The second half of our last full day in Israel was dedicated to the Western Wall. The Western Wall is the only remaining portion of the Temple Mount that King Herod built for the Jews. The Temple Mount was destroyed by the Romans. It is now the location of the muslim Dome of the Rock (where Muhammed left the earth to talk with God), and it is also supposedly the rock where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, so you get to see the problems that people have about which group has more claim to the land than someone else. You almost expect to see a sign posted that says "No more religious epiphanies in this area, please". The Western Wall also functions as an open air synagogue. There are always people praying. I had that look of "easy convert" on my face and was approached twice by people trying to convert me to some particular sect of Judaism. All along the Western Wall, people write prayers on paper, fold them up, and place them in the cracks of the wall. Although it's most prevalent here, I saw this being done as far north as the Sea of Galilee.
David and I took a tour that takes you underneath the city of Jerusalem and walk all along the Western Wall. Apparently, they have concerts and other events underneath the city in this area.
