Joel's J's

Today's ABC Wednesday meme in blogland features the letter J.

Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! How to choose just one or two J words when this whole blog is about J's?!
Jerusalem Hills, Jerusalem, Judea, Jewish State, Jews, Jacob, Jesus, John . . . just which photos to judge as fitting??
Jeepers! Hebrew does not even have a sound or a letter J. All these names you see here really begin with Y.

Between the Old City wall and the Mount of Olives lies the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
More commonly called the Kidron Valley, it has lots of olive trees

and LOTS of old graves.

In the short Biblical book of JOEL (3:1-2) God says "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there. . . ."
The prophet Joel is depicted in this statue at Yad HaShmona Biblical Garden:

He is quoting God in Joel 2:13: "Return to me with all your heart. . . and rend your hearts and not your garments."
This verse ends with the words very central to the liturgy of our High Holy Days, the Days of Awe culminating in the Day of Atonement: "Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil."


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