We were warned that today would be a day of SO MUCH DATA. Latin lesson: “do, dare” means ‘to give,’ and ‘data’ means ‘stuff given,’ i.e., information, or “in other words” (as Avi would say), GIFTS. Today was a day of so many gifts! Jennifer described today as eclectic. We started the day in the City of David, visiting the Gihon (geyser) spring, sole source of drinking water for the city. The goal was to examine why Jerusalem is central to the three primary faiths, since it lacked a reason d’etre (note from Suzanne: compare to the founding 
of Rome, and the importance of Delphi despite its shortcomings as a city center). We walked over 400 meters through the underground water conduit, a tunnel carved from two directions under 150 feet of solid bedrock. It was very narrow (elbow abrasions!), the ceilings were very low (watch out, Jamie!), it was very dark (I am not comfortable with this — Suzanne), and the water was refreshingly cold. And we are all so relieved that Colleen’s camera was not, after all, lost. We walked along Herod’s drainage system under the commercial thoroughfare next to the Western Wall, emerging at the northwest corner in the Muslim Quarter. We received a lot of data there from Avi (who, we realize, is a rock star in Israel among tour guides) on the temple and early Jewish priests, etc. SO HOT. We had a lovely lunch (falafel and potato latkes!) in the Jewish Quarter, with a beautiful view of the Temple Mount. Under the wall again (a little Hadrian, a little Herod, a little Manluke) — so much archaeology! We saw a
complete 2000 year-old room, and saw an ancient mikvah. Also amazing was the second largest quarried rock in the ancient world — 570 tons of limestone (yikes!). We ascended a 2200 -year old Roman staircase onto the Via Dolorosa, which begins in the Muslim Quarter, and tracks Jesus’ passion; there we saw the first five stations of the cross. After again visiting the Western Wall, we got an Avian lesson on the history of the Muslim faith (and Avi’s accuracy was called into question by a Muslim eavesdropper). SO HOT. We “meandered” toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre via the Cardo and ancient wall. At the CoHS we witnessed a duel for territory between rival priests (Franciscans, Armenians, and Greek Orthodox), who all seemed to be starting liturgies at the same time. Some of us got to touch the rock of Golgotha, above which Jesus was believed to have been crucified. Happily showered and partially rested, we look forward to a restorative dinner out before tomorrow: the Dead Sea, which promises (or threatens) to be EVEN HOTTER!
– Colleen and Suzanne.