In Hebrew this reads, "If you mess with us, the Israeli Mutant Ninja Turtles will come out!" I'm making my professors so proud.


The Dome of the Rock sits were Solomon's Temple once sat. The Muslims have controlled this space since the 300's AD. This is where Muhammad allegedly pilgrimaged, where the hooves of his horse stopped on Mt. Moriah (the bedrock stone in the mosque where Abraham traditionally attempted to sacrifice Isaac). The Quran never mentions "Jerusalem," nevertheless Muslims would start a war if Israeli's tried to take control of this sacred space.

This was surreal.


The hills of Jerusalem create fantastic views of the city at night.

Bedrock tombs like this one surround the ancient city walls of Jerusalem. I wanted to crawl in but my roommate wouldn't let me.

The Western or "Wailing" Wall was filled with orthodox Jews praying feverishly for the advent of their messiah and the rebuilding of the Temple. My roommate and I went into this area with head coverings and even went into the Rabbinic Tunnel (not seen here) where judgmental eyes did not greet the uninvited goyyim ("gentiles"). The Rabinnic Tunnel is as close as orthodox Jews can get to where the Ark of the Covenant once sat. They could go up to the Dome of the Rock but, since they are not sure where the Holy of Holies exactly was on the Temple Mount, they do not want to accidently walk over it and defile it, so they never go up to the Temple Mount. An elderly Jew with a long grey beard put his hands over his eyes as I entered the tunnel, only to raise them once I had passed. It saddens him to see unclean men enter near the Ark of the Covenant. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped" (Isa. 35:5).

I'm not sure the status of my left eye in this shot, but behind me is the Western Wall and in the corner of the walls the Rabbinic Tunnel lies, a place where orthodox Jews pray continually.