Sisters of Zion Convent

For our free day last week, the trifecta (Stacey, Melissa, and I) went to the Sisters of Zion Convent. We did not really know too much about its significance going into it, but we had heard it was a "must-see" so went to check it out. It turned out to be more ruins than a convent, but it amazing!

The first thing we saw was the Stuthion, a large water cistern built by Herod. We have seen a lot of cisterns here in Jerusalem, but this one was especially cool and was built as part of the water system to supply water for the temple.

(side note-yes I am fully aware of how fabulous J-Ru fashion is)

Next we saw the Northern Gallery which is a medieval cellar inserted into the Roman pavement, which was once the bedrock of the Antonia Fortress Moat. Just some ruins from thousands of years ago...no big deal

The last thing we saw at the Sisters of Zion convent was definitely my favorite. One thing about the modern streets of Old City is that they are actually about 20 feet above the streets that Christ would have walked on, due to the fact that the city has been rebuilt so many times. The Sisters of Zion Convent is underground though and as part of the complex they have the cobblestones on a street dating back to the time of Christ. This is not just any street though. It has been proven to be the actual street where Christ was tried before the people and where he was later beaten by the Roman soldiers. It was amazing to be able to sit there for awhile and reflect on the sacrifices the Savior made and on all the things he endured for my sake.

etchings the Roman soldiers made to play games on

After the Sisters of Zion Convent we made a few necessary stops, such as....

Jacob's Pizza for lunch

it was even non-kosher :) Quite a find in the Old City

the giant golden menorah incased in glass whose significance we weren't quite sure of....

Some jewelry shops...as you can see between the three of us we may have gone a little crazy over the gold bangles...whoops

and a quick stop at the Dome of the Rock before heading home :)

Overall, a pretty perfect day in the Old City of Jerusalem!