Nancy and Jim travel to Tel Aviv.
Jim's plane in SanFrancisco.
Turkish Airlines staff in SanFransisco.Arrive Istanbul, fly to TelAviv. Arrive TelAviv, shuttle to Jerusalem. The travelers avoided an accident when the shuttle bus was squeezed between a bluff and another bus.
Terminal in Istanbul.
The travelers take a selfie on the airplane from Istanbul to TelAviv.
Istanbul at night, from the airplane.
The travelers were dropped off from the shuttle at around midnight. Where the shuttle dropped them off in Jerusalem- Damascus gate- about 10 minutes away from the hotel. Use of global app and phone flashlight enabled them to walk from the Damascus Gate to the hotel in the Old City in the dark with their luggage. Nancy's main suitcase was still to come. The streets were dark and empty.
Damascus gate.
Hotel doors.
Hotel interior.
A map of Jerusalem's old city.
The travelers spent Sunday scouting the Old City.
Shop along the alleyways in Old City Jerusalem.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre - believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and tomb and resurrection. Affirmed by recent research in the basement. Currently occupied by the main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic, and to a lesser degree the Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox.
Holy Sepulchre exterior.
Holy Sepulchre interior.
Holy Sepulchre dome.
Gouged badly, learned to see menu with prices first, Nancy was not feeling too well.
Nancy enjoys Lunch.
Stands to hold prayer material.
Wailing wall men's side.
Special area which is covered (men's side).
Wailing wall women's side.
Nancy delivered a prayer from Tamia and left it in the wailing wall.
After viewing the wailing wall, the travelers walked back to the hotel to take a nap. Needed to recover after long trip from USA to Israel.
Statuary in the church.
Monastery/seminary in the Armenian quarter
Reminder of the genocide.
Head of the Armenian apostolic group in Jerusalem.
Dinner.
Shops closed at the end of the day.
Night view from Hotel rooftop.
Monday morning, with help of hotel staff, Nancy's luggage was found and delivered.
Sunrise from hotel rooftop.
The travelers visited the Dome of the Rock. Nancy had previously visited in 1969 (50 years prior).
The travelers walked the rampart wall from Jaffa gate to Zion gate.
The travelers met with George Hintlian. Late morning coffee shop. Following are two audio recordings from that meeting.
TODO: audio 1 TODO: audio 2The travelers toured David's Tower, where there are 21 layers of history.
George showed them St. James' church. Nancy shared the family's Armenian table grace with George, who was touched.
The travelers returned to CHS and met with George again. Ability to see special place in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre along with Canadian officials guided by George. Recent research affirms that this place was the place where Jesus’ tomb was. A YouTube video on this issue may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uuZ-C7nmj4 This counters research (Talpoit tomb) which concluded that Jesus’ body and family tomb had been found about three miles away from the CHS.
The gate to the basement of the CHS.
Nancy watching a private mass on the main floor of the CHS.
George leads a tour.
The travelers walked the wall Jaffa Gate to Damascus Gate.
The travelers looked more carefully with George for information about Miriam Torosian (n.e.e. Jerahian). They want to see if there are records that she was born or married in Jerusalem. They found no records.
