Around the World with Marsha & Joel

Bright beautiful morning to explore one of the most unique and important cities in the world. We drove up to the Mount of Olives for this spectacular view of the Old City and its surroundings.

A detail as we entered through the Jaffa Gate. Jerusalem is high and dry and makes blue skies ultra-blue. Tradition has it that King Solomon built the great temple, Jesus was crucified and Muhammad visited on his Night Journey.

A restored synagogue as we enter the Jewish Quarter.

Part of the beautifully restored Cardo, the old Roman road…

…and into the Christian Quarter to follow the ancient Via Dolorosa and Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the traditional site of the Crucifixion. Here with our tour guide, Ophir, an ex Israeli Army Major and lawyer. He loves the life of illuminating people about his beloved country…and it shows.

The stone upon which Christ was lain.

After roaming through the Muslim and Armenian Quarters we came to the Western Wall, the closest place to the house of God as believed by Jews world-wide. It is an extremely moving place. The stones felt unnaturally warm to my hands and forehead. Truly a place to find your core.

The women have a separate side to pray at the wall…a smaller section than the men’s.

We walked around to the archeological museum to get a better idea of the history of the place; a time-line of 5,000 years, two temples and numerous conflicts and re-buildings. The actual temples were many feet below the current wall.

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring more of the Old City. After all it is a one square kilometer living city with four or five thousand residents, shops and life. A little shopping, a little bargaining and a step across the street, literally, to an ultra-modern mall. We walk back to the hotel for an hour of rest, dinner at another much better than expected restaurant, and rest for another early day to Masada and the Dead Sea.

Our long and amazing day started with a quick tour of the Kibbutz Lavi (that runs our hotel. Kibbutzim have changed dramatically over the years. The original farming concept is too much of a financial gamble to sustain the community. Now, they run hotels, have factories (this one manufactures synagogue furniture), and have members work outside, bringing their salaries in to the communal pot. We’re told only 20% of Kibbutz kids come back after college.

Anyway, we’re off…now you can see why Marsha likes to travel…she just picks purple busses.

We head back toward Tiberias on the north shoreline of the Galilee. First stop is Tabgha, one of the most important sites in Christ’s ministry in Galilee.

This is a telling mosaic in the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.

A little further on is the Church of the Primacy of Peter where Jesus is said to have appeared to the Apostles after the resurrection. It’s here, on these rocks that Jesus named Peter as the first leader of the new Church, and gave the sermon on the mount (at least nearby).

This a actually a priest standing in the Galilee with his pant legs rolled up…on a cell phone, maybe with a direct connection…?

Marsha could not make the connection….

On to Capernaum, the town of Jesus. A fascinating archeological site with a church built over the ruins of, perhaps, Simon Peter’s house.

An awe inspiring place knowing that here is where christianity was cleaved from judaism to go its own direction.

Fascinating, and telling designs in corinthian column caps. Decorations included stars of David and menorahs (well before they became religious symbols.

On our way south along the Galilee toward the Jordan river, we stopped for a wonderful lunch featuring St. Peter’s fish from the Galilee on a beautiful outdoor terrace.

I think she liked it….

We stopped along the Jordan to see (maybe) the spot where Jesus was baptized?

Then a ride through the lush Jordan River Valley to Beth Shean, the best preserved Roman town in Israel. It was discovered when a Kibbutz was being established, just ten fee under the ground. It is enormous, and only about 10% is uncovered. It was unfortunately destroyed by a major earthquake.

Its Amphitheater held over 7,000 people. It’s bath houses, mosaic streets, agora and even latrines are stunning.

From there our drive south takes us through a checkpoint into the West Bank. It’s amazing to see the miles and miles of lush farmland owned and worked by the Palestinians. Without Israel’s help and expertise they would still be living in what is otherwise a dry and barren land. We contine on Rt. 90 past Jericho and Israeli settlements toward Jerusalem. On through the last check point up Mount Olive to Mount Scopius for…

…our first, awe inspiring look at the holy city, Jerusalem. Quite a moving sight as the sun dips behind the hills and the night air becomes chilled.

Tomorrow a full day exploring Jerusalem.

6 am wake up for a busy day traveling from 300 feet below sea level to over 3000 feet above, with lots of stops in-between.

The Kibbutz hotel we’re staying at is quite a kick. It’s very nice and hotel-y, but it’s a glatt kosher facility (vs. other kibbutzim that are completely secular). Our bathroom holds a metal bowl and cup for ritual morning hand washing. And the strictly kosher kitchen/dining area lists the rabbis individually supervising every phase of the food preparation; three for poultry, meat and dairy products, two for leafy vegetables who separately inspect the washing. Bread and rolls are under two rabbis and kosher flour sifter for in-house baked products. A supervisor of legumes, nuts and whole condiments. Even the abattoirs are listed and certified. The food? Who would know? It’s like my great-grandmother’s.

We head down hill to the Sea of Galilee.

It’s a cool and tranquil morning and the sea is calm.

We board a fairly substantial wooden boat and set sail on what looks to be a quiet, contemplative trip through 5,000 years of biblical history.

But, ten minutes into the journey, the captain becomes a DJ! He cranks up the music, starts singing live Israeli music, including Hava Nagila…and then into Christian and gospel music — and Elvis! It does break the mood, but we did have fun.

We continued our ascent toward Golan with a stop in Safed, the highest town in Israel. Many Sephardic jews met there after being driven out of Spain, and it became a mecca for interpreters of the Kabbalah. It is still an important part of Jewish religious studies. It is also a mecca for Jewish artists as we discovered. Lots of gallery stops.

The synagogue where Maimonides organized and promoted Jewish studies and helped write down and preserve the orally passed-on laws. A torah escaped from the Spanish expulsion is behind that Ark.

Crossing the HaHula valley (originally swamp land that the settlers drained at great peril and loss of life to create a fertile farming area) — and up into the Golan Heights, passing extensive mine fields along the way. We also cross the river Jordan that is surprisingly not so mighty, but more like a small creek.

We stop at a point only a few hundred meters from the Syrian border. Look closely and you’ll see the guard tower and compound of the UN security forces tending the buffer zone. Only months ago our guide was looking over this calm-looking spot to see and hear smoke and explosions.

On the hill behind us is an extensive Israeli security/intelligence post keeping a close look at what’s going on beyond the buffer zone.

As we are about to leave a brand new Israeli-made tank moves into position. We decide to move out of ours.

It’s late afternoon, just before cocktail time, when we stop at the Golan Heights Winery. Our orthodox tour guide is a stitch and the wines are really good. I’m pretty sure their brand, Yarden is available in the States. After a tasting we buy a bottle of their award-winning merlot.

After dinner we have a talk by a member of this [religious] Kibbutz. Extremely interesting philosophy and way of life that we can discuss when we see each other sometime later. Right now, to bed before our long journey to Jerusalem, via many stops, tomorrow.