Israel/Palestine, Thursday/Friday, 3/4 March

We got up a little earlier this morning than usual because Naim wanted to get started to Ben Gurion airport early. It's about an hour's drive from Jerusalem, and we were trying to go before the worst rush hour traffic. We were on the road by about 7:30, which got us to the airport about 8:30, two and a half hours before our flight.

Mark & Miriam said farewell at the bus, not going with us to the airport so as to raise no suspicions about someone not leaving. The Israelis have very good and tight security, and are suspicious of any out of the ordinary behaviors. Dan did ride with us, but went his own way at the airport to fly to Elat. That left twelve of us returning home to the USA, and Dick was now the tour leader, with very good help from Karen. Fortunately, there wasn't too much to do since Naim took us into the airport and got us situated for security and check in.

The fun started when we walked into the airport and saw that our flight was delayed about an hour and a half--the only delay on the board. Since our flight was not going to leave for a while, we stood for about a half hour before they started the security process, a three part effort. We all made it through fairly easily and quickly, with only a couple of secondary inspections. It was a good and quick (relatively speaking) process. We gathered in the large central waiting area until time to go to the gate. Ben Gurion is a modern beautiful airport.

At the announced time, we boarded the plane to begin the journey home. Going west, it's about a 12-hour flight. Even though they tried to make up time, we landed in Newark at 5:30 only thirty minutes before our connecting flight was supposed to take off. Needless to say, we didn't make the connection. In fact we didn't get through immigration and customs till about 6:05. So we went to the rebooking desk. We had been told on the plane that our group had been rebooked to Friday morning and they would put us up for the night. But it took a long time for the agents to get all the paperwork done. We went to the airport Ramada with our food vouchers and settled in for a short night.

We got up at 2:00 AM to catch the 3:00 o'clock shuttle for a 5:30 flight to Houston. Even though it was far too early, the airport procedures went smoothly. We checked our bags at the Group Check-in counter and proceeded to the gate. We used our vouchers to buy something for breakfast and for lunch on the plane. In Houston we had about 35 minutes, and fortunately our gates were close together. As I write this, we are somewhere over the western Rockies on our last leg into Portland.

It has been a very good 12 (instead of 11) days with a good group. Everyone even seems to have survived Dick's substitute leadership on the way home.

And to complete the story, we arrived home in Portland right on time. Thanks very much to all our fellow travelers and pilgrims for a wonderful and blessed trip!

Israel/Palestine, Wednesday, 2 March

View of Augusta Victoria from the tower of Redeemer Church

On our last day in Jerusalem, we began with a drive to Augusta Victoria Hospital. It is at a site founded and built by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the late 19th century. It has had serval incarnations and became the present hospital about 60 years ago. It is a Lutheran hospital run through the Lutheran World Federation, serving the Palestinian population of the entire West Bank. Now there are several hospitals in the West Bank, mostly near Jerusalem, serving that population, so each hospital has specialized in what services they provide. Augusta Victoria is a miracle of Christian Lutheran charity for the people of the West BanK. It was great to hear their story. And please add their work to your prayer list, and if possible, your charity.

The Palm Sunday route down the Mount of Olives

From there we went to the Mount of Olives to retrace the route of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The route is essentially the same after all these years, but fortunately for us it has been paved. There are great views of the old city of Jerusalem from there across the Kidron Valley and its many cemeteries. There are, of course, several churches along the way, notably the Russian Orthodox church with its cluster of bright gold onion domes. At the bottom of the hill is the Church of all Nations, commemorating the Garden of Gethsemene. There are twelve domes in the roof of is church, one for each of the twelve nations who participating in its construction. A small grove of mostly very ancient olive trees, some claimed to be 2000 years old, sits next to the church. Once again, its exact location is less important than it's symbolism.

Lunch today was at a kibbutz just outside Jerusalem. The food and selection of the typical buffet style restaurant was very good.

From there we returned to the Old City for a visit to the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne. There is no water in the pool any more, but one can see the complexity of its structure. St. Anne's church is nice for it's simplicity, and its wonderful acoustics. There was another group in it singing, and after they left, we sang the common Doxology. What a great thrill to sing God's praises in Jerusalem in such wonderful acoustics!

To the east toward the Mount of Olives from the
Redeemer tower

The group then returned to the hotel for a free afternoon. We bypassed the hotel and walked straight to Redeemer Lutheran Church so Dick could climb the tower for one of the best views of the Old City. Since there was a group having a service, the tower closed at 3:30, but a half hour is plenty of time. The rumor is correct: it is the best view of the Old City from the highest church tower in the Old City. After two rounds of pictures in all directions, he headed down the very narrow stone circular staircase, much like cathedrals in Europe.

Along the Cardo

Karen was waiting at the bottom and we did grandchildren shopping. On the walk back to the hotel, we went through the suk, trying to avoid all the eager shopkeepers. We did a Rick Steves and got a little lost. That led us to the Cardo, the old Roman main street in Jerusalem. We found some areas we had not seen before, which made our "detour" worth the effort. On the way back to the hotel we asked directions several times. It was a good thing the Gloria Hotel is near the Jaffa Gate so everyone can help.

Back at the hotel we rested till dinner, our "farewell" dinner. It was the usual salad buffet with Nile River fish and beef. After dinner we moved to a meeting room for Mark & Miriam to hand out "tour awards" to each member of the group. It was a fun time.

Happy Hour at the King David

A little later, about 2/3 of the group went out to the King David Hotel for drinks, or maybe late Happy Hour. It was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel. A couple waiters gladly set up a large area with three small tables. We all ordered a drink and sat sharing stories and thoughts about the pilgrimage. It was a great social finish for our tour. The walk back to the hotel was good. It was then time to finish packing.

Israel/Palestine, Tuesday, 1 March

Approaching the checkpoint leaving
Bethlehem

This morning we said farewell to the guest house at the ICB at  Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. After passing through the checkpoint at the edge of Bethlehem, we drove to Jerusalem to begin a two-day exploration of the old city.

In front of the Dome of the Rock

We entered the Old City through the Dung Gate and went to the Temple Mount. This is Mount Moriah where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac, and where Solomon and Herod built temples. It is now the site of two mosques, one being the Dome of the Rock built over the rock of Abraham's sacrifice. We were able to visit the mount, but the Dome of the Rock is still closed to visitors which was disappointing. The outside of the building is spectacular with its many mosaics and gold dome.

From there we left the Temple Mount and came down to the Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall. This foundational wall of the Temple Mount goes back to Solomon's time, with additions by Herod and the Ottoman Turks. It is a most sacred site for Jews, who come here to pray and celebrate rituals. Men, who must have head covering, and women, without head covering, are separated. Many people put prayers written on scraps of paper into cracks in the wall.

On the Herodian steps

On the south side of the Temple Mount is the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, which may be the best place to see and experience things from the time of Christ. Particularly interesting is the temple steps, a few of which are original from Herod's temple, so it is most likely a place where Jesus walked. There are several other things of historical interest, notably Herodian streets and shops, and large stones left from the destruction of the temple.

Leaving the Western Wall area, we drove to our hotel, the Gloria Hotel, or at least near it outside the city wall. From there we walked into the city and our luggage was taken in by van. Our rooms were not ready, so we left our luggage and headed out for more exploring.

Our first stop was lunch where we once again had falafel and shwarma. We went out of the old city at the New Gate and walked around the city past the Damascus Gate to Herod's Gate. The Damascus Gate, which we remember as our main entry to the Old City on our previous visit, was being reconstructed. Entering through Herod's Gate, we walked to the Church of the Flagellation at the site of the Antonia Fortress, where Christ was tried by Pontius Pilate.

Grave caves in Holy Sepulchre Church

We followed the Via Dolorosa from there to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We passed Stations of the Cross on the way as well as passing through markets. The church is a bit overwhelming in its complexity and ornamentation. There is good argument for the site being authentic: it was outside the city wall at the time of Christ, it is a rocky hill, and there were burial sites nearby. It is a chance to think about Christ's sacrifice.

Naim's candlesticks

Redeemer Lutheran Church is very close by, and was a refreshing change for its simplicity. It is the home church of our guide, Naim, who gladly shared the church with us. He was baptized and confirmed there and is still a member. The altar candlesticks were made by him. It being a stone church, it has very live acoustics, so we sang "Beautiful Savior" as we did at Christmas Lutheran.

From there we returned to the hotel. Our luggage had been delivered to our room and we had time for rest. We went out for a walk through some of the suqs (market areas) near our hotel. It's not always easy to fend off all the eager shop keepers. Returning to the hotel, we took a circuitous route through some back streets of the area, and only had to ask directions once. Back at the hotel, it was about time for dinner, consisting of the usual spread of salads and the main course of salmon and beef with rice. The salmon was good, but very pale, not pink as we are used to.

After dinner we met in a room in the hotel for a Eucharist service. It was very good to share this meal in this place.

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.