Day #15 Last Day in Israel

We ended the last day of our tour in Israel with a bang! This morning we visited Masada. Originally built as one of Herod's private palaces, this desert mountain top fortress was the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome in 73 A.D.

From Masada we headed further north to Qumran. This was home to an ascetic Jewish sect with some radical religious customs. It's also the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were initially discovered in 1946.

Our last tour stop before arriving back at our hotel in Tel Aviv was a visit to Israel's 9/11 memorial. Israel is the only country outside the United States to construct a memorial in remembrance of those who died in the 9/11 attacks.

But the real treat of the day came back at our visit to Masada. On site was a modern day Jewish Scribe copying the Torah. The Torah can only be reproduced by hand and it takes more than a year for a single copy. Not only that, a single mistake makes the entire scroll useless and the Scribe has to start all over again. According to our guide, a Synagogue today may pay upwards of $30,000-$50,000 for a copy of the Torah. Well, the Scribe on site at Masada works behind a glass partition so that visitors can watch him work. But, since his work is extremely precise and delicate he cannot be disturbed. Except today. For some reason when our group approached the glass divider he invited us to come inside and see his work close-up. Our guide, who has been to Masada dozens of times over the years, was flabbergasted. "This just never happens," he said. But the story gets even better... After the Scribe asked where we were from and what we were doing in Israel he offered to write us a blessing on a piece of parchment used for copying the Torah. It was a precious moment as he wrote his blessing for us, Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, and presented it to us. I'll have the blessing mounted and framed so we can display it in our Philadelphia Hall so you can see it too.

Pix
1. Masada is located on a very high peak in the Judean desert very near the Dead Sea. While it is possible to walk to the top, we all opted for the cable car!
2. Qumran
3. Cave #9 where the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discoverd.
4. Israel's 9/11 Memorial located in Jerusalem across the valley from Jerusalem's Jewish cemetery.
5. Names engraved on the perimeter of the memorial.
6. Scribe at Masada copies the Torah.

Day #14 Jeep tour of the Negev and Judean deserts

Here are some pix from our desert Jeep ride this morning.

1. Bill gets "volunteered" to be a 3D map of Israel while our guide explains why land east of Jerusalem gets all the rain, while the Negev gets only .5" inch of rain annually.
2. The rock formations are salt. Norma has a taste to prove it!
3. Desert
4. Desert
5. More desert
6. The large pillar-like rock formation... guess who? That's right! It's Lot's wife. :-)
7. Maxine, Barbara, and Melanie listen to our guide talk about the Acacia tree, under which we are sitting.
8. Random photo of interest, at least to me... In all the restrooms around the Jewish parts of the Israel I've noticed these plastic cups. I'm a bit slow on the draw, so it took me a while to realize that they're probably there for a reason. This picture was taken at a road-side gas station not far from our Hotel here at the Dead Sea. The cups are for Orthodox Jews to wash their hands. The cups all hold exactly the same amount of water. The two handles are so you can wash one hand at a time. Before approaching the Western Wall for prayer, Jews stopped at a hand-washing station using the same kind of cup. Go back and look at picture At the hawashing station just outside the Western Wall in Jerusalem they had the same cups. (See picture 7 on my blogpost for Day #11.)

At the Dead Sea

We're at a resort hotel at the Dead Sea for two days before heading back to Tel Aviv for one night. Hard to believe that our trip is coming to a close. The internet connection here at the hotel is only available in the lobby and even then it's spotty and slow at best. I'll do more of a full post with pictures when I'm able.

You should read Jolynn Anderson's blog about the trip. She offers some more details and insights that I'm not catching. http://jolynninisrael.blogspot.co.il/ (Thanks Jolynn!)

Day #13 Bedouins, Engedi, and Dead Sea

Yesterday we learned more about the Bedouins of the Negev. These Bedouins have become villagers rather than nomads and yet they retain many of their old customs. We met Sarah who showed us how she spins yarn and cooks a special kind of bread. It looks like a giant thin tortilla. The mixture is only flour, salt, and water. We had fun taking turns dressing up in traditional Bedouin wedding clothes. As Muslims, the Bedouins are allowed more than one wife (up to four wives, I believe).

From the tiny village of Lakia we drove south and west to the Dead Sea. Along the way we passed the valley where David fought Goliath. We also saw Acacia trees which supplied the kind of wood used to make the ark of the covenant.

Just up the road from our hotel is a Nature Park which is the Oasis of Engedi. This is the place where David was hiding from Saul in 1 Samuel 24. The landscape surrounding the Dead Sea is absolutely barren. No green, living thing can survive the intense heat and lack of rain. That's what makes the Engedi Oasis so amazing. A natural fresh water spring makes a kind of paradise in desert. Five of us hiked to the top of three water falls located in the park.

Pic descriptions:
1. Sitting on the floor as we begin our visit.
2. Sarah displaying yarn she has spun and dyed.
3. Chet and Maxine dress up for their Bedouin wedding.
4. Reese and Edna do the same.
5. Sarah demonstrates making Bedouin pita.
6. Euda shares with us the beginning of her vision to create "The Association for the Improvement of Women's Status, Lakia."
7. Getting ready to hike in the Engedi Nature Park.
8. Yours truly in front of the lower falls at the Engedi Nature Park.
9. Upper falls.

Day #12

Our day began with a 90 minute conversation with a young Palestinian journalist. Since our tour guide is a committed Jew with deep roots in Israel (remember he grew up in Jerusalem) it was very helpful to have a strong contrasting perspective. If I were king for a day I still don't know what I would do. There seem to be no easy solutions! At least I think we understand a little better the geography, terminology, and significant historical events that come to bear on this conflict.

Today was an optional tour day. Nine of us went to see King Herod's summer palace and burial place. Our visit took us past an Israeli checkpoint into a Zone B which was interesting in light of the morning's conversation. As far as Herod's summer shack goes, it was amazing. It was built on an entirely man-made mountain. Our exploration involved lots of climbing and hiking through secret escape tunnels which was fun.

In the afternoon we visited the reputed site of John the Baptist's birth and the Church of the Visitation, where Mary visited Elizabeth as recorded in Luke 1:39-45.

We were reminded in different ways all day long that today was the Sabbath. There were no scrambled eggs or oatmeal at the breakfast bar because that would've required someone to cook - all the food was prepared beforehand. The elevators were set to automatically stop at each floor so you didn't have to break the Sabbath by pressing a button. All the shops were closed and there was very little traffic. The city lite-rail was not in service. Kendra and I went for a walk this evening and it was remarkable peaceful - just people strolling leisurely up and down the streets. However, Shabbat ended at 7:45 p.m. and immediately restaurants and shops began opening their doors. Soon the city was wide awake again and ready for business.

Tomorrow we leave Jerusalem and head to the Dead Sea. I'm super glad the weather has warmed up because I can't wait to go floating!

Pic Descriptions:
1. The view from Herod's summer place.
2. What his summer palace looked like (are you kidding me!?)
3. The way it looks today.
4. Our group exploring one of the tunnels that served as an escape route later on.
5. John the Baptist Church.
6. Inside the Church of the Visitation (What are they looking at? Could it be an angel? :-)

Day #11 Welcoming Shabbat at the Western Wall

Day #11 began with a tour of David's City. These ancient ruins lie just outside the Old City Jerusalem. We watched an informative 3D movie about the history of David's City and Jerusalem. Jewish Israelis are eager to do more archeological exploration under this part of Jerusalem but the Muslims who own the property above ground are hesitant (to say the least) to sell their land to Jews. In fact, for a Palestinian Muslim to sell property to an Israeli Jew is an offense punishable by death.

Later in the morning we went to the Israel Museum where the Dead Sea Scrolls are held. After that we left our Jewish tour guide behind and headed for the Palestinian controlled city of Bethlehem. Since our bus driver is an Israeli born Arab he has the freedom to travel between Israel and the West Bank controlled areas. Just inside the city limits of Bethlehem we picked up our new tour guide for the afternoon. "Johnny" took us for lunch to a place called "The Christmas Tree Restaurant" where we enjoyed delicious Shawarma sandwiches. In Bethlehem we saw the birthplace of Jesus and the church occupies that site as well as Shepherd's Field where the angels may have announced Jesus birth to the shepherds. We even sang a couple of Christmas carols inside the chapel there.

The highlight of the day for me was going to the Western Wall for the beginning of Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish holy day of rest. It begins at sundown on Friday and goes through the end of Saturday. Faithful Jews are not allowed to do any kind of manual labor, cooking, business, or travel on the Sabbath. Ultra-Orthodox Jews who live within walking distance come to the Western Wall to welcome the Sabbath. It's a very festive event. Prim and proper Ultra-Orthodox Jews, dressed in their best black suits and white shirts, dance and sing as dusk approaches. First, they turn their backs to the Wall (the only time they are permitted to turn their backs to the Holy Wall) and face west. As the sun sets they turn around and face the Wall and begin to sing, pray and dance.

Our tour guide told me that his father dressed in a white suit for every Shabbat. He had a separate five-piece white suit, however, that he kept hung in the close and never wore. That special suit was waiting for the day when the Messiah would return. Gideon told me his father started each day opening the kitchen window looking for the Messiah's return.

Of course, we too are awaiting the Messiah's return - his second and final coming when all the dead shall rise and all things will be made new. Oh, to live and pray with such daily expectation of Christ's glad return!

Pic descriptions
1. Waiting with our 3D glasses in place for the movie about David's City
2. Descending underground along a newly excavated tunnel along the base of the Western Wall.
3. Standing outside the southwest corner of the Temple Mount.
4. Approaching the entrance of the Church of the Nativity.
5. Our Palestinian guide "Johnny" inside the Shepherd's Cave chapel.
6. Ultra-Orthodox Jews scurry toward the Wailing Wall, dressing as they go.
7. Ceremonial hand cleansing before prayer.
8. Hundreds gather to welcome Shabbat.

Day #10 Yad VaShem, Garden Tomb, and Dinner with Ultra-Orthodox Family

The Holocaust memorial in Israel is called "Yad Vashem." The name comes from Isaiah 56:5 which talks about God giving his people a "place (monument) and a name." (Yad=place, Va=and, Shem=name). Our tour guide told us about being a boy living in Jerusalem and seeing people on the bus with tattooed numbers on their wrists from the concentration camps. Yad Vashem is a powerful tribute to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust.

One of the things I've appreciated about our tour company is their sincere attempt to help us engage with the people and culture of Israel. To that end, they arranged for us to spend an hour with a Holocaust survivor after we toured Yad Vashem. We were mesmerized by Rena's story of survival. She told us about her father cutting her hair and teaching her how to talk and act like a boy so she could work in the factory. After her biological parents and brother were killed she bounced from family to family each time taking a different name. Eventually she ended up adopted by a family in the United States and about twenty-five years ago moved to Israel. Even as a devout Jew, she spoke fondly of the kindness shown to her by Christians along her journey.

In the afternoon we saw the Garden of Gethsemene where Jesus prayed (and the disciples napped...) before Jesus' trial and crucifixion. From there we had a delightful visit to the Garden Tomb. This is the location where many Protestants speculate Golgotha and Jesus' tomb were.

The highlight this evening was having dinner in an ultra-orthodox Jewish home. I was so enthralled with the conversation that I completely forgot to take any pictures! Ulta-Orthodox Jews are devoutly committed to studying and following all 613 Jewish laws in the Talmud. Ultra-Orthodox Jews wear simple black and white clothing, don't use smart phones or the internet. They don't watch TV, go to movies, listen to secular radio or read secular newspapers. Their calling is to live distinct and set-apart (albeit not isolated) lives in devotion to God and the Scriptures.

The young man who shared with us was named Mutty. On the one hand I was impressed with his devotion and commitment. I was convicted about how casually you and I tend to approach our faith. We have the mistaken idea that just because Jesus died for our sins that we don't really need to live in any tangibly different way. We think it's enough just to have "Jesus in our hearts" to make us... well, nice. Mutty sees it differently. He believes faith is radically all encompassing and completely life-consuming. But while I'm inspired by Mutty's example on the one hand, on the other hand, my heart breaks that he seems to know nothing of a God who is full of grace. This young man's only hope for the resurrection is that in the end he was able to have somehow obeyed a burdensome list of 613 rules. Thanks be to God, Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do, Christ did for us (see Romans 8).

Pic Descriptions:
1. Entrance to Yad Vashem.
2. Placing memorial stones atop one of the monuments.
3. Rena, the Holocaust survivor who share her story with us.
4. Kendra in front of the Garden of Gethsemene.
5. Marilyn and Maxine emerging from the empty tomb.
6. Yours truly next to the sign just on the inside of the Garden Tomb.

Day # 9 Old City Jerusalem

Jolynn's pedometer measured 11,000 steps today and it was all within about a 1.5 mile radius - maybe less. Our day began at the Western Wall where ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for prayer. The exposed section of the wall is only a fraction of the entire original wall. Our guide took us through an excavated tunnel along the base of the original wall. It's really hard to imagine just how massive Kind Herod's city was and what an amazing civil engineering feat it was to construct.

Back on the surface of today's Jerusalem, we visited the Via Delarosa (or Stations of the Cross). Fourteen markers commemorate the final hours of the Jesus' earthly life. The last stations (where Jesus was stripped, crucified, died, taken off the cross, and laid in the tomb) are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. These Stations, and the location of the Sepulchre as the location for Jesus' burial are typically more revered by Catholic and Orthodox worshippers. Tomorrow, we are going to visit the Garden Tomb which Protestants generally regard as the location of Jesus' burial.

Afterwards we saw the location Jews regard as the burial place of King David. During the years that Jews did not have access to the Wester Wall, King David's tomb was their most holy place for prayer. (It's been fascinating hearing our guide talk about all this since he was raised in Jerusalem and remembers quite well what life was like before the Six Day War). We also got to see the location where Jesus is believed to have celebrated the Passover Meal (or Last Supper) with his disciples.

Our tour of the Old City of Jerusalem is a strange mix of fact, faith, and tradition. No one can really be sure if any of the places are what they claim to be. In my Protestant arrogance, it's hard not to scoff at all the fuss made over rocks and relics. And yet, the core of our faith isn't some ethereal idea. Being in this place again reminds me that our faith is built on the claim that God became a very real person in a man named Jesus during a very real time in history. This Jesus wandered the streets of a very real Jerusalem, ate a very real Passover meal with his disciples, died of a very real Roman crucifixion, and was buried dead in a very real tomb. We can quibble about whether or not we have the locations exact, but that he lived and died - and that he lived and died *here* - is without question.

Pic descriptions:
1. Prayers at the Western (Wailing) Wall
2. (same)
3. Under ground (under the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem) you can see the massive stones of Herod's city wall.
4. In the Old City Jerusalem.
5. Worshippers touching the slab where they believe Jesus was laid after being crucified.
6. The "Upper Room."
7. Random picture with ironic significance. Doors of the "World Peace Center" securely locked. I guess we'd hate for peace to start running wild now, wouldn't we!