Perhaps, on Earth there is no other place like the Wailing Wall, where thousands of pilgrims would annually strive to pray to God, make a wish, or simply touch the history of all mankind. The Western Wall (the second name of the Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem is the main religious attraction and the Jewish shrine of Israel.
A bit about Israel
Before you start talking about the Kotel, I want to talk a little about Israel - the country in which it is located. It is located in the South-Western part of Asia. The capital of Israel is the city of Jerusalem. The population is eight million people. The Promised Land, as Israel is also called, is the cradle of civilization and the birthplace of three religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This tiny country is surrounded by forests, seas, mountains, deserts. This state is cried and plagued by the Jewish people. The historical significance of this place is difficult to overestimate. Therefore, it is not surprising that Israel attracts thousands and thousands of tourists from all over the world. Israel is rich in cultural, historical and religious monuments. The Western Wall in Jerusalem is one of the most important places for all believers. Therefore, every Christian must certainly visit Jerusalem at least once and, of course, visit the Wailing Wall.
origin of name
The term "Wailing Wall" is more popular among pilgrims who come to Jerusalem. The Jews themselves call it the “Western Wall”, the first explicit mention of which dates back to the eleventh century and belongs to Ahimatsu bin Paltiley. And the name "Wailing Wall" was given by the Arabs who saw how the Jews come here to mourn over the destroyed shrine. Now the Western Wall is a fragment of the wall left over from the strengthening of the Temple Mount on which the temple was built - a holy place for all Jews. Subsequently, the temple was destroyed, but the Jewish scriptures say that the Divine presence never departs from this place.
Kotel: dimensions and location
Usually, this wall means fifty-seven meters of an open fragment of an ancient fortification wall located on the western slope of the Temple Mount. This part is reserved for prayers and goes to the area of the Jewish quarter. But its full size is four hundred eighty-eight meters, most of which is hidden behind residential buildings. The southern eight-meter part of the wall is located in the Muslim quarter of the holy city. The Wailing Wall is thirty-two meters high, but only nineteen of them are visible above the ground, all the rest eventually disappeared under an earthen mound. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem consists of forty-five layers of stone, twenty-eight of which are above the ground and seventeen under it. The seven first visible layers belong to the Jordanian period. They are made of perfectly polished limestone stones without any bonding to each other. The average height of the stones is one meter, the length is from one and a half to three meters. Each block weighs from two to six tons. On the front side of each such stone are panels of very thin carvings.
History
In the tenth century BC, the Temple of Solomon was built on the Temple Mount , which was destroyed by the Babylonians in five hundred and eighty-sixth year BC. The construction of the second temple was carried out in the first century BC by the Jewish king Herod. Thus, he wanted to restore the destruction that arose during the war and to receive the love of his subjects. No one was allowed into the interior of the temple except priests, so Herod ordered that all the holy fathers be trained in building skills. Because of this, the preliminary preparation took a very long time. The construction of the temple lasted nine and a half years. And even after the death of the king, finishing work continued for a long time. But ironically, the temple was again completely destroyed by the Roman conquerors six years after the construction was completed. The Romans burned, plundered and completely destroyed it, and the Temple Mount itself was plowed up. The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is all that remains of the grand structure.
The Wall in Jerusalem Today
The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Someone comes here to bow to the Promised Land of their ancestors, someone just wants to visit a cult place and touch the history, others come back here again and again to once again feel the powerful energy emanating from the wall, well, and who -to - put a note between the stones with a cherished desire. Any person can come here, regardless of the faith that he professes. There are no restrictions on this score. The only way to approach the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is to observe some rules that the caretakers will not allow you to break. Firstly, a man must wear a bale (little hat). If there is none, then at the entrance to the square you can take a cardboard bale in a basket, absolutely free. Women and men pray from different angles: men on the left and women on the right. You can only move away from the wall by turning to face it - this is the custom. Not only do people come to the Western Wall to pray. Israelis celebrate many holidays and important events in this sacred place.
Where did the tradition go to put notes with wishes on the wall?
Every year, thousands of tourists come to Jerusalem. The Wailing Wall (photo presented in the article) accepts many visitors to give hope to some, to lose faith to others, and for some this is the last place where you can pour out your soul before God. But judging by the number of notes in the crevices between the stones, the majority certainly wants to send a message to God, in the hope that the request will reach the Almighty faster. The tradition of putting notes with requests in the crevices of the wall has been carried out since ancient times. There is a legend that once upon a time one wise man - Raba Haim Ben Atar - wrote a note to God with a request to send prosperity to his disciple. And he asked this young man to take her to the Wailing Wall and put it between the stones. Soon, the disciple of Rab, Haim Ben Atara, smiled on luck. And we know him as a sage named Hida. Every Jew faithfully believes that no matter how far he is from his native place, if his thoughts and prayers are directed to the place where the Western Wall rises above Jerusalem Square, he will be heard by God. Once a year, overseers of the Wailing Wall scoop up notes and take them to the Mount of Olives, where they put messages in a special burial place.
Free delivery of notes to the Kotel
And if someone does not have the opportunity to fly to Israel and personally put a note in the Wall with the most cherished desire, it does not matter. There are sites where you can absolutely free of charge fill out the corresponding form and send a message, and the Israeli volunteers, having printed it, will take them to a sacred place. But no matter how you try to deliver a leaflet asking God, his address is always the same: Jerusalem, the Wailing Wall. Notes of thousands of people annually get to the place where the presence of the Almighty is always felt.
Hotels near Kotel
Pilgrims, rushing to the shores of the Promised Land, will still be interested in pressing problems. Therefore, the question may arise: “And where to settle during the stay in the Holy City?” Not far from Jewish Square there are many cozy hotels, expensive and not so. Half a kilometer away is a small hotel called New Imperial Hotel. It is located in the historical part of Jerusalem. The cozy rooms have air conditioning, Wi-Fi, TV. There is a fridge and kettle in the dining area. Breakfast is buffet style. Prices are very affordable. Another hotel located near the Wailing Wall is the Mamilla Hotel (five stars). On the roof there is a panoramic terrace with a wonderful view of the old city. Cozy rooms feature Egyptian-style cotton sheets , and some bathrooms have glass walls that can be turned on and off. The hotel has many restaurants, there is also a spa. This is an expensive hotel with great service. The Kotel is only one kilometer away.
Other sights of Jerusalem
Israel is rich in religious, cultural and natural attractions. And one of the greatest Christian shrines is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. According to legend, the sanctuary was built on the spot where they crucified and buried Jesus Christ. After the destruction, the temple was finally rebuilt in 1898. Now the temple complex includes the Altar of the Crucifixion on the top of Golgotha, the rotunda with a large dome, the Kuvukliya chapel, which was erected at the burial place of Christ, the underground temple of the Acquisition of the Viviparous Cross, the cathedral church of the Jerusalem church of Katholikon, several limits and the church of St. Helen. It is also worth visiting the Church of the Nativity of Christ, which is one of the main shrines of the Christian world. This church was built on the site where, according to legend, Jesus Christ was born. Calvary is one of the most revered places for believing Christians. Still worth noting is the Stone of Anointing and, of course, the Dead Sea. All this and much more will appear before the eyes of travelers who decided to visit Israel. Therefore, it is inappropriate to go to this amazing land.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that the sacred land will welcome all believers, regardless of faith. Arriving on the Promised Land of all the Jews, you will not only touch the history of the ancient people, but also enrich yourself spiritually. By visiting the Wailing Wall, you can turn to God through a holy message, and your requests will certainly be answered.