strange, even a bit hypocritical. Wearing a skull cap of cardboard is not going to make me a Jew, but apparently if I appear as a Jew, they have no problem with me entering.
The Church of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives.
Anyway, after reflecting on this for a while, I donned the cap and walked in, feeling a bit silly with a piece of cardboard on my head. The Wailing Wall is simply a tall stone wall built of rather large stones at the bottom layers and smaller stones up higher. It is part of the Western Wall of the old Jewish temple complex, the second temple built by Herod and destroyed by the Romans. The Jews believe that because the wall is the closest to the old Holy of Holiest, it is a portal to the Divine and guarantees that heir prayers are heard. In other words, the Jews believe that the efficiency of prayers is linked to a physical location. No wonder they weren’t open to Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of God is within you.
According to Jewish tradition, one is supposed rend one’s garments in sorrow over the loss of the temple—especially if one has not seen the temple wall for more than 30 days. I didn’t see anyone doing that, but I later learned that that was because it was on the Shabbat, where tearing one’s garments is apparently considered work. So supposedly, those who do not want to destroy their clothing choose to approach the wall only on the Shabbat. (No, I am not making this up, read Wikipedia)
There were a lot of men in the enclosure with long hair and curls. Some were wearing the black suits of the orthodox Jews and some a kind of shawl over their shoulders. One guy walking outside was wearing a black suit with silver ornaments that almost looked like the costume of Doc Holiday in the movie about the OK Corral. I can’t say I felt at home there, and I did realize that for me the entire concept of a holy place seems quite strange. I never could identify a physical thing as containing God. To me this is clearly a graven image or an idol.
The Church of All Nations at the foot of the Mount of Olives.
I had plenty of time to reflect, as the three women took a long time to come out from the women-only enclosure. It turns out they had started to say some prayers of their own, and when people around them heard they said non-Jewish prayers, they harassed them and eventually called security. So they were firmly asked to leave and although they tried to ask why, there was not much openness for discussion. It became clear to us that the Jews have a very clear sense of ownership of this place.
