Our adventure today began at the church of St Anne and the Bethesda pools. This is at or near the place of Jesus’s trial, Antonia Fortress, or Praetorium. Today it is built over by 2000 years of life in Jerusalem, however the location are marked as the stations of the cross 1 to 9. Numbers 10-14 are in the church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Walking the possible route he had to take those last minutes of his life and seeing the location of the Rock called Golgotha bring his suffering into focus. However the buildings constructed since such as the church, built in the 4th century by Helen, mother of Constantine cover over the natural features. But because Christians living at the time kept the stories and locations in their hearts and shared them with their children and grandchildren, it is believed they are the true locations.

After the visit along the via Delarosa and church, we traveled to the Israel Museum to see a1st century model of the city. This was built to depict Jerusalem within 70 years of Christ’s life so you can clearly see the praetorium, Antonio’s Fortress, what he was judged, the Rock called Golgotha, as well as other places where he was that night of His betrayal.

Also at this museum, is the Shrine of the Book, housing the Dead Sea Scrolls (but photography is forbidden there) the top of the museum is built like one of the jars where they were stored.

We ended our day near the Valley of Elah, where the boy David slew Goliath with a Rock from the brook. For more photos, go to
https://susandemaggio.smugmug.com/Via-Delarosa-Israel-museum–and-Valley-of-Elah