Bethlehem, The Christmas Church, Lunch at the Bannoura FamilyHome, and The Herodium

Sunday, June 12

Today, we drove to Bethlehem in Palestine and attended morning worship at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church. 

We arrived a bit early so decided to walk through the old part of town and the open air markets. It was a beautiful morning!

The market was bustling, but perhaps not as much as it normally would because of it being Ramadan and almost all of the cafes and restaurants being closed down. Still, we had a great time and saw a ton of interesting things! There was such a friendly atmosphere and everyone smiled or waved as we smiled and walked by.

When it was time for the service to begin, we arrived back at the church. The service was in Arabic, but the minister did summarize his sermon for us in English. We sang both familiar and unfamiliar tunes and the music was both contemporary and traditional. The church itself is the oldest Lutheran Church in Palestine and one of the six Lutheran churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan. It was built 1886-1893 and the 1890 Berlin organ was restored in 2000.

After the service, we stayed for the coffee hour and made some friends. Then, we drove to the Bannoura family's home where we had a delicious lunch and a super fun time together. It was the young son Jiha's eighth birthday today so we all sang him "Happy Birthday" and he was SO EXCITED and HAPPY! 

We observed the seasoned chicken and potatoes being put into the family's hot stone oven.

Fr. Rob and Ed sealed the oven with wet mud. David got to unseal the stone oven when it was done. It seemed that it was only in the oven fr 20 minutes and it was amazingly delicious when it came out. Traditional salads were served wile we were waiting on the chicken to cook and a cool refreshing drink which was a mix of lemonade, bergamot, and mint. 

There is so much to be said for forming a community and this trip has really done that for our pilgrims. In addition to making new and lifelong friends with the St. James Episcopal in Hendersonville group, our own Louisiana group has bonded well and deepened relationships with each other. Helping each other, laughing with each other, seeing each other's amazement and/or emotional reactions to holy sites, these things have all sown our threads of friendship together. It is such a blessing to be with one another. Here we are pictured with our guides and the Bannoura family.

After lunch, everyone was full and sleepy/goofy as we drove to the Herodium. Once there, most in the group hiked up to the top of the mount to see Herod's structures and then hiked via extremely steep steps through the system of cisterns to the level of Herod's tomb. The mount provides a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside and gives one a sense of how wealthy and strong Herod was. He had built a fortress, a palace, and a small town here, 2487 feet above sea level. 

Herod was considered one of the greatest builders of his time and was not afraid of geography so a small mountain was just fine. We saw ruins of a Roman bath house with the separate rooms (caldarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium) and a theatre which Herod used to entertain his guests.

It was extremely hot and everyone seemed quite spent so we headed back to St. George's Cathedral. The NC group leaves tonight and the LA group will walk the via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) tomorrow morning. We will be leaving at 5:45 and there will not be any photos or videos from that event. It is purely a worship experience. 

Above: Woman holding taboon bread

Below: The figs here are GIGANTIC

Tekoa, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem Peace Center, and the Separation Wall

Finally - decently well-rested, our group had breakfast around 6:30 today and left at 7:30 for Tekoa, the home of the prophet Amos (one of the twelve minor prophets.) Tekoa is an Israeli settlement in the Palestinian area of Judea's mountains and so the drive was scenic and very beautiful.

It's history is fascinating. Along the way, we passed the Herodion.

The Israeli government argues that the settlement is fine, but most other governmental forces consider these cities illegal. Before this trip, I had an image of what I believed Israeli settlements looked like and this experience has blown through that. 

These are cities and some of them extremely large. There is also much ongoing construction in spite of the fact that it is illegal. 

It is extraordinarily difficult for people living in them to cross over into other territories, gain various permits, and even drive on certain roadways (with other roads off limits).

We walked up a sloping hill with gorgeous view of olive groves to a spot where John Peterson spoke to us about what an actual manger is. It is stone and not the wood we might assume. The group also discussed what a threshing floor was and we gained an image of living in Jesus' time.

Once at the top of the hill, we had a marvelous view of the rolling hills of Jordan and a wonderful breeze. 

John told us we were now going to all be archaeologists. He explained that on one of his teaching trips, there had been a cave discovery and that we were going to all go into the cave and afterwards we would all search for pottery shards. I hit the pottery shard jackpot and found several, some dating from the Byzantine era. After a bit of stepping through the brambles, we all climbed down into the cave which was covered with spider webs, but at least it was very large and cool. 

Once inside, he explained the various interpretations of an "inn" and how people would have divided sections of caves into places for people and animals. It was fascinating. Jesus was born in a cave, a grotto. 

Next, we visited the Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative Society. From their website, they:
"strive to alleviate local poverty, decrease unemployment, increase income levels, decrease emigration, and sustain the Palestinian handicraft industry for the benefit of traditional artisan producers by effectively marketing our members' products, making raw materials available at a low cost, and developing our capabilities technically and managerially."
It was a great stop and I bought my first cross to hang on a wall in my home. The hospitality was also amazing from the staff. It was a rare opportunity for us to purchase Palestinian-made crafts.

After this visit, we had lunch at Ruth's Field Restaurant in the town of Beit Sahour. 
Beit Sahour (also Bet and Beith) is a Palestinian town and mostly Greek Orthodox. It is East of Bethlehem and supposedly is close to the location where the Angels announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds. The Shepherd's Cave is a convent here, built by St. Helena. Ruth was a terrific hostess!

After lunch, we visited Manger Square and the famed Church of the Nativity, also in Palestinian Bethlehem on the West Bank. It is the oldest church in the history of Christianity and was built by Constantine in 326 AD. It is a basilica. It was interesting to hear the Muslim call to prayer as we entered the Church of the Nativity - because of our tour timing!

This church on the site where Jesus was born is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is magnificent. The site is built over a grotto which marks Christ's birthplace. It is heavily used by several different groups for worship and processions including the Coptic Church and the Armenian Orthodox Church. Attached to this church and separate only by a wall is the Latin Church, also beautiful. In that church's base, another portion of the cave series holds a spot where Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, giving us the Vulgate Bible. The rooms also include The Chapel of the Innocents.

It is difficult to put into coherent words what emotions flow from being in the land, and even in the very spots of Jesus' death at Golgotha and his birth at this site. Many of our pilgrims, including myself, were awestruck and everyone seemed moved by simply being here. I found myself crying as I descended the stairs into the grotto. I hadn't expected the rush of emotion that came over me.

Downstairs, after everyone had gathered, Fr. Rob read a Gospel passage of Jesus' birth and we sang "O Little town of Bethlehem".

Back in Manger Square, we spent time at the Bethlehem Peace Center. The center showcases the history of Bethlehem with plentiful artifacts and currently holds three exhibitions: The Nativity Story, Gifts of the Magi, and Peace and Justice. Nativity scenes from around the world were featured.

Our last stop in this area included the separation wall at Rachel's tomb. It is here where you can clearly observe the sad and relentless situations that wall-building creates. I sincerely hope that we as a human race can evolve beyond this.

Huge concrete walls surround and are covered with harsh graffiti the Jewish holy site of Rachel's tomb, an area of actual pilgrimage. 

The tomb has been a place of pilgrimage for Jews, especially women unable to give birth. A Jewish tradition says Rachel’s tears have special powers, inspiring those visiting her grave to ask her to cry and intercede with God. The huge barrier serves to block the main road and basically imprison Palestinian families and businesses. The area was once a bustling and lively place and it is now very quiet and empty. A section of the wall opens once a year. 

This evening, we heard from guest speaker Ophir Yarden who spoke on Contemporary Issues - an Israeli Perspective. 

The image above is the Palestinian Dove of Peace. 

Now to dinner.
Tomorrow, we leave at 5:00 AM and travel to Wadi Qelt where we will spend some time in the desert! We will spend three nights at the Sisters of Nazareth and I am not sure whether or not they will have internet. In case they do not, blog posts will return as soon as possible!

Western Wall, Dome of the Rock, and Israel Museum

Today began with breakfast at 5:30. This was because, in spite of the expected cold snap of 95 degrees, we wanted to hit the cooler part of the morning and to avoid traffic. With Ramadan tomorrow, there were rumors of troubles at some public sites, including the Dome of the Rock. 

We drove to the Western Wall and walked up the hill. After a brief wait in line, we were able to spend some private time at the wall. Many people connected with both if our groups (EDOLA and NC) had requested prayers. Everyone either brought pre-written prayers from congregations or family or they send some time writing on the bus ride.

Approaching the wall, men were separated from the women. I can vouch for the women's area being much quieter and less populated than the men's section. We spent time in quiet reflection and prayer. Many held books, some stuffed their prayer notes into crevices, and many wept. It is traditional for one to back away from the wall so as to show respect.
Next, we managed to get in a short line to go up to Elharam Esh Sharif (the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque) on the Temple Mount. This is the third holiest site for Islam. It was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik, half a century after the death of Prophet Muhammad. The rock marks the site from where Muhammad's Mirraj or "Night Journey" into heaven and back is believed to have happened.

It is quite an honor to be there. Our guide, Iyad, told us about the five pillars of Islam and some other necessary details we needed to know while there. These included not touching each other (no husband/wife hand holding etc,) and no assuming any stance of prayer. While he was speaking, a group of people came through the Dome area security and were being escorted by many security officers. They were expected to cause trouble and were being watched closely to see that they were not going to do so. In fact, our group had to scurry to enter the Dome area because crowds at the Wall were becoming larger and more frictions were possible.

We enjoyed some time to roam around on our own and then met up for some explanations of panoramic views of Jerusalem that we were seeing.We could see Herod's temple, three towers, where the way of the cross was, the teardrop church of Dominus Flevit (halfway down the western slope of the Mount of Olives and where Jesus wept over the fate of Jerusalem), and the Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene, also on the Mount of Olives.

At 9:30 AM, we were back at St. George's Cathedral and attended the Sunday Eucharist service, after which we met with Archbishop Suheil Dawani in his house.

The service was in Arabic, the language of Arabic Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land and the sermon summary was given in English. 

After this talk, we walked down Salahaddin Street to the Alshoula Restaurant where we savored lamb and beef shawarma with salads. 

The Israel Museum and Shrine of the Book were our final stops today. Iyad showed us a scale model of the city of Jerusalem. 

Many took the time to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls area of the Museum.Inside, I was amazed to find two original jars from Masada, out of which came several major scrolls (including the Isaiah scroll and Temple scroll.) Another fascinating fact is that this national museum of Israel hosts the Aleppo Codex, from the 10th century and believed to be the oldest complete Bible in Hebrew! The museum itself is shaped like a jar or pot and its covering, standing beneath flowing water fountains representing the Essene community which had elaborate bathing rituals. 

Reflections from fellow pilgrims:

Elizabeth Randall - "When we arrived at the Temple Mount and looked down on the Holy City, I understood for the first time what it meant to pray for the peace of Jerusalem."

deSha Carter - "Our visit to the Western Wall was so powerful and meaningful to me. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as I prayed at the wall."

Here's a summary of some of our experiences here today in video form!
:-)

#EDOLA5G - First Day Exploring Jerusalem

Today, after morning prayers at St. George's Cathedral, our pilgrims watched a short program about the dwindling number of Christians in the Holy Land. Then, we heard a fascinating lecture by John Peterson on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre / The Church of the Resurrection, the True Cross, some archaeology, and more. John is the author of A Walk in Jerusalem: Stations of the Cross which we will be using on this journey.

Rock of Calvary

John was also our guide today and took great care to give us information about everything we were seeing and things along the way. 
Out we stepped into the blazing heat. We knew it was going to be hot, but it was even HOTTER than hot - 40 Celsius which is 104 Fahrenheit! Ouch! Still, everyone did very well and we saw an incredible amount today.
We walked along the Cardo Maximus to the Damascus Gate (below.)

The Cardo, or "heart" to the city, was the main street in Roman and Byzantine times. Originally paved by Hadrian in the second century, the Cardo runs along a North/South axis and features a gigantic Souq, or bazaar/market. Today, the road and Souq thrive in the heart of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City.

Once at the Constantinian entrance to the Church of the Resurrection, we explored the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. One of the highlights was the Ethiopian chapel with its old artwork and gracious hospitality. The Greeks, the Armenians, and the Catholics have secured large portions of this holy site and the Ethiopian Church is only a little less ancient.
After a while here, we went back into the Souq so that we could have a lunch at the Family Restaurant!

Now it was time to see the place where Christ was crucified. Even though the giant and beautiful monumental tomb is there in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, this isn't an actual tomb. Even though the church is extremely touristy, I personally could not hold back emotions after kneeling down underneath an upstairs altar under which is said to be the geographic location of the Crucifixion at Golgotha. Many others in our group were also visibly moved. 
Tricia Henderson of St. James Episcopal in Baton Rouge, LA says of another location underneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: "To see the pilgrim crosses scratched into the walls by people from many years ago, to glance at hundreds of candles lit by pilgrims today, to notice pilgrims praying everywhere...this was overwhelming. This is our source - the church eternal the church triumphant!"

Another inspiring and emotion moment for our group was watching people rub burial shrouds, crossed, or wedding veils over the anointing stone in preparation for different events.

Check out some photos on the pilgrimage Flickr site! Click HERE. 
This evening, we closed with an interesting lecture on Islam by guest speaker Mr. Firas Amad. Tomorrow, we leave at 6:15 AM to visit the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock.