Very near the Antonia Fortress is the Pools of Bethesda. Right next to the pools of Bethesda is St Anne’s Cathedral. This is one of the few cathedrals that was not destroyed by the Muslims after the Byzantine Era because they turned it into a school, and were particularly impressed by the acoustics. We tried to sing a song or two in there, despite the lack of song books, and with little luck remembering all the correct words. So I volunteered to sing the first stanza of “It Is Well” for our group. I was a little under the weather, but the acoustics were most forgiving and it was pretty cool. A favorite moment for me as it is maybe my favorite hymn. Here is a pic of the cathedral.
Here is a picture of the (now empty) pools with some of the archaeology nearby.
The pools were some 40-50 feet deep. Whoa! Next up is the Israel Museum and lunch.