Like many people, traveling to the Holy Land has been on our wish list, and thanks to Rev. Lynne from St. Paul's, Phil and I are on our way to Israel! Now, how to prepare for such a trip? With an expansive list of suggested readings provided, Phil and I each started with one of the four Gospels, I choosing the Book of Luke, and then amended our reading with "In the Steps of Jesus". None of this subject matter was new to us, as our lifelong Christian upbringing has educated us on Holy places and historic events from age 5. But, there was a new excitement in reading these again, now in the light that we were actually going to be visiting these places, to stand at the very places where everything happened. The birthplace of Jesus, Mary's Spring in Nazareth, the birthplace of John the Baptist, and the Via DoloRosa through Jerusalem to the site of Jesus' crucifixion and so many other biblical references, we will be standing at these sites. All the historic lessons suddenly had a shiny new light beaming from them. It is all so much more real, and deeply personal and meaningful. There is nothing so wonderful as to add validity to something that you believed all your life; seeing and touching the ground where it all happened makes it so real in the here-and-now.
What to pack? Clothing that is light, comfortable, and modest, including a scarf to respectfully wrap over my head at sacred places. And, good walking shoes!
How to get there? We purchased airline tickets that took us from San Francisco to Boston, then to Paris and finally on to Tel Aviv. Others in our group chose Turkish Air through Istanbul. In hindsight, that might have been the optimal choice. Phil and I were traveling for 26 hours following our route.
We did have a long layover in Boston that was refreshing and allowed us to have a nice lunch.
But by the time we got to Tel Aviv, we were washed out. Sleeping on the airplane in coach seats is just not optimal, so we were neary delirious and running on adrenaline, even running out of adrenaline when we met up with our group outside of Customs at the airport. The good news was that we made it! We did not miss any connections, and we're enormously thankful that our baggage arrived safely too! And, other than needing to go through security again in Paris and being pulled aside because we had water bottles in our carry-ons, and that my knee implants were giving the wand-holder at the security checkpoint some trouble, and a few crying babies sitting behind us on two of the flights, our journey was relatively smooth.
We are staying at the St. George College Guest House, at St. George Cathedral in East Jerusalem.
Our breakfasts were provided by the resident chef. We indulged in the finest of middle-eastern/mediterranean specialties, such as thickened yogurt with za'atar and a drop of olive oil on it, fresh and pickled vegetables and salads, numerous kinds of olives, halvah and other sesame products, and deliciously spiced meats, eggs, and roasted vegetables.
Our tour guide is Iyad Qumri, a Palestinian Christian who runs a tour service in Jerusalem, with Omar, our driver for the duration. Iyad's knowledge of every inch of the Holy Land, past, present and future, inside and under Jerusalem, and throughout Israel was impressive and inspiring. Here is Iyad, in the blue shirt, herding us cats.
That makes 35 of us, plus Iyad. And, if you weren't counting, we had NINE priests in our group! What a splendid group this was. If you had a question or wanted knowledgeable insight, you had 9 people in the group additional to Iyad to talk to.
9/17/22 Our first outing was a bus ride to high points on the outskirts of Jerusalem, to help us get the lay of the land and anchor some familiar land marks for us. Jerusalem is called the "City of Light". It is beautiful from above, with its white structures, towers, walls, and hills.
There are few forests in the area, but the topology is predominently limestone. You can thus understand why the standard building material is limestone blocks versus lumber. Even today you might see structures being formed with concrete, but then they are veneered with limestone facings. Everywhere we went, structures including houses, commercial buildings lining downtown streets, even storage units and garages, all were made of limestone. I think that it replicates the blocky cliffs, and the ancient terraced hills in the area. The terraces fascinate us. These have been carved from the hills to add farming land for crops and trees (lots of olive trees!) for thousands of years.
Outside of Jerusalem Proper, you'll see barren land or terraced fields, and then clusters of buildings grouped together. The single-family suburban sprawl does not exist here; residential dwellings are kept in clusters, with tall apartment buildings dominating the pods.
We visited the birthplace of John the Baptist in Ein Kerem, which now hosts the Church of the Visitation and St. John's the Baptist church.
Here sits the well and the capstone where Elizabeth hid her son John from Herod's army when all babies were slaughtered after Herod heard the news of a new King (Jesus) being born. Tragic times.
The paintings in the arches give details of the story of this sacred place.
The town of Ein Kerem is now a tony town of cafe's and shops, predominently inhabited by a young Jewish crowd. The Christians that had been here have long since left the area, other than those who maintain these two churches.
This was the front door of one of the apartments on the street from above. So beautiful.
As part of our pilgrimage, Iyad had included guest speakers from numerous ethnic, religious, and cultural groups in the area, the first being Mr. Firas Amad who presented an overview on Islam and life in Jerusalem as a Muslim. In later sessions, we visit with the Episcopalian ArchBishop at St. George, the Rector of Christ Church in Nazareth, and a Jewish scholar and Human Rights advocate in Jerusalem. As a pilgrim taking in the holy sites, it seems imperative that we understand the history of this sacred land, and the passion of its multiple tribes of people leaving their imprint on the land through the years.
This land has such rich and tragic history. It is believed by many that Jerusalem is in the center of the human world, and is the origin of human society.
Throughout known history this area is invaded and the landscape changes, with the effort each time to wipe out the previous occupants and re-establish a new presence. Although its history dates back multiple centuries prior to Christ, I'll just start in the first century with a taste of the dynamic tensions this land has endured. In the first century, the Romans invaded and occupied the land. Jews kept a low profile to co-exist, and early Christians had to hide their faith altogether. Then, in 300'sAD, Helena and her son Constantine (Byzentine era), brought a wave of Christianity to the area, building a chapel or church over every biblical reference of Jesus' where-abouts. Then, with the birth and growth of Islam in the 600's, the area is siezed through various battles and political appointments, and the Byzentine shrines are destroyed. The Crusades then occur from 1000 -1200 AD to push out the Islamic rule and reinstall Christian (European) government structure. The Ottoman invasion in the 1500's then brings Islamic rule back over the area. This persists until the British were given administration over the area by the League of Nations, and the area was named Palestine after the Ottoman Empire withdrew from the area in World War I. After the Holocaust during World War II, the land of Palestine was officially recognized as Israel, a safe haven and new homeland for the Jews. The western world applauded the motion. But, the Arabic communities here in Palestine were not of the same mind, as this land was also inhabited by Arab Christians and Muslims. Is it possible to have a democratic nation-state where a minority population based on their religious identity has been handed the authority of an area by an outside entity? And here, we enter modern history, where I'll take a pause.
Due to this tumultuous history, the city of Jerusalem is home to the most holy sites for three of the world's most populated religions, and these sacred sites are within a few hundred yards of each other, in the center of the Old City. The grounds of the destroyed Jewish temple (Temple Mount) marks the site of the Holy of Holies, where God's presence appeared in a chamber inside the Temple, and where the Arc of the Covenant once sat. The Foundation Stone at the base of the temple site is believed to be the location where the first man, Adam was created. It is also believed that this is the altar where Abraham prepared his son for sacrifice in showing devotion to God. Then, just 200 yards to the east sits the Church of the Holy Sepulcre, housing Golgotha, the location where Christ was crucified and his tomb sits empty. Six hundred years later, the Foundation Stone is the site where Islamic prophet Muhammad recorded his Night Journey (Mirraj), where he ascended into heaven to meet the earlier prophets, and was given holy scriptures directly from Allah and Gabriel to share with the world. It seems most likely that Muhammad picked this location for its holy status; the Torah, Quran and Old Testament of the Bible all share these historic references and other stories. If I were going to visit Allah, where else would I pick but in a location where Allah is known to have presented Himself!
With the holy sites of these three religions focused in this landscape, and a recurring history of invasion and reconstruction over the area, there is no doubt that lasting peace between these ancient peoples sharing this land will be difficult, to say the least.
9/18/22 The Western Wall was built as part of the wall surrounding the Temple Mount by Herod the Great, in preparation of the reconstruction of the second Temple. Its juxtaposition to the estimated location of the Holy of Holies inside the original temple location makes it the most sacred of Judaic holy sites. It is also known as the Wailing Wall, so named because for years Jewish worshippers were not allowed to enter this area of the city; they were banned from visiting their most sacred site.
As we approached the wall, we could see little pieces of paper stuck between the bricks. These were prayers that worshippers left for God to read. Being that today was the third anniversary of my Dad's passing, I felt moved to include my little piece of paper with a prayer for him and my family.
As you approach the wall, you can feel the holiness of the space. The limestone rock meets your hand, and you feel a flow of energy through your body. You are at one, just you and God for just a moment to cherish.
The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine erected in 692 AD, and built over the Foundation Stone at Temple Mount. It was rebuilt in 1023 after the original dome collapsed, and is now the oldest standing structure of Islamic architecture in the world.
Walking to this area up on this hilltop, you really have to take in the significance of being here. To so many, this "hill" is the center of their universe. We are standing on Temple Mount, at the Dome of the Rock.
Looking outward from the Temple Mount, just stand and take it in for a few minutes, looking in each direction...
Although it was built by Muslims, the architectural style of the mosque is similar to the church of St. Mary and other Byzentine structures. After the Crusades in the 12th Century, the Dome was used as the headquarters of the Knights Templar. Its form then was used as a template for the round templar churches across Europe.
Religious dominence and access to the Dome of the Rock fluctuated throughout time, right up to recent history. After the war in 1967, authority over the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock was given to the Muslims by the Israeli government as a peace-keeping action; maintaining this area as a sacred Islamic site has been respected and enforced by the Israeli law since. With this, non-Muslims can visit the site, but are prohibited to bring prayer books or other religious clothing or symbolic jewelry into the grounds of the Temple Mount. Jews were discouraged from visiting the mount to avoid provocation. But recently, this guideline was softened and they now come escorted by armed guards to protect them.
Wearing yamaka's while visiting the Dome of the Rock seems a bit like an act of provocation, particularly with an armed guard standing by. Thankfully, lawful obedience (other than the non-removal of their yamaka's) won out today.
After visiting the Dome of the Rock, we walked down the streets toward the Lion's Gate at the eastern wall of the Old City.
There, we stopped for pomegranate juice and sesame bread, a much-appreciated snack!
Onward to the Lion's Gate. Pics are from the inside, and then from the outside of the gate and wall.
The Lion's Gate looks east of the Old City, toward the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gesthemane.
You might have noticed all the hills throughout this area. We climbed, hiked, and trekked over 15,000 steps on most days while in Jerusalem, where all the ground surface is paved with stone. I might need a new pair of shoes, it was brutal on the feet.
The Garden of Gesthemane is an olive grove maintained as a courtyard adjacent to the Church of All Nations. Within this church is a rock upon which it is believed that Jesus communed with God prior to his arrest and crucifiction. It is a very somber place, as we contemplate that conversation. The Church of All Nations is centered in this photo below. We'll visit this later in the week.
Now, we are on our way to Ramallah, for a Sunday Morning worship service with St. Andrews Anglican Church. This is in the West Bank, so we have check points to get through along the way. I never thought I'd see sights around Ramallah in my lifetime. And, here we are.
A wall surrounds the city residences, keeping Palestinians inside very tight boundaries. Notice the black and white tanks mounted on the roof. The white tanks are connected to solar heaters. The black ones are for drinking water storage. The water supply is turned off frequently, so when the water is flowing, they fill their tanks to get them through the shut-off periods. I'm told that Israeli cities and neighborhoods do not experience these water supply shut-offs, just the Palestinian neighborhoods.
Ramallah is predominently home to Muslims and Christians, and is the de-facto administrative capitol of the "state" of Palestine. In the cityscape, shops occupy the ground floor of the buildings along the street, mostly in garage-style open spaces with roll-up metal doors.
Nearly all residential units are tall apartment buildings. Again, suburbs don't exist in this landscape. Notice how close the walls are built to the back of these buildings, in this picture below. You can see the deliberate blockading that has been done to the Palistinians, to keep their use of land limited to just the footprint of their residential buildings. If these local Palistinians had used the field behind these buildings for grazing animals, or even playing baseball in an organized neighborhood program, they lost the use of this land when the walls went up.
One schedule constraint on our travels that we had to keep in mind is that "weekend days" for Muslims is Friday and Saturday. Jewish neighborhoods close on Friday afternoons through Saturday for the Sabbath. And, the Christian neighborhoods are closed on Sundays. Here we are on Sunday in a predominently Christain neighborhood. Shops are closed. We noticed in Jerusalem that some Jewish neighborhoods closed gates to the roads on Friday afternoon, to stop traffic from running during the Sabbath.
We were a little bit late in arriving for the Sunday service at St. Andrews, as we were held up by traffic at the checkpoint, passing into the West Bank. The congregation was so nice to wait for us before starting.
With all the limestone and concrete of the cityscape, it was a welcome site to see live plants. Here are bouganvilla blooming so beautifully.
Back in Jerusalem, we had lunch at the Alshuala Grill, located between St. George and the Damascus gate to the Old City.
We indulged in the ever-popular menu of "salads" and shawarma with pita bread, and a side of fries.
Off to the Old City now, and I stop in to pick up some za'atar and take in the scents of the local spices.
We pass through the gate, and traverse down the Cardo (main street) inside the Old City. What an extravaganza! You will find all that glitters, and everything else too!
We stopped at the VII'th Station of the Cross, as Iyad pointed out these stations following the Via Dolorosa through the city to Golgotha, the location of Christ's crucifiction. I suddenly remember the somberness of this pilgrimage. We trace all the stations on a walk through the city later this week.
Continuing down the Cardo, street vendors would invite us into their shops. Interacting with shop vendors is truly a learned skill. I nearly got the nack of it while we were in town.
We continue southward toward an area where we are able to descend to a layer of structure that was preserved from the Roman time. Here behind us is a huge mural that depicts what the street would look like in the first century, right here where we are standing. It almost looks like we are walking out of the mural, time-traveling!
We climb back up to the surface from the past. See these ancient arches?
We are now in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The layers of this city are fascinating! This is a residential level, and notice there are two levels still above the street level where people live, go to school, and work. They do not have to come down to the street level to move around; most of the floors continue from building to building on each level.
This gold menorah (picture below) stands in a plaza, protected by bullet-proof plexi-glass. I was told that this menorah is waiting to be placed in the Third Temple, to be built on the Temple Mount after the Dome of the Rock has been moved to another site. Most Jerusalem citizens, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian alike, whince and hold their breath when this is mentioned, as this defies the peace agreement for Muslim control of the Dome of the Rock, and chaos will prevail if this agreement is broken. But, there is a small group of Zion extremists that want to see this happen in their lifetime. Unfortunately, there are a few congressional members in the U.S. that also support this notion, as it is believed by fundamentalist Christians that erecting the Third Temple will initiate the Second Coming of Christ. Dear God, watch over us!
9/19/22 Today we visit Shepherd's Field Church, erected in the area where shepherds were grazing their sheep when approached by angels with the news of Jesus' birth. It is also the site referenced in Ruth 2:2, where Ruth and her sister Naomi collected grain.
The church's angular walls resemble the shape of a tent, and the dome has glass panels to represent stars. This structure was built in 1953, at the site of the ruins from the first structure, a monastery built during the Byzentine era and destroyed in 614 by the Persians. This current chapel was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, who also designed numerous other chapels and churches in the Holy Land.
Angels encircle the dome as you gaze toward the sky. We sang a verse of Angels we Have Heard on High under the dome. What gorgeous sound filled the space!
Inside the caves, there were typically two or three areas. The areas furthest from the "front door" opening would be used to house livestock overnight. The next room toward the opening would be the main living and sleeping area for the family. It would be no surprise that Joseph and Mary were able to stay with a family in their cave in Bethlehem, and move to the furthest room back for privacy, which would have been the stable/livestock area. Perhaps their cave had a stone manger like this one that Alice is sitting in:
Or, from the mural here in the chapel, it looks like the artist assumed the manger was made from wood.
But, we do know that Jesus was born in a cave "apartment" within the city of Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph took refuge when Mary went into labor.
We then went to Bethlehem, near the Palestinian side of the Separation Wall behind the sacred area of Rachel's Tomb. This area is carved up with what looks like random paths where the new walls separate neighborhoods. This house is surrounded on three sides by the walls. What used to be a busy avenue is now a dead end on the Palestinian side of the wall.
The neighborhoods are noticeably economically challenged in this area. The walls tell the stories.
The walls make it nearly impossible to traverse through the neighborhood here in Bethlehem. The area is known for violent uprisings in recent years, hence the erection of these walls. But, are the walls serving Israeli's with more than one purpose here?
The Palestinian Heritage Center, here in Bethlehem is a very modest building. Still a ray of hope for respect and decency, in an oppressed and challenging location.
This church is a large complex, taking up the entire block. Across the street is the Peace Center Square.
Inside the church, all is aglitter with adornment for the Christ Child.
We traverse down to the cave,
and then are able to kneel and touch the stone where the manger stood.
After we regroup upstairs, Iyad gives us more information in the couryard of St. Catherine's Church, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity.
It's starting to sink in. We are really here.
Ancient times come to life as we touch the stone and feel the walls around us.
What a day! We rest well, back at St. George in Jerusalem for the night.
We arrive just before sunrise.
We hike out on the hills. This is awesome.
What an amazing morning.
We are also then joined by a few street vendors selling trinkets, including the children from the Beduoin family.
We then drive into Jericho for breakfast at Al-Rawda restaurant. Breakfast is served outside.
Pita, salads, and shawarma meats are the standard cuisine for our meals.
From our breakfast terrace, we can see some of the landscape of Jericho.
Nearby, we see the sycamore tree up which Zacchaeus climbed to get a better view of Jesus walking by (Luke 19). I don't know what a 2000 year old sycamore tree would look like, so this tree is most likely its descendant in the same spot!
We then take a gondola chair lift up to the Mt. of Temptation, where there is a Greek Orthodox monastery built to honor where Jesus was tempted by the devil during his 40 days in the wilderness. The monastery hugs the cliff, as you can see below.
The ride gives us a great view over Jericho, including the ruins of Tell Jericho, the ancient city ruins dated back 10,000 years BC. This is considered one of the oldest city sites known to mankind.
The monastery was built right into the cliffs, directly above a cave where it is believed that Jesus spent much of his 40 days in the wilderness.
These doors open to the living quarters of the monastery inhabitants.
One of the chapels in the monastery...
This cave is included in the structure. It had the energy of a holy place of prayer.
Looking over the ledge, you can see the natural cave openings that are formed between the sedimentary layers of limestone. These hills here are full of natural caves.
Then, of course, at the gondola landing, there was a snack shop. A glass of pomegranate juice was a welcome treat right now! But, beyond quenching our thirst, we had a moment to sit and look over the entire area of Jericho down the valley toward the Dead Sea, and feel the enormity of these experiences given to us.
Nazareth is extremely hilly; everything built here is a cliff-clinger, and walking anywhere here in town is a trek up and down steep sidewalks!
First order of business in Nazareth, lunch! We are here at the Mazat Restaurant, enjoying, you guessed it, salads and shawarma.
We visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation first. Iyad leads us into the courtyard. Yalla!
The architecture is beautiful. Our leader Rev. Mark Stanger guides us inside.
Inside the courtyard are many icons depicting Mother and Child.
In this picture below on the left, Joseph is carrying Jesus. This is a rare depiction of Jesus' family.
Down this hall, you can view the headwater of the spring that fed Mary's Well.
The adornment on every inch of the walls and ceilings was incredible. These are mosaics in the screen, carved from wood, at the front of the church.
.
We then walked through the streets of Nazareth, to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, demarking Mary's family home. The city of Nazareth is beautiful. It is located in Israel proper, not in the West Bank. Jews and Palestinian, both Muslims and Christians all still live in Nazareth. In this city, the tolerance between cultures is a welcome change from the strain betwen them, apparent by the barbed wire and concrete walls in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The Latin Church of the Anuncion was rebuilt in 1969; its architecture depicts a more modern time, although you can see that the architect paid homage to the original Byzantine design elements.
We will tour the church later this week. In the meantime, we cross the narrow street, and head uphill to the Sisters of Nazareth Convent and Guest House, where we are staying for three nights. The convent
is on the right side of this street, through a large gate.
Once inside, the convent has the feeling of an Italian villa.
Phil and I got a room right next to a huge roof deck. Lovely space!!
Looking down from the deck to the courtyard below...
Nice dining space. And, check out the local vino served.
This evening, we visited Fr. Nael Abu Rahmoun at Christ Episcopal Church, just a few steps further up the street from the Guest House.
Before settling in for the night, we take a walk down the street, just to see the night scene here. It was lovely how safe we felt walking late at night here.
Then, back to Sisters of Nazareth for the night.
9/21/22 Next morning, we woke up with prayers from the church bells and loudspeakers. We counted three different church bells, and at least four Muslim chants coming from the minerets in our peripheral. All ringing out and worshipping the new day, all at the same time: Sunrise!
And....there is Omar with the bus. Here we come, Omar!
This morning we are heading north for Sepphoris, where we explore the excavations of the Byzantine city Tzippori, which was also the capital of Galilee during Jesus' lifetme.
Walking around the stone streets, and through the houses with mosaic floors, you really could get a feeling of the life back all those years. The excavations are incredible, where full mosaic floors have been uncovered, showing the opulance of some of these living accommodations.
This mosaic contains the "Mona Lisa" image, in the lower center area of the room (left) and a close-up of the woman's face (right).
Here's an overview of some of the rooms that were excavated. The area is expansive. What an incredible project! What a fantastic discovery!
We followed highway 99 east to Mas'ada. What a beautiful valley!
In Mas'ada there is a large population of Druze (Christian sect). One of their beliefs is that when the Messiah comes again, he will be born from a man. The Druze men thus wear a style of pants that would have room for the baby Messiah to be born and cradled immediately after birth. Druze men also have mustaches and wear white head coverings (I'm not sure of the significance here though).
There are ruins of the Greek Temple honoring Pan, against the cliff from which the river flows.
Here is an artist's depiction of what the temple area looked like in its full glory. History runs thousands of years back. This is fascinating! To be standing on the steps to this temple, you can imagine the grandness of this place in its day.
Here is some of the excavation area of the ruins of Banias (Caesarea Philippi), just adjacent to the Greek temple of Pan.
On the way back to Nazareth, we were able to see the Sea of Galilee from the bus. This was very exciting, both to see a freshwater reservior of this size (it has been hot and dry on our trip so far), and of course, it means we are in the area where Jesus spent much of his adult life.
We drove through Cana, which has a church commemorating Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding.
So I understand, the wine made in Cana these days really needs Jesus' help. We didn't stop to taste.
Back in Nazareth, we went to visit the Latin Church of the Anunciation, at the site where Mary's family home was built. The architecture is stark, not soft at all. I'm not certain why it was made so edgy; was it a display of the times when this rebuild was constructed? Most likely, yes.
Down in the basement, you would look at the stonework that was excavated to where Mary's family house was standing.
On the upper levels, the area was designed for worship, with multiple altars and chapels. There were large open spaces where you could see the floor below as well. We were visitng the church late in the afternoon so the crowds were thin.
I just don't understand the harsh angles of everything in this church.
Around the walls were iconic sculptures and paintings depicting Mother and Child, each a gift from a different country.
Check out the one from the U.S..
It's odd because there is no baby, just Mary in this sculpture. That must have caused quite a stir. What were we thinking?
Up Above, the Rotunda was very pointy. Did it depict the shape of a tent?
Is that the eye of the FreeMason above Jesus' head?
Here is an altar locatd to the left side of the main sanctuary, displaying the Jerusalem cross.
Regardless of whether we liked the style of the architecture or artwork here, it was still an incredible place to sit and have a conversation with God. The reverence was silently humming through this place.
Outsisde, you could see more of the excavations under the church, where they were exposing buildings that were in Mary's family neighborhood.
Here is a mosaic that was uncovered. This wuld have been from the Byzantine era, one layer above the stones that made up Mary's house.
Down in the cellar, a hollow space below the floor was discovered. Being that all structures are most likely built on top of older structures, the Sisters called for an archaeologist to inspect the space. They soon found that there was an entire house imprint, with living spaces and even two tombs carved from the bedrock in the lower levels. These ruins were identified as to be from the time straddling BC and AD, i.e. the time that Jesus lived as a boy in Nazareth.
Archaeologist Ken Dark included this site in his studies of Roman and Byzantine ruins in Nazareth in the early 2000's. He remarked that the stonework from this dwelling was believed to be the work of a master builder, a "carpenter" of the times. For example, the tombstone found just outside of one of the tombs was formed perfectly to fit the door of the tomb. Typically, these tombstones would not be a perfect shape, but this one's perfect shape showed an advanced skill level by whomever made the stone.
Not everyone was a master builder; in fact, in a town like Nazareth in that time in history, there might be only a few, perhaps? And, we know of one master builder that lived in Nazareth: Joseph, Jesus' father. Yes, we were quite possibly staying in a building directly above the house that Jesus grew up in. Mind-blowing! And interestingly, this house is just up the street from Mary's family's house. So, for the most part, Joseph and Mary would have been neighbors prior to being married.
If these walls could only talk.
That evening, sitting up on the roof terrace outside our room, we let the enormity of the day's experiences sink in. What wonders we have seen. Touching stone of the lives from the past that have formed our lives today, all with the promise of another day tomorrow to rejoice in it.
9/22/22 Today, we are off to the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. Traveling up to where the river meets the sea, we cross the river and take note that it's not a huge waterway on the surface. I wonder how much of its water travels underground in the riverbed.
We gather at the mouth of the river for a renewal of our vows of baptism. At this point in our journey, I have abandoned the practice of asking myself, "Is this for real? Could I actually be here seeing this?", and I have moved into a state of constant wonder and joy. With every turn of this journey, something meaningful, something deeper still greets us to keep us in that state of wonder. In our own personal journeys and as a group, we let this landscape take us into our faith, and let our faith overflow into the here and now.
Just as has happened here for thousands of years.
A group of kayakers came then and launched into the lagoon for a day on the sea. They were sweet to wait until our prayers were done before setting off into the water.
This is the housing area that was excavated in front of the ancient Synagogue.
Because of an excessive amount of runoff this past year, the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee had risen up to the level it was 2000 years ago. In more recent time, the shoreline was a hundred yards or more out from the current beach.
Must. Touch. Water. We are stanging in the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Inside the church, restorations preserve the original stonework. The rock upon which Jesus stood is brought through the floor of the church. This is Holy Ground.
...as He led them to the water.
We are now truly transported to a time and place where Jesus, Peter, and all the deciples lived.
What is more fitting than to have talapia and bread for lunch?
From the doors of Pilgerhaus, you had a fabulous view of the Sea of Galilee.
We visited the Benedictine Monastery in Tabgha, which had new stone structure built with old rock foundation..
I believe the mosaics were ancient, and the new church was built over them, as if organically grown from the ancient floor.
We then visit the Kibbutz Ginosar, where the ancient boat, recently discovered, is maintained and on display. The grounds are beautiful here.
Mosaic tiles laid on benches welcome us in.
And then....what an incredible delight! We go on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee!
There is a fleet of these old wooden boats here at the pier, all set to take people out for a short ride on the water. This is so cool!
Can this day get any more exciting?
When we returned to the pier, we had a little snack of pistachio rolls. Incredible.
9/23/22 We are now heading back to Jerusalem from Nazareth. We drive to Burqin, a town in the West Bank, to visit the Church of the Ten Lepers. Directions were to head south toward Jenin, crossing through the checkpoint at Emik Harod, then west and pass the giant watermelon. Really? Yep! There it was.
One of these structures was St. Peter's house. The Memorial Church of St. Peter was built directly over it. The architect designed this church to hover above Peter's house, to protect it from the elements.
The ancient synagogue was just uphill from the new church.
Peter's house was a beachfront property.
Because of an excessive amount of runoff this past year, the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee had risen up to the level it was 2000 years ago. In more recent time, the shoreline was a hundred yards or more out from the current beach.
We could see the city of Tiberias on the eastern shore.
Further down the shore, another church dedicated to St. Peter.
The rock at the water's edge is the rock upon which Jesus stood and shouted out to the deciples to throw their nets to the other side of the boat.
Inside the church, restorations preserve the original stonework. The rock upon which Jesus stood is brought through the floor of the church. This is Holy Ground.
...as He led them to the water.
The cliffs just uphill from the shoreline is known as the Mount of Beautitudes. They had small cave openings that someone could climb up to and stand in, and the shape of the cave opening projected one's voice as a loudspeaker to the field below. Joseph surprised us as we walked into the area below this cave, as he read from the Sermon on the Mount. The experience stopped us in our tracks. It's easy to see how Jesus could address a crowd from this cave opening.
We are now truly transported to a time and place where Jesus, Peter, and all the deciples lived.
We then visit Tabgha, where the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes occurred. Here in Tabgha, the pilgrimage center "Pilgerhaus" is located. It's a German-supported guest house. It has that "Bauhaus" architectural style. Fancy!
What is more fitting than to have talapia and bread for lunch?
From the doors of Pilgerhaus, you had a fabulous view of the Sea of Galilee.
The mosaics on the floor under the altar pay homage to the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. Again, you see rock formations raied up from the floor. These signify holy ground where our sacred and historic events actually occurred. We sang, "I Am the Bread of Life", in harmony. The walls sang with us.
The structure was beautiful. Peaceful. A place of respit.
We then visit the Kibbutz Ginosar, where the ancient boat, recently discovered, is maintained and on display. The grounds are beautiful here.
Mosaic tiles laid on benches welcome us in.
And, here is the ancient boat. It is so delicate! The movie about how the boat was lifted from its resting place was fascinating.
It all leaves you to wonder.....
And, while you're wondering, take in the view! The mural above the windows shows how the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee typically looks in our current day. But, again we are here where the water is all the way up to the cliff edges.
And then....what an incredible delight! We go on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee!
Phil and Mike take in the views of the shoreline out from the boat.
Can this day get any more exciting?
When we returned to the pier, we had a little snack of pistachio rolls. Incredible.
We headed uphill through narrow roads........
The baptismal font.....still here standing in the cave.
Jesus and deciples are honored in the wall above the cave entrance.
The stone pattern in the arched cielings was mesmerizing.
The grounds inside the courtyard were beautiful. The staff served us Turkish coffee and cookies here.
We then head south to Nablus, driving through towns erected along the main road. Today is Friday, the weekend for Muslims. There is very little traffic, and all the shops are closed along the streets.
The minerett of the Mosque stands as a landmark.
We can see here a rock quarry. Cuts in the rock make perfect stone blocks for the buildings in this landscape.
New Israeli settlements surrounded by fields and orchards appear in the hills.
We then arrive in Nablus, to visit St. Photini, the Greek Orthodox Monastery. St. Photini was the Samaritan woman who Jesus visited at the well, asking her for water. This well, "Jacob's Well" is memorialized with the church built over it. Nablus was also the place where Peter and Paul offered the first communion and used oil to seal Christians with the Holy Spirit.
Alice drew the bucket up from the well. We all took a sip.
Mosaics were preserved from the Byzantine structure that preceded this one.
We stopped for lunch in Taybeh. At this restaurant, they had very fine olive oils and lamp oils and soaps made from their local olive produce. They also had these very nice dove candle holders, their specialty item.
Then, we visited one of the only breweries in the area.
The newer structure of St. George was adjacent to the ruins.
Inside, you approach the anointing Stone, that which would have been used for preparing Jesus' body for entombing, had he still been in the tomb the next morning.
Returning downstairs past Golgotha is the crypt guarding the tomb. You duck to enter the little door, to enter and touch the tombstone inside.
As we left the church, Phil checked out the front door. We were visiting right at closing time. The man just inside the door (right) is of the Muslim family that has been assigned to take care of the church. Because the church is co-owned by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Christian churches, it was determined to be in everyone's best interest that the key-holder to the main entrance should be an impartial non-Christian family. The Nuseibeh family was chosen for this honor back in the 7th century AD, and they have been opening in the morning and locking up at night ever since.
The church was particularly dark inside, being the windows were covered with a geometric stone pattern and then thin translucent stone across the open spaces. This was a most reverent place of prayer.
Here is where Jesus was held in the underground chambers before his presentation to the High Priest, after his arrest. In this mosaic, you can see the rope halter on Jesus, where he was lowered into the lower chambers.
A scripture, and a moment of silence. The walls and space here tell the story all too loudly.
Upstairs, the modern structure holds icons and mosaics of the moments in Gethsemane and afterward.
Although we did not visit it, we could see the chapel of St. Mary. with gold spires.
Back to the bus, as we head across to West Jerusalem, to visit the Israel National Museum.
And an elaborate model of this time as well.
We are not allowed to take pictures inside, so I resorted to pics available online for illustration here. The actual scrolls are maintained inside the glass scroll plate in the center of the shrine.
I'm in the back-center with the blue suit. Phil is front-center standing. Between us is Monica, emerging from the water like a Michelangelo statue, covered in Dead Sea mud.
9/25/22 Today we attend Sunday Eucharist at St. George's Cathedral, and then walk en masse into the Old City to visit the Holy Sepulcher. It is now daytime, and there are more crowds than when we snuck out a few evenings ago, but being there with the whole group gave the visit a new feeling of community.
This display of zaatar is my favorite place to see.
This mural hangs just over the stone of the anointing.
Our next stop on this journey, we took the road to Emmaus. This was where Jesus walked with two of the disciples who left Jerusalem to clear their heads of the events which just occurred. They did not recognize him until they stopped for a meal, and he offered them bread.
The Emmaus Nicopolis Chapel was then built adjacent to the ruins in the 19th century.
Phil picks an ancient wooden stamp of the Jerusalem Cross as his template, and goes for the mark.
One last dinner with the group, and we then all headed back to the airport and on to our homes scattered across the country. United in this experience, and changed forever, this is a journey that starts our new path forward with light and reverence. I feel I will always be in a state of "just a closer walk with Thee at my side".
....until the roads narrowed and steepened. Omar parks the bus, and we walk the rest of the way, up to the church.
The sanctuary of this church is still of the Byzantine period.
The space where the lepers lived in the cave is here, to the right/back area of the sanctuary.
The stone pattern in the arched cielings was mesmerizing.
We then head south to Nablus, driving through towns erected along the main road. Today is Friday, the weekend for Muslims. There is very little traffic, and all the shops are closed along the streets.
The minerett of the Mosque stands as a landmark.
We can see here a rock quarry. Cuts in the rock make perfect stone blocks for the buildings in this landscape.
New Israeli settlements surrounded by fields and orchards appear in the hills.
We then arrive in Nablus, to visit St. Photini, the Greek Orthodox Monastery. St. Photini was the Samaritan woman who Jesus visited at the well, asking her for water. This well, "Jacob's Well" is memorialized with the church built over it. Nablus was also the place where Peter and Paul offered the first communion and used oil to seal Christians with the Holy Spirit.
Every wall and cieling surface was adorned with tapestries, paintings, and icons.
The elaborate adornment was almost overwhelming.
We went down to the level where the well was preserved, in a crypt in the lower level.
Alice drew the bucket up from the well. We all took a sip.
Beside the well, this man was pouring well water into little vials, and sealing them with wax. What a souvenir, water from Jacob's well.
Back upstairs, everywhere you looked was something stunning to see.
Mosaics were preserved from the Byzantine structure that preceded this one.
The church was surrounded by a stone wall that must have been over 15 feet high. It provided a space for gathering between the wall and the church.
After leaving the church, Iyad had a treat in store for us. We went to a bakery that specialized in Kenafeh, a shredded-wheat spun pastry wrapped around pistachio and cheese, and then soaked in syrup and baked.
Oh. My. Gosh.....
The pastry chef took some of us into the adjacent room where we could watch the thin pastry dough being formed.
And he let us help.....We were in charge of pulling the dough from the cooling plate to the tray. The dough was hot!
Absolutely delicious. Being a gluten-light person, I couldn't indulge fully, but had to have at least one bite to try it. Thanks, Phil for sharing!
We drive to Taybeh, the only 100% Christian town in the Palestinian Authority. On the way, the hillsides held these elaborate terraces.
We stopped for lunch in Taybeh. At this restaurant, they had very fine olive oils and lamp oils and soaps made from their local olive produce. They also had these very nice dove candle holders, their specialty item.
Then, we visited one of the only breweries in the area.
Meeting the family that owns and runs the brewery was insightful. They explained about how they deal with water shortages, supplies, shipping, and other challenges of running a brewery in the West Bank. The innovative things they did to save water should be shared all through California businesses.
We then visited the 4th century church ruins of St. George. This area was referred to as Ephriam in the first century, and was the area that Jesus and his disciples stayed during Passover, as not to cause a stir during this holy time in Jerusalem.
The newer structure of St. George was adjacent to the ruins.
As we head toward Jerusalem, the walls become again a common feature of the landscape.
And, the water tanks on the roof are telltale of the water supply issues.
We're back at St. George College and Guest House for the remainder of our stay. During dinner, we celebrated Rev. Donald's 50th anniversary of being ordained. What a perfect place to celebrate!
After dinner, Sam and Dan take Phil and me on a walk back into the Old City in Jerusalem.
The streets are literally stair steps in many of the passages. You will find holy sites everywhere throughout the Old City.
We are here to visit the St Helena Coptic Orthodoc Church, adjacent to the Chuch of the Holy Sepulchre.
What a treat! We went down these narrow steps to a cistern underground. It is the perfect echo chamber for singing!
Sam coaxed me to sing Ave Maria, plus a few Taize pieces.
When we emerged from the cistern, there was a service in the chapel above, waiting to start their service. Everyone was looking at us, smiling. It seems we provided the prelude for the service.
We then walk over to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We are now on the roof, where the Ethiopian chapel is located.
Visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is best done in the evening, after the Pilgrim tours return to their abodes for dinner. This is a place most reverent; the church holds Golgotha, the location where Jesus Christ died on the cross. Also inside, just 20 yards away is the empty tomb where it is believed that Jesus was taken the night he died on the cross. For Christians, taking a few moments for mental preparation is required before entering the church. And, you still might be overcome with emotion being in this Holy Place. We were.
The main entrance is in a little courtyard, where people sit on the steps to get in the moment of where they are right now.
You then go upstairs, climbing the hill of Golgotha inside the church, to visit the altar over which the the position of the cross sits. Underneath the altar, the rock is encased in glass, and you can reach your hand down through a brass frame to touch the earth where the cross was erected.
Magnificent icons watch over this space.
We kneel down under the altar and pray.
I went inside and was overcome with an incredible feeling of gratitude. I was not expecting that.
I tried to snap a picture, but the space is tight, and I lost focus on photo-snapping because I was delightfully lost in the moment. But, here is my pic. The touchstone was just below the picture here.
Later, I went on Google Maps, and found that there were some pictures in the StreetView mode. Wow, it's like being there again, following the Streetview path. I grabbed a screen shot of this from Google Streetview, so I could share this Holy place with you. It really needed a better picture than I took, to give it justice. Here's that screenshot........I am right back there again, through this picture.
On the way back to St. George, we visited a tattoo shop, of which is being run by the 27th generation of tattoo artists of the Razzouk family. Their shop has been in the same location since the 1300's, and they still use the ancient wood ink stamps in their work, for current customers. Tattoos were worn in early Christian times to quietly announce your religious orientation as you enter the often-secret places of worship. It was often dangerous to be identified as a Christian in public, as many religions have experienced at different times in history. Sam and Dan were both interested in getting an ancient Christian tattoo, and we were along for the ride, fascinated at the history of this establishment. They were still getting used to the idea of getting a tattoo, and we were now accomplices, excited to help make that happen.
9/24/22 Today, we are visiting the Garden of Gethsemane, to walk through the days leading up to Christ's crucifixion. There is an overwhelming somberness in the air, as the group prepares mentally for the next few days of our journey. Having snuck out last night to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I felt like we had jumped ahead on the story line of our pilgrimage, and honestly, I think we do need to back up a step to prepare and process what we experienced last night at Golgotha. As somber as the overall feeling today, it feels absolutely right and necessary to walk these steps today to process our experience from last night.
We drive around the Old City to the eastern wall outside of Lion's Gate. There are numerous cemeteries and special grave sites here, encircled in olive groves. Following the hills and trees' contours downhill, we are led to the most famous olive grove I know of; at the Garden of Gethsemane. Behind it toward the old city is the Lion's Gate, looking golden as it's bathed in morning sun.
We arrived at the garden, taking in the shade and beauty of the olive grove.
Adjacent to the grove is the Church of All Nations (Kirche aller Nationen), inside which holds the rocky outcrop where Jesus had his conversation with God, and how the next few days would play out.
We sat around the rock with the altar positioned just beyond it. We touched it, and heard Jesus' voice in our heads, "If there is a way; take this cup away from me.... Thy will be done."
The church was particularly dark inside, being the windows were covered with a geometric stone pattern and then thin translucent stone across the open spaces. This was a most reverent place of prayer.
We then moved toward the Lion's Gate, to the Church of St. Peter. This is also known as Caiaphas Palace, and St. Peter in Galicantu (the crowing rooster).
A scripture, and a moment of silence. The walls and space here tell the story all too loudly.
Peter denied being with Jesus, to protect himself. The cock crowed.
The Church of St. Peter was situated just outside the walls of Jerusalem, on a hill that overlooks the eastern landscape.
Although we did not visit it, we could see the chapel of St. Mary. with gold spires.
These stone steps are dated back to the first century. These are the steps that Jesus would have taken to enter the city of Jerusalem.
This is the actual path of the Palm Sunday walk into Jerusalem. On these stone steps.
Back to the bus, as we head across to West Jerusalem, to visit the Israel National Museum.
Here is a mosaic map of Jerusalem during the time of the Second Temple.
This was quite spectacular!
Although we could have spent a week here at the museum, the main focus of our visit was to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are kept in a special exhibit hall called the Shrine of the Book. The roof of this shrine is shaped like the lid to the jars within which the scrolls were found.
We are not allowed to take pictures inside, so I resorted to pics available online for illustration here. The actual scrolls are maintained inside the glass scroll plate in the center of the shrine.
Wandering around the shrine, excerpts of the scrolls are engraved in the walls.
This exhibit also includes the Qumran Library and the Aleppo Codex. I owe a great deal of thanks to Rev. Donald for explaining the historical reference and significance of these works to me.
We had one more stop on this packed day: To swim in the Dead Sea. So, off we drove south across the desert to Kalia Beach, the Lowest Place On Earth (elevation-wise, that is).
Kalia Beach is a full resort, with shops and restaurants, and juice stands. And changing rooms and showers for the water indulgers.
The water was quite a walk from the beach pathways, due to receded water table. But, we made it down across the hot sand and into the water.
I'm in the back-center with the blue suit. Phil is front-center standing. Between us is Monica, emerging from the water like a Michelangelo statue, covered in Dead Sea mud.
There was no way to swim as the water didn't get very deep, and you could not sit easily because we were so buoyant due to the salt concentration. So, we'd just lie and float on the water. Thank you, Erin for these great pics of the group in the water!
After a luxurious shower, we headed back north to Jericho, where Iyad invited us to his home for a late lunch. The ride took us back across the dry landscape that had a new reverence to me, after bathing in the waters of the Dead Sea.
In Jericho (West Bank), the land is dry, but the desert gardens are lush in the private courtyards surrounding the houses. Like an oasis inside the walls; I am taking note of what plants grow naturally here, to apply to our dry climate back home.
This is Iyad's neighbor's house. He said it's a monstrosity blocking the view, but I like looking at it, as a tribute to middle-eastern architecture at its fanciest. And, I think I'd enjoy living in this house!
At Iyad's, we met his son and daughter-in-law, had a marvelous meal of shwarma and salads, and then gave gifts to our secret prayer partners. It was a lovely event.
Afterward, we went to the Legacy Hotel in Jerusalem for a fabulous pizza dinner, and settled in at our familiar and welcoming St. George's Guest House for the night.
We walked up the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance to the Church of the Resurrection, and then on to the Holy Sepulcher. Our ear pieces helped us to hear Iyad, both as a voice in our ear over the crowds of the Cardo, and as a whisper of information once we were in the sacred spaces.
We waited as a group in the courtyard outside the Holy Sepulcher.
Once inside, we again visited the altar covering the rock that held the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. We also went downstairs on and around the back-side of Golgatha. You can see the rock of the Scull here encased in glass.
Around past the crypt with the sacred open tomb, there are other tombs nearby which we climbed inside, for a moment of reflectance. Some people debate if these tombs are the actual tombs where Jesus was laid the night of his crucifixion. Regardless, the reverence and weight of this area was plenty heavy enough to know that you were in this sacred area, nearly witnessing that night here in place.
The walk back to St. George Guest House down the Cardo through the old city lightened our steps a bit. We saw some of our favorite vendor displays, with cheery faces and bright and shiny wares.
This display of zaatar is my favorite place to see.
9/26/22 Our last day in Jerusalem. We start at 5:30am, walking the Way of Sorrows (Via Dolorosa). The dawn's light was still ahead as we made our way through the streets of the old city. We stopped at each Station of the Cross, as they were annotated on the walls with brass or iron numerals. Each stop had prayers, verses, and meditational points to reflect on.
Leading back again to the Holy Sepulcher, we took note of ancient graffiti on the walls, left by two thousand years of visitors seeking out this holy space.
This mural hangs just over the stone of the anointing.
and here, you can see the flat stone. The scent of the oils in the stone is something that will be locked in my memory. I brushed my headscarf lightly across the surface during a moment of prayer. I want the scent on the scarf to last forever.
At this place, we held a Eucharist in the Byzantine Church which has been uncovered. Fr Joseph lead our worship.
Many floor mosaics were discovered.
The Emmaus Nicopolis Chapel was then built adjacent to the ruins in the 19th century.
The space was beautiful and simple. A good place to sit and reflect on the journey just traveled.
We had lunch at the St. Andrew's Guesthouse, a relatively modern structure on the way back to Jerusalem.
The architecture and design was grand, yet so very inviting.
Afterward, we had free time to wander in Jerusalem near St. George, so a group of us headed back to the Old City, and ended up at the tattoo shop.
We'd had enough time since our last visit here that Phil was ready to get his first tattoo. Sam and Dan, Alicia and Bob, and Marion, Joseph and Liz also decided to go for a branding.
Phil picks an ancient wooden stamp of the Jerusalem Cross as his template, and goes for the mark.
You are sealed as God's child forever.
One last dinner with the group, and we then all headed back to the airport and on to our homes scattered across the country. United in this experience, and changed forever, this is a journey that starts our new path forward with light and reverence. I feel I will always be in a state of "just a closer walk with Thee at my side".
No comments:
Post a Comment