Palestine/Israel, Monday, 28 February

Husan in The Cave

Today we covered quite a few sites, beginning with the ICB (International Center of Bethlehem). Husan, one of the ICB employees, took us on a tour of the center. We spent a good amount of time in the auditorium with him talking about the Palestinian experience. It reinforced what we had learned when we visited several years ago, the nearly desperate, almost hopeless feeling, plight of the Palestinians. Maybe especially the Palestinian Christians. Pray for peace in the home town of the Prince of Peace!

"The Cave" under the ICB

Since we had attended the worship service yesterday, we skipped the church on the tour of the facilities, and went to "The Cave" below the gift shop. It is a typical cave of a the area discovered under the gift shop at one end of the ICB building. It is another good example of many caves in the area that were most likely houses in ancient times.

The Second Grade classroom

Mickey is everywhere!

To continue our tour of the facilities and program of Christmas Lutheran Church and the ICB, we drove to Dar al Kalima School and Wellness Center. These are an outreach of the ICB, including a K-12 school, a college, and a health and wellness center, serving especially low income people of the Palestinian Territories. They do much good for the people and need our prayers and support.

From the school and wellness center we drove to Solomon's Pools, an ancient water supply that was in use until relatively recently when the Israelis drained them and diverted the water.

Our lunch stop was at Ruth's Field Restaurant, near the Shepherds Field. Although there were several tour busses there,the service was quick and the food good. Dick had shwarma and Karen had falafel. These were our first tastes of these traditional Arab dishes on the trip.

on top of the Herodian

After lunch we headed out of Bethlehem to Herodion, King Herod's hilltop fortress. It looks like a sawed off volcano, but is really a built up hill for a fortress. In addition to the hilltop fortifications, there are tunnels and passageways throughout the hill. It is also the site of Herod's burial. From the top you can see Bethlehem, part of Jerusalem, the Judean desert, and the Dead Sea. Over all, not a bad spot for a wilderness fortress. From the top we came down through the tunnels, a very interesting experience.

The Art Gallery at The Wall

The Art Gallery at The Wall

Beit Sahour, the Shepherd's Field, where the angels announced to the shepherds the birth of Christ in Betlehem was our next stop. There is, of course, a church, and a couple of caves that were clearly used in ancient times for shelter. One can still see the smoke stains of fires in the caves. It is, however, a bit difficult to see any good pasture for sheep in the immediate area. Down the hill in the valley there appears to be good pasture land.

Our last tour stop of the day was at the separation wall in an area referred to as the "wall gallery." It is an area of much graffiti, which makes it appear to be a gallery of popular protest art. At that place the wall makes an unusual and seemingly unnecessary U shaped turn. Naim told us it was to be certain Rachel's Tomb was on the Israeli side of the wall. You could also see where it had separated two neighboring houses. Here and elsewhere, the wall has done terrible things to neighbors and people's livelihoods and property. It has also essentially annexed Palestinian land into Israel. We hope it can some day come down, as the Berlin wall did.

After a brief break back at the ICB guesthouse, we drove back to the Shepherd's Field to the Dar al Balad restaurant. It is set up like a huge Bedouin tent, and serves traditional Middle Eastern food. After a table full of wonderful salad/appetizer type items, the main course of Kafta and chicken with fries was served. It was a great meal at the end of another wonderful day of site seeing. Tomorrow morning we leave the guest house here in Bethlehem and head in to Jerusalem.

Palestine/Israel, Sunday, 27 February

The Crossing ceiling at Lutheran
Christmas Church, Bethlehem

It was a quiet, relaxing morning; breakfast was a little later and our first event was the church service at Lutheran Christmas Church of Bethlehem.

When we left the eating area, we met two ladies who were in Bethlehem for a conference. They are part of a Christian Peacemakers Team from Hebron, where they are monitoring Israeli treatment of Palestinians mainly at checkpoints in their area. One was from the US and one from Canada. We had a very interesting and informative conversation with them.

Our group with Dr Mitri Raheb

The Apse behind the Altar

Shortly before the service, we met to rehearse "Beautiful Savior" which we were going to sing during the church service. The service was mostly in Arabic, which meant we couldn't understand it, like services we have attended in Europe. We could sing hymns (in English) as they were being sung in Arabic. We sang our song between the readings. Spoken texts as the Creed and Our Father were said in both languages at once. Maybe there were other languages besides Arabic and English as there were people from other countries also, attending the afore mentioned conference. It was a wonderful worship experience. After the service we joined the congregation and many guests for coffee hour, at which they served good Turkish coffee.

Turkish Coffee Hour

The Cave, the gift shop of Lutheran Christmas  Church's International Center of Bethlehem (ICB) was opened especially for us, as they are not normally open on Sunday. Most of our group availed themselves of the opportunity to make purchases supporting the work of the center. One artist, who is also the chef in the restaurant, signed carvings two people had purchased.

After lunch at the ICB, we walked down Paul VI Street to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. This is typical of many churches in the Holy Land commemorating sacred sites. There is absolutely no guarantee their location is authentic, but . . . The Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches have all built churches, attached to each other commemorating the site. The cave which is the claimed sit of the birth and manger, are so covered with decoration as to be unrecognizable. It is still very good to be at such a place.

"The Site of Christ's birth"

Floor mosaics at the Church of the Nativity

We toured the rest of the site which includes places where St. Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. We also noted the wonderful mosaics in the main basilica, both on the walls and the ancient floor.

"St John" the shopkeeper

The rest of the afternoon was free for rest or shopping. We wandered back to Manger Square, where a shop keeper talked us into going to his shop a block off of the square. His name was John and his shop was called St. John's Souvenirs. We did find good things to buy there, including a bottle of wine for the "Happy Hour" our group had planned. The shopkeeper then gave us a brief tour of the neighborhood via back streets on the way back go to the ICB, including showing us the house in which he was born.

Before dinner we gathered in the lobby area for our "Happy Hour." People brought goodies they'd purchased in the market area coming back from the Church of the Nativity. We also spent some time discussing the Israeli/Palestinian issue. From there we moved upstairs for dinner, which again was very good and plenteous.

Israel / Palestine, Satruday, 26 February

Today we headed south through the Jordan Valley. This is the Judean Wilderness, and is mostly quite barren territory. The hills are very interesting, and there are some green spots at Israeli farms and settlements in the Palestinian Territories.

Herod's Palace. They were excavating
when we were here a few years ago.

Our first destination, and the farthest south we went, was Masada. This is a very interesting hilltop fortress and palace orginally built by Herod. It is amazing for all the amenities it has on top of a free-standing 1300 foot high mountain. After Herod's death, it became a last stand site for Jewish Zealots after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. It fell to the Romans in 73, and except for a few monks in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, has remained an unoccupide ruin since.

Karen on top of Masada

Beginning the return north, we stopped at Ein Gedi for lunch and a float in the Dead Sea. Dick did a repeat float, and found it just as interesting as the first time several years ago. In the picture are Arlice, Dan, and Miriam, three of the five of us who floated.

View across the Dead Sea from
Qumran to Mt Nebo in Jordan

Continuing north, our next stop was at Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery. Our guide, Naim, gave us a very complete account of the discovery, as he had participated in some of the work. It was very interesting to hear some "first person" stories.

On the way back into Jerusalem and Bethlehem, we stopped at a roadside market so some members of our group could ride a camel. It was a very brief ride, but they all seemed to enjoy the experience.

Our last stop was in Beit Sahour for some shopping. Dick could not resist adding to our Nativity collection with another one carved from an olive tree large branch. Karen also made a purchase, a pair of Eilat stone earrings to go with her Jerusalem cross. Then it was back to the guesthouse in Bethlehem for dinner and another night.

Israel / Palestine, Friday, February 25

The Cardo in Bet She'an

The tel at Bet She'an

In Bet She'an

This morning we left St. Margaret's Guesthouse in Nazareth where we have stayed the last two nights. It was originally built as a monastery and is a beautiful building. We drove to Bet She'an, an excellent example of a Roman city. The site was occupied since about 3000 BC, and the tel is quite high. What remains today is the ruins of the Roman city destroyed in 79 AD by an earthquake. There were many areas to esplore including the cardo and large theater. Dick climbed the steps to the top of the tel for a view over the Roman ruins and east into Jordan.

Farmland in the Jordan Valley

As we drove to Jericho, we watched the landscape become much more barren, had the hills of the Judean wilderness off to the right and the "no man's land" toward the border with Jordan off to the left. Many vegetables and fruit are grown in this area. After lunch in Jericho we explored the tel. There are many layers as this area has been inhabited for about 10,000 years.

St George's Monastery

As we headed to Jerusalem we took a short side trip to view St. George Monastery. It is built in the side of a cliff and is quite a spectacular site. As we went "up to Jerusalem" we drove through the Palestinian section of Bethany, quite a drepressed area. Next we arrived at the Mount of Olives for our first view of Old Jerusalem. It was cold and windy here, a big change from the "sunny and seventy" weather we have been experiencing. As we approached Bethlehem we passed through the checkpoint into the city. We are now behind the separation wall. We will stay at the guesthouse at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem for the next four nights.

Isreal / Palestine Thursday, 24 February

at the Sea of Galilee

Along the shore of the Sea of Galilee

Today we continued our exploration of the Galilee. After driving to the Sea of Galilee from Nazareth, our first stops were near the northeast corner of the lake. Here are places dedicated to three events of Christ's ministry in the area. By the way, is it a sea or a lake? It's other names are Lake Tiberius or Lake Kinneret. It's either a big lake or a small sea. It was hazy and overcast when we arrived and did not completely clear off during the day .

Our first stop was the Mount of Beatitudes, or the Sermon on the Mount site. Next we stopped at the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. And finally the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter. None of them can be confirmed as authentic, but are good commemorations of those events in Christ's life.

Lunch of Sea of Galilee Talapia

First Century foundation under
Second Century wall of synagogue

Reconstruction of Second Century Synagogue

We stopped for lunch at a lakeside restaurant where we ate on the patio overlooking to lake. We had typical middle eastern salads and talapia caught in the Sea of Galilee. It was fried and served whole, head, skin, fins, and tail still all there. That made it a bit of work to eat, but it was very good.

After lunch we proceeded to Capernaum. Here there is a partially reconstructed second century synagogue with the foundations of a first century synagogue under it. The structure of the building can be fairly clearly seen and is very interesting. Also in the town is St Peter's house, which has had four octagonal churches built over it over the centuries. Only some foundational stonework remains of the house. The rest of the town is filled with all the foundations of houses and other buildings. One can clearly see what the town was like, as well as the floor plans of the houses. It was a very interesting visit.

The First Century "Jesus Boat"

We continued around the north end and east side of the lake. When we reached the southwest corner, we stopped at the "new" baptismal sight. Since the more probably authentic sight of Jesus baptism by John happened far to the south now in the Palestinian Territories, this one was set up for people who want to be Baptized in the Jordan River in Israel. I will make no further comment.

From there we continued up the western side of the lake to Tiberias and on to Kibbutz Ginosar. In 1986 a wooden boat was discovered in the mud at the sea shore. It was very carefully extricated from the mud and is now on display in a preserved state. Carbon dating placed the boat in the first century, making it an authentic example of the kind of boat used by Jesus and his disciples. It is very interesting.

Fishing in the Sea of Galilee

Our last outing was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was a wooden excursion boat made in the manner of the one found from the first century. The water was very calm and smooth, making for a relaxing boat ride.

Israel / Palestine Wednesday, 23 February

Last dip in the Mediterranean 

After breakfast this morning we took one final walk on the beach by the Mediterranean Sea. The day was clear and sunny and we found a few new views from in front of our hotel. It was then time to load the bus and be on our way up the coast.

The Roman Aqueduct at Ceasarea

Our first stop was Cesarea, once the Roman capital of Palestine. It is large enough that we stopped in three different areas, moving by bus between areas. First was the area of the Roman theatre which has been reconstructed enough to have concerts and programs in it. Nearby was also a hippodrome. As other places, Herod had a couple of palaces here. Our final stop in Cesarea was at the north end of the area at the Roman aqueduct, which has been partially reconstructed. Karen took one last opportunity to dip her feet in the Mediterranean.

Continuing up the coast of the Mediterranean, we next visited Haifa and Mt. Carmel. Everything related to Biblical history has been long replaced here. On top is the Baha'i Temple and Gardens. It was a brief stop to enjoy the gardens from the road.
We went on to Megiddo (or Armageddon, or Solomon's stables). We explored the tell, which contains several layers of civilizations, ending with Solomon's work. This was a staging area and stables for King Solomon and has a fair amount of recognizable features. After touring the tell, we had lunch at the site.

An olive press at Nazareth Village

Our final destination for the day was Nazareth, the home of the Holy Family and our overnight lodging. We first stopped at Nazareth Village, a reconstruction of the town as it was in the First century. It was an interesting and informative tour of life two thousand years ago. Next we went to the Church of the Annunciation, the third church built over the site of the house where Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. There was a Mass going on in English, which precluded our going to the altar area to see the cave which was probably the homes in which Mary grew up. However, that led to a wonderful alternative.

OT era pottery 

Our guide, Naim, had arranged for a gentleman from the church to show us their small museum and a better example of a first century house under the present church. The museum area included several very interesting pieces ranging from column capitols that had never been installed in the Byzantine era, to pottery pieces that were from about 1500BC, all discovered at the church site. We then were taken to a first century house under the church--not Mary's, but very similar and "next door." It contained a living/sleeping area, and a second room for the kitchen and animals. Apparently this or a tent was what nearly everyone in that era had for a home. It is a good possible explanation for many homes of the time, including Jesus's birthplace in Bethlehem. It was a very informative and fascinating finish to the afternoon's touring.

The First Century house under the Church of the Annunciation 

From there we drove through Nazareth to St Margaret's Guesthouse for the evening and overnight. Dinner was very good (not a buffet) and we will be here two nights.

Israel & Palestine, Tuesday, 22 February

Long layover in Newark

The first day + on the trip to Israel. It's a long flight to Tel Aviv through Newark (with a seven hour layover) which took about 24 hours overnight. We arrived about 4pm and met our guide after almost an hour getting through immigration and getting our luggage. We got on the bus, and drove through rush hour traffic to Netanya. Our hotel overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and we can hear the surf from our room.

A dip in the Mediterranean

After dinner, a typical middle eastern buffet, we took a walk with a couple others from the tour. We walked down to the beach and got our feet wet in the Mediterranean. We then walked to a business area and stopped at an Israeli-Italian-French restaurant for a bottle of local wine. It was from the Golan area and I think a Cabernet--not that we could read the label in Hebrew. It was a good one.

We then walked back to the hotel where a couple people were out yet. Now it's time for bed after skipping last night. OK, we slept a little on the plane, but . . . We need to be rested for Caesarea, Nazareth and other Galilee Points.

Local wine with Dan and Arlice

Israel / Palestine

We are sitting at PDX awaiting our Flight to Newark to begin this adventure. After a fairly long layover, we will be off to Tel Aviv, arriving tomorrow afternoon local time. We are on a tour led by Mark and Miriam Hoelter, and with several other friends. Off on another adventure!

Palestine & Israel 2011

Tomorrow morning we head out once more to the Middle East. We are returning to Israel so we can see the Galilee this time, and spend more time in Bethlehem at the Lutheran Guest House at Christmas Lutheran Church. We pray for a safe trip, and the neighbors behave themselves and don't start fighting. We will try to keep this up as we go.