I felt like I had won the lottery. Three days in Jerusalem to do as I pleased! There was something about being there that exhilarated me.
On Saturday morning I walked from the group's hotel, fortunately well situated near Damascus Gate, to the BYU Jerusalem Center.
View of Mount Scopus on the left (left tower and buildings are Hebrew University) which becomes the Mount of Olives on the right (right tower belongs to Augusta Victoria hospital built by Germans in early 1900s), with the white arches of the BYU Center in the center-right.
Unfortunately this picture did not turn out well and doesn't convey the breathtakingly stunning view of the city. I was utterly overwhelmed to be back in this very special place.
The speakers were all students and impressed me with their sincerity and dedication. When the choir, also composed of students, sang with the accompaniment of violins and the grand piano, I gazed through the windows and thought to myself, Is this what heaven is like?
View from the terrace. It was windy!
The architecture is stunning, simple yet elegant. The building is widely known as one of the most beautiful modern structures in the city and is open several times a week for public tours and organ recitals.
Another feature I loved on the grounds were these models of Jerusalem during various historical periods. Here is Jerusalem at the time of King Solomon's temple (1000-600 BC).
Byzantine Jerusalem (AD 638).
Arab and Crusader Jerusalem (to AD 1517).
In the afternoon I walked to the Garden Tomb, a possible site of Jesus' burial. Today it's situated in a little park, beautifully maintained.
When I was a student at Hebrew University I came here for a special service on Easter morning with the branch president's wife and her sister.
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