The Holy Land: Day 9 - Israel 2013: Pool of Bethesda, Israel Museum, Shiloh, Tabernacle

Day 9

On our final day of exploring the Holy Land we first went to the Lion’s Gate, one of the eight gates in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Lion’s gate is believed to be nearby where the disciple Stephen was stoned. From here we walked to the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralytic man who’d been lame for 38 years. Adjacent to the pool were extremely large cisterns that collected water from the mountain. We then drove to the Israel Museum where there is a magnificent model on display showing what the Jerusalem and the Temple looked like in the biblical times. Also on display at the museum are ancient scrolls with biblical text. It’s great to know that the scriptures we read today match the text found on the scrolls. In the latter half of the day Leyda and I rode public transportation to the city of Shiloh to visit the place where the Tabernacle stood for years. The tabernacle in Shiloh is where Hannah prayed out to the Lord with all her heart (1 Samuel 1:9-11.) Ruins from Byzantine churches remain near the site. At the suspected location of the tabernacle excavations continue today authenticating its location.

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En nuestro último día de la exploración de la Tierra Santa empezamos a la Puerta del León, una de las ocho puertas de la ciudad vieja de Jerusalén. Puerta del León se cree que cerca de donde estaba matado el discípulo Esteban. Desde aquí nos fuimos a la piscina de Bethesda donde Jesús sanó al hombre paralítico que había sido cojo desde hace 38 años. Al lado de la piscina eran muy grandes cisternas que recogían el agua de la montaña. Luego fuimos al Museo de Israel, donde hay un magnífico modelo de pantalla que muestra lo que la Jerusalén y el templo parecía en los tiempos bíblicos. También en la exhibición en el museo son antiguos rollos con el texto bíblico. Es bueno saber que las escrituras que leemos hoy coinciden con el texto que se encuentra en los manuscritos. En la segunda mitad del día Leyda y yo montamos el transporte público a la ciudad de Shiloh a visitar el lugar en el Tabernáculo representaba años. El tabernáculo en Silo es donde Ana oró al Señor con todo su corazón (1 Samuel 1:9-11). Ruinas de las iglesias bizantinas permanecen cerca del sitio. En el supuesto lugar del tabernáculo, las excavaciones continúan hoy en día para la autenticación de su ubicación.Lions Gate maybe near where Stephen was stoned

John 5:2; 5:5-6; 5:8-9
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. --- Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” --- Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

1 Samuel 1:9-10, 20
So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. --- So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”