Jerusalem Marketplace

This is our family (plus Juan) in Jerusalem. We met each night with our tribe out in the field to start off the evening. There were 12 tribes of Israel so there were 12 groups meeting. We were the tribe of Levi....big surprise, huh? lol Levi was so proud. (We're missing Ashton here, as she was helping out in another area.)Each night there was a skit in the middle of the marketplace, around the well, that referred to something that happened during the last week of Jesus' life. The first day was in reference to when He came into Jerusalem on the donkey on Palm Sunday. Savannah and Juan did that skit all by themselves. They played a married couple, "Rachel" and "Eleazar", with the wife so excited about Jesus coming to town and the husband, not so sure, and thinking his wife had lost it. They did really well and it was so fun to see them doing the acting. This was their costumes, though the poses are a little more modern....lol

In the marketplace, there were 9 or 10 booths for the kids to do activities. We only had half an hour, so each day we only had time to do 2 or 3 things. By the end of the week, they had done everything and were able to repeat a couple of favorites. Here Indy and Levi are at the instrument shop making a little harp with rubber bands.

This is Ms. Mary who was running the instrument shop and showing the "apprentices" how to make the harps. The project was a little too complex for Levi, so I helped him with his.

On the 3rd night, Ashton was in the skit, which was when "Mary" and "Hannah" (Ashton) heard from "James" that Jesus had been arrested. They did a great job. "Jesus" had been milling around the first 3 nights, up until this skit where we heard He had been arrested. Everyone in the marketplace, the booth people and others milling about (in costume) were all in character and discussing and passing the news about Jesus' arrest. Some were characters who were devastated at the news, others were characters who didn't like Jesus so much and were happy the "troublemaker" was gone. It was really cool. While "Jesus" had been milling about, he was taking pictures with people, talking to children while kneeling down, and always smiling. He did a great job as Jesus. Kinda how you would imagine Him.

Here is Ashton doing the skit with the other two actors.

One of the booths was a candy shop. Each night the ladies there were handing out typical period candy or "trail mix" (with dates, raisins, and almonds) to the kids. This was a favorite booth.

They also had a petting zoo available that you could visit during the marketplace time. One night we went out and the boys got to pet and feed the animals. Here Levi is petting a little bunny.

And, here they're feeding the donkey. They would have stayed there the whole time if I had let them. There were baby goats, ducks, chickens, bunnies, and the donkey. Fun.

Here's Ashton with one of her fellow actors, Megan. Each time a person visited a booth and "apprenticed" there, they were "paid" with a little coin. They could take the coin to the fruit and veggie cart and buy stuff with their coins. Ashton and Megan are taking a break eating their fruits, though I don't think the grape soda is very authentic. lol The first night they had pieces of sugarcane available to buy. My kids loved that. We took it home and cut it up. It was a neat to taste and smell it.

Another favorite booth was the bread baking booth. They had dough there for the kids to roll out. I think that's all they really did was to roll it out, but there was always a line for this activity. Each tribe was supposed to send two children each day to go make our family's bread. They all wanted to do this, even if it wasn't their turn. We talked about how in Bible times, they had to make their bread every day and it was part of their chores. This sure didn't seem like chores to these kids. lol

Levi rolls the dough, too. I think both my boys went there every single day. They loved that.

After the marketplace each night, we went to "Hebrew school" in the "temple". We learned about being in temple and about Hebrew writing and Passover (and how the symbolism compares with Jesus as our Passover Lamb) and other things. This night the kids had clay tablets and feather quills and they had to write the Shema, in Hebrew. The Shema is this, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." They only had to write that far, but the rest of it is this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Here Indy is attempting to write the Hebrew letters.

Here's Levi trying to do the same thing, but since he doesn't write with regular writing equipment yet, it didn't work too well, but he had fun. We also gave each child a yarmulke. I know that's not how to spell it, but I have no idea how to spell it correctly, so it's written phonetically. They really liked those and Levi wore his all the time.

Here's Indy again, working on his tablet.

Levi is relaxing on Mommy while listening to the "rabbi". Isn't he so cute?? lol What a smile!

This is Mommy and Levi in Hebrew school.

After Hebrew school, we went to the Village Playground and did some games and dances from Biblical times. Here we're playing a board game, which I forgot the name of, but it was like Connect Four, where you had to get 3 stones in a row. Indy and Levi liked playing this game.

Back to the marketplace....there was also a jewelry shop where the apprentices could make a necklace. Levi liked this booth a lot, I think mostly because some of the other projects were a little too difficult for him, but this he could do alone. I don't even know how many necklaces he made. lol Oh, the best part was that you go to hammer this metal disc flat to put onto the necklace as the main piece. I think it was the hammering that he liked best! lol

There was a basket weaving shop, too. Here Indy is working on making a basket. It came out pretty good and he enjoyed making it. Levi made one, too, but he couldn't do it, so he picked the colors while I weaved them onto the basket frame. He was still proud of his basket. lol

One night we took our little neighbor girls and here is Savannah with one of the girls while she's working on a clay pot in the pottery booth.

Levi really liked the "rabbi" and wanted a picture with him. In reality, the "rabbi" was a man who goes to our church, but is by birth Jewish...and from the tribe of Levi. Pretty cool, huh? He says he's a competed Jew. I love that. He even spoke some words in Hebrew. I think he made a great rabbi. :-)

But the best part of the whole week was when Jesus resurrected and returned to us on the last night. Levi followed him around until we could get a picture with him. Indy wanted one, too. Jesus disappeared from the marketplace after he got arrested until this last night, when everyone cheered his return. By the end of the first day, "Jesus" knew Levi and Indy's names. They knew he was only an actor, but when he was in costume, they liked to think it was really Jesus. Notice the "holes" in his hands.

One night, during the gathering at the end of the evening, everyone was standing around in the field, in their costumes, singing praises to God, dancing, clapping, smiling, and having a great time. It was so neat and just gave me a little glimpse of what it will be like when we get to heaven. Man, that's gonna be fun!

We had a great week visiting Jerusalem and learned a lot about the time that Jesus lived. There was a lot of work involved and a big thanks goes to those who put it all together. I was blessed this week, as I'm sure many others were. It's going to be even better someday when we can see Jesus for real!

And, in case I don't get back on here before, Happy Resurrection Day!