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Day 9 (June 4, '08): Despite being the last day in Israel, our schedule was still jampacked with sightseeing. First we went up on on the Temple Mount where we could see the Dome of the Rock up close. Also on the Temple Mount is the Dome of the Spirit, the only place where Mount Moriah is exposed. Next we headed into the Muslim Quarter where we explored the Souk, several shop lined streets. Then we went to Bethesda Pool and St. Anne Church, one of the best preserved Crusader churches. Lunch was back in the Muslim Quarter - pizza and an unbelievably good minty lemon drink...I need to make these at home. After lunch, we walked the Via Dolorosa, or the Stations of the Cross, which begins in the Muslim Quarter and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This path traces the last steps of Jesus, but the path itself has no historical basis - it is represented in most Catholic churches today. There are two sites that are considered to be possible places of Christ's crucifixion, the site of the Church of Holy Sepulchre and the Garden Tomb. These were the last two places we visited on our trip. At the Garden Tomb, the final stop, our group held a Communion service that was led by Don and Mikal. I am writing this final journal from the airport in Tel Aviv -- it was sad to say goodbye to Hela, our guide, and Eli, our driver, but I am very excited to go home.
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