September 19 – Journal

Brittany Hofman

Wednesday, September 19th, was an open day for us to get ready for our upcoming week in Egypt . Everyone was free to do what they wanted to. After getting money changed into Egyptian pounds and purchasing necessary travel snacks, a small group of us ventured off into the Old City. Our original intentions of visiting the Dome of the Rock Mosque were crushed when we found out from another group of students that the temple mount was closed for the day. We quickly pulled out the map and made the decision to visit St. Anne's Church and the pools of Bethesda, two well known spots located in the Muslim Quarter, just outside of the Lion's Gate on the east side of the Old City.
I learned that St. Anne's Church is a 12th Century Crusader church, erected over the traditional site of the birthplace of Anne (Hannah), the mother of Mary. It was built to replace a previous Byzantine church. The church was eventually abandoned and fell into ruin until the Ottomans donated it to France in 1856. Most of what remains today is original. What I enjoyed most about this church was the simplistic nature about it. It wasn't too gaudy or overly decorated. In the crypt, there was a shrine commemorating the birth of Mary. Whether or not it really lies above the traditional birthplace of Mary's mother, Anne, there was a peaceful spirit that was very welcoming.
My favorite part of the visit was definitely being able to see the Pool of Bethesda – the site believed to be where Jesus healed a paralytic (as mentioned in John 5). This is one of the sites that I had been really excited to see before arriving in Jerusalem. Particularly because the famous painting by artist Carl Bloch of Christ healing at the Pool of Bethesda played an important role in helping me to know that serving a mission was what I was supposed to do in my life. From the first time I really took the time to admire the painting while sitting outside the Stake President's office (waiting for my final mission interview), to every time I saw the painting after that day, the Spirit bore witness to me that the decision that I had made was a good one.
The pools (or remains of the pools) included a spring-fed pool with five porches where invalids would wait their turn to step into the mysterious, or medicinal (as some called them) waters that were supposed to possess healing powers. The remains of the pools that we saw at Bethesda included these medicinal pools as well as two larger and much deeper pools (13 m in depth) that were used to collect rain water to be used in areas such as the temple complex. It was almost an unreal experience walking amongst these ruins, thinking about the account in John 5, and reflecting on the healing power of our Savior Jesus Christ. Not only did it bring the story of Christ healing the paralytic, but it helped me to reflect once again on the sacred opportunity that I had of serving a mission and helping others feel the healing power of the Lord in their life.