Time in the Old City

After an early breakfast about 35 of our group went on a walking tour of the Old City in Jerusalem. Our guide, was an incredible fount of knowledge of both religious and secular history and with equal depth and respect for Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

We started at the Mount of Olives where we could look out across the ancient Jewish cemetery to the walls of the Temple Mount upon which rests the Old City.

We learned that the Jerusalem's Old City is the oldest, continuously inhabited, completely enclosed walled city on the earth.

I have uploaded a number of our photos from the Old City to Team Atlanta's Picasa site.

I had an incredibly moving experience at the Kotel (the Western Wall) today. As I rounded the corner after entering the gate to the old city, I saw the Wall and completely lost my breath. I sat in the middle of the courtyard in front of the wall thinking about my wife and children, writing down my wishes and prayers for our family and weeping.

I got up and walked around to the entrance to the area in front of the wall, found the place at the walled that felt right, placed my hands and forehead on the cold Herodian stones. As I placed my prayer into the wall and turned around, I heard a camera shutter. One of the Rabbis spending their time at the Wall was taking pictures of the Wall and the folk there. I didn't know photos were allowed that close ...

The Rabbi asked me about the yellow bracelet I was wearing. I shared with him the story of a dear friend who is a cancer survivor who was asked to participate in a Lance Armstrong Foundation event in DC. During the event, my friend was presented with one of the first 100 of the livestrong bracelets and he lent it to me for the trip. Darren, it has been brought to the Wall and a prayer has been said for your continued health.

More stories to tell. They'll have to wait ... for now.

David Taylor-Klaus
Team Atlanta