Tag Archive | Jerusalem

Au Revoir Israel, Bonjour France: Israeli Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and Arrival in Paris

Dec22

Nov 27, Sun

Jerusalem-Paris:

As agreed, we arose early and went down for breakfast at 7.00 am so as to wish our friends farewell. Then Llew and I lingered over our breakfast as we had finished packing and had our bags ready. At 9.30 am, as decided, our cab arrived at the hotel and transported us to the hired cab. The Israeli Museum did not open till 10.00 am but we wanted to be there at 10.00 am, so as not to waste any time. Accordingly, we told the cab driver to come to our hotel at 9.30.

Visiting the Russian Orthodox Church:

Since we finished our breakfast really early, the two of us decided to go for a walk around our hotel as there was still about an hour before the arrival of our cab. We were really happy to find signs directing us to a Russian Orthodox Church and since it was a Sunday, it was only appropriate that we should go in for a visit even if we could not catch a whole Mass.

The Church was only a few minutes from our hotel and it is strange that we did not see it earlier. Like most Russian Orthodox churches (and we had seen loads of these in St. Petersburg in Russia), this was ornate and filled with incense. We took in the sights of pictures and icons and when we had spent a while praying, we left and made our way to a store to buy some socks for our friend Cheri-Anne who had been looking for them.

We then took our purchase and returned to the hotel so that we could board our cab and get to the museum as soon as possible.

Visiting the Israeli Museum and Seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls:

Llew was very uneasy about our stop at the Museum as he did not want us to miss our flight. Security lines at the airport were notoriously long and we wanted to give ourselves at least 3 hours before our flight departed. Accordingly, we told the cab driver that we wanted to get to the museum as soon as possible. We got there about 9.45 am and were actually able to buy our tickets before 10.00. Thus, as soon as the museum opened at 10.00, we, who had found out exactly where the Dead Sea Scrolls are located, made a beeline for them. They are in a special white building built in a conical design (to imitate the tops of the pottery jars in which the Scrolls were found).

We were the first visitors into the Museum and into the Scroll Building. We met an old man who guided us about but told us that photographs were strictly prohibited. The building is round in shape with the scrolls exhibited in upright glass cases around the periphery. We found that some of them were just scraps in a bad state of repair while others were almost intact and remarkably well-preserved considering their antiquity. In the center of the Hall is a structure that looks like a huge rubber stamp. All around it are copies of the scrolls—but the originals are in the glass cases where they are kept in climate controlled conditions under very dim lighting. The scrolls are rotated every few weeks so that the same ones are never on display—this is another way of preserving them. We took a very good look at the scrolls and were absolutely thrilled that we had the opportunity to do so – as it is very unlikely we will ever return to Jerusalem.

However, having discovered that there were another two exhibits that I simply had to see, I pulled Llew in with me. One was a nano-sized Bible—the smallest in the world. On a computer chip, no bigger than my finger-nail, the entire Bible has been reproduced. It was simply incredible. This exhibit also had its own gallery.

The Model of Old Jerusalem:

Finally, the last item on our agenda in the museum was the viewing of a model of the city of Jerusalem as it had existed during the reign of King Solomon and before the destruction of the Temple. There was a viewing platform from which we could survey the entire structure and it was simply magnificent. In fact, in retrospect, I do believe that it was more stirring for me to see it than the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is hard to imagine how grand Jerusalem was in its heyday. Needless to say, the Temple dominated with the structure holding the Arc of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments made most prominent. It was a perfect example of urban planning—a sort of carbon copy of Rome in its own heyday. I took many pictures but then we had to hurry out.

A few minutes later, we were in our cab on schedule (at 10.20 am) and heading to the airport to get there by 11.30 am—which gave us exactly three hours before our departure. We had an absolute nightmare going through security because our Easyjet flight was at the smaller terminal and, to our amazement, once we cleared all the formalities, we had to board a shuttle bus and get to the main terminal from where our flight took off! I still can’t understand why we could not be cleared at the main terminal itself! So, in the end, it was a horrid end to our wonderful travels in Israel, but these glitches occur and we made it with time to spare at our departure gate and arrived safely in Paris at the start of our next adventure.

In fact, (I know Ian will find this hard to believe), but as luck would have it, we were touching down at Charles de Gaule airport at exactly 6.00 pm when the glittering, twinkling lights on the Eiffel Tower are switched on to hail each hour. They remain in that twinkling state for about 5 minutes—and that was the welcome we received as we spotted the Place d’Etoile on our touch down.

Conclusion:                                              

Going to Israel truly is a life-changing trip. Both Llew and I were so glad that we finally ticked that item off his Bucket List and that we did so in such a thorough manner, in such great company and with so much enjoyment. Our guide Moti was very knowledgeable and most obliging. Being on a private tour meant that we could add items in a spontaneous fashion to our itinerary. We saw and did so much that I am still processing it all. Writing this travelogue allowed me to relive many happy moments with much vividness…but I know that it will be years before I fully distill all the experiences we encountered in this profoundly complicated land.

Thanks for making the time to read this travelogue and to armchair-travel with us. Please do note that the opinions expressed are entirely my own and you might not necessarily be in agreement with me. But this is what I saw and what I experienced and it is one person’s impression of a decidedly complex trip.

 

Mount of Olives and Around the Dead Sea: Qumran and Masada

Dec22

Nov 26, Sat:

Mount of Olives-Qumran-Masada-Dead Sea.

View from the Mount of Olives:     

What was to be the official last day of our tour saw us rise and have a buffet breakfast in Hotel Arthur. As a result of the Sabbath, everything was very quiet. Moti ushered us into our van and led us to the Mount of Olives for a really close look at the vast amount of Jewish graves from a high vantage point. This site also offered magnificent views over Jerusalem with the Dome of the Rock, of course, dominating the landscape. We could also see the great towering walls of the city and the courtyard in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the courtyard in front of the Western Wall. We took a number of group, couple and individual pictures here in this very busy location which was made worse by the traffic jam of tourist buses that were plying the area and the presence of camels on which tourists were getting rides. Chaos reigned supreme, but somehow we managed to make our way out of there.

Drive to the Dead Sea:

Since we were off to the Dead Sea, I had asked Moti if he could possibly take us to the spot where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls had been found. I had read about this discovery as being one of the most historically important in the area and I was keen to see the place. Moti wished to oblige, but he did tell me that all we’d be able to do was get off the van and see the spot from a distance. He said that had I told him that I was keen to go there, he would have suggested that we leave the hotel half an hour earlier. Had we done so, we could have gone to the actual spot where a platform has been erected and where visitors can watch a movie on the creation and discovery of the scrolls.

Visiting Qumran—Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls:

The drive to the Dead Sea was long but we did stop at Qumran which is the site where the scrolls were found. It looks no better than rocky mountainous wilderness in which caves are naturally created by wind erosion—we could see several such caves high on the mountain during our drive there. The Dead Sea Scrolls (so-called because they are in the vicinity of the Dead Sea) are a collection of 981 scrolls that were found between 1946 and 1956 in eleven caves in the Qumran area. Current scholarly consensus is that the scrolls date from the last three centuries BC. They include the third oldest known surviving manuscripts of works later included in the Hebrew Bible canon. Most of the texts are written in Hebrew with some in Aramaic (in different regional dialects, including Nabataean), and a few in Greek. If discoveries from the Judean desert are included, Latin (from Masada) and Arabic (from Khirbet al-Mird) can be added. Most texts are written on parchment, some on papyrus and one on copper. The scrolls have traditionally been identified with the ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, although some recent interpretations have challenged this association and argue that the scrolls were penned by priests in Jerusalem, Zadokites, or other unknown Jewish groups.

Owing to the poor condition of some of the scrolls, not all of them have been identified. Those that have been identified can be divided into three general groups: some 40% of them are copies of texts from the Hebrew Scriptures; approximately another 30% of them are texts from the Second Temple Period which ultimately were not canonized in the Hebrew Bible, and the remaining roughly 30% of them are sectarian manuscripts of previously unknown documents that shed light on the rules and beliefs of a particular group (sect) or groups within greater Judaism, like the Community Rule, the War Scroll, the Pesher on Habakkuk and The Rule of the Blessing. In Biblical terms, the scrolls are invaluable to both Jews and Christians as they contain every book of the Old Testament except for the Book of Esther—which is probably still concealed somewhere. The scrolls were found in pottery jars and are in such a fine state of preservation because the desert air is so dry. Originally found by a Bedouin shepherd who wished to use the parchment to make a pair of shoes, they eventually passed on to an archeologist who engaged a team of scholars to work on them. When their antiquity was established, they were found to be the most valuable body of items unearthed in recent times in Israel. Arrangements were made to house them in what is now the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem where a special wing was constructed to exhibit them.

Our group took pictures at the Qumran site and then proceeded towards the next item on our agenda: A Visit to Masada.

Visiting Masada:

Masada lies in the midst of the desert—literally in the middle of nowhere—and I was amazed after we arrived at the spot (at the entrance to Masada National Park) how many busloads of tourists had arrived to scour the area. It is amazing that the place is called Masada because it is exactly that: a mesa or flat-topped mountain which is a fortification in the middle of the Judean desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built palaces on the mountain fortress between 37 and 31 BC—a palace built in tiers on a promontory that overlooks the desert.

But the spot has really leapt in significance because of the deeply moving story associated with the Siege of Masada that involved the Roman legions and the Sicari people who took refuge there. These Sicari had fled from the Roman garrisons and climbed the mountain to set up camp here. When the Roman followed them and began to plot their destruction, they began their campaign by constructing a ramp (using captured Jewish slaves) on one side of the mountain. The Sicari kept killing these workers to prevent the completion of the ramp—but they soon took the decision to stop killing their own people (although it meant that the Romans would complete the ramp and reach them).

When eventually the ramp was ready, the Romans created a battering ram in order to burst through the structures that made up the settlement. However, the Sicari took the joint decision to kill every single member of their community rather than have women raped and their sons taken as slaves. Hence, they appointed nine men to kill every member of the community and when the nine were the only ones left, they drew lots to decide who would kill the remaining eight and then eventually kill himself. This is referred to as the “Terrible Resolve”. When the Romans arrived at the site, they discovered 960 bodies  strewn all over the settlement.  The horror of the story has given rise to a motion picture called Masada.

Today, thanks to the romance associated with this tale, Masada has become the second most visited Jewish site in Israel (after the Western Wall). In order to scale it, visitors can take one of two well-defined trails and climb all the way up. However, the easier and more popular method is the cable car which transports people up and down in a matter of minutes. Once up, there are a vast number of structures to be seen in varied stages of ruin—some are mere piles of rubble, others are re-constructed rooms with the original fresco decoration still in place. From the heights, one can look out over the stone foundations of the bases occupied by the Roman legions (there are three of these) as well as obtain stirring views of the wilderness and the Dead Sea. There is a museum at the base that explains the siege and its outcome in more detail, but most of the pottery, jewelry, etc. that was archeologically excavated from the site can be found at the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem.

We spent a lot of time at the site. The cable car ride was enjoyable if very short and the views as we went higher were wonderful. Moti provided a great deal of detailed information as we moved from one site to the next. There is a very nice Visitor Center at the base which provides more information.

Lunch and Stop at Ahava Factory Outlet:

We had lunch in the café at Masada before we set off in the van again towards the Dead Sea. As we began speaking of the cosmetic value of the salts and mud, Moti offered to stop our van at the Ahava Factory Outlet. This cosmetics company which was founded about 20 years ago has cornered the market in this product (although there are a lot of other lesser-known companies that make similar products). Inside, we watched a movie that talked about the benefits of the Dead Sea salts and we found a number of cosmetics for skin and hair and a few members of our group did end up buying some products. We did not spend long there as we headed on to the Dead Sea.

Floating on the Dead Sea:

The Dead Sea is so-called because it is so high in salinity that no creature is able to survive in it. It is renowned for the fact that its specific gravity is so low that nothing can sink into the sea. Fed by the River Jordan, the Sea is land-locked and since it has no outlet and the temperature in the desert is so hot, evaporation takes place at such a high rate that he water dries up leaving heavy salt content behind. The mud at the bottom of the sea is, therefore, super-saturated with mineral salts that are supposedly very good for the skin and are said to have healing properties.

Llew and I had been in the Dead Sea before—on the Jordanian side when we had toured Jordan, a few years ago. However, we looked forward to donning our swim suits and getting a dunk in with our friends. I was also keen to actually feel the sensation of floating as I had not attempted to float the last time. Again, busloads of people kept pouring into the area and the changing rooms (that Moti pointed out to us) were packed. There were bathrooms, toilets and changing cubicles but these were mobbed. Somehow, we managed to change, after leaving our bags and valuables with Gemma who sportingly sat guard as she was unable to climb up and down the long flights of stairs that led to the water’s edge.

We had the time of our lives in the Dead Sea. Fleurette provided a great deal of entertainment with her terrified squealing as she made her way in. The majority of us dunked ourselves with help from each other as we negotiated our way in as the base was not just rocky and uncomfortable on the soles of our feet but terribly slippery. Once we were in, however, there was no stopping us. We also helped each other turn over on our backs and start to float. The sensation was indescribably amazing and we enjoyed every second of it. We also smeared the mud from the base over our bodies and were astonished by the softness of our skin as we washed the salts off. Truly it was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience. Moti took many pictures of our group as we sat in the water with so many people floating around us.

Just a little while later, we showered at the water’s edge (where a queue had formed to use the shower), and shivered all the way up to the changing rooms. A good hot coffee was very much in order at that point and thanks to Glen who treated us, I felt much less shivery. We then piled back into our van and made our way to the Hotel.

Dinner at Shanty Restaurant:

This was truly our last dinner as we would be airborne the following morning. We called a place called Shanty which was really difficult to find, but once we did settle down, we found the atmosphere and the room lovely. We ordered Pad Thai and Shrimp with Lemon-Pepper Sauce as well as cocktails. It was a rather poignant end to our wonderful adventures.

Some of our members were leaving at dawn, others right after breakfast. Since Llew and I would be boarding our flight only at 1. 40 pm, I figured that we did not need to leave as early as the others. Instead, having become fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls, I managed to talk Llew into accompanying me to the Israeli Museum and we made arrangements with the Hotel Reception to hire a cab for us that would take us to the museum, wait for us while we were inside and then take us to the airport. And on that happy note, we spent our last night in Israel.

Yad Vashem Museum, Ein Karem, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Dec22

Nov 25, Fri:

Yad Vashem Museum-Ein Karem-Old City of Jerusalem-Via Dolorosa-Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Our day began with breakfast in Hotel Arthur’s lobby.  As the Sabbath had come around again, things would be closing by 3.00 pm that day. We steeled ourselves for our visit to the Yad Vashem (or Holocaust) Museum as we knew that it would not be easy.

Visit to Yad Vashem Museum:

All over the world, Jewish Holocaust Museums have sprung up in addition to the conversion of former concentration camps into museums. Over the years in our travels, we have seen a vast number of Holocaust Museums (Paris, Berlin and Washington for instance) and we have also visited two concentration camps (Dachau in Germany and Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland) where we have actually seen the gas chambers and the crematoria that were used to exterminate the Jews as part of Hitler’s ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Problem’ from 1942 onwards. Israel was established in 1948 and within a few years, it was decided, that a museum ought to be built to remember both those Jews who had perished in World War II as well as those “Gentiles” who, without thought to reward or their own safety, helped in saving Jewish lives (e.g. Oskar Schindler). A site was chosen on Mount Herzi and the architect selected was an Israeli-Canadian called Moishe Safdie.

The modern structure clings to the hillside. Inside, the building is shaped like un overturned boat. It is narrow and dark—a structure that hopes to depict the despair of the inmates of the camps. As you move from room to room, you receive tons of information through multi-media resources of the history of Jewish persecution from the beginning of time to the present. It also traces the history of the creation of Israel. There is a wonderful Hall of Remembrance which is dome-shaped and covered with black and white pictures of the departed and a Children’s Memorial which has been designed in such a way through multiple mirrors that a single candle flame is replicated thousands of times into infinity to reflect the numbers of children that were killed during the Shoah (the Jewish Hebrew word for Holocaust). The grounds are filled with sculpture created by Jewish artists from all over the world. These were some of the highlights of the museum that remain with me.

We spent the entire morning in the Museum and had lunch in the cafeteria. Llew and I chose to eat a full lunch of rice with two side dishes—we chose a chicken stew and a vegetable. It was all delicious and we were glad we filled up as there was no opportunity to eat again until dinner.

Visit to Ein Karem (Village with Church of John the Baptist and Church of the Visitation):

Our next stop was the small village of Ein Karem which has gained significance as the site of two important Biblical happenings: the birth of John the Baptist marked by the Church of John the Baptist (run by the Franciscans) which is quite ornate with a beautiful crystal chandelier inside and mosaics on the wall. The priest was closing up for the afternoon but he permitted us to descend the stone stairway leading to a cave which is supposed to be the one in which John the Baptist was born.

Up on a hill, a little away from this church, is the actual Church of the Visitation built on the spot at which Mary arrived to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was married to Zacharias. The Bible tells us that when Mary and Elizabeth met, Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist felt him leap in her womb. At this occurrence, Elizabeth is supposed to have told Mary, “Most Blessed Art Thou Among Women and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb.” These words, of course, are now part of the Hail Mary as well as of the Magnificat, which is the most well-known of the Latin hymns to Mary. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to make it to this church which is also a must on many pilgrimage agendas. Instead, Moti spent quite a bit of time, using maps, to explain to us again the complicated history of Middle Eastern politics.

Shopping in the Old City:

There was not a lot of time left, so Moti led us into the van and back into the Old City of Jerusalem so that we could do some shopping. Members of our group bought all sorts of things from ceramics to olive wood carvings and soon it was time for us to move on again.

Visit to Church of the Holy Sepulchre:

Moti then led us on foot to another piece de resistance of our travels—our visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is built exactly on top of the spot that is recognized by Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Church as Golgotha (also known as Calvary). We found our way there and entered the church. It is an imposing edifice of huge proportions built in yellow sandstone with domes, Greek Corinthian pillars and striking Gothic arches. Had we realized how difficult it would be to see the Tomb after the Stations of the Cross, we would have opted to get to that spot before their commencement. As it turned out, all we did was enter the church and go directly to the marble slab upon which Jesus is said to have been laid after his death. The interior of church is ornate and elaborate and once again impressive in its Byzantine architectural design. We knelt down and kissed the slab and we were also able to nip upstairs, up a flight of curving stone stairs, to the spot which is recognized as Golgotha. However, we barely had a few minutes there when we were ushered out again to make our way to the spot where the Stations of the Cross commence.

Re-enacting the Way of the Cross:

One of the highlights of the trip for me was being able to undertake a re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross exactly as they might have occurred two thousand years ago. The commencement site is just outside the Umariya school in a courtyard inhabited by Franciscan monks at the Monastery of the Flagellation. At exactly 3.00 pm, the procession began with a few prayers outside the church. Unfortunately, the entire service was in Latin, but we were able to follow with the small guide books that we had purchased for a dollar.

The procession winds its way through the 14 Stations that are mainly to be found on what was the road to Golgotha or Mount Calvary (where all crucifixions took place)—what is today the Via Dolorosa or the Road of Sorrows. Because there is a microphone system throughout the Way, you can hear the service no matter where in the procession you might be. The Via Dolorosa today is a busy thoroughfare, exactly (I am guessing) as it might have been in Jesus’ days. So although it was crowded and narrow and busy, it seemed to be a very authentic re-enactment of the situation as it might have been at that time when all prisoners who were sentenced to be crucified, were required to carry their own crosses all the way to Golgotha.

Today, there are shrines and small churches at every one of the Stations which reminded me, of course, of the various decades of the Rosary. Eventually, during the last few decades, we left the Via Dolorosa and entered the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre when all participants followed the monks to the top floor up the narrow winding stone steps. The last two Stations were upstairs under the grand mosaic-encrusted Byzantine ceiling that was covered with medallions depicting the saints and the Blessed Mother. There was a great deal of incense and the ringing of bells—it was all very ritualistic.

At the second last Station, when Jesus dies on the cross, we move to another niche which was absolutely elaborate and has a wooden cross right above a small marble altar. As in Bethlehem, at the spot of Jesus’ birth, here too, there was a small marble niche under a marble altar, to mark the spot of Jesus’ death. You had to bend down and literally crawl into the niche in order to kiss the spot where the cross would have been affixed. The last station involved going down the same winding stairs to the marble slab where he was laid out after his death and attended to by his mother, Joseph and St. Nicodemus who then prepared his body for burial. At this point, we moved to the last station, the laying of Jesus in His Tomb. When we entered this small side segment of the church, I found it once again to my enormous disappointment) to be fully enshrouded by scaffolding. What are the odds that two of the most significant sites—the place of Christ’s birth and of his Resurrection—would be under renovation at exactly the same time and just during our visit???? I simply could not believe it!

Anyway, we then had to join a long and winding queue to get a glimpse of this final resting place where a majority of Christians believe he was laid to rest and from where he rose on the third day. This line led to a highly ornamental altar richly clad in variously colored marble—I managed to catch a glimpse behind the shrouded sheeting. I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be (and later I caught postcard glimpses of it). Llew and I found our way into the queue and finally arrived at the hidden niche. No photography was permitted inside which made it impossible for me to record one of the most significant parts of our pilgrimage. We did eventually get to the spot and managed to kiss it, but we barely had a few seconds in there before we had to move out again. I found the crowds deeply annoying and very distracting—but I had been warned about this by most people who said that the crowds diminished the entire experience for them. The general chaos completely robbed me of the spirituality of the moment and I felt deeply ‘cheated’ (even though I had been warned about this). Since we had the time, I then circumnavigated the entire church and was amazed at its intricate architecture as well as the multiplicity of altars and niches and shrines that have been carved out of it

Dinner at Ditn:

We made our way almost directly back to our hotel after what was a very eventful and significant afternoon—although not quite as solemn and prayerful as I had hoped it would be—and returned to Hotel Arthur. Moti had made reservation for us for dinner at a place called Ditn, located at a railway station of a former railway line that is no longer in use—known as the First Jerusalem Railway Station. The entire area has been reconfigured to include restaurants, amusement arcades, etc. Moti’s partner Ruthie was also present and we ended up having a really good (if very pricey) meal. There were a few toasts and Thank-yous said (which took me by surprise as I did not realize that this was going to be our last ‘formal’ meal). Since we still had one more day to go before our tour ended, I had assumed that the next night would be our last dinner and the one at which we would say our Farewells and Thank-yous.

It was not long before we got back into our van and got back to Hotel Arthur for the night.

Discovering Jerusalem: Temple Mount, Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, Garden Tomb, Home of Caiaphas, Garden of Gethsemane

Dec12

Nov 24, Thu:

Jerusalem-Temple of the Mount-Western Wall-Garden Tomb-Home of Caiaphas-Garden of Gethsemane

            We awoke with the realization that it was Thanksgiving Day in America and so, at breakfast, we wished each other. After a lovely breakfast in Hotel Arthur that included smoked salmon on toast—my particular favorite—and good coffee, we set out for our exploration of Jerusalem. By the end of the day, we would be quite astounded by what we would see—indeed this day proved to be the most memorable one for me on our entire trip.

Discovering Old Jerusalem:

The drive from our hotel took us past modern Jerusalem and its impressive official buildings including the Parliament House (or Knesset) where we were quite taken by the development of the city. When we arrived at the Old City, it was indeed a strong contrast and something of a revelation. Moti led us on a walking tour past the massive main walls built by Ottoman Emperor Suleiman the Great into the maze of streets that form the heart and soul of this mysterious city. We passed through Jaffa Gate (so-called because it faces the old city of Jaffa) and went down many low steps that led through the market and on to the main square of the Old City.

We were able to see remnants of some of the old walls in the huge stones scattered around the periphery of the Old City. He explained to us (and we were able to see a model of the original city of Jerusalem in the Israeli Museum on the day of our departure) that Jerusalem had been built by the great Hebrew King Solomon in the 10th century BC. It was a massive city, beautifully well-constructed and built in keeping with Roman principles of design and urban development. In the center, at one end, surrounded by the great high city walls, was the Arc of the Covenant in which was concealed the original twin tablets containing the Ten Commandments as given to Moses by God. When the Muslims vanquished the city during the Crusades, they destroyed it and, in keeping with Hebraic scripture, indeed “left no stone unturned”. They ransacked the Arc, pillaged and plundered and took away the Ten Commandments with them—they are assumed to be destroyed. The one wall that stands today on the site of one of the original walls of Solomon’s city is on the Western side—it is, therefore, known as the Western Wall (in common parlance, it is also called the Wailing Wall as Jews make a chanting sound when praying against it. However, it must be noted that Jews find the use of the term ‘Wailing Wall’ derogatory and prefer ‘Western Wall’). As we looked upon the scene of so many centuries of destruction and rebuilding, we also became cognizant of well-dressed Jews hurrying towards the Western Wall as a large number of bar mitzvahs were scheduled to occur that morning.

Viewing the Western Wall:

A little later, Moti led us towards an elevated walkway with gave us our first glimpse of the Western Wall. Although it was still early in the morning, Jews had already assembled to start praying there. They were clad in flowing white robes with stoles in dark blue and head gear that was draped either shawl-like around their heads or as caps. There was a long partition that ran the length of the open courtyard in front of the wall and in that partition, we saw Jewish women begin the act of prayer. The genders were well segregated with women peering over to the men’s side as the morning lengthened and crowds swelled. We took pictures from the elevated walkway as we made our way to the Dome of the Rock.

The Dome of the Rock:

The Dome of the Rock is the name of the ornate shrine built in Byzantine style on Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the site of what used to be the Temple of Solomon and the old Jewish Second Temple. It is characterized by an octagonal base completely covered with Turkish Iznik ceramic tiles mainly in yellows, whites, greens and blues and topped by a glorious gold dome that is visible from almost every corner of the city. Extracts from Koranic scripture in cobalt-blue calligraphic design were all over the doors and arches. At different times in history, the structure and the site were under the custody of differing authorities—the Jews, then the Muslim Saracens, then the Christian Crusaders, then the Muslims again. At the top of the dome has been a cross in past centuries—today, there is a crescent. As an architectural Islamic monument, it has few equals and I was just enthralled by the many aspects of Islamic decorative design evident all over it—aspects that we have seen at the Al-Hambra Palace in Granada, Spain (the macarabi or honeycomb design that was popularized by the Nazarids) and the striped red and white arches that we had seen at the Grand Mosque in Cordoba in Spain (an aspect of Moorish design).

It is currently under the control of the prelates of Islam and is considered the second most revered edifice in the world by Muslims after the Kaaba in Mecca. Non-Muslims are strictly prohibited from entering the building. All we could do was admire it from the outside. At any rate, since it was not a Friday, there was no prayer activity anywhere in the vicinity. The place comes into its own on Fridays when the neighboring Al-Aqsa Mosque which is right opposite it, is filled with Jerusalem’s Muslims at prayer. Right next to the main building, is a smaller domed structure—probably the spot at which ablutions are performed before entering for prayer. As befits such a significant monument, the entire area surrounding it has ancient structures in Islamic style—arches, domes, minarets, cupolas. It is a fantastic site for the avid photographer for at every juncture, you feel tempted to shoot. Because Islamic strictures prevent public displays of physical contact between the genders, we were allowed to pose for pictures as a group and as couples but without any parts of our bodies touching! Once we finished taking pictures, we climbed the stairs leading to the Dome of the Rock and had fabulous views of the surrounding buildings of Jerusalem from this heightened vantage point.

Back to the Western Wall:

Once we had soaked in the splendor of Islamic Jerusalem, we made our way back to the Western Wall. Crowds had swelled enormously and the place was simple mobbed with people—male and female—either in traditional Jewish prayer robes or dressed to the nines as invitees of the various bar-mitzvahs that were being held. We met an American woman from New Jersey who had arrived in Jerusalem for her son’s bar mitzvah which was to take place today. As it turned out, some members of our party ran into her.

Moti instructed us on how to get to the wall and following the movements of the Jewish faithful all around us, we too placed our petitions on small slips of paper in the prayer niches all around the wall. Hundreds of such petitions had been left in similar fashion. The Jewish women (as we were in the women’s section) beat their heads against the wall or placed their right hands against the wall and recited prayers—either singly or in groups. Meanwhile, over on the men’s side, we saw large numbers of Jewish men of various ages surrounding Jewish priests as their children took part in religious services. There were still and video photographers all around recording these events. Moti explained to us that the people were not praying to a  sacred wall—they were facing the Arc of the Covenant and since only this portion of the original wall of the city remains and the Arc used to be right beyond the wall, that is where they position themselves. We took a lot of pictures at this spot and were thoroughly taken by the fervor of the religious rituals taking place around us.

A Stop for Tea and Refreshments:

By this point, we were quite fatigued and needed refreshment. Moti led us out of the narrow lanes and steps through which we had passed in the morning (but which were now filled with human activity as the shops had opened for the day) and into a small tea shop which was packed with people. There we had mint tea or coffee and a variety of snacks and sweetmeats that Moti organized for us from the neighboring vendors. It was quite an interesting lot of rather unusual and unfamiliar eats and we did justice to them as they were all very tasty.

This tea shop happened to be right adjacent to the Via Dolorosa which is the Way of the Cross. In fact, we found the third, fourth and fifth stations to be right across—so we stepped in the Shrine of the Fifth Station (where Jesus meets his Blessed Mother). But Moti told us not to linger in the area too long as we would be returning here tomorrow to actually participate in the Stations of the Cross at 3.00 pm when they begin. Instead, he led us on a long walk through Old Jerusalem and the city walls out of Damascus Gate to our next port of call, The Garden Tomb.

Visiting the Garden Tomb:

The Garden Tomb was not on our original itinerary and we are very fortunate that Moti was obliging enough to include it when Llew requested him to do so as his colleague had told him not to miss it. None of us had any idea what to expect and it was thanks to an Anglican guide called Martin, inside the complex that was in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, who explained the discovery of the venue and its significance to Anglicans that we understood what it means to some Christians and how fortunate we were to go there.

It turns out that in the middle of the 19th century, Protestants began to challenge the location of what Catholics believe to be Golgotha or the Mount on which Christ was crucified. A large segment believed that they ought to look for a ‘Skull Hill’ and when one was found that met the description in the Bible of the site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial, Anglicans began to accept this tomb as being the actual site. However, scholarly opinion has discounted this possibility as the use of the cave as a tomb dates to the 6th or 7th century after Christ’s death!

Controversy apart, the Garden Tomb is a lovely place to visit. It is set in the midst of a typical English garden (if such a thing is even possible in the arid desert-soil conditions of Israel). After a wonderfully animated lecture by Martin which completely grabbed our attention as well as laid out complicated concepts in a very accessible fashion (how I wish all guides were like him!), we were taken into a rock-cut cave tomb through a rather narrow entrance. Inside, we found two stone-hewn platforms, one of which is supposedly the last resting place of Christ. We also saw a large round stone which replicates the kind that was used in Jewish burial in Christ’s day to close up a human tomb after burial. I must make it clear that this Anglican belief is completely different from that of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches that regard the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the spot of Christ’s death and burial.

Visit to an Armenian Ceramist:

The visit to the Garden Tomb done, Moti led us on foot through the Muslim Quarter and back to Damascus Gate to take us for a slow climb up a hill towards the Christian Quarter to the shop of an Armenian potter who makes ceramic objects by hand. We entered the quarter through a stone wall and once inside, did admire the artisan’s work. However, few of us felt tempted to buy although some members of our group looked specifically for mugs with the loaves and fishes motif on them.

Lunch at Radolin Café:

By this point, a few members of our group were hungry and wished to eat lunch and a few wanted to wander around and get some shopping done. Moti led us to the main shopping square where we separated with each group getting the kind of meal they desired. Llew and I joined Ian and Jenny at Radolin, a local Israeli chain of restaurants where Moti joined us. We ordered soup and cheese toasts which were quite tasty and just substantial enough without being too heavy. Cheri-Anne managed to find the time and a fine place to do some substantial shopping and ended up buying and shipping home a tableau of The Last Supper at a store where the prices were half of those in the olive-wood carving shop to which the Palestinian guides had taken us! When we all got together about an hour later, Moti told us that we were headed to the House of Caiaphas.

Visit to the House of Caiaphas (The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu):

Before we entered what is known as The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, Moti led us to the back of the church and to a stone promontory from where we had a very good view of the city of Jerusalem with its stone walls, the domes of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. We also saw the many grave stones of the Mount of Olives and the new Jewish settlements that have mushroomed there.

The Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu is constructed in Byzantine style—both inside and out. It has an arched entry way and a single side spire. Its doors are particularly interesting. Hewn of wrought-iron, there is a figure of Jesus (clad in blue) on one side and a figure of Peter (clad in red) on the other, surrounded by the other apostles. Because the church is built on the site of what was supposed to be the House of Caiaphas (where Jesus was brought to be sentenced after being identified in the Garden of Gethsemane), the main altarpiece features Jesus in ropes being jeered at by rowdy crowds on both sides—created through a mosaic in Byzantine fashion. I was struck by the fact that all the writing in the church was in French (Le Signe de La Croix—The Sign of the Cross, etc). It is possible that the church was constructed under the patronage of the French Catholic Church.

Visiting the Underground Prisons:

When we had prayed in the church, Moti led us deep downwards through winding spiral staircases into the underground recesses which were supposed to be jails in which prisoners were held before sentencing. Modern-day interpretations of the space have led to the creation of light sconces in the shape of nails and thorns (in imitation of Jesus’ instruments of torture). There are also scraps of rope hanging from the ceiling to suggest where and how He might have been held during the night He spent on these premises. According to the Bible, He was first brought to Caiaphas, the high priest, by the mob. But because Caiaphas did not want to take a decision, he sent Him on to Pontius Pilate (who, as we know, also did not quite know what to make of the situation). Pilate said that he could find no guilt in the prisoner and, therefore, washed his hands of Him by turning the prisoner over to the mob. In order to appreciate the significance of this venue, it was important to envision exactly how Jesus would have been brought to Caiaphas and exactly what sort of night he might have passed on these premises. I was beginning to realize that if the church authorities believe that these sites were actually where Jesus spent time, they have built a church there to denote its importance.

On to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Basilica of the Agony (Church of All Nations):     

            The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus retreated after sharing what we now call ‘The Last Supper’ with his closest friends, is today reduced to a small sand-filled grove with eight olive trees that date from the past hundred years—this is evident in the width of their trunks which are wider than I have ever seen on any other olive trees. Jesus is said to have spent hours praying while requesting his friends to keep watch over him. He is depicted in art as having knelt by a large rock before being betrayed by Judas. A church known as the Basilica of the Agony has been built upon this rock—in fact, the rock is part of the altar and is encircled by a beautiful wrought-iron barricade (to prevent worshippers from stepping on to it). Hence, visitors genuflect in front of the rock or kneel down to kiss it. The Church is also known as the Church of all Nations. There are mosaics all over the walls of the church and above the altar –the main one, appropriately, depicts the Betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

When we discovered that Mass was about to begin, Cherie-Ann asked Moti if we had the time to stay for it. He did accommodate her request and we ended up sitting at the front pews awaiting the beginning of Mass. At that point, one of the nuns invited us to come over to the sanctuary and to take seats right up at the altar. We were amazed and thrilled to have been accorded such an honor. Although the Mass (sermon and last prayer) was in Italian and the prayers and hymns in Latin, it was still a privilege to be part of the Mass. To our amazement, the priest asked Fleurette where we were from and when she told him we were from America, he actually thanked us (in English) for participating and apologized  that the Mass was in Italian! Needless to say, we were quite delighted to have been singled out in that fashion. After the Mass, each one of us was able to kneel at the Rock and worship before it. This church is also said to be the Church of the Annunciation of our Lord and appropriately, there is a large mosaic outside the church (on the pediment) that depicts this Biblical occurrence.

Happy Hour at Hotel Arthur and Dinner at Kohinoor:     

By this time, night had fallen over Jerusalem and we had a chance to see the city all illuminated by lights. It was quite spectacular indeed!

We made our way back to the hotel where we caught daily Happy Hour—a selection of snacks and fruit were offered with wine and juices. We then tried to find an Indian restaurant called Kohinoor—I guess by this time everyone was missing their desi khana! With much difficulty, we found the place (with a new name!), but that did not stop us from having a very nice dinner with Biryani and a couple of curries which we ate Family Style. Our dinners were always a great time to catch up on the wonders of the day and to indulge in some good-natured bantering. Right after dinner, we marched into a gelato parlor and had really great desserts before bed.

Cana, Bet Alfa Synagogue, Bet Shean Roman Town, Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, Jerusalem

Dec12

Nov 23, Wed:

Cana-Bet Alfa Synagogue, Beit Shean Roman Town, Bethlehem, Jerusalem.

            We had our last buffet breakfast in Hotel Galei Kinneret in Tiberius as we piled our baggage back into Moti’s van. We would be leaving the area to make our way towards Jerusalem where we would spend the next three nights in another hotel. However, we did stop at many places of significance before we arrived in Jerusalem.

Arrival in Cana and Visit to the ‘Wedding Church’:

The first stop of the day was the small town of Cana where Jesus is said to have performed his first public miracle—the Changing of Water into Wine at the Wedding Feast. A church has been built at this spot and, to reach it, you need to park quite a distance away and find your way on foot to the entrance.

Like most of the churches in Israel, this one is built of stone. Its façade is Portuguese in conception for it has a wide three-arched entry portico, a balcony over it and twin steeples that flank a statue of Christ at the very center. When we arrived, first thing in the morning, we found masses of people in the small front yard of the church. Inside, the altar is distinctive for two things: the lovely painted altarpiece depicting Jesus at the Wedding Feast being approached by his mother who requested his help when the wine ran out. The second aspect is the lovely stone jars that were and are still used to store wine in the Middle East that are placed high on the altar as decoration and as a means of recalling Jesus’ extraordinary powers.

Downstairs in the crypt, reached by flights of stairs, we saw a wine jar of the kind that might have been used during the original wedding feast. It was enclosed in a glass showcase which leads visitors to believe that it might have been one of the originals that held the water that was converted to wine. However, there are no signs to indicate this at all. A few steps up, one comes across the ruins of the home in which the wedding feast took place—now preserved under a glass floor. We did not get to hear Mass in this church and we were amazed by the vast numbers of people that came and went as the morning flew by.

All along the route to the church, there are wine vendors selling wine and other souvenirs that commemorate the miracle. Taking back wine from Cana as gifts is a common occurrence but surprisingly none of the members of our group bought any.

Off to Beit Alfa Synagogue and Hefzi Bah Kibbutz:

Our next stop was at the Beit Alfa Synagogue which dates back to the 6th century BC and which is distinctive for an incredibly well-preserved large mosaic floor. This treasure was unearthed in the 1920s when the members of the Hefzi Bah Kibbutz were digging an irrigation channel to water their plantations.

We watched a really wonderful film that explained the finding of the mosaic and the history of its creation. Attributed to one Marianos and his son Aninas (Hanina), it depicts the bust of a central female figure surrounded by the signs of the zodiac—a deeply revolutionary idea for its time (being pagan in its conception). In other panels, the mosaic depicts the sacrifice of Isaac as well as other aspects of the Torah that were well-known to the Jews of that era.

The Beit Alfa antiquities are smack-bang in the middle of the Hefzi Bah Kibbutz—which is a uniquely Israeli cultural concept of communal living. It was initiated in the late 19th century in an attempt to bring members of the Jewish community together in shared labor. Mainly agricultural, kibbutzes still function all over Israel. They offer permanent or temporary stays for Jews who wish to contribute their labor in exchange for their keep. I was hoping that we could take a walking tour of the kibbutz, but all we managed was a short drive in and out of the place that gave us a glimpse of cows in the barn and the milking sheds through which the kibbutz keeps itself commercially afloat.

Exploring the Ancient City of Bet Shean:

We next drove to Bet Shean National Park for more glimpses of archeological excavations in Israel and the treasures that they have thrown up. To my enormous surprise, once we passed by the entrance, I found myself in a whole excavated city such as the ones I had seen at Delos in Greece and Pompeii in Italy.

Known as Scythopolis and excavated in the 1960’s, the site offers a very good glimpse into the kind of thriving city that existed before Christ’s birth. Of particular interest was the main road or Palladius Way flanked by columns—all that remains of the grand forum which would have had shops doing thriving trade on either side of the thoroughfare. We also saw an excavated semi-circular amphitheater (similar to the one we saw in Caesarea) that has been retained in its original condition with no attempt made to refurbish it. The remaining columns on the stage and at the sides give indications of the lively theatrical performances that would have been held here. It reminded me very much of the one I saw in Taormina in Sicily recently. We then moved on to the Bath House—a very important part of Roman cultural life when baths were weekly communal activities. We saw the solarium (ingeniously heated by the presence of upturned terracotta pots which would have been filled with water and left to heat up in the sun), the frigidarium or cold pool into which bathers would take a brief plunge and then the sauna area in which they would sweat all the toxins from their bodies. The classical ruins offered wonderful photo ops—we took several with fallen Corinthian columns with their elaborate acanthus leaf motifs behind us—a result of the successive earthquakes that downed many of the ancient structures. Finally, one of the most intriguing parts of the ruined Roman town were the public latrines—we had been made familiar with the concept of public defecating in Caesarea and we saw the same concept here too. People sat in rows with no doors to offer privacy. At Bet Shean, they had running waters and an impressive sanitation system for we saw water faucets in the shape of lion’s mouths and stone basins into which the water flowed with waste taken directly towards the sea. Overall, Bet Shean offered a wonderful opportunity to linger in the vast acreage of an excavated city that would have been a prosperous thriving town in ancient times and which offered us a glimpse into the lifestyle and culture of the ancient Romans.

Lunch at Café Café and Entry into Jerusalem:

We stopped en route at a small café called  Café Cafe where we ordered coffee, cool drinks, salads and sandwiches for lunch before we undertook the long drive to Jerusalem.

We had a whole lot of traffic when entering Jerusalem after a fairly long drive. It was quite difficult for me to look at the miles of barbed wire barricades everywhere and the walls snaking their way throughout the city—aimed, of course, at keeping out Palestinians who are perpetual terror suspects. The scenario was especially ominous for us, in the US, as we have just elected a President whose platform was the building of a wall between Mexico and the USA. There was not a lot of time to linger in the city (where we would spend more time in the next three days) as we were dodging traffic to get to the Palestinian-controlled West Bank where Bethlehem is situated. This was our next port of call and Moti was keen to get us there before it turned dark.

Entering the Palestinian West Bank to visit Bethlehem:

Being an Israeli, Moti cannot enter the West Bank (in the same way that Palestinians are not allowed to enter Israel). Hence, he drove us right up to the border and then handed us over to a group of Palestinian guides who would escort us through the main points of interest in Bethlehem. Our group was divided into two: some of us went in one van and the rest went into another. Moti stayed behind at the border crossing and would reunite with us later.

A Visit to an Olive Wood Carving Establishment:

It rather annoyed me that having just arrived in Bethlehem and being eager to get to The Church of the Nativity and given the paucity of time, the first place the guide took us was an olive wood carving establishment so that we could buy their wares. The rationale for this illogical move was that we could buy items from the shop and touch them to the spot of Christ’s birth which would render them ‘blessed’. Needless to say, prices in the shop were absurd—as the mark-up is usually 40% that goes directly to the guides who escort groups to these shops. Apart from buying magnets and postcards and other small items, none of us brought anything large. I guess we were too eager to get to Jesus’ birthplace and felt impatient at the unnecessary detour. Furthermore, the expected olive wood carving demonstration, that we were to receive as part of this detour, was not offered and did not occur—so, in other words, a sheer waste of time.

As getting to the site took longer than expected, we felt rushed through the entire visit to Bethlehem, which was really one of the highlights of our travels as it was the site of Jesus’s birth. According to the Bible, Caesar Augustus (the same emperor after whom the city of Caesarea is named) called for a census requiring every man to get registered in the town of his birth. Since Joseph came from the house of David, it was towards Bethlehem that he made his way from Nazareth, on a donkey. But Mary was close to labor and it was in the midst of a town in which they were strangers that they looked for a room so that she could deliver her child. As the census had brought large numbers of strangers flooding into town, there was no room at the local inn—and Joseph found a kindly person who directed him to the stable where Mary had her baby.

Inside The Church of the Nativity:

The exact spot of Jesus’ birth is now to be found in a church known as The Church of the Nativity. As in the case of all ruined places of significance that we had seen, two thousand years of construction history places these spots today deep underground (as so much building has occurred on top of them). So, to access Jesus’ birthplace, you need to enter The Church of the Nativity—which is really three churches: one is a very ornate church, decorated in the Greek Orthodox style (as the prelates of the Greek Orthodox Church are the custodians of Christian sites in the Holy Land), the second is in Russian Orthodox style and the third is the small Roman Catholic Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Egypt.

Our first stop was the manger which is in the current Greek Orthodox Church. The entrance was a very low and narrow door which, we were told, was deliberately created to keep rampaging Muslims out of Christian holy places during the Crusades. It was under heavy renovation (which, I have to say, completely took away all charm, solemnity and spirituality from the venue for me). Imagine going into a superbly elaborate church that stands over the actual spot at which Christ was born—and imagine it covered with ugly scaffolding, its walls, murals, statuary, chandeliers, everything enrobed by awful sheeting. I was terribly disheartened by this scene. The female guide (whom I thought was simply the worst guide I have ever had) spoke a smattering of words, so fast and so hastily and so briefly and without the slightest emotional involvement as to leave me feeling even more dissatisfied. She explained that the renovation has been undertaken for the first time in a hundred years and is expected to continue until the end of the year. However, being that the condition of the renovation was far from complete, she was almost certain it would stretch way into 2017. At any rate, the grandeur of the building was completely lost on us as everything was shrouded in cloth or in scaffolding. I felt bitterly disappointed as this was supposed to be the piece de resistance of our travels.

Eventually, we joined vast groups of people who entered the sanctum sanctorum of the church and descended down a few steps—again through what seemed like a concealed secret door. When the steps ended, we found ourselves in a dark and narrow room where the focal point was a small white marble niche whose importance was emphasized by the presence of a multi-pronged silver star surrounded by silver altar lamps. In order to worship at this spot, we had to bend in the niche, one at the time, to kiss the glass disc in the center of the silver star—which was the spot on which Christ was born.

As might be imagined, this setting was deeply solemn and since there was no indication of any refurbishment in this area, it evoked all sorts of emotion of deep reverence. Needless to say, many of us were so deeply moved by the sight and the act of kissing the spot that we were in tears. As if this were not enough, just a few steps away was another low altar which, we were told, denoted the spot at which Jesus’s mother Mary laid him after he was born. These parts of the building used to be stables and it was here that Mary created a manger for her child after wrapping him in swaddling. In this portion of the church too, Greek Orthodox design is very plainly evident. I must add that our guide did not come down with us into this part of the church but stayed rooted upstairs—so we were very much left to our own devices at some of the most important sites in our travels—another deeply disappointing aspect for me.

I would have liked to linger longer in this room, but we were rushed out by the guide who wished to usher us off to the next-door Church of St. Catherine. On the way out, I managed to get a couple of pictures of the massive silver chandeliers in the sanctuary, as the guide pointed out a part of the original mosaic floor of the Byzantine church that was constructed on this site before the current grander one that was built in the middle of the 19th century.

Visiting the Church of St. Catherine:  

            St. Catherine’s Church is beautiful. It is built around a cloistered courtyard of sand colored sandstone. In the center, on a high pedestal, is a statue of St. Jerome, who dedicated himself to the intellectual life. He translated the Bible and spent 35 years in a cave which now forms part of the crypt of the church. There is an altar dedicated to him in a small shrine in the crypt. There is also a stained glass window that depicts God inspiring him from above as he produces the long scroll which formed his manuscript. Once again, it disappointed me that we did not get the services of our guide in this church. She sat with her friends and waited outside for us. I found that all the other groups entering the crypts were accompanied by their guides. I do believe that we missed out on noticing a lot of significant details because our guide did not go along with us to these important venues.

Exploring the West Bank:

By this time, it was getting dark outside and our guide was keen to move us along. Vasanti protested and said that she wanted to walk around the town of Bethlehem a little bit and get a feel for the place as she did not believe that she was receiving much of an impression from merely seeing the churches. The rest of the group agreed with her, but the guide was concerned because Moti was waiting for us at the border. She called him to find out if we could linger and, eventually, we came to the conclusion that we should have about 20 minutes on our own to wander about a bit and then return to our vehicle. Llew and I used the opportunity to go out and buy some small souvenirs from the local shops. The others made their way to the main street outside the church and also did some shopping. At this point, Llew handed over the sun of $100 to be shared by the three guides. Needless to say, some of us found this amount (recommended by Moti) to be far in excess of what was deserved by them.

This was the only time we would spend at the West Bank and it would have been nice to have a while longer here. The atmosphere was remarkably different from anything we had noticed in Israel. As far as my observation went, it was decidedly Islamic in its ethos. Crowds (mostly men) were dressed quite differently—in far more traditional Middle Eastern garb than we had seen in the rest of Israel. While I did not feel unsafe, I did feel a bit uneasy—simply because we had no escort with us. The center square had just seen a Christmas performance of some sort and the entertainers were leaving. A huge Christmas tree filled the square but it had not yet been decorated.

We met Moti as planned at the border and got out of our temporary vehicles and into Moti’s van. He then drove us to our new hotel in Jerusalem—a rather long drive filled with traffic snarls. However, we did reach our hotel called Hotel Arthur which we found to be right in the midst of a most ‘happening’ area—surrounded by shops, gelato parlors and loads of restaurants, it was easy for us to find a place to eat. We chose a Middle Eastern restaurant where we ate grilled chicken and kebabs for dinner. Just a short while later, we walked back to our hotel and called it a night.