Introduction
Shalom my friends and welcome to Day 5 of our trip. We'll get into the focus of today in a bit but because I was a little rushed trying to get yesterday's post out before it got too late here, I wanted to add some more detail about a few of our other experiences from Day 4.The olive tree has been a major resource in Israel for thousands of years and all parts of it are used, from the wood to the pits and everything in between. After our touring yesterday, we had an opportunity to buy from a quality organization called "Nissan Brothers." Although elaborate carvings are a specialty, they feature other items from the tree as well. We started in their basement and saw where they dry all of the wood for at least one year, followed by cutting them into rectangular blanks that can be carved either individually or placed onto a duplicate machine. Any piece done on the duplicate machine is then finished by hand to add detail, etc. From the basement we went to the salesroom and got "the pitch." Best deal, etc. Don't get me wrong. Their merchandise was definitely high quality. Unfortunately, salespeople were hovering everywhere and would be on the lookout for anyone who made more than a few seconds of eye contact with a particular piece and ask if you need any further help. We were there entirely too long as far as I was concerned.
Relieved to finally leave to board the bus, the entire group was literally accosted by several very aggressive street vendors that even followed us onto the steps of our bus!
Things did get better after that as we pulled into the Olive Tree Hotel. Nice place! You should really check it out next time you come to Jerusalem.
Being Friday, the Jewish Sabbath began at sundown. The hotel has 3 elevators. Apparently one of them is Jewish as it was not operating when we first went to our rooms and will continue not operating until the Sabbath ends at sundown Saturday (a break in blogging proved that to be true. I used that elevator.) Our bags were delivered to our room just after we got there so we pulled them in and went down to dinner. The food in hotel our Tiberias was pretty good but this is much better and the ambiance of the entire hotel is much nicer as well. Typical of the last few days, after dinner I went to the lobby to work on the day's post. Also in the lobby last night was a very big Jewish party going on in the lobby. Lots of singing, general merriment, and screaming children the entire time I was working on the post. I hope you appreciate what I'm going through for all you people :-)
That catches us up except for pictures from Day 4. I talked with a few people today and just need to coordinate with them to pull their pictures in. Don't worry, I'll get it taken care of.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem was our first stop today. The city is less than 30 minutes south of Jerusalem and is part of the Palestinian Authority. It is set apart from Jerusalem by an intimidating security wall that stretches through the Judean hills. Around the Bethlehem border crossing, the wall stands taller than most of the buildings and, similar to the wall that once surrounded East Berlin, is constructed of solid concrete. A sign reads "No Israeli citizens are allowed in Bethlehem." Although a few decades ago most residents were Christians, the majority of the city's residents today are Muslim. Before we really get into the day's sights, take a look at the next picture.
Hopefully you can make out "John The Baptist Souvenir Shop" and "The King David Store." Most likely closed for the Sabbath, I thought the names were pretty funny. Think King David is really for sale in his namesake store?
To again use the phrase "it's not just a clever name," The Church of the Nativity marks the site of the birth of Jesus and was our first stop for the day. Mick (our guide, remember?) thought that if we got there early, it would minimize the wait to see the designated site that can sometimes take more than two and a half hours due to all the people waiting. Well, mission accomplished. Although we waited a bit, it was just to allow the site to open for the day. A group of 20 were the only ones ahead of us and we made our way relatively quickly to see the main point of interest.
The church itself is the oldest standing in Israel due to the Persians, who invaded in 614 and destroyed every Christian church and monastery in the land except for this one. As is typical for this area, the church was later pillaged by the Muslims and later renovated by the Crusaders with 12th-century mosaics on the wall looking over figures of saints on pillars.
All that said, the interior is vast and gloomy. Aside from the main access point to the Nativity Grotto, the only other highlight of the building interior from my perspective were some exposed 12th century mosaics. Take a look:
The Grotto of the Nativity, as it's called is located off of the right transept and encased in white marble. Originally an actual cave, precisely what served as a barn during Jesus' time (due to the fact there's NO wood to build a barn or manger), the grotto has been dug out, plastered, and ornately decorated. Here are a few pictures that show the entrance, the spot, and Pastor John ready to place a candle.
The detail can't be seen in the picture (and no, I couldn't really linger too long due to the throngs of people behind me waiting for their turn) but the 14-point star has a Latin inscription that translates to "Here of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ was born. From the grotto, a passage leads to the adjoining Church of Saint Catherine. This is where the midnight Catholic Christmas mass is broadcast around the world. Also, the Latin translation of the Bible, also known as the Vulgate, was translated by St. Jerome during the 4th century. Enjoy a few pictures of the adjoining (and much prettier in my opinion) Church of St. Catherine.
One other thing - by the time we had finished seeing the grotto and looking around St. Catherine's the line to see what we completed in about 30 minutes (that included 20 minutes waiting for the site to open) was outside the doors of the Church of the Nativity. Well done, Mick!
I believe I've mentioned the contrasts within Israel - the Jews, Christians, and Muslims, living together peacefully, for the most part. The next picture brings that into sharp focus in my book.
Shepherd's Fields
The shepherds who "received tidings of great joy" were tending to their flock in fields of the town adjacent to Bethlehem and located just east, called Beit Sahour. Both the Greek Orthodox and Catholics have chapels in the area to commemorate the event. The Catholic church, which we visited and was built over the cave where the shepherd kept their sheep, was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, who also designed the Church of the Beatitudes. A very pastoral setting.
Archaeological excavation has discovered remains of a 4th through 6th century Franciscan Monastery which is to the side of the church. Here are a few pictures of how the dig is going:
Upper Room
When it took place over 2,000 years ago, the room of the last supper was inside the Jerusalem city walls. Not so today. Also, reconstructions over time have restored stained glass with Arabic inscriptions.
Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu
The original Byzantine church built on this spot was completed in 457AD but was destroyed in 1010. A subsequent rebuild in 1102 eventually fell into ruin. The current structure was built in 1931. Gallicantu is Latin for "cock's crow" and signifies Peter's denial of knowing Jesus. The church was built over what is believed to be where Caiaphas' palace. He was High Priest and head of the Sanhedrin that convicted Jesus of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. It is believed that Jesus was imprisoned in one of the cells that sits beneath the church.
Well, a busy day but very interesting. I think I've learned my lesson as the last thing I did before coming to the lobby (to use the free internet) was to plug in my camera battery. So we should have plenty of juice for pictures tomorrow.
One more thing before I sign off. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not but Dad was among those who reaffirmed their baptismal vows. I do remember writing that I wasn't in a good position to get any pictures. Someone else was, however. Now this is a picture of a picture but Dad bought the "real" one and will likely have it framed at home. Hopefully this will suffice until you can see the framed version.
The moment speaks for itself. Until tomorrow,
Tim
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