When last we left the pilgrimage we were visiting the tomb of Jesus. Today we will viist the reported site of the Garden tomb and have a worship service in the Garden. Then we will visit a Holocust memorial. Our next objective will be to return to the hotel clean up and go to the airport in Tel Aviv.
So my next post will be from the U.S. most likely.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
To the top of the edge
Today was an optional tour day. You could visit Masada or wander the city on your own. I and 15 of my bus mates traveled to Masada. Masada is by Jericho and served as a palace for King Herod. Apparently Herod collected palaces like l collect rocks. This is about the fourth one we have heard of on this tour. This was his outpost, and his play palace. It is literally at the top of the Wilderness of Judea and to climb up today takes about one hour. We voted that is exactly how we would have our youth groups climb to the top of Masada. We took the cable car. When the Jewish revolt against the Romans began in 68 CE (A.D.) Herod sort of abandoned Masada and Jewish Zealots and refugees from the fighting came there. It ended up being the last strong hold of the rebels.
Herod began a systematic response to the Zealots by building Roman encampments, a wall and then a ramp to access the wooden gate on the south face of the wall. This took about two years. When they ultimately breeched the gate and entered the fortress on the next morning, they found that all the Zealots had committed suicide rather than become slaves in the Roman Empire. Hence, in their defeat they claimed victory and Masada has become a rallying point for Israeli’s. It was quite a site to see the elaborate structures that remain in place. One of the things the archeologists have done is paint a black line across structures to depict the difference between what was of the Herodian era and what was reconstruction. Masada clearly shows the lengths that the Roman engineering could go, and the power of a Zealoted people to face their adversity.
Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, which is yet another marvel. This body of water is the lowest place on the planet, more than 1300 feet below sea level, and has a salt percentage between 30 – 33 percent. We went to a public beach so a few could float in the water. I choose not to float, but I did kick off my shoes and wade in the water. It had an oily feel to it, but you could definitely feel a difference on your skin. Along the coast, where the turquoise colored water lapped, there was this rim of big salt crystals. It took a while to wash the mud off my feet, which is actually one of the many rules that you have to follow when bathing in the Dead Sea.
Herod began a systematic response to the Zealots by building Roman encampments, a wall and then a ramp to access the wooden gate on the south face of the wall. This took about two years. When they ultimately breeched the gate and entered the fortress on the next morning, they found that all the Zealots had committed suicide rather than become slaves in the Roman Empire. Hence, in their defeat they claimed victory and Masada has become a rallying point for Israeli’s. It was quite a site to see the elaborate structures that remain in place. One of the things the archeologists have done is paint a black line across structures to depict the difference between what was of the Herodian era and what was reconstruction. Masada clearly shows the lengths that the Roman engineering could go, and the power of a Zealoted people to face their adversity.
Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, which is yet another marvel. This body of water is the lowest place on the planet, more than 1300 feet below sea level, and has a salt percentage between 30 – 33 percent. We went to a public beach so a few could float in the water. I choose not to float, but I did kick off my shoes and wade in the water. It had an oily feel to it, but you could definitely feel a difference on your skin. Along the coast, where the turquoise colored water lapped, there was this rim of big salt crystals. It took a while to wash the mud off my feet, which is actually one of the many rules that you have to follow when bathing in the Dead Sea.
Time and history
There is that Jesus text that says to God a thousand years is as a day. That is what it feels like here in the Holy Land. Time means nothing. Our guide throws time about as if it were only a passing thought. And I don’t mean time as in “what time do you have?” No, this is time as in “Only recently in the first century” sort of time. This is a place where you have to clearly delineate between BCE (BC) and CE (AD). We visited a site thought to be the place of the Upper room and within 100 yards the place of King David’s tomb. Those two events occur thousands of years apart, but given the time of the place they seem continuous.
Part of that continuity comes from the building on top of ruins. Given the topography of the land it is much more efficient and effective to simply build on the foundation of the last building. So that we have been continually reminded we are walking several “layers” above where Jesus and the disciples would have walked. When we are at excavation sites, you can clearly see the layers in the soil. At walls, you can see where one builder simply started on the last builder’s wall, and simply piled on the stones. Even in places that are routine, lays historical ruins. The ruins of the third Jerusalem wall lay just outside of our hotel, in the easement between the buildings and the road.
Given this notion of timelessness, having knowledge of history would be helpful. And although I disdain history, I do keep up (or would that be keep back) with it. We are fortunate in that we have a social studies teacher and an archivist with us, but that hasn’t kept me from wishing that I had brought a time line with me. I always mix up my “metal eras.”
Today we will visit a place of historical significance, Masada.
Part of that continuity comes from the building on top of ruins. Given the topography of the land it is much more efficient and effective to simply build on the foundation of the last building. So that we have been continually reminded we are walking several “layers” above where Jesus and the disciples would have walked. When we are at excavation sites, you can clearly see the layers in the soil. At walls, you can see where one builder simply started on the last builder’s wall, and simply piled on the stones. Even in places that are routine, lays historical ruins. The ruins of the third Jerusalem wall lay just outside of our hotel, in the easement between the buildings and the road.
Given this notion of timelessness, having knowledge of history would be helpful. And although I disdain history, I do keep up (or would that be keep back) with it. We are fortunate in that we have a social studies teacher and an archivist with us, but that hasn’t kept me from wishing that I had brought a time line with me. I always mix up my “metal eras.”
Today we will visit a place of historical significance, Masada.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
But not to diminish
While the day was spent walking the Via Delarosa, I can’t forget how our day was bracketed. We began at the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus told the man to pick up his mat, and ended at a place where Jesus stood.
At the Pool of Bethesda is the Church of St. Anne the mother of Mary. It is a simple church, not known for its beauty, but for its simplicity and echoes. Together we sang the Lord’s Prayer led by a skillful song master, who directed us to maximize the echo. It was worshipful and haunting. I have enjoyed the singing of songs in these holy places and it brings to mind the importance of song in our learning.
In closing the day, we prayed at the Western wall, a very sacred site for the Jewish people. It is a portion of the platform wall for the temple that they can access, and they pray at the wall inserting written prayers into the crevices. Even at the bottom of the wall, there are thousands of scribbled notes creating a foundation for the prayers of others. To enter the area you have to go through security like an airport, and there are armed soldiers patrolling the area. We exited the site and walked through the archeological site to the excavation of the southern wall. Here archeologists have unearthed part of the Herodian era road as it entered the city. This small piece of road, near the teaching wall facing the Mt. Olives, would most certainly have been a place where Jesus would have walked. Who would have imagined that a slab of material no more than 4 by 4 feet would take your breath away?
This was a thin place.
At the Pool of Bethesda is the Church of St. Anne the mother of Mary. It is a simple church, not known for its beauty, but for its simplicity and echoes. Together we sang the Lord’s Prayer led by a skillful song master, who directed us to maximize the echo. It was worshipful and haunting. I have enjoyed the singing of songs in these holy places and it brings to mind the importance of song in our learning.
In closing the day, we prayed at the Western wall, a very sacred site for the Jewish people. It is a portion of the platform wall for the temple that they can access, and they pray at the wall inserting written prayers into the crevices. Even at the bottom of the wall, there are thousands of scribbled notes creating a foundation for the prayers of others. To enter the area you have to go through security like an airport, and there are armed soldiers patrolling the area. We exited the site and walked through the archeological site to the excavation of the southern wall. Here archeologists have unearthed part of the Herodian era road as it entered the city. This small piece of road, near the teaching wall facing the Mt. Olives, would most certainly have been a place where Jesus would have walked. Who would have imagined that a slab of material no more than 4 by 4 feet would take your breath away?
This was a thin place.
Via Delarosa
Today we followed the path that would have taken Jesus from condemnation to crucifixion. The places where Jesus was condemned and flogged are each marked by small chapels. From there we walked a short way to the Antonio Fortress to see the historical ruins of Herod’s fortress. This was the last place we sat down until lunch time. As we continued on the path to Calvary you couldn’t help but notice how narrow the streets would have been. Even if people were only one deep on each side it would have been difficult to get down the street. Imagine dragging a cross with you. We had to fight back vendors that pressed us on each side. Still today the road is cobbled and uneven, with us continually having to watch our step. Imagine being bare footed or even clad only in sandals. And there were very few flat bits; seemingly the road was up or down hill. It was hard physically. Emotionally it was draining.
We arrived at the Church of the Sepulchre. It covers the site of Calvary, where the body would have been washed, and the probable site of Jesus’ burial. This Church is maintained by many different Christian traditions, the Catholics and various Orthodox traditions. In keeping with the context, it is very dimly lit. Our group began by entering the worship cave for the Syrian Orthodox church within the church. Adjacent to the cave are old tombs carved into the wall. These would have been similar to the tombs that Jesus was placed into.
The steps to Calvary are marble and worn into an ellipse by the feet of millions of pilgrims. As I stood in line to kneel at the place of the cross, a nun was on a ladder dusting the lamps and relighting the candles, reminding me that this was still a worshiping church. The place where the cross would have been placed into the ground is covered by an altar, and there is no way to access it except by kneeling at the foot of the cross.
This was a thin place.
We arrived at the Church of the Sepulchre. It covers the site of Calvary, where the body would have been washed, and the probable site of Jesus’ burial. This Church is maintained by many different Christian traditions, the Catholics and various Orthodox traditions. In keeping with the context, it is very dimly lit. Our group began by entering the worship cave for the Syrian Orthodox church within the church. Adjacent to the cave are old tombs carved into the wall. These would have been similar to the tombs that Jesus was placed into.
The steps to Calvary are marble and worn into an ellipse by the feet of millions of pilgrims. As I stood in line to kneel at the place of the cross, a nun was on a ladder dusting the lamps and relighting the candles, reminding me that this was still a worshiping church. The place where the cross would have been placed into the ground is covered by an altar, and there is no way to access it except by kneeling at the foot of the cross.
This was a thin place.
Let's pause and refresh
So we are being tourists on a pilgrimage. Or we are on a pilgrimage with occasional tourist stops. Eating and shopping.
It is a special kind of touristy place, a religiously oriented tourist place. So in addition to the variety of magnets, pens, pads, t-shirts and jewelry, you also see prayer shawls, Bibles, Mezuzah, chalice, patens, and stoles. There are entire stores filled with glassware to mimic the mosaics we saw at the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. You kind find virtually every detail of Jesus life crafted out of olive wood, some authentic olive wood, some not so much. There are menorah of every size shape and description. You can’t begin shopping in the larger shops until you have undergone the mandatory introductory sales pitch. Although they vary, the basic version is “thank you for coming to our country, here is all the wonderful things we have in our shop, and you get this amount of a discount.” And unlike other countries that I have visited, the salesperson begins the haggling by immediately dropping the price of any item that you pick up. Now for all you seasoned hagglers you realize the immediate problem this presents, you don’t actually know the price of the item in your hand and they have already dropped it, so you haven’t had the chance to form a bargaining price in your head. And it turns out even shipping is negotiable. So I purchased a pretty big item got them down to 50% and had them include postage. I even saw my salesperson leave the store with the item and he told me he was mailing it now.
And every major religious site has the vendors selling items out front. They are not as numerous as the children in Cambodia or India, but they are also not nearly as young. Most are in fact probably my age. Our guide alerted us to the fact that many can be pickpockets and thieves as well as vendors. Some sell goods that are not of any quality. So the guide set up a system for alerting us, since he is on the street with a group at least twice a month. If a vendor approaches and our guide takes the item from him and shows the group, and asks the vendor how much, then that is a man that can be trusted. If the guide says oh look at the pretty stuff, but never touches it, then we should be wary.
The food. Okay, the food. Typically we are getting standard hotel fare prepared for European and Americans on pilgrimage to this country. I am not sure that I have ever had so much food that didn’t taste like anything. Seriously. Desserts which in appearance are beautiful are depressingly bland. However, the couple of meals that we have had out in the world, in little joints that appear to have dropped straight out of the French Quarter have been great. I had falafel, which was tasty, delicious even, but I think it is cornbread fried flat with some eastern spices. Today we had shwarma. Yes, I would vote again for shawrma. It’s a chicken sandwich in pita bread, with the chicken being roasted in some great spices. And while in Jericho the glass store we stopped at had a fruit and nut stand and I bought some things from there, including about a life time supply of saffron.
Of course the usual fast food restaurants are around. I have seen a couple of Kentucky Fried Chicken places, and the roman arches at McDonalds, where the drive thru is called the McDrive. Sad to see that we have imported some of our own bad habits.
And speaking of bad habits, how about my coffee addiction. So far I have found two kinds of coffee in Israel, Turkish and instant. And you can even get Turkish instant. No that's not instant you didn't stir well. The Turkish coffee is pretty good most places, you just have to remember that the fiber content increases dramatically as you approach the bottom of the cup. And when you are desperate for a caffeine fix, instant is just fine. Actually I rather enjoyed the instant in Tiberius, here in Jerusalem it is Nescafe, and fairly mundane.
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