Jerusalem: The Jewish Quarter

The "Mandolins in the Negev" post got out of order, so look below if you missed it (and care).

My first visit to the Old City began with the Ramparts Walk, which ended at the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter.

For photos of the Jewish Quarter, please look here.

I'll let the photos do most of the talking. But some highlights:

The Western Wall was crowded, as usual. I respected the rule against photography close to the wall, at least until I saw how many people were doing it anyway. Separate men's and women's sections were being undermined by all the women standing on chairs, leaning over the fence (some with cameras) as if the wall was holier on the other side. Evidently the viewing section of the wall sometimes becomes a point of contention between the ultra-orthodox, and others with less traditional views. I heard one story about a problem when a group of women showed up to worship at the wall with a Torah.

Other interesting sites abound in the Jewish Quarter. The Broad Wall is a recent archeological discovery, part of the ancient fortifications from the time when Jerusalem was the capitol of Judea, during the reign of King Hezekiah (2700 years ago, give or take). This is the sort of thing that draws religious people to Jerusalem: real, tangible artifacts from the Bible. It's a moving experience to feel like you're walking the same ground as Jesus, or Mohammad, or Abraham and the ancient Jewish kings. I have little attachment to the religious artifacts of any of these traditions, and yet the city is endlessly fascinating.

Several other archeological sites in the Jewish Quarter caught my attention, but there was not enough time to read up on them. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. (yeah, right, that's the second time you said that)

We're off this morning to the Old City, so more soon.