Photos: Faithful flock to Jerusalem

Many religious followers, agnostics visit holy sites

……….. Jerusalem…, draws more types of disciples than the average person would expect. It is a magnet for ultra-Orthodox to secular Jews, rosary-clutching to casual Christians, devout Muslims — some shrouded, ritualistic pagans and curious agnostics.

Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa is one of three mosques in the Islam world that the Prophet Muhammad designated as a place of pilgrimage. On the city’s Mount Scopus are the 23,500 students of Hebrew University, a 10-minute walk north of Brigham Young University’s small Mormon campus.

The Western (Wailing) Wall, which dates to the reign of King Herod, is among Judaism’s most sacred sites, although respectful people of any faith are welcome to approach the structure with a written wish, gentle touch or kiss.

Some sit, linger and pray aloud. Others silently slip notes into a wall crevice. Most walk backward, in reverence, as they leave. A long and tall partition — but with slits to peer through — separates men from women.

At Christian sites, the devout kneel onto cool, marble floors — some using canes to maintain balance — or add a lit candle to the long rows of those already aflame. Equally bright are the flashes from cameras and phones. Some place a purse, necklace or other article atop a sacred space, to carry home a blessing.At Christian sites, the devout kneel onto cool, marble floors — some using canes to maintain balance — or add Read more