The Shepherds Field

This is very likely the field where the shepherds saw the angels announcing the Christ Child's birth. The hills behind the field is where Bethlehem is! It's such a lovely place, this was my favorite of all our stops today on our field trip.


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Location:Overlook of the shepherds field and Bethlhem

Call to Prayer

We found a cozy hospice that works as a great place for lunch as while we spend the day exploring the old city. The awesome thing is that it has wifi so I can send pictures. I recorded the Call to Prayer so hopefully I can get the video to upload so you can hear it, cause its awesome:)

Location:Austrian hospice

Sabbath on Saturday

I initially thought that having church on Saturday would feel really strange, but today felt just like a normal sunday. (well, if a sabbath that involves Jerusalem can be called "normal";) I think tomorrow will be a little bit more odd. I'll be spending the majority of the day in the old city and the first place I'm going is to the money changers. Wired. T'will be a new experience:)

Location:BYU Jerusalem Center

First day of class

I've been to two of my classes this semester; Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern History. They are going to be awesome! My Old Testament class is really fast paced and is going to take a lot of work. Bring it on! I'm here to learn everything I possibly can, and not every religion teacher gets to point out the window and say "it happened right there!"

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Location:BYU Jerusalem Center

The OLD City

I, little Brianne Cook, have now walked the streets where the Savior once lived. It's so incredible I can hardly take it in. We live in East Jerusalem and spent most of our day in the Old City. So far I've fallen in love with the Old City, but i'm sure I'll warm up to the more "westernized" West Jerusalem. Oh both sides are beautiful in their own unique way I just have a particular love for all the history that's preserved in the Old City. We walked into town and my professor had us place our hand on a wall and then proceeded to tell us that the Ottomans had built it and I realized that it was older than the existence of my country! I've logically understood that before but it hit me at that moment that I had never touched any man made thing that was so old. And the Ottomans are Jerusalem's more modern inhabitants... :D I'm going to love it here.

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The old Ottoman walls of Jerusalem. We spent something like seven shekels to take a walk all along the outside of the city, it was a beautiful and lovely way to get acquainted with the city.

Location:BYU Jerusalem Center