A walk to remember

As we have said many times, we realize how very blessed and honored we are to live in the Holy Land of God.  We know it is such a privilege to be here, to walk the streets, to see the history, to witness and walk out the present prophesies coming to pass, and prayerfully be a part of God's future plan for Israel and the Jewish people.

To all who encourage and support us, we'd like to take you on a walk with us.  A walk from a Sunday to a Sunday, and beyond.... As you read your Bibles, listen to teachings, and watch dramas of the story of the last week of Yeshua's (Jesus) life on earth, we'd like to provide a few pictures of the places mentioned to go along with what we are all remembering.  Israel is a real place, with real people.  Sometimes when we read the stories, it can almost feel like a fairy tale.  For those who haven't yet been able to come and see these places themselves, we'd like to show a small portion through pictures.  We chose to use the Complete Jewish Bible version as our text so it would reflect the true Jewishness of the times - for all the disciples were Jewish, as was their Rabbi/teacher (John 20:16) - Yeshua.  We have translated Hebrew words to English in brackets.  

Come ~ take a walk where Yeshua walked....

John Chapters 12-21 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

12 Six days before Pesach (Passover), Yeshua (Jesus) came to Beit-Anyah (Bethany), where El‘azar (Lazarus) lived, the man Yeshua had raised from the dead; 2 so they gave a dinner there in his honor. 

Inside

9 A large crowd of Judeans (Jews) learned that he was there; and they came not only because of Yeshua, but also so that they could see El‘azar, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 The head cohanim (priests) then decided to do away with El‘azar too, 11 since it was because of him that large numbers of the Judeans were leaving their leaders and putting their trust in Yeshua.

12 The next day, the large crowd that had come for the festival (Passover) heard that Yeshua was on his way into Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Deliver us!” (Hosanna)

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai (the Lord), the King of Isra’el!”

14 After finding a donkey colt, Yeshua mounted it, just as the Tanakh (Old Testament) says —

15 “Daughter of Tziyon (Zion), don’t be afraid!
Look! your King is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

On the Old City Wall 

Palms set up along the Old City

16 His talmidim (disciples) did not understand this at first; but after Yeshua had been glorified, then they remembered that the Tanakh said this about him, and that they had done this for him. 17 The group that had been with him when he called El‘azar out of the tomb and raised him from the dead had been telling about it. 18 It was because of this too that the crowd came out to meet him — they had heard that he had performed this miracle. 19 The P’rushim (Pharisees) said to each other, “Look, you’re getting nowhere! Why, the whole world has gone after him!”

34 The crowd answered, “We have learned from the Torah (law, five books of Moses) that the Messiah remains forever. How is it that you say the Son of Man has to be ‘lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35 Yeshua said to them, “The light will be with you only a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, or the dark will overtake you; he who walks in the dark doesn’t know where he’s going. 36 While you have the light, put your trust in the light, so that you may become people of light.” Yeshua said these things, then went off and kept himself hidden from them.

37 Even though he had performed so many miracles in their presence, they still did not put their trust in him, 38 in order that what Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) the prophet had said might be fulfilled,

“Adonai, who has believed our report?
To whom has the arm of Adonai been revealed?”

39 The reason they could not believe was — as Yesha‘yahu said elsewhere —

40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so that they do not see with their eyes,
understand with their hearts,
and do t’shuvah (turn),
so that I could heal them.”

41 (Yesha‘yahu said these things because he saw the Sh’khinah (glory) of Yeshua and spoke about him.) 42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders did trust in him; but because of the P’rushim (Pharisees) they did not say so openly, out of fear of being banned from the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from other people more than praise from God.

13 It was just before the festival of Pesach (Passover), and Yeshua knew that the time had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. Having loved his own people in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 They were at (the last) supper...

Mt. Zion area where the Last Supper (Passover Seder) could have likely have taken place.

This may or may not be the room where it took place, however, it's a great place to remember what happened in this area.

Inside

14 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also. 4 Furthermore, you know where I’m going; and you know the way there.”

15 “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. 3 Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. 4 Stay united with me, as I will with you — for just as the branch can’t put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can’t bear fruit apart from me.

5 “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can’t do a thing. 6 Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.

7 “If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you. 8 This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim (disciples).

Vineyards in Israel

As an indigenous species, vineyards are a growing crop.

17 After Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify you — 2 just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him. 3 And eternal life is this: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

18 After Yeshua had said all this, he went out with his talmidim (disciples) across the stream that flows in winter through the Vadi (brook) Kidron, to a spot where there was a grove of trees; and he and his talmidim went into it. 

Kidron Valley between the Old City and the Mt. of Olives

View of the Kidron Valley from the Mt. of Olives

Mt. of Olives as seen from Succat Hallel - a 24/7 prayer & praise center.

Church at Gethsemane - garden to the left of the building.

Mt. of Olives behind the south-east side of the Old City/Temple Mount.

2 Now Y’hudah (Judas), who was betraying him, also knew the place; because Yeshua had often met there with his talmidim. 3 So Y’hudah went there, taking with him a detachment of Roman soldiers and some Temple guards provided by the head cohanim (priests) and the P’rushim (pharisees); they carried weapons, lanterns and torches. 4 Yeshua, who knew everything that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Whom do you want?” 5 “Yeshua from Natzeret (Nazareth),” they answered. He said to them, “I AM.” Also standing with them was Y’hudah, the one who was betraying him. 6 When he said, “I AM,” they went backward from him and fell to the ground. 7 So he inquired of them once more, “Whom do you want?” and they said, “Yeshua from Natzeret.” 8 “I told you, ‘I AM,’” answered Yeshua, “so if I’m the one you want, let these others go.” 9 This happened so that what he had said might be fulfilled, “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

10 Then Shim‘on Kefa (Simon Peter), who had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the cohen hagadol (High Priest), cutting off his right ear; the slave’s name was Melekh. 11 Yeshua said to Kefa, “Put your sword back in its scabbard! This is the cup the Father has given me; am I not to drink it?”

Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Some of these trees are VERY old.

12 So the detachment of Roman soldiers and their captain, together with the Temple Guard of the Judeans (Jews), arrested Yeshua, tied him up, 13 and took him first to ‘Anan (Annas), the father-in-law of Kayafa (Caiaphas), who was cohen gadol (High Priest) that fateful year. 14 (It was Kayafa (Caiaphas) who had advised the Judeans (Jews) that it would be good for one man to die on behalf of the people.) 

Caiaphas House in the distance - view from Mt. of Olives to give perspective of how far the walk was to there.  Also, the tall churches on the right on the ridge are in the area of the Upper Room.  This means they walked down to the Mt. of Olives, then Yeshua was taken back up to Caiaphas House.  Then across to the far side of the Old City to Pilate.

Caiaphas House with green roof.

This is a church built over the original site.

Due to the archeology, it is believed that this is certain to have been the original site of the house of Caiaphas.

These steps date back 2,000 years and are very possibly ones Yeshua would have used climbing to see Caiaphas.

15 Shim‘on Kefa (Simon Peter) and another talmid (disciple) followed Yeshua. The second talmid was known to the cohen hagadol (High Priest), and he went with Yeshua into the courtyard of the cohen hagadol; 16 but Kefa (Peter) stood outside by the gate. So the other talmid, the one known to the cohen hagadol, went back out and spoke to the woman on duty at the gate, then brought Kefa inside. 17 The woman at the gate said to Kefa, “Aren’t you another of that man’s talmidim (disciples)?” He said, “No, I’m not.” 18 Now the slaves and guards had lit a fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it warming themselves; Kefa joined them and stood warming himself too.

19 The cohen hagadol questioned Yeshua about his talmidim and about what he
 taught. 20 Yeshua answered, “I have spoken quite openly to everyone; I have always taught in a synagogue or in the Temple where all Jews meet together, and I have said nothing in secret; 

2,000 year old synagogue in Caesarea Philippi where Yeshua would have taught (Matthew 16:13-19).

An ancient synagogue built over the original synagogue from 2,000 years ago that Yeshua would have taught.

Three main entrances to the Temple Mount on the southern entrance that Yeshua would have entered.

This area on the Temple Mount is the location where "Solomon's colonnade" would have been (John 10:23).
Today the Al Aksa Mosque stands there.

The Temple Mount is a very large platform.

View of Mt. of Olives from the Temple Mount.

Eastern Gate as seen from on the Temple Mount.  One day Yeshua will enter this gate again!

Temple Mount

Temple Mount

Olive trees on Temple Mount

21 so why are you questioning me? Question the ones who heard what I said to them; look, they know what I said.” 22 At these words, one of the guards standing by slapped Yeshua in the face and said, “This is how you talk to the cohen hagadol?” 23 Yeshua answered him, “If I said something wrong, state publicly what was wrong; but if I was right, why are you hitting me?” 24 So ‘Anan sent him, still tied up, to Kayafa the cohen hagadol.

Prisons at Caiaphas House - Yeshua could have been held in one of these.

#1 in diagram

#2 in diagram

25 Meanwhile, Shim‘on Kefa was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “Aren’t you also one of his talmidim?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the cohen hagadol, a relative of the man whose ear Kefa had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the grove of trees?” 27 So again Kefa denied it, and instantly a rooster crowed.

Statue remembering Shimon Kefa's (Peter's) denial of Yeshua 3 times.

28 They led Yeshua from Kayafa (Caiaphas) to the governor’s headquarters. By now it was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters building because they didn’t want to become ritually defiled and thus unable to eat the Pesach (Passover) meal. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What charge are you bringing against this man?” 30 They answered, “If he hadn’t done something wrong, we wouldn’t have brought him to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “You take him and judge him according to your own law.” The Judeans replied, “We don’t have the legal power to put anyone to death.” 32 This was so that what Yeshua had said, about how he was going to die, might be fulfilled.

Prison at Pilate.

Prison at Pilate.

Prisoners would have sat on the bench with their hands and/or legs shackled to the stone wall.

You can see where the shackles were attached to the stone.

These prisons also date back 2,000 years.

33 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim (priests) have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.” 37 “So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered, “You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

Having said this, Pilate went outside again to the Judeans and told them, “I don’t find any case against him. 39 However, you have a custom that at Passover I set one prisoner free. Do you want me to set free for you the ‘king of the Jews’?” 40 But they yelled back, “No, not this man but Bar-Abba!” (Bar-Abba was a revolutionary.)

19 Pilate then took Yeshua and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted thorn-branches into a crown and placed it on his head, put a purple robe on him, 3 and went up to him, saying over and over, “Hail, ‘king of the Jews’!” and hitting him in the face.

Pavement stones from Pilate's judgement seat.

4 Pilate went outside once more and said to the crowd, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to get you to understand that I find no case against him.” 5 So Yeshua came out, wearing the thorn-branch crown and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look at the man!” 6 When the head cohanim (priests) and the Temple guards saw him they shouted, “Put him to death on the stake! Put him to death on the stake!” Pilate said to them, “You take him out yourselves and put him to death on the stake, because I don’t find any case against him.” 7 The Judeans answered him, “We have a law; according to that law, he ought to be put to death, because he made himself out to be the Son of God.” 8 On hearing this, Pilate became even more frightened.

9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Yeshua, “Where are you from?” But Yeshua didn’t answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You refuse to speak to me? Don’t you understand that it is in my power either to set you free or to have you executed on the stake?” 11 Yeshua answered, “You would have no power over me if it hadn’t been given to you from above; this is why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 On hearing this, Pilate tried to find a way to set him free; but the Judeans shouted, “If you set this man free, it means you’re not a ‘Friend of the Emperor’! Everyone who claims to be a king is opposing the Emperor!” 13 When Pilate heard what they were saying, he brought Yeshua outside and sat down on the judge’s seat in the place called The Pavement (in Aramaic, Gabta); 14 it was about noon on Preparation Day for Pesach (Passover). He said to the Judeans, “Here’s your king!” 15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Put him to death on the stake!” Pilate said to them, “You want me to execute your king on a stake?” The head cohanim (priests) answered, “We have no king but the Emperor.” 16 Then Pilate handed Yeshua over to them to have him put to death on the stake.

Heading out the current Damascus Gate - the way leading from Pilate to the Garden Tomb.

Outside Damascus Gate - The original gate is the one seen below.
 Jerusalem is a city built layer upon layer of history.

A close look.

So they took charge of Yeshua. 17 Carrying the stake himself he went out to the place called Skull (in Aramaic, Gulgolta). 

Picture of hill from in the past.

Current. 

18 There they nailed him to the stake along with two others, one on either side, with Yeshua in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a notice written and posted on the stake; it read,

YESHUA FROM NATZERET

THE KING OF THE JEWS

20 Many of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Yeshua was put on the stake was close to the city; and it had been written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek. 21 The Judeans’ head cohanim (priests) therefore said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but ‘He said, “I am King of the Jews.”’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had nailed Yeshua to the stake, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier, with the under-robe left over. Now the under-robe was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom; 24 so they said to one another, “We shouldn’t tear it in pieces; let’s draw for it.” This happened in order to fulfill the words from the Tanakh (Old Testament),

“They divided my clothes among themselves
and gambled for my robe.”

This is why the soldiers did these things.

25 Nearby Yeshua’s execution stake stood his mother, his mother’s sister Miryam (Mary) the wife of K’lofah, and Miryam (Mary) from Magdala. 26 When Yeshua saw his mother and the talmid (disciple) whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Mother, this is your son.” 27 Then he said to the talmid, “This is your mother.” And from that time on, the talmid took her into his own home.

28 After this, knowing that all things had accomplished their purpose, Yeshua, in order to fulfill the words of the Tanakh, said, “I’m thirsty.” 29 A jar full of cheap sour wine was there; so they soaked a sponge in the wine, coated it with oregano leaves and held it up to his mouth. 30 After Yeshua had taken the wine, he said, “It is accomplished!” And, letting his head droop, he delivered up his spirit.

31 It was Preparation Day (for Passover), and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat (Sabbath), since it was an especially important Shabbat. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. 32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on a stake beside Yeshua, then the legs of the other one; 33 but when they got to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out. 35 The man who saw it has testified about it, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he tells the truth, so you too can trust. 36 For these things happened in order to fulfill this passage of the Tanakh:

“Not one of his bones will be broken.”

37 And again, another passage says,

“They will look at him whom they have pierced.”

38 After this, Yosef (Joseph) of Ramatayim (Arimathaea), who was a talmid of Yeshua, but a secret one out of fear of the Judeans, asked Pilate if he could have Yeshua’s body. Pilate gave his consent, so Yosef came and took the body away. 39 Also Nakdimon (Nicodemus), who at first had gone to see Yeshua by night, came with some seventy pounds of spices — a mixture of myrrh and aloes. 40 They took Yeshua’s body and wrapped it up in linen sheets with the spices, in keeping with Judean burial practice. 41 In the vicinity of where he had been executed was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried. 42 So, because it was Preparation Day for the Judeans, and because the tomb was close by, that is where they buried Yeshua.

Many people believe this is the site of Yeshua's death, burial and resurrection.
Once again, if it is not, it's certainly a wonderful place to reflect on what took place in this area.

Inside the tomb.

Amen!

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam (Mary) from Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she came running to Shim‘on Kefa (Simon Peter) and the other talmid (disciple), the one Yeshua loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”

3 Then Kefa (Peter) and the other talmid started for the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other talmid outran Kefa and reached the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen burial-sheets lying there but did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Shim‘on Kefa arrived, entered the tomb and saw the burial-sheets lying there, 7 also the cloth that had been around his head, lying not with the sheets but in a separate place and still folded up. 8 Then the other talmid, who had arrived at the tomb first, also went in; he saw, and he trusted. 9 (They had not yet come to understand that the Tanakh (Old Testament) teaches that the Messiah has to rise from the dead.)

10 So the talmidim returned home, 11 but Miryam stood outside crying. As she cried, she bent down, peered into the tomb, 12 and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Yeshua had been, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 “Why are you crying?” they asked her. “They took my Lord,” she said to them, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

The garden is beautiful and peaceful.

14 As she said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she didn’t know it was he. 15 Yeshua said to her, “Lady, why are you crying? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you’re the one who carried him away, just tell me where you put him; and I’ll go and get him myself.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Miryam!” Turning, she cried out to him in Hebrew, “Rabbani!” (that is, “Teacher!”) 17 “Stop holding onto me,” Yeshua said to her, “because I haven’t yet gone back to the Father. But go to my brothers, and tell them that I am going back to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Miryam of Magdala went to the talmidim (disciples) with the news that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this.

Video of our daughter and her dance team worshiping to "How Great Thou Art" 
at the Garden Tomb last year at this time.

We received special permission to have a private time for them before the garden opens to the public.

19 In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” (Peace be unto you) 20 Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord. 21 “Shalom aleikhem!” Yeshua repeated. “Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you.” 22 Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach HaKodesh! (Holy Spirit) 23 If you forgive someone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held.”

Upper Room area.  Again, may not be the actual site, but a place to remember what happened in the area.

21 After this, Yeshua appeared again to the talmidim (disciples) at Lake Tiberias. 

Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) - means harp, for the shape of the lake.
The city of Tiberias is on the west side of the lake.

Town of Migdal is seen, where Miraim was from (Mary "Magdalene" - meaning from Migdal)

Here is how it happened: 2 Shim‘on Kefa (Simon Peter) and T’oma (Thomas)  (his name means “twin”) were together with Natan’el (Nathanael) from Kanah (Cana) in the Galil (Galilee), the sons of Zavdai (Zebedee), and two other talmidim. 3 Shim‘on Kefa said, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We’re coming with you.” They went and got into the boat, but that night they didn’t catch anything. 

Boat on the Kinneret.

4 However, just as day was breaking, Yeshua stood on shore, but the talmidim didn’t know it was he. 5 He said to them, “You don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered him. 6 He said to them, “Throw in your net to starboard and you will catch some.” So they threw in their net, and there were so many fish in it that they couldn’t haul it aboard. 7 The talmid Yeshua loved said to Kefa (Peter), “It’s the Lord!” On hearing it was the Lord, Shim‘on Kefa threw on his coat, because he was stripped for work, and plunged into the lake; 8 but the other talmidim followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish; for they weren’t far from shore, only about a hundred yards. 9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a fire of burning coals with a fish on it, and some bread. 

On the seashore cooking fish and pita bread on a "fire of burning coals", 
like Yeshua...in remembrance of Him.

10 Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 Shim‘on Kefa went up and dragged the net ashore. It was full of fish, 153 of them; but even with so many, the net wasn’t torn. 12 Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the talmidim dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Yeshua came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Yeshua had appeared to the talmidim after being raised from the dead.

15 After breakfast, Yeshua said to Shim‘on Kefa, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan (Simon son of John), do you love me more than these?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, are you my friend?” Shim‘on was hurt that he questioned him a third time: “Are you my friend?” So he replied, “Lord, you know everything! You know I’m your friend!” Yeshua said to him, “Feed my sheep! 

24 This one is the talmid who is testifying about these things and who has recorded them.

And we know that his testimony is true.

25 But there are also many other things Yeshua did; and if they were all to be recorded, I don’t think the whole world could contain the books that would have to be written!

"Then Adonai will go out and fight against those nations,  fighting as on a day of battle.

4 

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies to the east of Yerushalayim; and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, to make a huge valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south." 

Zechariah 14:3-4

Mt. of Olives

"Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east; and it was shut. 2 Adonai said to me, “This gate will remain shut; it will not be opened, and no one will go through it; because Adonai, the God of Isra’el, has gone through it. Therefore, it is to be kept shut. 3 Only the prince, since he is a prince, is to sit there to eat his meal before Adonai; he is to enter through the vestibule of the gate and leave the same way.”"

Ezekiel 44:1-3

Eastern Gate