Argh! I am so behind in writing my blog posts, and already set the precedent of describing every single excruciating detail! So before my memory fades too much, I have to finish what I started... Here goes...
Our second morning in Jerusalem started bright and early, at 7:00am. We had to get an early start to fit in the full schedule Sam had planned. He was being aggressive because I told him how important this visit is for us, and why, and how little time we actually had. So we pressed forward full speed ahead! We enjoyed the huge breakfast at the hotel again, in the historic and picturesque courtyard, a great way to steel oneself for a grueling day of touring!
Then we set out for the Western Wall. Here was the closest place to the ancient Holy of Holies in the temple where people were allowed to pray. So the Jews would gather there to try to be as close to the seat of God as possible, since they could not enter into the place directly without defiling it. Jesus would have prayed and taught here. Just below the site is the location where he turned over the tables of the money changers, also, enraged that they were cravenly taking advantage of people as part of their religious practices. We touched the ancient stones and took a moment to pray there according to the tradition. I did not know what to pray for, and it seemed stupid to pray for world peace so I finally just prayed the Lord's simply prayer from the Bible, "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, they Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive those with debts against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." It was simple, but I figured if it is good enough for Jesus Christ, it is good enough for me.
Then we walked up and into the Al Aqsa mosque complex, to see the original site of the Jewish temple mount. We were not able to enter the mosque of course, since we are not Muslim, but walked through and saw the architecture, which is beautiful. We also saw where cisterns from the 12th century collect water falling on the surface stones there, thorough small drain holes. Sam also talked to us about the more recent history, which has seen a lot of strife over the location. He pointed out that in some cases, some of the Jewish settlers have done things which by all rights would serve to inflame tensions, claiming rights to the spot. At one time, after claiming Muslims may rightly own the mosque, but the airspace above it, and the Earth beneath it, are owned by the Jews, they tunneled directly under the temple mount, a clearly provocative action.
While I may not be Muslim myself, I can clearly see how modern Muslims have a completely justifiable claim to the site from their point of view. After all, the mosque has been present there for many hundreds of years, and was there long before any of us alive now were born or even any traceable ancestor for most humans, who typically know their ancestry maybe going back a few hundred years, but not commonly much more. Any person who can trace their ancestry 1000 years back to the time when the mosque was itself built would be most unusual, possibly royalty or a member of some ancient order - or making it up. While I can understand the Jewish wish to see their temple rebuilt on its ancient foundations then, I can also understand why Muslims would find this completely unreasonable, too. I had a real sense of futile exasperation, of not seeing any way that these tensions will ever be resolved. It is a sad and frustrating thing to realize there may be no way to resolve some problems. But at this point, I reminded myself, some problems are not for me to resolve, and I can only do what is right as best I can in my small sphere of influence, and ask God to help me in that, and then commit the rest to him. In our talking about it, the topic of Solomon came up, and I thought of the story where he told the two women arguing over the child they both claimed that they should cut the baby in two and give half to each… Of course this was to force the truth. The real mother immediately abandoned her quest, preferring instead for the baby to live, than to be with her. And in so doing, she was shown to be the true mother, so Solomon relented, and gave her the child. Unfortunately, I'm afraid we have a similar case, but one in which neither party will relent, so maybe the baby will in fact be cloven in two, destroying the object of both party's affections... Since I don’t know how to resolve these things, I will just have to leave them for others, and commit myself to do what is right as best I can tell in my own life – including to try to cast my meager votes for those whom I believe will do right also. Other than this, I don’t have much more to offer. In a way, I felt a sense of relief when I reminded myself, I don’t really have a stake in the dispute myself. As much as I love Jerusalem, I am happy that I don’t have to deal with those problems. The deed to my property is clear, and there is no dispute. Texas has plenty of empty land, too, for all who wish to move there! Although... northerners, stay home! hahaha just kidding... sort of... ;)
After the mosque, we walked through the city again along the base of the more ancient wall, which is now subsumed into the city, and partially excavated. We looked down into excavations where we could see the original base of the wall, perhaps 30 feet below the current street level, in many places. Finally, we exited the wall and came down to Hezekiah’s tunnel, where I was able to go in and see this site of ancient intrigue, which saved the city on several occasions, and notably under the siege of Sennacharib the Assyrian tyrant. A well outside the city was channeled through this ancient tunnel, carrying precious water into the city walls. Once we walked through the tunnel and took some more pictures, we stopped by an antiquities dealer who worked with some famous archeologists, excavating many sites, including a famous (and infamous) tunnel underneath the Temple Mount. He showed me many wonderful artifacts, which are legal to purchase under Israeli law, and I finally decided on several special specimens to remember this trip.
The first is a coin of Caesar, a Denarius, which was about one day’s wage in Jesus’ time. The coin is from the 1st century AD. The most special thing about it is that it was the type of coin Jesus held when he famously answered the Pharisee trap question asking whether they should pay their taxes or not (attempting to force him either to advocate revolution – a sure death sentence – or appear to back the Roman regime, which would create enemies in the Jewish community) with the wisdom that we should “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and render unto God what is God’s”. There were other much more expensive coins, one in particular, a 4 Denarius coin with Vespasian’s likeness. This was one of the rarest items in the shop, but I decided against it since it seemed to me an evil coin to memorialize the emperor who ordered the sack of Jerusalem. I did also buy 2 of the “Widow’s mite” coins, which are common and relatively inexpensive. My Mom got me one when I was young, from an American dealer, and it is still one of my treasured possessions. I bought the 2 now as a set since this was the amount of the offering the Widow in the parable made, which was worth much more to God than all the great offerings of the Pharisees, since it was all she had in the world.
I also bought a lamp from the 1st century, and an oil jar, which are very small and modest, and can be readily found in excavations around Jerusalem from the 1st century sites. It was special for me because it came from a tomb, and would have been one of the vessels used by the early Christians when they went into the tombs to bury the dead and pray over them before committing them back to God. They also used these sometimes to hold services in the tombs, since practicing their faith in public would face persecution. These are the same type of oil lamps in the parable of the seven virgins, which reminds us to be always ready for God’s call when it comes, and to keep our reserves of oil at the ready so we do not run out when the night stretches on.
After the shop, we headed to Bethlehem, in the Palestinian territory. We met with 4 other people for this part of the day, and enjoyed a hearty lunch in a restaurant there. Sadly, the place is now nearly completely empty during the day, since the wall has been constructed, and sits directly adjacent the wall. I think it is especially sad since Bethlehem is a Christian town, and there have never been any Christian suicide bombers in the history of the current conflict, and yet, since it is part of the Palestinian territory, it has been walled off with the rest. While I can see completely the reason for Israel’s construction of the wall, and it is undeniable that the violence nearly ceased after its establishment, it is also sad knowing that many innocent lives have been impacted, of business owners like the owners of the restaurant, who only sought a better life for themselves and their families, but who nevertheless have had to pay the price for the violence of others. The wall is covered with graffiti pointing out the harm the strife has done. And yet, for the many innocent families on the Israeli side whose families where forever destroyed by suicide bombers intentionally targeting civilian areas, in an unrelenting series of attacks, I would never suggest the wall is immoral or wrong. People do have the right to protect themselves against murder, after all. So, again, I felt frustration seeing what appears to be an unworkable situation, and even on the side where I ultimately place my allegiance (with the wall), I see unfortunate consequences that are not fair or just. I did try to ask as many questions as I could without offense (and hopefully did not cross that line), to see if I should reevaluate my stance. However, after all I learned, I still have not changed my mind. Although it is most regrettable, I think the wall is a necessary evil, since it has saved countless lives of innocent civilians who were being targeted over and over in public spaces. Someday, as peace, which has lasted uneasily now for a while, continues, maybe it will be possible that the wall can be destroyed. But until the Israeli people are sure they will not be targeted by bombs in shopping malls, I think it must remain. Comparisons to the Berlin wall, I find most perverse, as well. The two are actually inverse of one another. The Berlin wall was built to keep people from leaving an oppressive state for freedom. But the Israeli wall has been built to protect free people from would be murderers. These things are polar opposites, and should not be compared by fair minded people.
With all these things weighing heavily on my mind – for we were driving directly beneath this wall – we arrived at the birthplace of our Lord. The square was quite busy, so we continued on then, to the Shepherds’ fields, which were nearby, just as the Gospels told us. While we do not know the exact location of the appearance of the angels to announce Jesus’ birth, the fields we saw were good examples of what the fields were like, and so it was good to see. We saw a cave that was used in the first century by shepherds, and in fact, many caves are carved out of the rock all around. We saw of course the church built by the faithful and thorough Helena, and then the subsequent work of the energetic and persistent Crusaders, and so on. There is a more modern church, designed by a famous architect, Antonio Badallucci, as are several of the churches at sites in Israel. This was a beautiful and fitting tribute to the momentous events that took place there.
Finally, we made our way back to the birthplace of Jesus, and entered the church, through a very low door, part of the original structure, which was made low to prevent animals from easily entering in ancient times. The church is over the site of the original manger and the inn at which Mary and Joseph were denied lodging due to a lack of vacancy. Once inside, we saw the various stages of development, and ancient mosaics, etc., and then queued up for the actual visit to the manger scene. This was in fact a most chaotic period, and there is not a proper line as we know it, but rather it seemed various people just pressed forward at times and gained entry with no particular rhyme nor reason. In fact, it seemed somewhat distasteful to me at one point, when a crippled girl and two elderly women attempting to take her down to the manger site were somewhat pushed aside by other “pilgrims”, all too eager to lay their greasy mits on the most Sacred Site of Our Lord’s Birth. I nearly turned back and just left the church at that point, and did almost lose my temper entirely. But I did not, and did finally touch the spot myself, coming away feeling not so holy as irked and disappointed by the behavior of the “faithful”. It took me a little while to recover, and I still find the incident somewhat regrettable, but I think it is a useful lesson, too, in the state of humanity, that we are still made from dust, and subject to lowly tendencies, even as we are worshiping God and revering him. I know God is not pleased when people are selfish and rude to one another, but at the same time, I know He loves us more than we can imagine, and overlooks a multitude of sins, to see the part of us which is made in his image. Let me also look past the sins of my fellow man then, and admire their devotion to make pilgrimages to revere the Lord.
In the end, I left the Church of the Nativity with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. The whole Pilgrimage Industry seemed to me somewhat distasteful at that moment. However, my feelings softened after a little distance was gained, and I realized I must see what is important, and take whatever lessons I can from the imperfection I find, but not despair of God’s grace just because humanity’s failings are apparent as well. By the time we finally made it back to our hotel in the afternoon, I was working through it, and just had time then to prepare for the next event.
In my great preparations, I had decided it would be wonderful to attend the Israeli opera’s interpretation of the great Mozart opera, The Magic Flute, particularly since I have thought previously that the opera bears some significance to Israel. Mozart was very intelligent, and witty, as well as being a fantastic composer. So, I thought it would be very special to see this, and enjoy a bit of culture amidst the mighty pilgrimage of ancient sites in Israel. After all, when will I have such an opportunity again? Who knows?! But, in my great planning, I had not really anticipated the logistics of the day. When we arrived home to the hotel, we had just a few minutes to clean up and change into our dress clothes, then catch a taxi for the hour long ride back to Tel Aviv, just in time to walk into the opera, let alone stop by will-call to pick up our tickets! The taxi we had booked in advance of course arrived 15 minutes late, too, so we were a bit worried. And in fact, we made it to Tel Aviv then and the driver could not find the opera house! I prayed we would make it and not miss the first act. And, although we arrived a few minutes late, and barely made it in, we did in fact walk in seconds after the introductory piece of music had started. It was perfect. And since we were late, our seats were right by the entry, and in fact, quite a bit better than the seats we had purchased, where we moved after the intermission! And since the driver was late, I was a bit upset when he dropped us off, and probably saved a good deal of cab fare due to that. An angry customer does unfortunately generally get a better deal, and he wanted to charge me for waiting for us on the return ride, but I insisted we might miss the first act because of his being late, and refused to pay, and he relented! In the end, I still tipped him, since we made it, but I didn’t have to pay him to wait, as he had tried to get me to do. So… all is well that ends well.
Regarding the opera itself… I have moved that wandering exposition to another post! :)
We returned happily but exhausted to the hotel. We fell into our beds and were asleep before we hit our pillows! Fortunately, we did not have to get up the following morning until 9…
 |
| At Caiaphas' House, relief on doors depicting scene of Peter's betrayal |
 |
| The dungeon at Caiaphas' House where Jesus would have been imprisoned before going to the Roman court for condemnation and sentencing. |
 |
| Steps of Caiaphas' House, where Jesus would have been led to his initial trial before the Jewish Council (the Sanhedrin), and surely within site of the point where Peter betrayed the Lord three times |
 |
| I touched the ancient stone steps |
 |
| Bougainvillaea Tree |
 |
| I just found it interesting... Sam is Palestinian. When in Palestinian neighborhoods, he threw this scarf on his window. I asked him why, and he told me if he did not, his car would be vandalized if locals thought he was a Jew. That sucks. |
 |
| The rift in the rock is the opening of Hezekiah's Tunnel. It is now outside the city walls, but in ancient times, this spot would have been inside the walls, bringing precious spring water into the city |
 |
| Exiting Hezekiah's Tunnel |
 |
| Enjoying the crisp cold water of the spring |
 |
| In the West Bank, Bethlehem, this hotel is the old Intercontinental Hotel. The symbols at the base were ancient Indian symbols (Aryian - swastikas) before they were co-opted by Hitler in WWII, and this building predates that. I understand they were not anti-Jewish when they were built. However, I think were I the owner, I would remove them anyway after the war, understanding the new significance they took on. They could easily be replaced with other ancient Indian symbols. |
 |
| The modern church designed by famed architect Antonio Barluzzi I believe, at the site considered the location where the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce Jesus' birth, in Bethlehem |
 |
| In an ancient shepherd's cave - not necessarily believed to be of particular significance to the story in the Bible, but still cool in any case |
 |
| New complex on the Palistinian side. Unfortunately, bullets have occasionally come from these buildings across the fence into the Israeli side. The Israeli settlers are undaunted, and still moving to build across the fence. They may be crazy, but I have to give it to them, they have "hutzpah". I have to commend their bravery in the face of threats to their existence. Any other response would surely be insufficient. |
 |
| In one of the ancient caves, very easily dug deeper in the soft rock, so they made great homes - unless an earthquake occurs! |
 |
| Monument at the Shepherd's Field, chapel behind |
 |
| Very tiny door to the Church of the Nativity - site of Jesus' birth. The door is very tiny, in days of old, reportedly to keep camels and other large livestock from wandering in! You can also see the many layers of construction, where it was once an arch, and later filled in... |
 |
| Grumpy priests. I guess I can understand, it gets old having so many pilgrims always pressing in. But I think they should cheer up or ask for a different assignment personally... |
 |
| David touched the star at the site of the birth |
 |
| I touched the star too. |
 |
| This is a statue of Jerome (notice the skull, not sure what it means, but it is traditionally on depictions of him I guess). He was notable as the man who first translated the Bible to Latin, the Vulgate, a pretty significant achievement in spreading the gospel to the early Romans. |
 |
| Ed and Sandy, two nice folks who traveled with us to Bethlehem. |
|
 |
| Can you sense some slight frustration?! Enough with the siteseeing already, I was thinking at this point! The scene at the Manger Scene was a little stressful, with people shoving a crippled lady to try to gain access to the Holy Spot, kind of stupid. Oh, the columns are Helenic or something... |
 |
| This is the short door, me coming through, to show you it was really short. |
 |
| We moved on to a modern chapel commemorating where the Wise Men stayed, just a stone's throw from the Nativity, much more subdued and quiet, and peaceful. I was calming down by then... We saw nuns doing chants, as they do for hours at a time, and it was pretty sounding music. This is also where Jesus and his family are reported to have stayed in the month before the were able to flee to Egypt, to avoid execution by Herod's troops, who were slaughtering all male children under the age of three, to try to kill the reported "King of the Jews" who the Wise Men told him had been born. The Wise Men were astrologers probably from Babylon (present day Iraq) who were likely knowledgeable in Jewish prophecy from the time the Jews spent in captivity there, and were the ones who saw the star that announced Jesus' birth, and followed it to Bethlehem. |
No comments:
Post a Comment