The day started early, breakfast at 6.30 a.m. so we could be on the coach to the Old City by 7 a.m for a morning visit to the Temple Mount with Dan Bahat. Another most amazing time - Dan has spent years and years studying this particular area, He is former Chief Archeologist of Jerusalem, is adjunct Professor St Michael's College, University of Toronto, and lectures in universities around the world. Dan has authored many books, including 'The Illustrated Atlas of Jerusalem'. Need I say more, we could not have asked for anyone better, it was a truly amazing morning, thankfully pretty much on the flat and Dan moved us from one shady spot to the next. More in my further notes.
After lunch there was free time until 4 p.m. so I used this to do my preparation for the Cultural Evening which started at 7 p.m.
Our only lecture today was from Rabbi Mordecai Silverstein. The topic was Haftarah Tazriah 2 Kings 4:42-5:19, the healing of Naaman.
Then supper and on to the Cultural Evening. We had a great, funfilled evening, which included a Canadian Trivia Quiz (I still believe Edison INVENTED the light bulb and didn't just buy the rights from a Canadian), an Australian song from Mark, a country dance from Kristen, a nose rubbing ceremony from Ces, a Brazilian samba from Vid and Carolena, dance video from India, a song from Russia, Fulgida read an Italian aria with English translation, and I told the legend of Joseph of Arimathea coming to Glastonbury and read a poem which I only had only been given to me by Alison on the Sunday before I left for Jerusalem:
Not merely in the words you say
Not only in your deeds confessed,
But in the most unconscious way
Is Christ expressed.
Is it a calm and peaceful smile?
A holy light upon your brow?
Oh no! I felt his presence while
You laughed just now.
For me 'twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear, to me so dim,
But when you came to me you brought
A sense of Him.
And from your eyes he beckons me,
And from your heart his love is shed,
Till I lose sight of you, and see
The Christ instead.
Source Unknown; from Discipleship by David Watson.
Tired but refreshed, entertained and so to bed.
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