Okay, a couple fun pics...Bryan (above) as a star camel jockey about ready to race a bus (kidding, but he did saddle up).  Marty (below) taking the camel for a spin and loving every minute of it!!

"X" marks the spot with this silver star in a cave below the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Jesus was born into this world. [Matt 1:18-2:12]  ..."Immanuel...God with us."

Bethlehem is also recognized as the place where St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin (Latin Vulgate)...and he was also laid to rest here.  The skull at his feet was his own way of reminding himself that he must finish his translation before he died...which he did and we are grateful for his discipline and dedication.

Here we are sitting on THE first century step on the South side of the temple entrance.  In the corner over Tyler's shoulder you can see part of an arched doorway.  That was originally a double doorway exit route from the Temple above us.  ...and YES, Jesus would have used these very steps to get to and from the temple.

Inside the church at Gethsemane, at the base of the Mount of Olives.  People are shown here kneeling next to "the" rock that Jesus prayed at, which is at the alter in this church. [Matt 26:36-57; Luke 22:39-53]    "...yet, not my will but Yours be done."

...this is the outside of the church at Gethsemane.

Dominus Fevit (the Lord wept)…a small church on the Mount of Olives that commemorates when Jesus wept over Jerusalem during His Triumphal Entry. [Luke 19:41]  The top corners of the building have "tear catchers" depictions and the church itself is roughly shaped as a tear.

Looking into old Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. [2 Sam 15:30; Zech 14:4; Matt 21:1, 24:3, 26:30, Acts 1:12]   al-Aqsa Mosque is seen in the middle with the gold dome.  Dome of the Rock is just to the left but hard to see in this picture...more on that in a couple days.