19 October

Dome of the Rock, Al Aqsa Mosque

Today we visited Muslim, Jewish, and Christian holy sites in Old City Jerusalem. We began in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, where we had the true honor to enter inside the Dome of the
Rock, one of the holiest sites in Islam and Judaism. The Dome of the Rock, in particular, is at the center of conflict between Israel and Palestine. The dome was built above exposed bedrock, which is thought to be both the site of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac and the origin of prophet Mohammed’s night journey. Access to the mosque has been strictly limited since the Second Intifada, the year 2000 when Ariel Sharon led Zionists to enter and attempt to destroy the Mosque, so it was an extra honor to be given permission as a non-Muslim group. Within the Alqsa Mosque, our second stop for the morning, our guide pointed to bullet holes in the structure’s walls and pillars, evidence of this recent violence.

Our group at Al Aqsa Mosque

Our tour continued through the Old City. We visited the Pools of Bethesda. We saw the Wailing Wall. We followed the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We walked down the Mount of Olives, through a Jewish cemetery, to the Garden of Gethsemane. In many ways, the itinerary would seem to mirror that of many religious pilgrimage tours.

Mount of Olives – Palm Sunday walk

However, I’m not here for a religious pilgrimage. For me, the value of seeing these sites was hearing the political and historical and personal context from our Palestinian guides.
I’m thankful we had great tour guides, Aouni and Michael, who summarized the political histories of the places we visited– ancient and current tensions, and changes in architecture or structure or use of space that are associated with the changing of power throughout history. Our guide emphasized many times that the importance of the places we visited is more about the meaning people make there with their stories and beliefs, rather than facts that stand outside of people’s experiences or interpretations. In A’s words, “it is the holy land, not the holy structures and buildings.”

~Grace Graham