DAY NINETEEN

7/28

Hello to all my Jerusalem Blog fans.  I'll try to finish the posts on the last few days of the trip this week.  I know you're not supposed to 'back-blog' but oh well

DAY EIGHTEEN

7/27

Free day... we worked on our studio projects and walked around the Old City some.  I didn't take any pictures, sorry.  

DAY SEVENTEEN

7/26

Breakfast was brought to our rooms in a basket; which seemed odd, but I think was the case since it was Shabbat.  

First thing we set out to 

Rosh HaNikra.  Rosh HaNikra is a National Park established at the border between Israel and Lebanon.  It comprises a vast system of grottos made by the Mediterranean Sea into 

a steep cliff of white, chalk limestone.  The Bible mentions the general area around Rosh HaNikra in the book of Joshua.  In more recent times, the British built a rail road tunnel through

the grottos as part of their Cairo-Istanbul railway.  In the War of Independence of 1948, Jewish underground fighters took out one of the rail bridges within the grottos as part of an effort to stay off the enemy.  Rosh HaNikra is also the site where Israeli and Lebanese officials negotiated an armistice in 1949, which ended the Israeli-Lebanese aspect of the 1948 War.   

Next, we drove south to the city of Akko.  Also known as Acre, there is an extensive and very impressive Crusader fortress to be seen.  

As we continued south from Akko we drove through the city of Haifa, and glimpsed quickly at the Baihai Temple; which is set in a spectacular garden of a series of terraces, stepping down the side of a mountain towards the Mediterranean Sea.  

Last on the agenda was a stop by the ancient city of Caesarea.  To be seen at Caesarea are the ancient Herodian remnants of a theatre, amphitheater, hippodrome, palace, bathhouse; as well as Crusader and Turkish era fortresses and mosques.  

DAY SIXTEEN

7/25

After another delicious breakfast at the kibbutz we were led around the grounds for a tour to see where the kibbutz members live and work on a daily basis.  

We then headed north around the Sea to the Mount of Beatitudes.  The Church of the Beatitudes commemorates the hill from which Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount; in which He gave the Beatitudes.  The church was built in 1938 and was designed in plan as an octagon... the eight sides representing the eight blessings of the Beatitudes.  

Next, we went to Capernaum.  At Capernaum are the ancient remnants of the city of the same name from the 1st century A.D.  Christian tradition believes St. Peter's house to be at this location, as as such, a Catholic church is built above it.  Also of importance here are the remnants of a synagogue, presumably the one from which Peter spoke and worshipped.  

Here, again, one sees the mix of Judaic art with Roman architecture.  Unique corinthian capitols are seen with emblems such as the menorah, and carved freezes from the entablatures of the buildings show menorah, the star of David and other Judaic symbols.  

We then drove to the Kibbutz Ginnosar.  Kibbutz Ginnosar is where the Sea of Galilee Boat is kept in a museum built specifically for that purpose.  Members of the kibbutz found the remnants of a 1st A.D. fishing boat in the mud near the kibbutz in 1986, a year of severe drought.  The Sea of Galilee Boat is other wise known as 'the Jesus Boat' because it is the type of vessel and from the correct time period as that in which Jesus and His disciples would have fished on the Sea of Galilee.  

We then drove further north to the border of Israel and Lebanon along the Mediterranean Sea at a town named Nahariya.  We dropped our stuff off at a kibbutz near by, then headed to the sea to jump in before it got too late.  Unfortunately, much of the Mediterranean coast at Nahariya is very rocky and the tide that evening was very strong, so we didn't swim much.  After the beach, we headed to Spaghettim, a chain of Italian restaurants in Israel, which I highly recommend.  

DAY FIFTEEN

7/24

I must make clear that you have not had a true Israeli breakfast until you eat at a Kibbutz in the Galilee.  The Kibbutz Ma'agan that we stay at along the Sea of Galilee grows much of their own food, and what they do not grow comes from a very close local source (as is the case anywhere in Israel).   The region along the Jordan River Valley has been blessed by many small micro climates perfect for growing various fruits and vegetables.  Hence, the quality of the fruits and vegetables found within Israel is very difficult to find in the United States.  In addition to the produce, many variety of fish, including the ubiquitous St. Peter Fish, add a unique touch to breakfast in the Galilee.  

After breakfast we headed up to the Golan Heights.  The Golan Heights are of great strategic importance to the region, and as of right now, Israel is in control of the plateau.  From the plateau one is afforded an excellent view of the entire Sea of Galilee, the city of Tiberius on the Western bank of the Sea, and the several Kibbutzim along the shores of the sea.  Hence, the strategic importance militarily.  Whoever controls that plateau is within 'range' of the entire Galilee valley.  The Golan borders Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.  The UN has a base there, and keeps a close watch over the happenings of the locals.  The inhabitants of the Golan Heights are not Israeli citizens, but as I said, are under the control of Israel.  There is much dispute about this land, and who should control it.  

After taking in the view from the Heights, we drove further north to Kibbutz Naot.  Naot makes leather sandals, which are available worldwide, and at very expensive prices.  Lucky for us, they are less than half price at the factory store there at the Kibbutz where they make them.  

Next, we headed even further north to the National Park of Tel Dan.  Dan is the site of the spring that forms the Dan River, which is a tributary of the Jordan River.  The Tel at Dan is a mound of ancient cities, built, destroyed and built again, forming an artificial hill.  Here we find the remnants of the city of Dan from the time of Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Also found at Dan are remnants of an even older gate to the city walls of the city during the Neolithic period... more importantly, the time of Abraham.  The most significant find at Tel Dan, however, is that of a fragment of a stele, or funerary monument, which refers to the House of David.  This reference is very important in that it is the earliest archaeological evidence known to mention the name of King David.  

Besides the archaeological remnants and finds associated with Tel Dan, the National Park is a beautiful place to hike and enjoy a unique microclimate within Israel.  The spring that feeds the Dan River produces crystal clear, ice cold water.  The water rushes over rocks to create a much unexpected system of rapids.  Huge deciduous trees make up the lush forest.  

Last, we headed back up the mountains to an overlook, from which we gained an excellent view of the UN camp located at the borders of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.  

DAY FOURTEEN

7/23

Wednesday the 23rd, our fourteenth day, we set out for our trip to the Galilee.  In order to give us a complete look at the Jordan River Valley, from the Dead Sea all the way up to the Sea of Galilee, we began our journey at Qumran.  Qumran is located along the Northwest bank of the Dead Sea.  Today, the visitor sees the ancient archaeological remnants of a settlement of the Jewish religious sect the Essenes.  The lesser known of the ancient Jewish religious sects (the Sadducees and Pharisees being well known because of Biblical accounts), the Essenes were separatists, who have gained attention and recognition within the last several decades, for their accomplishments as scribes and for the preservation of Biblical documents due to the 1947 archaeological findings within caves at Qumran.  

In 1947 over 900 scrolls were found within eleven caves at

 Qumran; which led to the archaeological dig to unearth the settlement of the Essenes.  The scrolls, named the Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest Biblical documents known to be in existence.  The complete book of Isaiah is included in the collection... word for word accurate with the book

 of Isaiah we find today within our

Bibles.  This extraordinary archaeological find was possible due in large part to the climactic conditions surrounding the Dead Sea.  The high amount of oxygen, the heat, and the lack of humidity combine to make ideal conditions fo storing parchment.  Many archaeologists continue to work in caves surrounding the Dead Sea in search of other such scrolls.  

The ride from the Dead Sea north to the Galilee, we took the most direct route, through the Jordan River Valley.  This area is beautiful.  Unfortunately, this is the area under much dispute between Palestine and Israel.  

Our first stop along the way to the Galilee was at Bet She'an.  Bet She'an is the ancient Roman capital of the Decapolis, the ten Roman cities scattered around the region surrounding the Sea of Galilee.  Bet She'an is impressive in the completeness of the remnants of an ancient Roman city.  A spectacular theatre, amphitheatre, cardo maximus, bath house, and even a public restroom with running water from a fresh stream are at Bet She'an.  In addition, temples shops and the bordello are also main attractions of the downtown portion of ancient Bet She'an.  Still yet to be excavated is the entire residential section of the ancient city.  

Next, we went to Bet Alpha.  At Bet Alpha are the remnants of a sixth century A.D. synagogue.  This is of particular note because of the unique mosaic floor.  Judaic law prohibits decoration with the human form.  Therefore, it is interesting that the floor of a synagogue from the sixth century has not only human figures represented but the zodiac and the Greek god of the sun, Helios.  These symbols on the floor of a synagogue show the extent to which the Greek culture had permeated the Jewish culture, even to the point of influencing Judaic religious art.  

Our last stop on the way to the Galilee was at a oasis to take a swim.  Gan Hashlosha national park is a series of ponds linked by waterfalls, fed by a natural spring.  It is ranked among the 20 most attractive parks in the world.  

Later in the afternoon we arrived to the Ma'agan Holiday Village, run as the profitable source of income for the Kibbutz Ma'agan.  They have single rooms, and small villas facing out toward the Sea of Galilee.  Paul, Pat and I shared one of the villas.  For dinner, we drove around to the Eastern side of the Sea to Kibbutz En Gev for a fish dinner of St. Peter's fish, a type of tilapia found within the Sea of Galilee; which would have been a main fishing catch of the time of Jesus.  We had a bottle of Chardonnay by one of the local wineries, Gamla; which I highly recommend.  

DAY THIRTEEN

7/22

We took it easy as we were preparing for our trip to the Galilee.  In the morning, we took a city bus to the National Military Cemetery of Israel.  The cemetery is the resting place of many soldiers, political leaders, social leaders and religious leaders.  It is a beautiful place to stroll and enjoy the garden spaces created there.  It is located adjacent to the Yad Vashem complex, the Holocaust Memorial, and has an excellent view looking down towards that.  

Later this day, was the second bulldozer incident within Jerusalem.  It happened along King David Street, close to PBI, where we are staying.  Initial reports indicated that it was a copycat of the first bulldozer attack; but the authorities now say that it was an accident on the part of the bulldozer driver.  He apparently knocked into a car or two, and was shot by an off-duty police officer before anything else could happen.  

DAY TWELVE

7/21

Day twelve we first walked across town to the Garden Tomb.  The Garden Tomb is owned and operated by a group of non-denominational British Christians.  It is one of the sites within Jerusalem thought to be a possible location of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This site has many of the features of the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, described within the Bible.  For example, the garden is adjacent to a large hill or cliff of stone having natural formations, which closely resemble a face.  The Bible describes the place of Jesus' death as Golgo

tha, the skull.  The Bible, in the book of John, tells of the tomb of Jesus being within a garden of a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea.  There is, in fact, a huge, underground cistern and ancient wine press; which indicate an ancient garden of a wealthy individual... because only wealthy individuals of that time period would have had a cistern such as that for their gardens.  And the tomb... there is a tomb, which archaeologists date to the 1st century.  The tomb was found with no inscriptions or indication of having been used.  The physical evidence of the site, the archaeological evidence found and the Biblical description matching accurately, lead one to wonder if this could actually have been the location of those events.  It was fantastic to visit this place and ponder that.  It was very powerful to enter the tomb and have a moment of reflection to give thanks for what I believe as a Christian to have taken place in such a setting.  To me, it does not matter if those events took place at this particular garden or at the site of the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre... all that matters to me is that it did in fact happen!  

After our visit to the Garden Tomb, we walked back towards the Old City.  Along a portion of the wall of the Old City is an entrance to an ancient cave/quarry.  Today, it is run as a tourist/archaeological museum called Zedekiah's Cave.  The cave was formed by the quarrying of limestone for the building of the 1st and 2nd Temples.  The cave is a network of passageways and caves extending deep underneath the Old City to a depth of nearly twenty stories underground.  It is obviously manmade due to the chisel marks to be seen on the walls and ceilings.  Legend has it that Zedekiah was thrown in to this cave, as per the Biblical story; hence the name of the cave today.  In recent history, the cave was the site early Masonic meetings and even a sect of Judaism, which believes in worshiping underground.  The cave was also used as a bomb shelter during World War I.  

Then we walked along the Old City wall a short distance until we reached the Damascus Gate.  At the base of the Damascus Gate is the entrance to an archaeological museum beneath theDamascus Gate and portions of the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.  This archaeological museum is the site of the Roman or Herodian period Damascus Gate.  The original paving stones are there with remnants of walls and buildings.  

Later, after lunch, we walked up the street to the office of world renowned architect, Moshe Safdie, for a meeting to discuss some of his current and past projects.  As mentioned several times previous in this blog, Safdie has designed a great many buildings within Jerusalem.  Its hard to walk anywhere within the city and not see his work.  Closer to home, he has designed the new ATF building in Washington, DC at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues.  

DAY ELEVEN

7/20

First we visited the Knesset building.  The Knesset is the Israeli version of a Congress.  The building is mundane, but has some fantastic mosaics and tapestries by the artist Chagall.  Unfortunately, for security reasons, we were not allowed to take pictures at the Knesset; so you must use your imagination.  

Next, we walked through a large park 

to the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court is housed in a beautiful building funded by the Rothschild family.  The building is an excellent example of a modern architectural form with strong symbolism to the past, to culture and to religion.  For example, a massive wall seems to bisect the building, representing the Western Wall.  Also, the doorway portals into each of the five courtrooms are symbolic of the Menorah.