Visit to Bethany

John 11: 1-44

Bethany is a small village on the east slope of the Mount of Olives, only about two miles from Jerusalem. Jesus' good friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived there and he spent time with them when he was in Jerusalem. Today the town is called al-Azariyya to keep the connection to Lazarus. It is an Arab town on the West Bank surrounded by huge Israeli settlements.

The church of Lazarus at al-Azariyya

Inside the church - John 11:43 - "Lazarus, come out."
Beautiful gardens surrounding the church and tomb
Entrance to the tomb
The tomb of Lazarus
I mentioned that Bethany is only 2 miles from Jerusalem but you cannot get there from the Mt. of Olives (a five minute trip) because of "The Wall" that serves as a barrier to the West Bank. We had to take a taxi that went around the northern part of Jerusalem to pass through a check point and enter from the opposite side - a 25 minute trip. As you can see, the wall has become a focus for graffiti.

Another view of the wall
This part of the barrier is quite tall while other areas are barbed wire fences with razor wire on top.

On our walk home tonight, we noticed this sad commentary painted on the side of a building close to our neighborhood.