Part of the 2nd Week

I did not mention last time that on Sunday, 26^th September, Tony Blair and I attended the same Sunday Mass at Notre Dame. His bodyguards ushered him away before we could take a photo with him.

We have been unpacking the Gospel of Luke, had the most fantastic 2 hour introduction to Islam and learnt about the various Jewish Feasts and their relationship with Christianity. All around Israel, we have seen a variety of Sukkahs (booth like structures built on verandahs and near the homes of Jewish people) erected for the 7 day festival of Sukkot or otherwise known as, The Feast of Tabernacles. The last day of Sukkot is commemmorated with a lot of lulav (special plant species held in the hand) and palm and olive branches. A group of us went to the Western Wall at 6am to observe the Jewish people celebrate the end of this 7 day feast and to hear them sing the Great Hosanna. There were thousands of people between us and the Wall. They were praying, wearing their prayer shalls, walking around the Torah and reciting the Great Hosanna. The noise and sight was unforgettable! I could not help but make a connection with this feast and Palm Sunday. I later learned that this is a theory that some modern scholars have looked into. I was so happy to be present to witness such an event and visualise Jesus being one of the men celebrating such an occasion in his life.

One of the biggest and best things I have gained a better insight into so far is the humanity of Jesus. One of the guys in our group summed up how the 30 of us were feeling, “My romantic view of Jerusalem has been shattered”. I no longer see the journeys mentioned in the Bible as simple clear cut things but full of heat, sweat, dirt, thirst and hunger. Hospitality has taken on an even greater meaning and relevance. Jesus’ emotions, teaching, parables to the local people has taken a very different perspective in my mind. I am only halfway through my immersion experience. I wonder what else I will learn and experience!

Our group was fortunate enough to visit the Tower of David. Here we had a very knowledgable guide who showed us 360 degree views of Old and New Jerusalem, pointed out and explained the most significant sites for the 3 Abrahamic faiths, took us for a tour inside the museum where she explained the layout of the land and where the major cities and towns from Old and New Testament times were situated.

That night we had a tour of the Lithostrotos which is below the very building we are staying at. The Emperor Hadrian had stones removed from the nearby destroyed Antonia Fortress (which is now a school for the local children) and placed where they currently are. The famous arch of Ecce Homo still stands from this time. The stones that we stepped on may well have been the very same stones that Jesus stepped on when he was a prisoner in the Fortress where Pontius Pilot was commanding. It is incredible that 2000 years later, we are staying near the very places Jesus was scourged, crowned with thorns, condemned to death, took up his cross and began his walk to Golgotha.

On Thursday, a group of us went back to Bethlehem via Taxi service to visit the birthplace of Jesus. On the way back, we had to pass through the checkpoint at the Separation Wall by physically walking out of the Taxi and going through the two checkpoints. I have a greater sympathy for the Palestinians who go through these checkpoints twice a day everyday to go to work.

Yesterday we went to Jericho, the oldest city in the world. Next week they will celebrate 10000 years of settlement. On the journey there, we stopped at Wadi Qilt (Kelt?) where it is believed the old road from Jerusalem to Jericho was situated, where Jesus spent his 40 days and was tempted, where the story of the Good Samaritan occurred. Various saints and prophets such as Elijah also have spent time here too. When we got off the bus, we were mobbed by male members of the Bedoin tribe. Boys were on donkeys and the men had a camel. We were given 2 passages from the Old and New Testament to look up and reflect on. The words of the Bible definitely have a different meaning when they are read in the very places they refer too! It was very hot but thankfully there was a cooling breeze.

From the wilderness (a desert without sand), we went to Jericho. We got onto the sky cable cars and had panoramic views of Jericho. We reached the Mount of Temptation where a Greek Orthodox Monastery is situated and where it is believed 2 of the temptaions of Jesus occurred. The original Monastery built on the very top of the mountain from as far back as 4^th Century is no longer in Christian use but used by the Israeli soldiers as they have the best vantage point to monitor the Jordanian border. A local told us that the caves in the mountain where religious hermits used to live was cleared of rock up to 1Km in by their very hands. We nearly collapsed going up the steps of the mountain in the scorching heat of the day. We got to touch the very stone where it is believed Jesus sat on when he was tempted and say the stone (in the shape of bread) that Satan tempted him to change and saw the top of the mountain where Satan showed him the kingdoms of the world.

Back on the bottom of the mountain, we went to the place where Elisha made the water for Jericho clean. After lunch we stopped by a sycamore tree named as Zacchaeus’ but which is only 300-400 years old. Just before leaving the city of Jericho we stopped by a new Romanian Church that displayed the most beautiful handpainted icons on the walls. After leaving this Church we stopped beside the site where the palace of Herod the Great was. 4 bedoin children approached us and quietly stood staring at us. We gave them money. 2 of the older boys sat on donkeys while the girls walked barefoot in the scorching heat toward us. They never smiled and did not make a sound. It broke our hearts to see their poverty.

Tomorrow we go to Ein Gedi, Dead Sea and Qumran. More details later.