In 2012, I wrote a two-week blog about a trip with friends to Israel. Unfortunately, I switched email addresses and lost the original blog. What follows is the transcript from this blog.
Epilogue
12-30-2011
On June 30th, my
birthday, I ran along the embankment of the River Thames. I saw the grandeur of the Tower Bridge,
London Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Globe Theatre. As my feet pounded the pavement of the old
cobblestones that line the Thames, I couldn’t help but think of the all the
history that has lived along those waters -- the Thames holds the roots of my nation and of my
denomination. The Thames tells my story.
And now six months later, I am embarking
on another journey. I am traveling with
a group of WFU students to Israel for a two-week tour of Haifa, Tiberias, and
Jerusalem. I am really not sure what to
expect, but I want to invite you to follow my journey at a new blog site: aDemonDeaconinIsrael.blogspot.com
And if you'd like, you can check out some other blogs:
1-1-2012
So this blog is about
eighteen hours late in getting started, but better late than never. On Friday 12/30, twenty WFU students and
friends embarked on a two-week tour of the Holy Land. We’ll be spending time in Haifa, Tiberias,
and Jerusalem, and tracing the origins of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and
Baha’i.. You’ll notice that the picture is of John Bunyan -- author of Pilgrim’s
Progress. We are pilgrims after all…so
here is the tale of our journey!
The first leg of the trip was
a flight from Greensboro to Newark. The
flight was seamless, and it seemed we were in for a smooth trip. Unfortunately, our second leg of the flight
(Newark to Tel Aviv) was delayed for eight hours. We were supposed to leave at 11 PM, but did
not depart until 7:30 AM. Continental
provided hotel vouchers, but only a few of us cashed them in. The line for the shuttle bus to the Wyndham
Hotel resembled a WWF Raw event. As
awesome as steel-caged-death matches are, the WFU group decided not wade into
the drama of the line. Several folks
took taxis to the hotel, and about ten of us roughed it in the terminal. We made pallets out of thin airplane
blankets, fleeces, and book bags. I
actually got a few hours of sleep, and
Kolby tells me I was sawing some good logs.
The puddle of drool on my book bag supported his claim. But we made it! The flight was about ten and half hours. It is pretty wild to watch the flight
tracker. You notice that you are flying
over Vienna, and you are still five hours from your destination! But the TV options were good. I watched a few episodes of Parks and Rec,
and the West Wing Finale. If only Martin
Sheen was still our president…sigh.
We arrived in Tel Aviv a few
minutes after midnight (nothing like yelling Happy New Year on an
airplane). It took about two hours to
get through customs, and then another hour and half to get to Haifa by bus. We arrived at our hotel around 4AM. The hotel, the Stella Carmelite Hospice sits
on Mount Carmel and overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Despite how tired we were, everyone was taken
with the view and the smell of sea air. But there was also kind of a Clark
Grizwald moment -- you know the one where he looks at the Grand Canyon in
Vacation for all of thirty-seconds and then reminds the rest of the Grizwald
family that they have a schedule to keep.
Mediterranean Sea or not, we had a bed to find!
New Year’s Day started about
10:00 AM as Kolby and I searched for breakfast.
It seemed like an easy task, but honestly, the hardest part was finding
an exit. The hospice is actually a
monastery with guest rooms. The entrance
has a large gate, and the only way to the street is through a church. It being both Sunday and New Year’s, there
was nobody on reception. Kolby and I circled the building about six times
looking for an exit, before finally reaching the conclusion that we had to exit
through the church. So we headed down a
corridor, but it wasn’t the right one.
We were greeted by an older gentlemen who only spoke Italian, and was
not happy that we had chosen this particular route. He kept speaking Italian, and we kept saying,
“exit, exit, exit.” I was really glad he
led us out the door and not into Mass, because I don’t think I would have made
it! We were not very lucky in finding
breakfast, but I did manage to procure an orange Fanta, a Twix bar, and some
kind of energy-thingy. Breakfast of
Champions!
The group met up at
noon. We toured the Carmelite Monastery
and the church that is attached. The
Church was built in the early nineteenth century. The church is built on a site rumored to be
Elijah’s cave -- the cave where Elijah hid on his way to defeating the Baal
prophets. Several hundred yards away, there is another site (also a Jewish
Synagogue) that also claims to be Elijah’s cave. These are two of more than ten sites that
claim a connection to Elijah, and Mt. Carmel is a massive mountain. The accuracy of these claims is suspect, but
it is still cool to think that Elijah may have wandered about this area. After seeing the caves, we headed off to
lunch. We had Swarma (spelling is wrong
-- I’ll check that) -- Basically shaved meat on a pita bread -- Israel’s
version of Gyros. After lunch we visited
the Baha’I Shrine. It is absolutely
striking. There are immaculate gardens.
See pics. And then we visited a Mosque
in Haifa. Tonight, the group will gather
at 7:30 for dinner, and a few brown bags to celebrate a successful start to
2012. I am looking forward to tomorrow,
and plenty more stories to tell!
1-2-2012
Today was a full day, and a
fun one too! The group visited the
ancient city of Akko, a Crusader stronghold.
Hmm, how to describe Akko…it’s kind of like Old Salem, only about eight
hundred years older, a port and military fortress, a hotbed of Muslim/Christian
conflict, and an intricate network of tunnels and underground gathering places.
There were no brass bands, or sugar cookies, or basket-weavers, but there is an
aqueduct. Okay, I guess it is nothing like Old Salem, but at least I have a
starting point. We stepped out of the
bus to see a city on the Mediterranean Sea.
There are great stone walls, cannons, high, arched ceilings, and cats --
lots of friggin’ cats! But I guess the
cats keep the rats away…
There were a few highlights
from the day. Lunch included what Paula
called “the best humus I’ve ever had,” some lamb kabobs, and homemade
lemonade. We peered inside the Al Jazzar
Mosque. It’s a beautiful mosque named in
honor of a not-so-beautiful chap. You
may know him as the Butcher. Still, it
was really cool to hear the daily prayers over the town loud speakers and to
have Imam Griggs tell us about the liturgy.
We looked around a few shops and meandered through the city market. A few of us tried the Sheesha pipe and some
had some Turkish coffee. Oh and Neal
just told me that Akko is the place where Kevin Costner nearly got his hand
chopped off in Robinhood. Would that I
had known that ten hours ago because I totally would have started singing some
Bryan Adams. Everything I do Kevin,
everything I do…
At the end of the day, I am not sure I’ll remember a specific
landmark in Akko. I suppose I’ll keep
the image of the rough waves of the Mediterranean Sea crashing against the
rocky cost. And you can see how the city
was such a strong fortress. It’s walls
must have created an imposing sight for its attackers. Even Napoleon was no match for its strong
position. It’s also really hard to think
about the countless battles fought, and the countless lives lost in the
struggle to reclaim a Holy Land. It
sounds like an awful contradiction if you ask me -- lots and lots of
neighbor-hating to honor men who taught completely opposite behavior skills.
As we rode home and drove up
Mount Carmel to the hotel I noticed a dim rainbow forming. I couldn’t help but
think about that bow. It is, after all,
a symbol of God’s covenant with God’s people.
Perhaps if enough rainbows keep forming over the Holy Land more and more
people will take notice of that covenant.
And perhaps they’ll remember it too.
And maybe, just maybe, peace will creep into this place of perpetual
conflict. Maybe there is another sign of
hope. At dinner, Imam Griggs mentioned
that one-on-one conversations, especially those involving interfaith dialogue,
are the best method for creating relationships - relationships that make
interfaith cooperation and peace a reality.
Maybe our trip over these next few weeks is a step in the right
direction.
1-3-2012
On Tuesday morning we left
the Carmelite Hospice and headed Southeast toward Nazareth, stopping first in
Sepphoris (Tsipori), a city rich in Jewish history. Sepphoris was a city of about 30,000 people
and was reported to have fifteen synagogues.
Several years ago, a fifth-century synagogue was uncovered as well as a
Roman theatre and Roman villa. There are
intricate mosaics that are well-preserved, including what is called the Mona
Lisa of the Galilee. (See picture) The mosaic has over 1.5 million pieces. There is also an excavated Roman road. The entire site paints a picture of what
first and second-centuries Palestine would have been like. And while there is no firm evidence that
Jesus spent substantial time in the area, it seems likely that Sepphoris’
culture and economy would have provided reasons for Jesus to pass through the
area. Nazareth was less than an hour’s
walk, and Sepphoris would have needed skilled laborers. Sepphoris is also the place where the Mishna
was composed over a seventeen-year period.
After Sepphoris, we headed to
lunch -- more Shawarma, this time chicken, and some pretty good pickles and
coffee. After lunch we drove to Nazareth
where we walked through the town and visited the Church of the Annunciation --
built on the traditional site of Gabriel’s appearance to Mary. The church includes a courtyard that has
dozens of Mary mosaics from around the world.
Inside, there is a cave considered to be a traditional site of Mary’s
home (troglodyte cave).
Our final visit of the
afternoon was to Mount Tabor, one of the traditional sites of Jesus’
Transfiguration (Mark 9:9-13) and the home of a basilica built in 1924. Aside
from totally rockin’ our Spartan pride (Mount Tabor class of 1995 woot woot!),
the group was treated to fantastic panoramic views. The church included some
very, very intricate mosaics made of blue stones and gold. We also had an adventurous ride up and down
the mountain. It’s about a ten-minute
ride up a windy road, and the van-drivers are fearless. I’m pretty sure that you pay in carnival
tickets rather than cash.
After leaving Mount Tabor we
headed to the Galilee and the Ron Beach Hotel, our home for the next three
nights. We were treated to a sunset
along the Sea of Galilee (our rooms have lake-side views) and then a great
buffet dinner in the hotel dining room.
Olives at every meal is one of my favorite things about Israel. Another
successful day in the Holy Land.
1-4-2012
Each day in Israel gets
exponentially better. We had breakfast
in the hotel dining room -- lots of cheeses, fruits, fresh bread, and
coffee. The weather was perfect. It was kind of brisk this morning, but it
warmed up (mid-sixties) by noon, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We began the morning in Arbel, a national
park that offers panoramic views of the Sea of Galilee and the Jezreel
Valley. There are trails that lead to
look out points every few-hundred yards.
The terrain is very rocky, but there also lots and lots of splotches of
green. Maybe you could call it a burrito
rolled up with the Appalachian Mountains, the North Carolina Coast, and the
Piedmont hills. It’s similar to Hanging
Rock State Park in how sections of the trails just out and just kind of give
you ledges to drink it all in. Kudos to
Robert for daring to take some “lying stomach-down” shots over the edge, and to
Tom for some super-fearless photography.
Can’t wait to see what those pics looks like. (See pics for some mildly-adventurous shots
from me).
We closed our time on the
mountain by reading Psalm 94. Paula read
the Psalm in English, Hannah read it in Hebrew, and Muhammad sang the last
three verses of the second chapter of the Koran. It was surreal to hear a Psalm read in the
midst of the hills of the land in which it was written. And it’s very easy to see how the hills and
mountains of Israel inspired the writers of the Psalms. The treacherous paths would have made them
seek comfort from God, and their beauty would have elicited marvel in God’s
creation. A very cool experience to be
sure.
Upon leaving Arbel we headed
to the ancient village of Capernaum, the adult hometown of Jesus. In Capernaum we saw the ruins of a
first-century synagogue, and the traditional home of Peter. Capernaum is the site where Jesus turned the
water into wine and it sits upon the Sea of Galilee. It was awesome to walk in a space that Jesus
most likely walked in, or at the very least walked very near by. There is also the traditional site of Peter’s
home next to the synagogue and a church that sits atop its ruins.
After Capernaum, we went to
lunch at a seafood restaurant in the Galilee.
Tilapia was served -- some of us got the whole fish, others just a
fillet. I got a fillet because I am not
crazy about my dinner staring back at me.
We also had fresh dates and fresh humus.
After lunch, we visited the Mount of Beatitudes, the traditional site of
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. There is a
church there now as well as great views of the Galilee. After the Mount of Beatitudes, we headed over
to Tabgha, the site associated with the feeding of the five thousand. There is a beautiful replica of a
fifth-century church and one of the more famous mosaics of Christianity (two
fishes and four loaves). After Tabgha, we went to the Church of Peter’s
Primacy. This church sits on the shores
of Galilee. We read a few more verses
and watched the sun set on the sea.
Afterwards, several of us rolled up our blue jeans and waded into the
water. It’s pretty awesome to think
about being in the same sea that has been the center of Palestinian life for so
many centuries. Oh the stories those
waters could tell.
More than anything, our
journey today put into perspective the intimacy of Jesus’ ministry. The sea or lake is only about 13 miles wide
and six miles long -- that’s a really compact area. But what the area lacks in
size, it more than makes up for in beauty.
For several days, we have be jokingly asking, “What’s so holy about this
place?” Take one look at the Galilee and
you don’t ever have to ask again!
1-5-2012
Thursday was our last day in
the Galilee. As we drove around its
highways, we got an even better feel of just how impressive the landscape
is. The Sea of Galilee sits almost 700
feet below sea level, and the mountains that surround it rise to over 800
meters in some places. As a result, the
hills are imposing. Their rough, rocky
peaks combine with green splotches and a clear sea to create snapshot-worthy
vistas nearly everywhere you turn. Today
was also the first clear day, and as we drove around the region, we could see
to the other side of the lake (it’s really not a sea -- the Greek word thalassa
can mean either sea or lake), and we could drink in its complete beauty. If only “wow” was a descriptive enough word
for it all.
We began the morning by
visiting the town of Safed in the hills of the Galilee. Safed sits at over 800 meters above sea
level, and is the highest town in all of Israel. Safed is one of four of the holy cities of
the Talmud, and by the Middles Ages it had become a very holy place for many
Jewish people, especially those who had been driven from Spain during the
Inquisition. Safed is the center of
Kabbalah, a mystical form of Judaism (this is a short-changed definition --
please excuse my ignorance). It was really cool to see two of the main
synagogues of that tradition (the synagogues of Joseph Caro and Itzhak
Luria). Make no mistake, Kabbalah is a
very spiritual, very disciplined form of Judaism, that has a rich history and
lots and lots of beauty. It is much,
much more than some trendy religion picked up Madonna and the Hollywood
A-list. Safed also contains a string of
art galleries that line its central marketplace. Several of my traveling companions mentioned
a sense of it feeling like Greenwich Village.
For lunch we stopped at a
local museum -- the Yigal Alon Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar, Tiberias. The museum is famous for housing the “Jesus
Boat.” a wooden fishing vessel that is carbon-dated to the first century. We didn’t pay to see the boat, but we did have
some schnitzel, and it was baller! The
museum coffee shop also makes a nice cappuccino.
After lunch, we came back to
Tiberias, where we visited the tombs of several prominent Jewish figures. Our
first stop was at the tomb of Maimonides (Moses ben-Maimon) a Jewish
philosopher and Torah scholar of the twelfth century who helped to codify
Talmudic Law. In the same open-air
synagogue, we also saw the tomb of Rabbi ben Akiva, a first-century Jewish
scholar who is considered to be one of the founders of Rabbinic Judaism. We also visited the tomb of Rabbi Ben Zakai,
a first-century sage, and the driving force behind the creation of the Mishnah. His tomb overlooks the Sea of Galilee and the
hills of Tiberias. (See the pics).
After seeing the tombs, the
group was given free time. Almost
everyone spent the afternoon napping in anticipation of our trip to
Jerusalem. After another great dinner at
the Ron Beach Hotel, several of us ventured over to the Boardwalk in Tiberias,
aka “the Myrtle Beach Pavilion of the Galilee.” We ventured over to Decks, a
lakeside restaurant, and worked on solving the great theological questions of
the day. I don’t think we made too much
progress, but the Shiraz was pretty good.
1-6-2011
Friday was full, really
full. We packed our belongings and left
the Ron Beach Hotel at 8AM sharp. Our
first stop on the way to Jerusalem was Megiddo, an archeologist’s
Cooperstown. This place has it all. Every great ancient civilization sought
control of Har Megedon -- Babylonians, Egyptians, Assyrians, you name ‘em. In fact, the city has twenty-five, count them
twenty-five levels of cities. You may
also notice that name -- this is where the term Armageddon comes from. There were so many important battles fought
here that the writers of Revelation just assumed that surely this would be the
site of the last battle. Rapture or not,
this place is awesome. See the pics of
the panoramic views from atop the mountain.
In addition, there is a ninth-century gate, grain silo, and water well
that are still in tact. Some would like
to claim that they were built by King Solomon, but King Ahab is more
likely. Still, any Old Testament nerd
needs to see this place! I’m glad this
nerd got to see it! Again, it just makes
all the things we’ve been reading about in divinity school come into
perspective. I’ll never read Kings again
without thinking about this place.
After Megiddo we headed to
Caesarea Maritime, a port-city/sea resort on the Mediterranean Sea that was one
of the crown jewels of Herod’s architectural projects. The city (dating to the first century)
includes a Roman Theatre, Aqueduct, Racetrack, and Palace. The views are amazing. But the coolest thing by far is that this is
one of the places where Paul was imprisoned.
As a total Philippians geek, I was blown away to stand near one of the
sites where Paul had been. Did I mention
how cool this is. So cool!
For lunch we went to
McDonalds. Sometimes that’s all you can
do. It tastes just like it does in the
states. After lunch, we bussed into
Jerusalem, and arrived mid-afternoon to the Gloria Hotel. Our big thing in Jerusalem for Friday night
was to go to the Western Wall at sundown for the beginning of Shabbat
Shalom. In anticipation of going to
prayers at the most holy site in all of Judaism, I decided to write down a few
prayers to place in the wall -- One for my Uncle David, one for Grace Baptist
Church, and one for me. I’ll share
details on the one for me. I just
started writing down names of all the important people in my life. I thought about who I wanted to carry with me
to the wall. The list was ten names,
then twenty, then a hundred, then two-hundred, then too many to count. I just sat and wrote name after name,
thinking about the wonderful people who have influenced my life. And as awesome as seeing the Western Wall
was, I think I’ll remember those few moments more than our time at the wall.
Just before five o’clock we
walked through the old city. We wound
through small, cobblestone corridors and eventually tunneled out into the plaza
of the Western Wall. Cameras are
forbidden on Sabbath, but I mentioned to sneak one photo before being scolded
(more to come later this week). I
touched the wall, I put my written prayers in them, and then we just took it
all in for an hour. The atmosphere was
festive and global. There were Eastern
Europeans, Americans, and even Asians.
There were Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformed Jews, Christians, and
Muslims. Many of the Jewish students
danced and shouted with joy. Others were
more somber. I couldn’t help but notice
the hundreds of young soldiers who casually carried machine guns. It was a solemn reminder of the tension that
exists in the area. And you can’t help
but be impressed by a two-thousand-year-old wall. The foundation stones are massive, and the
wall (which was the foundation for the temple mount -- the base) stands several
stories high. It is an architectural
marvel. Herod may have been ruthless,
but that dude could build like nobody’s business. We had a great dinner, and
then shared some more red wine in the hotel lobby. A couple more nights of this, and we may just
have some serious theological revelations!
1-7-2012
It’s Saturday, and we got an
early start this morning. We left
Jerusalem and headed to the city of Hebron.
Hebron is the site of the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekkah, and
Leah. We visited the Mosque/Synagogue that was built over the cave of the
tombs. Hebron is a Palestinian
stronghold. There are separate entries
for Jews and Muslims. The city has about
200,000 residents, as well as 600 Jewish settlers. The Israeli Army uses approximately 4,000
troops per day to maintain security in the city. This is a very tense place, and many of the
city’s residents live in poverty.
Although the city is a holy site, its tourism has dried up. The merchants on the street were desperate
for us to buy their trinkets, and we couldn’t walk very far without children
begging us to buy as well.
After Hebron, we visited a
Palestinian Refugee Camp called DeHeisha.
I don’t think I am ready to write about it tonight. All I can say is that places like this are a
stern reminder of the injustices that exist in the Middle East and even in our
own country. Crammed homes, limited
water supplies, and trampled rights are but a few of the things we noticed. The
camp paints a whole new story of homelessness.
We spent our afternoon in
Bethlehem. We visited the Church of the
Nativity and St. Catherine’s Church. Here
you can see three grand churches (one Armenian, one Roman Catholic, and one
Greek Orthodox) that sit over the traditional site of the Jesus’ birth. There is a cave that marks the spot of the
birth as well as the manger. To be
honest, this isn’t super tourist-friendly.
It’s a lot like seeing the Mona Lisa.
Lots and lots of people, and very little time sit and reflect. Still, it’s pretty cool to see it, and
especially on Epiphany. St. Catherine’s
is also houses the tomb of Jerome, who translate the Bible into Latin
(Vulgate). We left the church and had
coffee at Star and Bucks -- almost like Starbucks. Looking forward to seeing
what tomorrow will offer.
1-8-2012
Today we followed Jesus from
Palm Sunday to the Cross. Well actually,
we saw the Ascension, and then the last week.
After breakfast, we took the bus to the top of the Mount of Olives, and
then spent the morning walking down toward Jerusalem, with our final spot being
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We
started at the Mosque of the Ascension, the traditional site of Jesus’
ascension into heaven. A Crusades-era mosque stands there now. There is a small marker that designates what
was thought to be a footprint of Jesus.
After leaving the mosque, we walked down a narrow road that led us to a
scenic overlook at the Mount of Olives.
The morning was very balmy
and windy, but the weather did not distract us from the view. There was a clear blue sky that revealed
perfect panoramas of the Old and New Cities of Jerusalem. We could see the Dome of the Rock, the Temple
Mount, and the 16th Century City Wall. Next to this overlook is the Dominus Flevit
(The Lord Wept) Chapel where Jesus is said to have wept over the fate of
Jerusalem. The Chapel is shaped in the
form of a teardrop. The setting is a
place that doesn’t need words. You just
sit and see the evolution of the city over nearly three centuries.
We walked further down the
Mount of Olives and could see thousands of Jewish graves that line the hill --
their bodies, closest to the Temple, were believed to be the first that would
be resurrected upon the Messiah’s return.
At the base of the Mountain we came to the Garden of Gethsemane and the
Basilica of Agony. The garden is where
Jesus spent the night before his arrest praying, and the church memorializes
his struggle. Some of the olive trees in
the garden are thought to be well over one thousand years old. After seeing the garden, we headed across the
street and back up the hill to old city.
Our first stop was at Bethesda, a site where Jesus healed a paralytic of
thirty-eight years. There are still
several cisterns in tact from the pools and bath houses that once stood
there. Next to Bethesda is St. Anne’s
Church, a twelfth-century structure named for Mary’s mother Anne. The church is a beautiful stone building with
wonderful acoustics. Patryce graced us
with a song, and then the whole group sang Amazing Grace. Some of us even knew the second and third
verses! We didn’t try for more.
Our next adventure was
following the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Sorrows) which is a tradition for
pilgrims to remember the fourteen Stations of the Cross. These stations commemorate the last events of
Jesus’ life -- trial, carrying the cross, crucifixion, and resurrection. We stopped for some lunch along the way, more
Shawarma, and then finished at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most
holy Christian site in the city (though I would argue the Temple Mount is
pretty important too if we actually use two testaments) because it includes the
traditional sites of Golgotha (Christ’s crucifixion) and Christ’s tomb. To be honest, this is a really frustrating
site to see. On the one hand, one can’t
help but be overcome with emotion in reliving the events that happened here (or
at least in the vicinity). It’s kind of
like rolling up all of your Good Fridays and Easter Sundays into one
sitting. On the other hand, there’s not
really much to see of the two spots themselves.
The Church is a beautiful structure divided into six quadrants (Greek
Orthodox, Ethiopian, Syrian, Roman Catholic, Coptic and Armenian). But there are so many shrines, and so many
people around the five stations within the church that you don’t get to see a
whole lot. Still, this is a wonderful
place that forces you to think about the Holy Week story. I will never again waive palms or attend a
sunrise service in the same way. But I
can’t help but wonder, did Jesus really mean for us to live in a world where he
is divided up into sections like a piece of pizza? Are we so attached to places, especially
tradition-laden places, that we forget to find the Christ in those around us? Would that as much effort went into feeding
the hungry, caring for the sick, and loving our neighbors as did into Christian
denominations getting their share of the shrines. I am convinced that we find Christ not in
relics, but in loving others. Maybe one
day we’ll act on that conviction.
On Sunday afternoon, our
group met with Mark, a rabbi in Winston-Salem, to hear a Jewish perspective on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I have
decided that I want to do a separate blog on this issue once we get back to
North Carolina. I am still sorting out
my opinions on the situation, and I want to let it all settle before I write in
depth. I will only say that I appreciate
Mark’s willingness to speak with us, as well as Khalid’s (local imam who is part of our group)
perspective too. More to come on this, I
promise.
We spent Sunday night being
really American. Several of us headed
over to Mike’s Place to watch the Falcons Giants-game. The beer was expensive, the TV was
semi-Hi-Def, and Kolby D’s Falcons got creamed.
Other than the Orthodox dress, you could have been at a sports bar in
New York City. Make no mistake, the
Giants have plenty of fans in Jerusalem!
1-9-2012
Today was awesome with a
capital A! (Pardon my copyright
infringement Dick Vitale, but your line seems appropriate). Today we saw Masada, Qumran, and the Dead
Sea, and it was anything but dead. It
was alive with history and beauty. If
you come to Israel, do not miss these sites!
So I had a big
breakfast. I don’t think I’ve mentioned
it yet, but we have had tomatoes and cucumbers and really good oranges for
breakfast every day we’ve been at the Gloria Hotel. I think I am gonna keep this habit up. Anyway, breakfast was strong this
morning. We jumped on the bus around
eight o’clock and drove about an hour and a half south to Masada. This place is amazing!
Masada sits on a mountaintop
about 1,300 feet above the Dead Sea.
Herod the Great had it converted to a Palace/Get-away Fortress (you have
to do that when you play politics like he did) back in the first century. But the sites biggest significance is that it
is the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome in 70-73 CE. The Romans had sacked the Temple in 70 CE,
and had pretty much annihilated all other Jewish resistance. Less than a thousand Jewish holdouts were
left on Masada. But unfortunately, you
don’t poke the bear that is Rome. The
Roman army attempted to siege Masada for over two years and met fierce
resistance. When the Jewish rebels
realized that their defenses were finally broken they committed mass suicide
rather than succumb to slavery. Today,
Masada is a national park, and another fantastic site for archeology. There are hundreds of structures still in
tact, including Roman baths, ritual baths, cisterns, caves, palace walls, a
synagogue, and aqueducts. But the views
are the best thing. You just look out
and see rocky terrain, and a still sea, and lots of blues and purples.
After Masada, we headed to
Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran (possibly Essene) ascetic
community. We had some lunch, more
Shawarma, and then checked out the site. It’s hard to imagine that a shepherd
boy just tossed a rock into a cave in hopes of finding a lost sheep. The rock hit a container, made an echo, and
the world uncovered Jewish texts dating to first century. And the site reveals a spiritual community
that existed in the same timeframe as Jesus.
It’s simply stunning. And it’s
right up there with the Rosetta Stone in importance. And we were there! Too cool!
After seeing Qumran, we made
one last stop at a beach on the Dead Sea.
I didn’t bring a bathing suit on the trip, but I did wade in the water
some. There is so much salt that the
sand feels slick, and the water leaves a white residue along your ankles. Several of the pilgrims on the trip went for
a swim, and we all enjoyed watching them float about. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on
earth. So in just a week we’ve been as
high as 2,500 feet above sea level and as low as 700 feet below sea level. Perhaps that’s a fitting metaphor for our
trip. We’ve experienced the highs of
seeing some of the holiest places in the world and the lows of a Palestinian
Refugee camp.
1-10-2012
Today was powerful, and hard,
and rewarding. And did I mention hard? I am really kind of exhausted, so I am
gonna hit the quick highlights. We began
the morning by walking from our hotel into the Old City to see the Temple
Mount. Atop the Temple Mount are two of
the holiest sites in Islam, the Dome of the Rock (691 CE) and the El-Aqsa
Mosque (early eighth-century). The Dome of the Rock is considered to be the
site where Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, where Solomon and Herod’s
temples were (and presumably the Holy of Holies), and the site of Muhammad’s
night journey. It is where three of the world’s great religions all converge. The site is massive and beautiful. You don’t know where to look because it
captures all of your senses. And you
just think about all of the footsteps you are following and all of the events
(both blessings and atrocities) that occurred on this spot. The bloodshed is perhaps the biggest. To think that this is the site of the Jewish
Revolt against the Romans and the Bloody Crusades. But now the stones are clean, and there are
tall, green trees, and polished, old stones.
One of the more traumatic things about visiting the site is seeing all
of the security. You have to go through
several checkpoints, and there are tons and tons of soldiers and police. And your eyes wander to the riot shields and
fire hoses that line the ramp (just in case you know) that takes you to the
entrance. It’s a solemn reminder that
this tranquil place can be anything but tranquil.
We also went back to the
Western Wall. Today we went into the
synagogue adjacent to the wall, and you can begin to get a sense of how massive
the temple was. The Western Wall was a
foundational wall that was five hundred meters long and sixty feet deep. Inside the synagogue you can look through
windows to see the wall’s depth.
Our next stop was Yad Vashem
(Holocaust Museum). The museum is
impressive and really well done. It is
able to move you without being overly graphic and overly explicit. Still, it is very disturbing to relive this
period of history. I think Robert said
it best. Despite the fact that the
museum paints a full picture of the events, there is still nothing in the
collection of exhibits that helps you make sense of how it all happened. You are just left with an aching void. How could the world be so cruel? And how could so many men and women show such
courage and resolve in such awful circumstances? It is a juxtaposition of catastrophe and
triumph of spirit.
We finished our afternoon at
the Israel Museum where we saw a mode of Jerusalem in the time Jesus (it’s
about an acre in size) and some of the Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran. The model brings the city to life, and give a
really nice vantage point of how the older structures fit into the modern
city. The Dead Sea Scrolls are
reminiscent of seeing the Magna Carta.
To look at handwriting thousands of years old is just stunning.
Thanks for the day Jerusalem!
