Zedikiah's Cave and Pool of Bethesda

Everyday we usually end at around 3:00 and we have free time for the rest of the day. Dinner is always at 6 so we have about 3 hours to go around the Old City if we want to make it back in time for food. Which is really nice because it's free and it's good. So Wednesday our first spot was Zedekiah's Cave.

Pam, Annie, me, Rachel, and Jerica on our way into the Cave!

Background story: Zedekiah's Cave is a huge undergound cave underneath the Old City. Herod the Great dug and carved to use the stone for the Second Temple, (the Western Wall is what is left standing from the stones of the cave). It is called Zedikiah's Cave because legend tells that King Zedikiah hid in this cave as the Babylonian's captured the city and destroyed the Temple.

Two of my wonderful roommates Paige and Jerica!



Beca, Brooke, Rachel, me, Dwight, Rachel, Joe (faculty student), and Pam

Throughout the cave is a small stream and the low parts of the cave has a dripping water ceiling that is all known as Zedekiah's tears, that he shed as the temple was being destroyed.



At the water stream of Zedekiah's tears

We took lots of pictures!

After the cave, we split and our group went to the Pool the Bethesda. I was camera-picture-taking out so I don't have as many pictures to post for this one but the pictures are not as important as the story.

A cool colored door of the church by the Pool of Bethesda

The gardens were beauuuuutiful around the area.

We walked under ground to the Pool of Bethesda (which makes sense, so long ago things were built one on top of the other so we got to literally see the actual pool. It's not anything special, looks like a Roman cistern but just to be in the area was nice.

It was very cool to be able to walk around the beautiful garden and see the ruins of an old Crusader chapel and have the open area to feel the Spirit. A cute UK couple told us about the garden around, which actually was a herb garden, a healing garden which went perfect with the story of John because people thought the pool had healing powers. They showed us all the cool herbs and flowers and we got to walk around outside. I loved this so much because in other biblical areas around Jerusalem, some church is usually built right on top of it and as a Mormon, our culture wants to be able to experience it as it was instead of worship in a church around an altar. The church was off to the side and we were able to stay outside and experience the beauty of the earth.

I loved it so much, mostly because I love the story, it is one of my favorite record miracle of Christ. The Pool of Bethesda is found in the Gospel John, specifically chapter 5:2-9. Because it's just a few verses I'm going to let the scriptures tell the story:

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, rise take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

I know that Jesus is the Christ. He came to the earth to atone for all our sins and to save us. To save me. I know that he performed many miracles and I love this story because all these people believed that the pool could heal them. But really, they are dead wrong. I like to put myself in the story and ask myself what I would have done if I was a certain person. This man was sick in some way for 38 years. 38 years!! He has had this infirmity probably his whole life. He probably lost all his family and friends, he has been alone and just waiting and wishing he could be healed for such a long time as it says in verse 6. As he told Jesus of his situation, Christ healed him and he was made whole and walked. He's never walked for 38 years, maybe even more and man if I was him I would be so excited and amazed that this Man healed me. He didn't need the pool; he had the real deal! I know that Christ can heal me because I am sick, we all have some kind of imfirmity and we won't be healed from an idea or earthly thing, but through Christ only. I know this Gospel is true and I am so grateful to be here in Jerusalem where I can feel  closer to Christ and be where his shoes have walked.