Have you ever been inside a tomb? - May cemetery post

I need to get back to writing about our trip to Israel.  Seems like it has been so long since we've been there, yet it doesn't.  I am so very happy we went!  I would encourage every Christian to make the trip!  

After our trip to the Jordan river, we went to Bethany, the home town of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.

 Al decided to go into Lazarus' tomb.

coming out

Next we went to the museum in Jerusalem.  

The line was really long, but Jim has his connections, and pretty soon we were escorted past all the people and in another door to the museum.

 Model of ancient Jerusalem (1" represents 1')

 

 This is Samuel's altar

Roman soldier's helmet

 
This is a heel bone of someone who was crucified.  You can see the nail going through the bone.  Some people were crucified on olive trees; their legs would have been nailed from the side of the leg into the tree.

The ossuary of Caiaphas, the depository where his bones were placed.  His name is on the side of the box.

In the olden days, the body was prepared and placed on a shelf (like the photo below).  After a year, the family would go in and take the bones and place them in the ossuary.  The shelf would then be ready for another family member when the time came.  Graves were used over and over.   For Jesus' burial, Joseph of Arimathaea had a new tomb that had never been used that he gave for Jesus' body.  I wonder - after His resurrection, was it ever used again?  But then the Romans destroyed Jerusalem not long after that.

 This is a replica of a grave site that the following Scripture was found in.

The silver scroll above is the oldest Scripture ever found; from King Josiah's time, 7th century BC.  It has Numb. 6 on it.  I LOVE that verse because my Dad used to always say that blessing to our children when they were young.  Dad even said it at Jill and Adam's wedding.  That verse was found by this archaeologist, Gabi Barkay.



We were so privileged to be able to meet and listen to Gabi talk about how he found the silver scroll in this very location.