It is very odd to see greenery in Jerusalem, because they consider it impure. One of the most interesting things a learned about the Jewish culture was their purification baths. When they used to enter the temple on the temple mount...they would go into purification baths. These baths were made up of rain water. Once having bathed in these baths, they could not even rub up against anyone or anything that had not been cleansed or they were considered unclean again. Unclean...even if they stepped on a bug. It gave me greater insight into the stories of the woman with the blood issue and the good samaritan. It was serious. Many of the wealthy even had them in their homes. When these baths were to be taken, I do not know. There is no way that they had to take them every time they stepped on a bug or brushed up against someone else....timing must have been crucial. We know it was in the temple. I can't wait to learn more about the timing issue for those who had these baths in their homes.

Easter was a very different day for us in Israel. Easter for us is more like Halloween for them. We saw Jews dressed as cowboys, this little girl dressed as a Chinese doll, and all sorts of outfits that just seemed out of place.