The Shema and the Tower of David

"Shema Israel Adonai Elohenu Adonai Ehad"- " Listen, Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is One"
Yesterday we began our first set of lectures about the Bible, with a special focus on the Shema - a key text in Judaism from the book of Deuteronomy which is recited twice a day by male Jews. It is like a creed.The printed text is also kept in plaques on all doorways in Jewish houses. We also had a short introduction to the Old Testament and some background on Matthew's Gospel.
After lunch we walked through the Old city with its maze of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways full of merchants trying to sell you their wares, up to the Tower of David, where in two and a half hours, we were given a summary of the 6000 year history of this ancient land. From the top of the Tower we had a great view over the city out to the Mount of Olives, the Dome of the Rock, where the old temple used to be, and many other significant sites of the city.
The heat of the day got to us so after the tour we went and had a cool drink before making our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - the sight of Calvary. This was the highlight of the day for me - actually visiting Golgotha, the place where it is believed Jesus was crucified. After climbing up the stairs, you can kneel down under an altar and touch the rocks of Calvary. We also went into the tomb where Jesus was buried and where the resurrection occurred. It was very moving to be in this holiest of places and to be silent, still and pray.