O Little Town of Bethlehem...

This is known as "Shepherd's Field" said to be the place that the Angels appeared to the shepherds! We went to Bethlehem on the 23rd, saw the Church of the Nativity, and then went to the...

Herodium. Named for Herod the Great who had this circular fortress built in 24-15 BC. Later a Jewish leader had the cisterns turned into a series of tunnels that wind down through this man made mountain. We wandered through them and since we were the only tourists there at this time it was a little creepy!!! But very cool!!!

This is us at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall!!! As you can see we are all completely covered, from head to toe!!! Although rain jackets in 90 degree weather aren't very practical you do what you can without packing too much!!!

This is known as the "Roof Walk" and it is exactly what it sounds like!!! Yep, a set of iron stairs lead up to the tops of the roofs, there is almost another city up here, and a few different levels reveal the entrances to houses that you wouldn't see from ground level. You can look down through vents to the the market below, and pick your way through some debris to see a slide and some park benches. As you can see from the picture it is even lit at night with some street lamps!! And wow, what a view!!! When the breeze picks up it can be a very pleasant place to spend a little time!

The Dome of the Rock! Same day as the Western Wall, and same attire... it was a hot day even without all those clothes, but a must! It is an amazing sight! So fun to take pictures of, and fun just to sit in the shade (never in the sun ;) and watch people. Tourists and locals, both young and old!

Us at the Garden Tomb. While there is almost no way of being 100% sure where the Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection took place, there seem to be signs that this garden tomb could be the one. The entrance was damaged and had to be rebuilt (see the bricks to the right of the doorway). This tomb is set in a beautiful, calm and peaceful garden. It was rather refreshing after being in some of the more commercialized spots!