Trip to Holy Land - Day Nine

Today, Tuesday, May 13, 2014, we began our journey traveling through Jaffa (Joppa) to the southwest of Tel Aviv.  The two cities have just grown together.  There was a great deal of traffic on the roads. 

 The Ministry of Defense is here in Tel Aviv, but all other government quarters are in Jerusalem.   

We could see many high rise apartments.  Tel Aviv is considered the commerce center of Israel. 

Auto fuel is very expensive in Israel (7.42 shekels/liter = ~ 4 liters/gallon = just over $10 US per gallon!)  And we thought we had it bad in America!

 We traveled through a lovely pine tree forest.  Tarek told us the the pine tree is not native to Israel, but has been planted by the Israeli government in remembrance of the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust.

 Jerusalem's population size and composition has shifted many times over its 5,000 year history. For instance, since medieval times, the Old City of Jerusalem has been divided into Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian quarters.

With so many groups laying claim to such little land, that has been the dispute through the ages.  For instance, the current state of Israel even with disputed land is about the size of New Jersey, the 5th-smallest US state.  You can definitely tell which people are represented in these apartments by their Israeli flags since Israeli Independence Day is this week.

 This is West Jerusalem and very modern, built by the Israeli government for Israeli citizens starting in 1967.  However, this has all been built on the West Bank land which the Palestinians say was given to them through prior peace treaty arrangements which are still in dispute.  Currently there are 1 million "settlers" or illegal residents on Palestinian lands according to the Arabs.  Therefore, the Palestinians want all of these buildings taken down, but the Israelis plan on even more.  It is a huge problem!        

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a wall built by the Israelis that is nearly 500 miles long built between Israel and Palestinians.  Israel says it is for security, but the Palestinians say it to acquire more land, and at times has divided Palestinians from their own land, schools, or family.  
What is sad is that there is 60 percent unemployment in Palestine because the Israeli’s have brought in Asians to do the jobs Arabs used to do.

 How do they keep the people on the side they are supposed to be on?  It gets so complicated:

There are check points where IDs are checked between Palestine and Jerusalem to keep people in their areas!  In addition, cars are identified in the following way: 
  

Yellow license plates – Israeli – can drive in Palestinian and Israeli areas.

Green and White plates – Palestinians – must stay in West Bank and not allowed in Israeli areas.

   
Our bus went had to go through a checkpoint to get into Bethlehem, which is part of the West Bank, therefore, governed by the Palestinians.  

After crossing through the checkpoint, we arrived in Bethlehem, which literally means "house of bread," named for the much wheat that was grown there.  This is not only the city where Jesus was born, but many Old Testament events, also, occurred here. 

This is all considered Shepherd’s Field.  It is rocky with little vegetation.   We had our devotional here, standing and singing, "O Little Town of Bethlehem." 

 Below the hill, the town has all built up, so it doesn't exactly look like you envisioned the quiet hill where the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Christ child.

We stopped for lunch at Ruth's Restaurant named for Ruth, the wife of Boaz.  Again, the choices were Shawarma, Falafel, or Schnitzel.  Surprise!  After lunch we stopped at a big olive wood store where everyone bought a few items.  We were all saving our biggest purchases for inside Jerusalem for Omar's shop that we had heard so much about.

In Bethlehem, we next visited the Church of the Nativity (One of the oldest Christian churches on earth – built about 327 AD).  This is the traditional sight of the birth of Jesus – with a star supposedly at the actual birth spot and a piece of a cave (thought to be the manger).  This church was built over the sight.

In 326 AD, Constantine and his mother Helena, who had been converted to Christianity,  commissioned a church to be built over the cave that was believed to be where Jesus had been born.  

All Pagan temples were destroyed in 530 AD.   Justinian I was a Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565 who built the much larger church that remains today.   The new and more elaborate church was built on the same site with gold plated mosaics.

Then in 614 AD, the Persians invaded and destroyed all the churches but this one.  Why?  Because they were impressed by a representation of the Magi (the Three Wisemen) on the mosaics — fellow Persians — that decorated the building. 
 
 You must go through the Door of Humility to enter the church.


 This door is a small rectangular entrance to the church, was created in Ottoman times to prevent carts being driven in by looters, and to force even the most important visitor to dismount from his horse as he entered the holy place.  The doorway was reduced from an earlier Crusader doorway.

Three churches claim this site:  Greek Orthodox, Franciscan Catholics, and Armenian Orthodox--they are the ones who have hung all of the objects.  They believe the icons have a living spirit. 

The main altar at the east end is the property of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Notice how the hanging candles have an "egg" on the support chain.  This is to keep the rats from climbing down into the oil!

Thirty of the nave's 44 columns carry Crusader paintings of saints and the Virgin and Child, although age and lighting conditions make them hard to see.
The columns are made of pink, polished limestone, most of them dating from the original 4th-century Constantinian basilica.

We then were literally herded to a small doorway going downstairs.  Tareq told us sometimes the wait is three hours!  We probably only waited about 45 minutes.

 You have to hold your place in line because everyone is trying to push in front of you.  Sister Thompson was like a little mother hen helping her little chicks get to the place we needed to be without others pushing in front of us. 
 
 So this is how you get down to the cave that is supposed to be where the manger was that Jesus was born in.  It certainly doesn't look like the simple manger we all depict that was peaceful with the mother, father, and animals around, does it?!
 

Once you are downstairs, you see a small room like this called the Grotto of the Nativity.  This is the cave that has been honored as the site of Christ's birth since at least the 2nd century.

A silver star in the floor marks the very spot where Christ is believed to have been born. The star's Latin inscription reads, "Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born." The floor is paved in marble, and 15 lamps hang above the star (six belong to the Greeks, five to the Armenians, and four to the Latins).



Right across from the birthplace shrine is the Chapel of the Manger, owned by the Roman Catholics.  Fragments of 12th-century wall mosaics and capitals around the manger survive.

 With all the commotion of all the people around, a monk still prayed inside the cave where Jesus was born.



After we went back up stairs, we noticed all the scaffolding around the edges of the room.  Tarek told us the wide nave survives intact from Justinian’s time, although the roof is 15th-century with 19th-century restorations.  And now that roof is rotting, threatening the structural integrity of the building.  Parts of the wooden truss structure date to the 15th century, and holes in the timbers allow dirty water to drip upon the precious paintings and mosaics below. The problem has been worsening for decades, but the resident clerics—from the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches and the Franciscan order of the Roman Catholic Church—are jealous of each other’s claims of custody and have been unable to agree on a plan of action.   Therefore, nothing is being done.
 
 View of the 4th-century (324 AD) mosaic floor in the nave of the Church of the Nativity.


 
The Catholic Basilica is built right next to the original church.  Catholics had to dig a tunnel to get to the manger – so there is a short (to keep horse riders out) gate (door) that leads to the Catholic Church.  This is where the Catholic mass is broadcast on Christmas Eve from Jerusalem. 
 
 After seeing this beautiful chapel, we went down
 the stairs in the Catholic Church to the Chapel of St. Joseph and the crypts.   
 
 There is a desk (above) where St. Jerome is said to have translated the Bible from Aaramaic and Hebrew to Latin (his translation is called the Vulgate).   He spent 30 years doing this!
 There were up to 300 infant boys murdered while trying to kill baby Jesus and most are buried here.    

This is the slab for the dead body.  After a year, it would be only bones which would then be placed in a small box and put in chiseled-out areas of the cave.  Several generations would use the same table and often their bones were mixed together.


 
 
Leaving the crypt area.

 Going through the courtyard on the outside of the Catholic Church, we asked Tarek about this insignia on the outside of this pottery.  He said that when 5 crosses are visible (large center “plus sign” and four smaller ones, one in each corner) that is a sign of Franciscans Catholic order. 

Across from the Church of the Nativity is a mosque.  Evidently, the Greek Orthodox told the Muslims to find a place outside the church for a mosque, which they did.  All the scaffolding in front of the mosque is being done by the Catholic Church as the Pope is making a visit to the Holy Land on May 23-25.  We saw preparations going on everywhere we went.

Passing by one of the Bethlehem police.  He looked friendly enough, but we still noticed his trigger finger was in place.
Tareq informed us that weapons used are different for each ethnic group – The Palestinians carry AK47s / Israelis carry M16 or ColtM4 or Tavors (Israeli made).

As we journeyed to the City of David, we passed the Ben Hinnon Valley – where Judas reportedly hung himself.  

         City of David – (all in ruins – south, next to the old wall and partially under structures).  You must go down lots of metal stairs to get to the ruins.  David took over this city from the Jebusites.  David built his palace and an altar for the Ark of the Covenant.  David’s son, Solomon, built the temple.

Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC.  People started building homes outside the city wall.   The city of David is now an archeological site. 

This excavation area starts out on a high level where you can overlook the city, but then you keep going down to get to the exact finds.  Many residents in the area say the excavations are affecting their home structures.  Israeli authorities want to raze the Palestinian homes to make an archaeological park, but again that has many questions for the Palestinians.

Part of the large stone structure identified by some archaeologists to be the remains of King David's Palace.

Overlooking the city from the stairs leading down.

Interestingly enough, this is an ancient toilet!

One archaeologist has dated this structure to the start of the Iron Age II (1000-900 BC).

The only spring in Jerusalem is the Gihon whose name means “gushing”; it surges and the sound can be easily heard. It is estimated that the Gihon could have supported a population of about 2,500. The cave is a natural one, but it has been widened.

When the city was defending itself from the approaching Assyrian army in the 8th century bce, King Hezekiah decided to protect the water by diverting its flow deep into the city with an impressive tunnel system.   What's more, you can read about this in the Bible:  "Hezekiah also plugged the upper watercourse of the Gihon waters and brought it straight down to the west side of the City of David.  And Hezekiah prospered in all his works." ( II Chronicles 32:30) 

Once you get to the very bottom of the pathway and stairs, you must get your headlamps on and make sure you have waterproof shoes.  We all waited a short time before we got enter Hezekiah's Tunnel.   Although we knew this was a highlight for visitors visiting Jerusalem, I don't know if I was quite prepared for the experience!

One of the girls in our group found a little kitten to play with during the wait.

I knew this was a tunnel and it would be dark inside with water no deeper than your knees, but I guess I didn't read the fine print about the length of it, first of all.   This amazing engineering feat was accomplished by  digging a 1,750-foot  tunnel into the mountain of stone.  (Nearly six football fields in length!)  And secondly, this tunnel is not meant for claustrophobics!  There is only one way to go because at times you actually turn a little sideways to get through and have to duck your heads many times.  You can't go back because soon you are in as far as there is to go back!

The chart showing the tunnel depth.

And we were off!

As I said, sometimes the water was up to our knees . . .

other times it was only ankle deep.  I will just tell you, when you are walking through water the entire time for that length of time--almost 45 minutes--it is exhausting!  The tunnel is actually in an "s" shape.  It is said had the workers on both ends gone in a straight pattern, the tunnel could have been 1070 feet or 40 percent shorter.   It is truly a miracle how the workers did this without any modern conveniences to let them know where they were at all because you have no idea once you are inside!

An inscription was found on a wall of the tunnel, 6m from the end of the tunnel at the Shiloah pool.  Six lines written in  ancient Hebrew script carved on the limestone rock told the story of how the tunnel was built.  The actual inscription is on display in Istanbul today.  The amazing feat of two teams starting on either end of the mountain and meeting in the middle happened this way:  

"When the tunnel was driven through.  And this was the way in which it was cut through:  While . . . were still . . . axes, each man toward his fellow, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, there was heard the voice of a man calling to his fellow, for there was an overlap in the rock on the right and on the left.  And when the tunnel was driven through the quarrymen hewed the rock, each man toward his fellow, axe against axe; and the water flowed from the spring toward the reservoir for twelve hundred cubits, and the height of the rock above the head of the quarrymen was 100 cubits."  

It was a total blackout if you turned off your headlamps.  I just kept telling myself, "Surely, this will soon be over!"  I must say, it was an experience of a lifetime, but once done, I don't plan on doing it again.  I'm just proud I did it without freaking out inside.  I have really been trying to work on my claustrophobia.  I used to have trouble getting on an elevator when I was younger!

Finally, we reached fresh air and the outside!

Some goats grazing on the hillside!  So much debris in so many parts of the city.  There doesn't seem to be a sense of throwing away your trash in a bin!

Now we are on the Pool of Shiloh side where so much of the archaeological digs are taking place.  This area dates back to the day of King David!

The Shiloah pool has a near rectangular design, with steps built around its peripheral. There are three sets of 5 steps each. Between the two upper sets is a landing area, while the lower set reaches the level of the bottom of the pool. This design accommodated different water levels.

  The pool design allowed the tens of thousands of pilgrims to step down into the pool, dip into its Holy waters, purify themselves, wrap in new clothes, then walk up to the temple mount. Although dozens of baptismal facilities exist around the walls of the temple, those facilities could not cleanse the  vast amount of pilgrims during the three major holidays.

From here, we could look over to the Mt. of Olives where the Hebrew Brigham Young University is.  We were really looking forward to going there in a couple of days.  What a perfect lookout it has!

 I will say that we were exhausted at the end of this day, and for the first time since we arrived in Jordan, we were going to stay in one hotel for four nights!  Yes!  The place we were staying was the Olive Tree Hotel.

 This little sign outside the hotel was hysterical!

 The hotel had an ancient Olive tree outside. . . .

as well as one inside.

Although we had been in larger, fancier hotels on this trip, I can't tell you how good this bed looked, and the fact that we didn't have to re-pack every morning made it even more enticing!

This was the view Doug and Joyce had which was St. George's Cathedral, established in 1899, where the Bishop of Jerusalem of the Episcopal Church is head.

This was our view, but that's okay.  We didn't spend that much time in the rooms anyway.  Hah!

After dinner, Pam came to us and told us a group was going over to Omar's olive wood shop.  Of course, I had heard so much about him and realized how badly I wanted to go.  So, Joyce, Denise, Shelly, and I (along with five others on the tour), went over to his shop just to look.  Yeh, we all ended up buying many beautiful items.  My sister Beth bought a Nativity scene from Omar probably thirty years ago!  He is still carving and making the most beautiful items in Jerusalem!

After we made our purchases, we went back to the hotel.  I don't know if I've slept that soundly for a good long time!