Day 6

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Today, we visited a site that is relatively new and has not been opened to the public yet.  Archeologists have determined that there was a gate through this part of the city wall in the past.  And near it is what could have been a judgement seat.  They believe that this could be the place where Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death in front of the crowd that demanded freedom for Barabbas.  

We are standing where the crowd would have stood.

The old gate that was filled in is just behind the white sign.

This shows an old stairway leading up to what is thought to have been a judgement seat.




The gate below is the Zion Gate.  The two photos after this one show close-ups.  Notice the bullet holes in the closest one.  This is from Israel's 1967 war.  




Bullet holes


This next church is called Church of Peter Gallicantu (Cock crowing).  This church is said to be built over Caiaphas' house and has a dungeon below it where some believe Jesus was taken after being arrested on the Mount of Olives.


       


The dungeon with a hole from which the prisoner is lowered


This is an excavation site on the property of Church of Peter Gallicantu.  They are removing sand by putting it in the bags you can see.  A slow process.  




We then drove to Bethlehem, which is in Palestinian territory.  Below is a photo of the border wall between the two areas.



Below is a view of the shepherd fields below Bethlehem where the shepherds would have seen the host of angels announcing Jesus' birth.



This is the Church of the Nativity, supposedly built over the place where Jesus was born.




Inside the Church of the Nativity, there are remnants of the first church built here by Constantine in 329 AD.  This is a mosaic floor segment, buried under the present floor.

Supposedly the actual place where Jesus was born

Beautiful architecture in the church

Interesting stairway along a Bethlehem street

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