Western Wall

 The first morning in Jerusalem we visited the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall. It's divided into men's and women's sections (the men's section is much larger.) Anyone may pray at the wall, but men must have a head covering -- even a baseball cap will do.

I was prepared. I'd written out a list of family and friends I would pray for by name at the Western Wall. Then after I prayed, I rolled up the paper and stuffed it into a crack in the wall. Can you see all the bits of paper between the stones in the pictures below?

 The Western Wall is traditionally believed to be the closest place a praying Jew can come to the Holy of Holies. Do you see the phylactery (small box containing scripture) on the man's forehead? Jesus mentions phylacteries in Matt 23:5. Jesus was always more concerned with the state of the heart than customs or traditions. There is no Jewish temple standing today; it was destroyed in AD 70.