It's our last morning in Jerusalem. We fly back to London this afternoon, have a farewell dinner, and then fly home tomorrow morning. A long trip but a lot of fun -- we got to see so many amazing, out-of-the-way places and such smiling, friendly people. So this is the last post. See you soon!
Monday, June 1, 2015
Posted with Blogsy
Bethlehem, and the Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem is the city where Christians believe Jesus was born, and the Church of the Nativity was built on the very site. Not much to look at from the outside, but very holy to Christians.
The church has been rebuilt over the years with the effect of raising the floor, so to see the site of Jesus' birth you go down into an underground grotto.
This sixteen-pointed cross marks the spot where Jesus was said to have been born ...
... and nearby is the spot where the manger was said to be. Not sure how they know this, but to believers that doesn't matter.
Palestine
We're on our way to Bethlehem this morning. Bethlehem is located in the West Bank, in Palestine, and we get a first hand education about the continuing strife between the Israelis and Palestinians, especially when we pass through a checkpoint and through a wall built by the Israelis to separate the Palestinians. Though both sides have a legitimate point of view about this conflict, you can't help but be awed and dumbstruck to see the wall that's been built and see the graffiti demanding the return of the homeland of the Palestinians.
We visit a Palestinian refugee camp, the entrance of which is marked by a giant key. When the Palestinians left their homeland, often they left by locking their homes behind them believing they'd return shortly. The key has become a symbol of their desire, and insistence, to return.
The refugee camp is really a slum, with ongoing additions to handle the population. No building codes here -- it is a UN mandate area.
The kids, as always, are adorable.
Palestinians have to carry ID cards everywhere and are subject to horrible indignities as they have to cross multiple checkpoints just to get to/from work each day. As I said, there are clearly two sides to this story, but it's clear who has control and who doesn't. And it's really sad.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Shopping in the Old City
The tunnels connecting the different sections of the Old City are, in fact, souks (marketplaces) lined with vendor stalls featuring everything from food to jewelry to souvenirs.
One vendor sells t-shirts that cater to both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Debb shows no interest in t-shirts, however, instead buying a pretty ceramic mug and bowl from Suha ...
... and a pendant and earrings from Mustafa. We engaged in probably a half hour of haggling with the very sweet Mustafa over the earrings, but Mustafa wouldn't take no for an answer. Debb wasn't interested in his opening price of $150, but after much bargaining and pleading, Debb finally offered him $20 and he closed the deal. The pendant was purchased for the remaining shekels in my pocket.
People of the Old City
But I can't end the posts of the Old City with a bomb disposal site. Let's instead focus on the wonderful and interesting people we saw.
How beautiful are these women?!?
Kids everywhere are great.
This woman is one of several walking around the Al-Aqsa mosque shouting Alahu Akbar (God is great), apparently trying to warn off Jews whom they believe want to come in and destroy their mosque. I can say that they are very loud!
Israeli soldiers, men and women, are everywhere, and heavily armed.
And tourists are everywhere! These nice guys are from Spain. I took their picture for them, after which they let me take one of them.
The Old City: Part Three
Finally on to the Christian Quarter and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which Christians believe is the site of Calvary, where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
The Altar of the Crucifiction, which sits above the rock Golgotha upon which Jesus was believed to be crucified. Apparently you can crawl under and touch the rock, though I didn't.
Directly below is a window through which you can see the rock. The crack in the rock was said to be created by an earthquake that occurred when Jesus died. The rock is also believed to be the place where Adam's skull is buried, and when Jesus died his blood ran through the crack onto Adam's skull and absolved him of the Original Sin. Whew. A lot to absorb.
Just inside the church entrance is the Stone of Anointing, the place where Jesus' body was prepared for burial. Nearby is the rotunda and a chapel which has two rooms: one is said to contain the stone that sealed Jesus' tomb, and the other is the tomb itself. Greek Orthodox priests were having a ceremony or service, so I wasn't really able to obtain any pictures.
Our guide shows us a color-coded plan of the church, the colors indicating which Christian churches (orthodox, Coptic, etc. -- about 18 in all) control which sections of the church. Apparently it took centuries for them to make peace with one another so that each could hold services at strictly regulated times. More evidence of the continuing strife in this place.
The most interesting thing to see, however, was right outside the church. Know what this is? Believe it or not, it's a bomb disposal site: a place in which to safely detonate and contain bombs that might be found nearby. Gulp!
The Old City: Part Two
In the Jewish Quarter we visit the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall.
Jews believe that the Temple Mount was the site of King Solomon's temple, later expanded by King Herod. The Western Wall is all that remains of that expansion, and is where Jews come to pray.
As times have gotten more conservative, the Wall is now roped off into two sections, one for men and one for women.
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