As follow-up on yesterday’s post I wanted to include a photo of the pool of Bethesda. There were actually two adjacent pools. Our photo shows excavations of the southern pool.
Southern Pool of Bethesda. Setting of John 5. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
These pools date back to about 200 BC, and furnished water for the temple. As noted yesterday, this is the setting of the miracle of John 5, when Jesus healed the man who had been lame for 38 years.
Click on image for higher resolution.
1 Comment | 
Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, New Testament, photography, Turkey | Tagged: Pool of Bethesda | 
Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
John 5 records Jesus’ miraculous healing of a man lame from birth at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. He had been in this condition for 38 years. Such miracles show who Jesus is: He has power over disease. He has power over time; the fact that the man had been in that condition for 38 years did not in any way lessen Jesus’ power to heal. Jesus came to deliver and redeem man from sin. The Good News of the Gospel is that though one may have been in the bondage of sin for many years, Jesus has power to save.
It is possible to see the pools of Bethesda today in the NE section of the Old City in the Muslim Quarter (comprised of 76 acres). St. Anne’s church is located there, dating back to AD 1138. Jerome Murphy-O’Conner describes it as the “loveliest church in the city” (The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700).
In 2011 my group went inside St. Anne’s and sang spiritual songs, such as “Amazing Grace,” “Alleluia,” and many others. The acoustics are marvelous.
Singing at St. Anne’s Church near Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Click on photo for larger view.
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, New Testament, photography, Travel | Tagged: St. Anne's Church | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
One of the most exciting of recent archaeological discoveries in Israel has been that of the pool of Siloam. I first saw this site in fall of 2005, when it was still “freshly” excavated. This photo illuminated the text of John 9, where Jesus healed the man born blind. Jesus spat upon the ground, made clay of the spittle, anointed the man’s eyes and told him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. He did so, and received his sight (John 9:1-7).
On Steps of Siloam. Mauldin Group 2011
All manner of pressure was brought to bear upon him by Jewish authorities to renounce Jesus as a sinner, but he refused to cave in. “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).
This is one of Jesus’ seven miraculous signs recorded in the gospel of John:
Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).
There is great value in on-site biblical study.
I previously posted on the Hezekiah’s tunnel which emptied into the pool of Siloam here and here.
My friend Ferrell Jenkins has recently return from conducting a tour in Israel, and then staying on several days to take more photos. I’m looking to seeing those in the near future here.
1 Comment | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, New Testament, photography | Tagged: Siloam | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
Yesterday’s post featured a photo of a hen with her chicks, imagery used by Jesus Himself in His lamentation over Jerusalem, as He wanted to gather the people unto Himself but they refused. Immediately he left the temple courts, crossed the Kidron with His disciples, and went to the Mount of Olives where He gave what has become known as the “Olivet Discourse” (Matthew 24).
Our photo provides an overview of the setting for these events. You can easily recognize the temple mount. Below that is the Kidron Valley. Next, at bottom of photo is the Mt. of Olives.
Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Kidron, and Mt. of Olives. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Click on image for larger view.
3 Comments | aerial photos, Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, New Testament, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
Today Ferrell Jenkins and I were able to visit a site we’ve both wanted to see for years, the tel and cave of Adullam. This site is mentioned in the biblical narrative of David’s life, specifically of a time in which he was being pursued by the Philistines (2 Sam. 23:13ff.). We were able to secure the services of a local guide with a 4-wheel drive jeep. A memorable day.
Late in the afternoon we were back in Jerusalem. We visited the Western Wall, and just north of the wall we entered Wilson’s Arch. This area is a reading room and prayer room. Today’s photo shows one of the Jews present reading from a scroll.
Reading a Scroll in Wilson's Arch. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
This can be used to illustrate the writing and reading of Scripture in both Old and New Testament times. For example, Luke records a moment Jesus’ Galilean ministry:
16 He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As usual, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.” (Luke 4:16-21).
Click on image for higher resolution.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem | Tagged: Scroll | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
During the final week of the Lord’s ministry, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, the Jewish rulers, for their hypocrisy and for their basic rejection of truth. His last words before leaving the temple area were
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ (vv. 37-38)
As Jesus and the disciples left, the disciples pointed out the temple buildings to Him. His response no doubt greatly startled them: “”Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2).
Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley and came to the Mount of Olives and sat down. It was here that the “Olivet Discourse” occurred, in which the disciples asked Him to explain what He meant.
View of Temple Mount, Jerusalem from Mt. of Olives. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
From the Mount of Olives the disciples could have seen the temple area in Jerusalem as Jesus’ foretold its coming destruction.
Excavations which reached 1st century street level uncovered stones of the temple buildings hurled down from above. The destruction took place in AD 70, by Rome’s Tenth Legion.
Stones from temple buildings in Tyropoeon Valley in Jerusalem, from AD 70 destruction. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Click on images for higher resolution.
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, New Testament | Tagged: Mount of Olives, Temple | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
The prophet Isaiah said, “Daughter Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a besieged city” (Isaiah 1:8). What is meant by that statement?
Zion, the city of Jerusalem, became David’s capital city. It was there that Solomon built the temple of the Lord Yahweh. Jerusalem, Mount Zion was central to Israel’s worship, and to their identity as a people. During much of Isaiah’s lengthy career (740-690 BC) Jerusalem was prosperous. “Their land has also been filled with silver and gold and there is no end to their treasures; their land has also been filled with horses and there is no end to their chariots” (Isa. 2:7).
But in saying “The daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard,” Isaiah speaks of their future desolation as though it has already occurred. Isaiah makes use of the prophetic perfect (perfect meaning “completed action”), a grammatical form used “to present future events as if they have already happened . . . the use of the perfect form to express completeness and factuality is so prominent that it is even used for a future event” (A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar.364).
Our photo below illustrates the imagery of the Isaiah text, and was taken near biblical Sardis. Some workers, perhaps family members, have constructed a shelter in the field to have a place to rest and refresh themselves before getting back to work.
Booth in Vineyard Near Sardis. Illustrates Isa. 1:8. Photo ©Leon Mauldin.
Because of the idols which had filled the land of Israel (Isaiah 2:8), God was going to reduce the magnificent city of Zion, Jerusalem the fortress city, to a hut.
Click on image for larger view.
3 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem, Old Testament, Turkey | Tagged: Hut, Isaiah, Zion | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
The Jaffa Gate is located on the western side of Jerusalem, thusly named because of its leading out to Joppa to the west.
Jaffa Gate, located on Jerusalem's Western Wall. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
The Jaffa Gate is located on your left in this photo. Crystallinks.com states
This gate is the principal entrance to the Old City. Its name in Arabic is Bab-el-Khalil, the gate of Hebron, as the main road to Hebron started here. It was also called Jaffa Gate because the road to the port city of Jaffa (Joppa) – the coast also started from it. This gate is the only one on the western side of the Old City. A low part of the city wall was torn down and the Crusader moat of the Citadel filled in 1898 for the visit of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. This gate was also the famous scene of the English General Allenby’s entrance in 1917.
You can see some of our previous posts for a map showing Jerusalem’s gates to help with orientation.
Click on image for higher resolution.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Jerusalem | Tagged: Jaffa Gate | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
Today’s featured photo takes us behind Jerusalem’s Golden Gate.
Behind Jerusalem's Golden Gate. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
You will remember that the Golden Gate is on the eastern wall. Our photo give you a perspective from atop the temple mount viewing the west side of the Golden Gate area.
Currently this is the location of a Muslim girl’s school.
Some make the suggestion that this would be the site of the Gate Beautiful mentioned in Acts 3:2:
And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts (NET Bible).
Click on image for higher resolution.
On a personal note, this week I am privileged to be part of Gary Fisher’s Indiana Bible Camp, http://indianabiblecamp.com/ Students range from age 13 to 19. I’m teaching a Visualized Survey of the Bible, its history and geography, from Genesis to Revelation, making use of photos of Bible places as we narrate the text.
Below is a photo from tonight’s assembly, with Jon Babcock speaking.
Shakamak Camp near Jasonville, IN.
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Jerusalem | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
The Citadel of David is located near the Jaffa Gate on Jerusalem’s western wall.
Citadel of David, located at Jerusalem's Western Wall near Jaffa Gate. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
The site, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org has this helpful info:
The citadel of Jerusalem, known as the “Tower of David,” has been a landmark of the city since ancient times. . .Its location was chosen for topographic reasons – this is the highest point of the southwestern hill of Jerusalem, higher than any other point in the ancient city, including the Temple Mount. A series of fortifications built here in the course of more than twenty centuries, protected Jerusalem from the west and also overlooked and controlled the entire city.
A first archeological survey of the citadel, and excavations, were conducted between 1934 and 1947. Renewed excavations were undertaken after the reunification of the city, between the years 1968 and 1988, preparing the opening of the site to visitors.
Every period has left its mark and has been identified in the assemblage of architectural remains. In the citadel’s foundations are buried the remains of Jerusalem’s fortifications from the end of the monarchic period (8th to 6th centuries BCE) through the early Arab period (seventh to eleventh centuries). The outline of the citadel known today is from the Crusader period; the citadel itself was built in the mid-16th century by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and incorporates the remains of earlier citadels dating from Ayyubid and Mamluk times.
The Citadel is protected by a high wall and large towers, and it is surrounded by a wide, deep moat, part of which was blocked in modern times. The entrance is from the east, via an outer gate, a bridge over the moat and a fortified inner gate house.
Click on image for higher resolution.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Jerusalem, Old Testament | Tagged: Citadel of David | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
You are currently browsing the archives for the Jerusalem category.
leonmauldin.blog 