Images of Jerusalem.

Since I leave for Chile tomorrow evening, I wanted to take a little time to post a few of the many photos that I took during my days in Jerusalem. The key words in the previous sentence are "a little time," as the demands of packing and the sort of last-minute details that precede foreign travel mean I won't be able to provide much in the way of text to accompany the images. I'll offer a few words of introduction for each set, but otherwise the photos will have to speak for themselves.

This first batch of photos pertains to the house where I made my retreat: the Jerusalem residence of the Pontifical Biblical Institute. Though a few Jesuits live and work full-time at the PBI in Jerusalem, the main purpose of the house is to provide lodging for visiting scholars and others who are connected with either the PBI in Rome or the Society of Jesus in general and need a place to stay in the Holy Land. I found the staff and permanent residents of the PBI very welcoming, and the house itself was surprisingly well-suited for a group of silent retreatants. In addition to a general view of the building, the photos above include a couple of views of the Old City of Jerusalem taken from the roof of the PBI. (For those who might be curious about the two flags visible in the third photo, I should note that the PBI is right next door to the French consulate.) I hope that you enjoy the photos. AMDG.