… to the Archeological Park in Jerusalem on Friday really helped me to grasp things. Here I was standing at the foot of the actual steps that led up to the Second Temple all those years ago. It wasn’t just an old story. It wasn’t a myth. It really happened. And I am a descendant of these people who came to this place to worship.

I always get a bit teary at the Wall, and I’m never sure why. Friday was no exception, standing at the foot of those steps.

I always thought it was all this spirituality in the air that got to me. But perhaps it’s something deeper than that.

When we went over to see Robinson’s Arch, or what’s left of it, the enormity of the destruction really hit me and I was very sad. This has never happened to me before. I must have needed to be able to envision this as a real place, for me to begin to understand the terrible tragedy of what happened back then. This didn’t even happen when I visited the Burnt House a few years ago (Don’t let this stop you from going to the Burnt House. It’s very interesting and very well displayed).

These are actual stones from the outer wall of Herod’s Temple, bearing the distinct features of Herodian masonry, excavated just as you see them, apparently toppled by the Romans when they destroyed the Temple.

And as these things always happen, today was the 17th of Tamouz, believed to be the day the Romans broke through the city walls (among other things), all those years ago (precisely 1938 years I think, if I’m not miscounting).

By the way, this post is my attempt to implement Judy’s of Adloyada’s wise advice to bloggers. If I hadn’t read it, I would have just spent the evening reading my book.