Part Four

 Hi All!..... Well some fun relaxation last night after a hard day!... this is a Dead Sea Mud Mask!....as compared to  the Egypt Mohamed mask!...thank goodness it came off too!...I really do look human....now!
 
 So this morning I was off to the Archaeological Park (the one I got into free by mistake coming back in the tunnel from the City of David,  but this time I paid for it!!)
 On the way I paused and sat at the Western Wall....something I seem to be doing every day just to sit and take it all in....very happy...
 On the way to the Archaeological Park went to the Roman Cardo which was excavated in the Jewish Quarter....beautiful!
 Last pics are of the park....
 See you tomorrow! K 

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Hi All....another walking day!...left early and the streets were empty....amazing!!

.I walked out the Lions Gate and up the Mt of Olives.  On the way up I stopped at the Church of Mary Magdalane....the beautiful Russian Orthodox Church with 5 golden domes....they are only open 2 days a week for 2 hours....one has to really make good plans  to see it .....the grounds were lush and cool and pics are included....cannot take pics inside tho.

From there I went to Pater Noster where it is said that Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer.  There are beautiful tile images of the Lord's Prayer in every known language....very peaceful.

Close by was the Chapel of the Ascension where it is said Jesus ascended to heaven.  It is under Muslim control for many centuries.  I learned that the Muslims also believe Jesus ascended to heaven at this place.  Five churches celebrate Ascension Day at  this church...Franciscan, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Copts, and Serian. There is a stone in the Chapel said to be the footprint of Jesus.

Pics are 9ncluded.

Afterward I walked down the Mt of Olives and back to the Lions Gate.  The door was open to the Muslim cemetery, and I can never ignore an open door!... asked a few people there if I could walk in this cemetery....no problem they said...this cemetery is  right on the Eastern wall of the Temple Mount.

Now, my main goal was to see the Temple Mount wall and especially the GOLDEN GATE which was walled up during Ottoman times....and I did!....very up close!....Jewish tradition says that the Messiah will walk through this gate....that is why it was walled  up in the 1500s......it is a beautiful double gate that you can see from across the Kidron Valley from Gethsemane....it was there at the time of Jesus....I took many pictures....just on the other side of this gate is the Temple Mount.....fascinating to me....mission  accomplished!

2 more days to the start of dig!!

See ya, k.

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Jan. 23rd Dig Day 1

Hi All!..

Well made it through day 1!....whew!...hot, dirty, and a heat wave is coming!...yikes!

Day began at 3am....on site at 4am....today was orientation of site and different sections and goals for that section.....exciting site thought to be also the end of the Cardo as remains the Roman street was revealed in excavation. (The Cardo is the Main  Roman street that runs from Damascus Gate through the Old City to Zion Gate..this street was most likely built over a street that had been in use prior to the time of Jesus......there are excavated remains of the Cardo in the Jewish Quarter that one can see  today)...The possibility that this is the southern site of the Cardo is based on the ancient MADABA map of the Holy Land found in Jordan which I saw while visiting Jordan a few years back....

Pics today are of site, pottery cleaning, and wet sifting vs dry sifting....seeds, beads and very small items are found in wet sifting vs larger pottery sherds found in dry sifting.

This IS exciting!.....some suspected Iron Age pieces are beginning to show up that would date this site to David!....and according to tradition, David was here!!

See you tomorrow!!....kxx 

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Did Day 2, Jun 24th 

I got assigned to the ROMAN CARDO!  YEA!

We dig out the dirt, transfer it in buckets to the refuse pile and it's carted away....we brush up surface and look for artifacts....pottery or anything that looks man made after wiping away the dirt...I HAD A SPECIAL FIND!  YEA!...I cannot photograph  it but it was a metal part of a Roman horse bridal!!!....it gets marked where found, team comes by to photograph and mark with a laser instrument to exactly mark where found....item goes in special bag for further analysis....that was fun!....especially for  first day!

Tomorrow who knows!....I am going to sleep well!

Love, kxxxxxx.

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Dig Day 4 Jun 26th:

Hi all....another exciting, hot day on the suspected Roman/Byzantine Cardo!!!

Darn!...this just gets more exciting with finds!

Dug through rock, dirt, and fill..

Found a drain pipe into the sewer (that's par for me!) from a cistern which adds to the possibility that this 

is the Cardo or main street through Jerusalem from the Damascus Gate to the Zion Gate.....

Exciting....but who knows....

BUT MY BIG FIND was a small bronze item......can't describe it to you, but everyone was excited!.....including me!...no photos allowed....

One more day then Friday, Sat off!...whew!....no more 3am days for 2 days!  Yea!

See you tomorrow!....kxxxxxxxxxx.

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Hi all...took a field trip to Masada, Quram and Dead Sea...all sites are very close together along the Dead Sea...

First Masada, the last strong hold of the Jews cr. 74 AD....was originally the palace of King Herod....Jews fled Jerusalem to Masada and held it for a year...Romans built a siege ramp and took Masada...one can see the siege ramp and Roman camps surrounding  site....we went up by tram.  Some people hiked the Snake Trail which was the historic supply trail to Masada....in the pics you can see the Dead Sea and mountains of Jordan across the sea in the background ...

Followed by Qumran....site of the Esseens....Dead Sea Scrolls found in caves  there as they were hidden by the Esseens when the Romans were invading....oldest Jewish texts found which follow the Jewish Holy Scriptures very closely and confirms the Jewish  scriptures...the Eseens were a male monastic Jewish group and copied many of the books of the Jewish Scriptures on parchment which in turn they hid.....

Next...Dead Sea for a float....very busy, fun, beachy spot!..."floated" for about an hour.....SEA WAS HOT...literally!..and it was at least 150 degrees down there!!!....lots of people just getting too hot, (including me) when they wern't riding a camel!!!!....relieved  to get back up in altitude to Jerusalem to just cool off!

Tomorrow back to work!

Kxxxx

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