Long awaited Israel pictures.

During my time in Israel I went to Tel Aviv, Jaffa (just south of Tel Aviv). Jaffa is about 2kms south of Tel Aviv. This was a picture of downtown Tel Aviv from Jaffa- in the Bible Jaffa is known as the port Joppa. After a few days in Tel Aviv I went to the area of Galilee to Kinneret Lake (Sea of Galilee). I rode a bike around the Sea with a friend and we stopped off at Capernaum, to see Peter's house and where JC taught in the synagogue.
This is a picture of Capernaum, where Peter's house is and where JC taught in the Synagogue...
After a few more days I went to Jerusalem and stayed in the Old City. I got to see the City of David, the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (which houses Jesus' Tomb, Golgotha etc)This is a picture of the Garden of Gethsemane. There's a church built next to it, but they have preserved 8-10 olives trees, some of which are more than 2000 years old. It's weird to think those trees were there when JC was!

This is a view of the Old City of Jerusalem, from the Mount of Olives, and a Jewish Cemetery. The big golden dome is the Mosque where the Temple Mount is. It's where the first and second Temples were built and destroyed. There are all kinds of hard core security measures because people are always fighting over the area. It's like airport security- you have to send your bags through a little scanner, and they pull random people aside to pat down etc.

On my way down from the mount of olives I saw this Bedouin guy and his donkey. Well everyone knows i have a soft spot for donkeys, so I asked him if I could take his picture. He said "yes" and of course I had to pay him, but at least I got his picture.

I've never been to a country at war before, and it was really interesting to get on a bus and sit next to a bus load of 18-21 yr old army personnel with big guns. At first it was a little disconcerting to be sitting next to someone w/ a rifle in their hand, but it's amazing how used to it you get. You even have to have your bag checked when you go to the grocery store, like publix, or piggly wiggly- or whatever you call it where you are.
As I was walking from the Mount of Olives to the City of David I walked through the Kidron Valley where apparently the tomb of Johoshophat is... but apparently that's not actually the case. It's just some random wealthy people. My head is really in the way of the tomb, but I always thought it was quite boring to take pictures of just scenery, and since I was on my own there are lots of pictures of Scenery.