Holy Land Trip Greece – Israel – Egypt

Written by Mrs. Georgia Fields

July, 1992

Edited and Reprinted by Harry Welton with Mrs. Fields permission on May 18, 2005

Editor’s Note: A Table of Contents is found on the last two pages of this report. If your trip is just to Israel, then begin on Page 5. Egypt begins on Page 30.

TRIP TO GREECE, ISRAEL, AND EGYPT MARCH 9-23, 1992 (15 Days)

Our long-planned trip to the Mideast finally became reality...after it was postponed in the We were a very tired bunch, and not having a Fall of 1990 due to the Persian Gulf crisis, and, lot of time left after working our way through in spite of everyone's fears about going to this the airport, we only took in a panorama view part of the world (especially our children). of the city of Athens from Filopapou Hill across from the Acropolis. A monument was With bags packed with everything but the erected on this hill in 114-116 A.D. to Julius kitchen sink (and including our pillows), we Antiochus Philopappus (Filopapou). left the morning of March 9th to catch our flight to New York from Charleston. We met Athens is very, very crowded. Our guide the only other South Carolinians at the airport (Sandra) told us that it was designed for in Charleston. We were off to New York, 300,000 people, and now has 3 million. It is arriving there a little after 5:00 pm. limited on all sides by mountains. Streets are very narrow, with lots and lots of small cars; On our arrival at the Olympic Terminal, we the second most popular method of immediately spotted more of "Carroll's transportation seemed to be mopeds, bicycles Caravan", and it wasn't long before all 32 of and small motorcycles. During the week, not our group were gathered. Again, we were all cars are allowed to come into city. Cars surprised to find that we were really the with odd license numbers come one day, and "rookies" on this adventure, as at least half even numbers the next day. the group had made this trip before. Some interesting facts about Greece shared by After proceeding through all the red tape to our guide: get checked in, we boarded the Olympic 420- passenger plane for our 11-hour flight to • Religion: 80% Greek Orthodox (Christian); Athens. We passed over some of the European 7% Moslem; and 13% other. mainland (and by this time it was daylight • Main Industry: (1) Shipping, and (2) again -- with a 7-hour time differential in our Tourism; then tobacco, oil, pistachio nuts, destination), with a beautiful view of the olives. Health Insurance: Free, but service snow-covered Alps. is not always the best. • Divorce: Very high in the last 15 years. March 10 - Arrival in Athens: • Average Family: One to two children in Modern Greece. We arrived in Athens a little after 2:00 pm • Government: Democracy: President serves their time (7:00 am our time). I had expected five years (but really is a figure head and the Athens airport to be something like our has no power); Prime Minister serves four Metropolitan airports, but it was much years, and is the person of power. smaller and not nearly as up-to-date. We were • People: Like to have a good time….”not to met at the airport by our Athens host, a work a lot”. Restaurants' peak time from delightful young Grecian girl who received 10:00 pm to 2:00 to 3:00 a.m. her education at George Washington • Education: Education' is free even in the University and is now a partner with her universities; however, only top students mother and father in a travel agency in can go to universities. Greece.

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We arrived at The Herodian Hotel where we Our first stop was Aigina (or Egina), where would be staying three nights. Facilities were we immediately took a bus to the east side of very nice and only a few blocks from the the mountain or island to the Temple of Acropolis and the Placa (old Athens). We Aphaia. The original temple was erected in had an excellent dinner of baked pork, 570 BC, which was destroyed 60 years later, delicious potatoes, mushroom soup, salad, and then rebuilt from limestone in the rolls, ice cream and cookies. vicinity. The hills on Aigina are terraced with almond, pistachio, orange, lemon, and olive trees. Some little farms have chickens, sheep, and goats. Every little house has fruit and pistachio trees in the yards. Also, many homes seemed to have their own little Greek Orthodox church in their yard. Some of these structures could not have held over 10-12 people. They almost looked like little "doll" churches. We were told that the The Acropolis in Athens people on the islands were much more religious than the people on the main lands. It Since we were told it was completely safe to appeared that other than tourism, the people walk the streets of Athens at night, we took an lived a very simple life with a poor standard after-supper walk down the street by our of living. Next stop: Poros which is a very hotel. If there is a speed limit in Athens, it picturesque volcanic island. This was really a must not be enforced, as the small bikes, shopping stop. Next: Hydra (Idra) which is a motorcycles, seemed to be just "zooming" by very barren rocky island. There are no cars on on this narrow street. Another thing, we this island. Even on the islands, lots of stray found that the streets of Athens are blessed cats. with "stray" cats – they were everywhere (and no dirt to scratch in!) (Everything in On our trip back to Athens; we were Athens...is either paved, rock, or has a entertained by Greek folk dancers and structure built on it.) .... and finally to bed at singers. Another good dinner at hotel: Soup, about 1000 pm: green salad, rice, meat Patti (not sure what kind, but it was very good); and fresh oranges. March 11 - Athens and Three-Island Cruise: After dinner, some of us walked down to The Placa (old Athens marketplace). We passed Had an excellent breakfast – coffee, areas of old ruins and where there still croissants, hard boiled eggs, yogurt (several seemed to be excavating going on. These kinds), prunes, peaches, raisin bread, juice, streets were lined with taverns, restaurants, and a variety of salads, including “yumsley”…a and shops. We did a lot of looking, but no salad with apples raisins, and who know what buying. Streets were very narrow and seemed else (I guess we could describe this as a to be just cobble stoned walkways -- but we “granola” salad – with nuts also.) Left for our often had to move over for cars. three-island cruise at 8 a.m. – Destination: Aigina, Torus, and Idra. Our luck was bad, as March 12 - Corinth, Athens, and Flight to Tel this was a very hazy, rainy day – so that we Aviv could not see the coastlines of other islands like on a clear day. There are little islands March 12th was going to be a very busy day (just rocks popping up out of the water) for us. First, a trip to Corinth, then a city tour everywhere. and several hours at the Acropolis after which we would leave Athens at 6:20 for a 2

two-hour flight to Tel Aviv. The weather was a During Paul's days, Corinth was the capital of little better, but still cold, windy, and "hazy". a Roman province. It had been destroyed in We traveled along the coastline of the Aegean 146 BC, but was rebuilt by Julius Caesar, in 44 Sea to Corinth. The coastline was beautiful. BC, after which the worship of most of the Many ships were in the harbors along the ancient gods was restored. In the center of the way. Many fruit trees, wild flowers, olive old city was the Temple to Apollo, the ruins trees, and pistachio. One unsightly thing in of which are still standing today. There were Greece was the trash all along the roadways – several sanctuaries in the city also dedicated everywhere. They must not have a very good to Apollo, while in the agora was a shrine and litter program. fountain dedicated to Poseidon. There was also a temple dedicated to "All the Gods" on Another very interesting thing we had one end of the agora. The female servants at observed in Athens and all along the the Temple of Aphrodite on top of highways were "shrines" where individuals Acrocorinth gave Corinth its reputation to had lost their lives in a traffic accident. Most which Paul alluded repeatedly. Today, there is of these little decorative boxes sat atop a a monastery on top of Acrocorinth, but we short pole (something like a birdhouse); most only saw it from a distance. had crosses on their tops, some had glass do0rs and lights, inside; many had fresh Much of the agora (marketplace. of ancient flowers that had been placed there; some Greece, or gathering" place) of Corinth is still were small and simple; others much more under excavation. The theater and Odeion elaborate. Also interesting were the Greek (small roofed theater) have not yet been fully Orthodox cemeteries, with crosses affixed to excavated, though they have been located. I almost every tomb. On our way to Corinth, we didn't mention above that the Temple of passed one oil refinery, which we could see Apollo dates back to 7th century B.C. The from some distance with the flames coming temples in those days were not for worship, out of the stacks. but to house the statue of the God. Temples always faced east, for light. On our way into Corinth, we crossed the Isthmus of Corinth (or Canal of Corinth) During Paul's days, it is estimated that there which joins the Aegean Sea and the Ionian were as many as 20,000 Jews in Corinth. Part Sea. This canal had been considered by of the reason for this Jewish presence was the Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and begun difficulties the Jews had experienced in Rome by the engineers of Nero, but it was not during the reign of the emperor Claudius (41 completed until 1893. It is four miles long, 27 BC to 54 AD). This is probably what had yards wide, and 285 feet deep. As we were brought Acquila and Priscilla from Rome. Paul standing on the walkway over the Canal, we stayed in Corinth 18 months. He taught God's observed a large ship entering the Canal from message and would have preached at the the Ionian Sea. "Bema".

Making our way on into Corinth, houses were Paul also worked at his trade in the tent shop small but very neat. We could see the of Priscilla and Aquila, which was probably ACROCORINTH in the distance (Corinth's located not far from the point where the Acropolis), at the foot of which lies the ruins Lechaion Road led into the agora. Socket of the old city of Corinth. Every city had its holes for tent awnings have been found in the acropolis, which was the highest point on the lower agora, which indicates tents were made land. The Temple of Aphrodite was built on there. (In the lower agora, the outlines of the Acrocorinth, of which only ruins remain shops...or ruins of shops border the Lechaion today. Road.) 3

While the distinct remains: of some temples, we finally managed to get a glimpse of the shops, roads, etc., have been excavated in old MUSEUMS, the UNIVERSITY, the Corinth, many other finds, look like a gigantic PARLIAMENT BUILDING, and a few of the puzzle still being worked on. An earthquake town squares, finally making our way to THE had really done much of the destruction here. ACROPOLIS. At one intersection, we did see Heads were missing from statues (but heads the Prime Minister of Greece leaving the were made to be removed, so that the Parliament Building with his police escorts. likeness of the next god or ruler could just be placed on an old statue). THE ACROPOLIS: The Acropolis is a magnificent sight, and is visible from almost The Gentiles in Corinth responded better to every direction in Athens. The Parthenon, Paul’s message than the Jews: I bought an erected in 500 B.C, is the most obvious interesting little book, "St. Paul in Greece", structure on the Acropolis. Then there is the which follows Paul's travel and message in Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena. As Greece, with scriptural references and you look down from the Acropolis, Mars Hill references from secular writings. Also, it is on a lower level, adjacent to the ruins of the correlates the more recent archaeological Agora, the gathering place of ancient Athens. findings with these references. "Old Corinth" On the side of the hill (of the Acropolis.), the was 20-40 feet beneath the level of modern ruins of the Theatre of Dionysus, erected in Corinth. As you look at the houses on the rim 400 B.C. are in view. Another ancient theatre of this excavated site, you can't help but has been restored in the area and is in current wonder what lies beneath the houses? use for concerts and special occasions. The view of Athens from the Acropolis was simply March 12 - Return from Corinth & City Tour of beautiful. Athens: Most buildings in Athens were four and five- On our return from Corinth, we stopped at a story. There were no skyscrapers. restaurant right beside the Canal of Corinth. In apartment buildings, everyone's wash was We tried pork shish-kebabs for lunch (they hanging out on their patio or balcony. really serve a lot of pork in Greece). Another observance (if I have not already mentioned this) is that there are many small Next, was a city tour of ATHENS -- which had Greek Orthodox churches, but not a lot of to be cut short due to the strikes going on in large churches. Athens. (I think about all the public workers were on strikes. I had mailed postcards at our March 12 - Flight to Tel-Aviv and Arrival at hotel, only to find that the Post Office was on hotel in Netanya, Israel: strike also.) Anyway, traffic lights were not working in sections of the city. They were We had dinner aboard our flight to Tel-Aviv, being cut off because of the strike, and they and arrived at 8:20 pm. The Tel-Aviv airport would rotate the sections of the town with no was very organized; spacious, and guarded by traffic lights at certain intervals. I think we hit Israeli soldiers everywhere. Planes are always all the streets where the lights were not parked away from the gates, and buses working as traffic was jammed at every transport you. Our Jewish guide, Miri intersection, almost proceeding at your own Lowenberg, met us at the airport. Miri had risk. served as the guide for T.M. on a number of tours, so this was like a reunion for those who We were told that meat was spoiling in had already made several trips to Israel. grocery stores due to the electricity being off; and in hospitals, medicine was going bad. But 4

Begin here if Your Trip is only Israel

March 12 - Arrival in Israel: province, its governors (35 in all) resided here. Among them was Pontius Pilate who From the Airport in Tel Aviv, we drove North lived here from 26 AD to 36 AD; and also Felix about 8 miles to Netanya, a resort town on who held Paul captive in the city for two years the Mediterranean Sea, We stayed overnight (Acts 23-26), and who lived here from 52-60 at The Four Seasons Hotel, a very luxurious AD. hotel right on the Mediterranean Sea, Our room had the most beautiful view of the blue In about 35 AD, Peter baptized Cornelius the waters of the Mediterranean right below us. Roman centurion here (Acts 10); and this We had not expected such nice caused some stir as it was the first time a accommodations in Israel, and this was gentile had been baptized and caused the first typical of the rest of the trip. "council of the apostles” (Acts 11:1-18). The apostle Philip founded a Christian March 13 - From Netanya to Caesarea to congregation: here as early as the 1st century. Megiddo to Haifa to Nazareth and Overnight Caesarea was known for its teachers and at a Kibbutz. libraries until the Arabs captured the city in 637. Then the Crusaders came in 1101, and in The Four Seasons had a breakfast feast for us 1254 the French King Louis IX fortified the the morning of the 13th, and mixed in with city again. Just 21 years later the Sultan the beautiful tables of food were Baybars took the city and its harbor began to arrangements of fresh cut flowers. The tables silt up. It was only in 1940 that a new of food included breads, pastries, many settlement began with the foundation of the salads, all kinds of fresh fruit, and four or five Sedot Yam Kibbutz. kinds of fish (smoked, raw, marinated, and pickled). I was brave enough to try my first "raw" fish for the first time and last time! As we drove north from Netanya, sand dunes were on our left and the Valley of Sharon on our right. The Valley of Sharon was fertile farmland, with many Eucalyptus trees. We were told that these Eucalyptus trees had been planted to "soak" up the swamplands that use to be in the area.

Caesarea - Our first stop was Caesarea, which lies halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa on The Roman Theatre of Caesarea still in use today the Mediterranean Sea. The first settlements date back to the Phoenicians, who Archaeological investigations of the huge site constructed a harbor here in the 4th century only began in 1951 and are still far from B.C. After Alexander the Great conquered the completion. The first thing to be seen as we region in 332 BC, Greeks lived here. Then, in turned off the main road to enter the site of 22 BC, Herod the Great began building the Herod's city was the Hippodrome, or horse city, which is now called Caesarea in honor of racing track, which is overgrown with Augustus -- which extended 6 miles along the vegetation and awaits excavation, but you Mediterranean, only a portion of which has could see the shape of this 252 yd long by 88 been excavated. It was a very lively port yd wide structure which accommodated inhabited by Jews, Romans, and other 20,000 people. Most of the ruins, which have gentiles. When Judea became a Roman been excavated at Caesarea, belonged to the 5

Crusader period. However, the ruins of the city walls and moat of the 11th – 13th century), Herodian temple (dedicated to Augustus) the Crusader cathedral (St. Paul and the old Roman theater have been Cathedral), and the old fortress which jutted excavated. The theater has been restored and out into the sea. is used for concerts today. As we left Caesarea, we passed banana fields on our left, which had been, recently frost bitten. Back on the main road, still following the coastline northward, to our right we started to see fertile green fields, intermingled with the bright yellow flowered wild mustard. Our next stop was at one of the remaining portions of Herod's Aqueduct, built in 25 BC to bring water to Caesarea from a spring four or five miles north of the city. Our guide also said that building this aqueduct kept Herod's soldiers busy and out of mischief.

As we left the aqueduct to continue our drive up the coast, we passed orange groves laden with ripe fruit. We also passed what our guide told us was the "richest neighborhood in all Israel", the houses of which might equate to what we would classify as middle-income homes in America. Bordering this rich neigh- borhood was the poorest settlement of Israel, made up of recent immigrants with 25% One very interesting item at Caesarea was a unemployment. stone found which bears the only inscription bearing the name of Pontius Pilate. Another March 13 - To Megiddo interesting site was the ruins of the old Roman warehouse (which looked more like a On the road to Megiddo, we traveled through "dungeon"), where tradition has it that this is the Valley of Armageddon, some very neat where Felix held Paul prisoner. The remains and well-built Arab villages, orchards of olive of the Crusader castle were interesting, with trees, and started working our way into the the pointed stone arches still standing. The rocky inland hills of Israel. Just before remains of the "pilings", etc. from the old arriving at Megiddo, we passed Israel's prison Roman port could be seen on out in the water. for terrorists. This was not a particularly fortified looking place, but had plenty of A church also exists on the site (and I think is barbed wire, soldiers, and some of the in use today) dedicated to Peter and Paul. housing included tents. Many old ruins that have been excavated -- the broken Roman statues, the "foot" of one of As we approached the "tel" of Megiddo (all the many giant statues that "guarded" the "tels" or archaeological digs look like a small port and extended out in the sea, the remains mountain with the top sliced off), it looked of the old city walls (which were erected in like a huge trench had been cut through the three periods --- the Roman period, the Greek "tel". Megiddo had been an important fortress period in the 3rd century, and the Crusader from ancient times and continued to play an 6

important military role right up to the 20th where King Josiah of Judah fell in the battle century due to its strategic location, which against another foe, the Pharoah Necho. overlooks the Hills of Nazareth, the Valley of Megiddo was abandoned during the Persian Jezreel, the Valley of Armageddon, and the period (after 538 BC), but when the Romans Valley of Megiddo. ruled, their 6th legion had a camp near here. More recently Napoleon (in 1799) and Excavation of Megiddo began in 1903-05. A General Allenby (1917) won victories over Canaanite settlement existed in the area in Turkish armies near Megiddo. In 1948, it was 4000 BC and lasted until the Israelite here that the Israelis halted the Arab push invasion. It came under Egyptian control in toward Haifa. 1479 BC when Tutmosis III took the pass on his advance to the Euphrates. In the 13th As we climbed the access ramp to the "tel" of century BC, Joshua defeated the King of Megiddo, we observed the 15th century BC Megiddo (Joshua 12:21), but the Israelite's North Gate, and then there was the late hold was short-lived when the Philistines century BC North Gate. To our left were the took Megiddo and the whole of the Jezreel ruins of Solomon's North Palace, the Plain as far as Bet Shean. excavations of The Citadel, buildings from the time of King David, Ahab's Stables, Solomon's Palace, and several temples. Some of the most interesting excavated sites were the 4000 BC Canaanite shrine/altar, the grain silo dating from the time of Jeroboam’s reign (8th century BC), and the water tunnel from Ahab's time.

The source of Megiddo's water is a cave spring outside the fortress. During Solomon's reign, a gallery 6 ft high and 3 ft wide was cut that led outside the city to the Spring. Ahab decided to construct a system which would connect the inner precincts of the fortress to Megiddo or “Har Megiddo” mistranslated to Armageddon the Spring and which would be inaccessible to n the enemy in the event of a siege. To achieve A new development began about 1000 BC this he first drove a vertical 197 ft shaft when David defeated the Philistines. In the through the layers of earlier settlements and 10th century Solomon made Megiddo the rock and then had a horizontal 394 ft channel capital of his 5th administrative area. cut through the rock to reach the spring, thus Solomon's town was destroyed in 923 BC by sealing off previous access to it from the Pharaoh Sheshonk and in the 9th century BC, outside. King Ahab had to undertake its reconstruction. Solomon's North and South As we left Megiddo on our way back to the Palaces were built over with Ahab's stables coast to Haifa (about 20 miles), the landscape for 450 horses, and he also rebuilt Solomon's was beautiful -- with rolling hills, modern gateway, erected a strong new protective villages, and, yes, soldiers at practically every wall, and laid the huge water tunnel. intersection. Old ruins and "tells" could be spotted along the way. As we approached This was Megiddo's heyday, which came to an Haifa, Mt. Carmel towered above us on our end in 733 BC, with its capture by the left. We could barely see the Carmelite Assyrians. In 609 BC, Megiddo was the place Monastery of St. Elijah (Muhraka) atop the 7

mountain, where Elijah erected an altar when March 13 - Haifa to Nazareth and Cana in conflict with the priests of Baal. Entering Haifa, which is a very modern city, we passed I forgot to mention that we observed several a super market building where our guide said army stations on the way into Haifa, in Haifa, a scud missile had hit during the Persian Gulf and on the road from Haifa. As a matter of War. However, at the time the super-market fact, we were told that the massacre of several had just been built and was not yet occupied, Israeli soldiers which occurred several weeks and there was very little damage. prior to our trip occurred at a camp not far from the road we were traveling before we We preceded to the top of Mt. Carmel, which got to Haifa. All of the camps were similar in has a beautiful view of the lower City of Haifa appearance to what our migrant worker and its seaport. Haifa is the third largest city camps look like. They look almost "portable" in Israel, and is its chief seaport. Settlements in nature, with tents and some barracks-type around Haifa date back to the era of Solomon structures, all fortified with rolls and rolls of (10th century BC). Looking down from Mt. barbed wire, lookout towers, and soldiers Carmel (which is the upper city, the Baha’i with guns. Their money must be spent on Shrine with its gold dome dominates the training and weapons, as it is certainly not townscape. Inside is the grave of the founder spent on facilities. of the Baha’i faith. Surrounding the Shrine are gardens, which attract many tourists. We had As we left Haifa for Nazareth, we were again lunch atop Mt. Carmel in a very picturesque traveling along the Jezreel Valley, with fertile little restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious salad. farmland, rye fields, fresh vegetables, and As we descended Mr. Carmel, we stopped for orange groves. We enjoyed a very brief visit pictures at an overlook of the city where two to Nazareth, which is the largest town in the Russian immigrant violinists performed for us Arab part of Israel. It is located above the (for donations, of course). Jezreel Plain on the edge of the hills of Galilee. Its’ inhabitants are mostly Christian. There were only about 300 people living here in Jesus' time, and the population today is about 45,000.

Two of the most prominent historical sites in the town of Nazareth are Mary's well and The Church of the Annunciation. We visited the Church of Gabriel, where the "old" well of the Virgin Mary is located under the altar. Behind glass windows could be seen the old stone stairs which led down to the well. It is here that the orthodox tradition (based on an apocryphal gospel) believes that Mt. Carmel view of Haifa and the Baha’i Temple the Archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Virgin Mary. There is also the "modern" Well Our guide reminded us that with the of the Virgin Mary, which is located on a statehood of Israel in 1948, the Hebrew street corner not far from the Church of language which had been "dead" for over Gabriel, whose water comes from the same 2000 years was revived and had to have many spring as the old well. The Church of the new words added to accommodate the Annunciation is actually the 5th church built modern times. on the spot where by tradition the annunciation of Mary took place. Columns in 8

front of the Grotto of the Annunciation are allowed us to see the highlights. from the 3rd century church. March 13 - Overnight at Kibbutz, between Cana and Sea of Galilee

Our reservations had originally been to spend this night in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, but three days before our arrival a storm had engulfed the Sea of Galilee which we were told resulted in 10 ft waves which flooded the hotel we were to stay in. This must have been typical of the storms that developed in Jesus` day when he calmed the waters. (Editor’s note: This storm is a recorded in books Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth written since that time such as National Geographic’s “The Biblical World an As we left Nazareth, we very quickly came to Illustrated Atlas” as well as on numerous sites Cana of Galilee, which almost merges with on the internet.) Nazareth. Cana, you will remember, is where Jesus worked his first miracle, the changing of But this event gave us an added insight to the the water into wine at the Wedding of Cana. typical life-styles of some of the Jewish people The inhabitants of Cana today are a mixture of in Israel who live in Kibbutzim, villages Christians and Moslems. While we did not which are communally administered by all stop at Cana, the Nathanael Chapel was built the residents and where everything is in as a tribute to Nathanael of Cana who was common ownership. Members of these initially prejudiced against Jesus when he said communities, of which there are 250 in Israel, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" provide their labor and receive their board but was then brought by Philip to Jesus and and lodging and some pocket money in became one of the disciples. return. Some work outside of the Kibbutzim but their wages go into the common fund. March 13 - From Cana toward Sea of Galilee They also have their own schools in these and Overnight at Kibbutz communities. We stayed at the Ayelet Hoshahar Kibbutz Guest House. The As we drove inland toward the Sea of Galilee, accommodations were good (not plush), and we passed Arab communities, where the the dining room was excellent. Arabs actually owned land. One thing I forgot to mention was that while we were in Haifa That evening we had the option to listen to a we actually saw Jewish women marching with lecture on Kibbutz living. About half of our picket signs on behalf of the Arabs having group went to the lecture, and in spite of a their rights to land and statehood. very interesting speaker (who happened to be a Jewish lady from the United States who had We also had our first glimpse of the 400-mile been part of this particular Kibbutz long National Water Carrier, which carries community for some 30 years), we found water from the Sea of Galilee to most of Israel. ourselves dropping off to sleep continually This was a canal probably about 15-20 ft wide during her talk from the very strenuous day (the modern version of Herod's Aqueduct). we had had. Anyway I did absorb some of her We also continued to pass many old ruins and lecture. This particular community has 900 "tels" -- I wish so much that we had had the permanent people of whom 40 are Russian time to explore these -- but a week only immigrants and 220 are Ethiopian 9

immigrants. They farm 2000 acres, with fruit the Sermon on the Mount, having prayer, and orchards, cotton, and fishponds. They have a singing hymns. The wild mustard and yellow factory, which makes handbags and boleros. flowers were beautiful in this area. However, with the current economic situation, droughts a few years back, and the recent year with heavy rains, they do have severe financial problems.

March 14 - To Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, and Tiberias

As we traveled from the Kibbutz toward the Sea of Galilee, the hills of Galilee were becoming more prominent. We continued to pass Israeli Army Camps, and soon had our first glimpse of the Sea of Galilee. Our guide told us the Sea of Galilee was 19 miles long and 8 miles wide (other sources vary on this size).

Mt. of Beatitudes - Our first stop was atop the Mount of Beatitudes on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, traditionally the place where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. This mount rises up above the ruins of Tabgha (the place of the multiplication of the fishes and the loaves) and Capernaum. A March 14 - Tabgha - The Church of the domed chapel, The Church of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes Beatitudes, commemorates this event. The eight sides of the church are each dedicated to Our next stop was Tabgha, according to one of the Beatitudes and so inscribed. The tradition the site of the miracle of the loaves dome symbolizes the 9th beatitude, in which and fishes (Mark 8:1-9). The third church has Jesus addressed himself directly to those who now been built on the spot where the were persecuted for his sake "for great is your multiplication of the loaves and the fishes reward in heaven". A Catholic Church was took place. This, too, is on the shore of the Sea built further back on the Mount, built and of Galilee. (The first church was built here in paid for in part by Mussolini. the 4th century.) In the presbytery, the altar is built on the stone on which Jesus is said to The Mount of Beatitude's was so quiet and have stood when he performed the miracle, peaceful, and in the distance we could hear and in front of it is a mosaic showing the the sheep "baaing". It must be much like it basket with the loaves and the fish. Before was in the day of Jesus — just the quiet entering the church, we entered what might sloping hills toward the Sea of Galilee below be described as a courtyard, surrounded by us. Our guide demonstrated the acoustics of arched entrances to other parts of the the area, which were quite unique, and voices complex. could be heard for quite a distance. Thus, this must have been the perfect place for Jesus to March 14 - Capernaum deliver his sermon to the people gathered on the slopes below. We enjoyed a very Our next stop was Capernaum, just a few meaningful devotional at this spot, reading miles from Tabgha, still on the shores of the 10

Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is on the North In about 450 AD, an octagonal church was bank of the Sea of Galilee, and it was in this built on top of older houses to commemorate general area that Jesus taught and ministered Peter who had lived on this spot. The town after he left his hometown of Nazareth. declined after the Islamic invasion in the 7th Capernaum was a fishing community, and it century. Excavations started in Capernaum in was here that Jesus called his first disciples, about 1905. One of the first discoveries was who were all fishermen -- Simon Peter and his the ruin of the synagogue, which had brother Andrew, James and his brother John. evidently been mostly destroyed in an earthquake. By 1921-26, the residential areas and the octagonal Church of St. Peter had been excavated.

Further excavation work began in 1968 that furnished proof that after the time of the Apostles, Capernaum and the surrounding area were continuously inhabited by Judea- Christians. They passed on their knowledge of these holy places to the pilgrims, who, from the 4th century onwards came to the Holy Land and told stories of the town when they returned to their homelands. The buildings, which have been uncovered, date from the 1st Synagogue at Capernaum over the one at time of Jesus century to the 5th and 6th centuries.

The most prominent ruins in Capernaum Jesus preached in the synagogue here where were the synagogue and St. Peter's House. he healed a man possessed by the devil. He The synagogue, however, is probably not the also healed the servant of the centurion of Capernaum, and raised the 12-yr old daughter synagogue that Jesus preached in, but one that was erected near or over the old of Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue. It synagogue (of Jesus' day) in probably the 3rd was also here that he taught in parables of the th sower, of tares among the wheat, of the grain or 4 century. However, the House of St. Peter, the level which you can see beneath the of mustard seed, of leaven, of the treasure hid in a field, of the fishing net, etc. As we stood in newer structure, is considered authentic from the times of Jesus and can be looked upon as this area, looking out at the wild mustard, the the rooms where Jesus stayed and where he wheat fields, and the fishing community -- these parables were certainly in language the healed Peter's mother-in-law. people could understand. There are 131 inscriptions pieced together

from plaster fragments found in the area, Finds of coins in Capernaum indicate the which frequently contain the names of Jesus town was founded in the 2nd century BC. It was an unfortified town, which did not take Christ and Peter. They are hoping that future excavations will unearth the actual synagogue part in the insurrections against Rome in the st nd where Jesus taught, most probably 1 and 2 century, and consequently th survived unscathed. The fact that the town underneath the 4 century synagogue. On one of the columns at the back of the synagogue was not built of the local black basalt but of ruins is an inscription in Greek which says, imported limestone is proof of the wealth of "Herod, son of Monimos, and Justus, his son, the inhabitants. and their children, erected this column."

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There are many, many items that have been places, and the vendors were usually excavated from these ruins that are placed on somewhat removed from the real place of exhibit. One is a column with an inscription in interest. However, we did have vendors on Aramaic, "Alpheus, son of Zebedee, son of the boat-ride across the Sea of Galilee, from John, made the column as a blessing unto whom we bought beautiful brooches made himself." Olive presses were made and sold in from the tiny shells from the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum; there are many of these on display, as well as mill containers. Mosaics from original pavement were interesting. The remains of the first century houses, arranged in squares, indicated these were very small dwellings with tiny rooms enclosing a small yard and a hearth. Many fishing hooks were found in these ruins, indicating that fishermen lived here.

March 14 - Boat Ride Across Sea of Galilee Boat Ride on Sea of Galilee without the 1992 10’ Waves from Capernaum to Tiberias

As we boarded the boat to take us to March 14 - Tiberius Tiberius, the Sea of Galilee was so calm it looked like glass. (It was hard to believe there Our next stop was Tiberius, where our bus had been a storm with 10 ft waves only three was waiting for us. Tiberius is a popular days before.) The Sea of Galilee is not really a resort area on the west shore of the Sea of "sea" but a lake. But when it was named there Galilee, about 44 miles inland from Haifa. Its was not a word for "lake" in the Hebrew medicinal hot springs have been known since language, and it was thus called a "sea". To the ancient times. Herod Antipas, a son of Herod I north, we could see the high mountains of the and ruler at the time of Jesus, founded Golan Heights. We also had beautiful views Tiberius in 17 AD and named it after the of the Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, and Roman Emperor Tiberius. It was built on the the rolling hills all around the "sea". sight of the cemetery of Hammat, so the Jews considered it unclean and at first only Our boat stopped on the still water of the Sea heathens settled here. Even Jesus, who taught of Galilee about six miles out (or in the middle mostly in this area, apparently never came of the lake) for a devotional. Bill Genda, a here. minister from Illinois, led our group using Matthew 4:12-17 as his text, after which we After the death of Herod Antipas, Tiberius sang hymns from song sheets which were was ruled by Agrippa II, who provided it with nd provided at the beginning of our tour and paved streets and baths. At the end of the 2 which we often used. This was a very century, the Jews declared it to be a "clean" meaningful worship service. city and it became the seat of the Sanhedrin; rd and from the 3 century onwards, it became th I don't think I have mentioned it before, but the religious center of the Jews. In the 17 these sacred sights were not commercialized century, Tiberius fell into decay and was not th as I had expected them to be. Everything was reoccupied until the 18 century. Since 1948, very conducive to a worshipful and Tiberius has been purely a Jewish city (no educational experience. Of course, there were Arabs). vendors – but, why not? Everyone wanted something to remember these particular Our first stop in Tiberius was for lunch at a 12

restaurant that specialized in "St. Peter's scooped up and brought home with him. The Fish" from the Sea of Galilee. I was game to setting here was beautiful. There are many try the "St. Peter's Fish", along with Pita Bread date trees in this area, and one of the and salad. When my plate came, it was the specialties on sale here was date honey. whole fish, head and all. It was very tasty and I devoured it all, except for the head. Here is where we learned how to use Pita bread: March 14 - Leaving Jordan River and pinch off a little piece of the bread, and then, beginning our drive down the West Bank with the bread, scoop up some salad in the middle of the "pinch": Pita bread is served As we left the Jordan River, we had a much everywhere in Israel. As we were leaving better view of the Golan Heights than earlier Tiberius, we saw portions of the old city wall from the Sea of Galilee, We were told the and other ruins. But, today, Tiberius is a very Golan Heights had experienced 24 feet of modern city. snow this year. We could now actually look to the north and see Lebanon and Syria, and to March 14 - Tiberias to Jordan River the east, the mountains of Jordan. As we traveled on and actually followed the Jordan As we headed, for the Jordan River, the River, we were within throwing distance of terrain was getting much more hilly, with Jordan. All along this route, there was barbed beautiful fields of vegetables, date palms, wild wire, patrol roads, look-out military stations, mustard, etc. We passed several kibbutzim. and we saw many, many soldiers along the And then stopped at the Jordan River, almost way, We also passed the largest kibbutz in at the point it exits the Sea of Galilee. The Israel. This fertile Jordan Valley is beautiful Jordan River is 157 miles long and the longest country. And where there wasn't farmland, river in the country and the one with the the yellow mustard flowers and wild red greatest flow of water. It flows through the poppies adorned the landscape. Sea of Galilee and on down to the Dead Sea, bringing the Dead Sea fresh water to replace We had a glimpse of Bet Shean, and saw the the water lost through evaporation. The ruins of an old Roman theater. Among the Jordan River is the border between Israel and historical connections is a link with the fate of Jordan. King Saul, This is the area where King Saul and his sons were defeated by the Philistines, and after hearing the death of his sons, Saul committed suicide. 1 Samuel 31 says, "The day after the battle the Philistines went to plunder the corpses and they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons lying on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul's head, stripped off his armor" "Then they put his weapons in the temple of the goddess Astarte, Baptisms or celebrations of first Baptisms in the Jordan and they nailed his body to the wall of the city of Bet Shan." Seven of our groups were baptized in the waters of the Jordan. This was a very quiet, And the scripture goes on to say that the special service with T. M, performing the brave men of Jabesh marched all night to Beth baptisms. There were some Arab spectators Shean and took down the bodies of Saul and who looked on very reverently. The water of his sons from the wall and brought them back the Jordan was clear as could be, as can be to Jabesh and burned them, and then buried evidenced by the bottle, which my husband their bones in the town. 13

The "Tel" of old Jericho raises 69 feet high, As we left Bet Shean and continued our and from the trenches dug in this cell, we travels through the Jordan Valley, we passed could see the 7000 BC city wall and 30 ft mine fields, which were so indicated by round tower. There is also a spiral stairway. special markings, continued to observe the We could look across into Jordan and see the military border patrols and lookout towers. Mountains of Moab where Moses died. The This area is part of what is the West Bank Baptism of Jesus took place just outside of and is inhabited by Arabs, but militarily Jericho in the Jordan River. Jericho is also occupiedby Israel and under Israeli where King Herod died, but he was buried at administrative control. We were told that Herodian outside Bethlehem. 750,000 Arabs live in the area, centered in and along 30 villages. This area was taken by We could also see the Mount of Temptation Israel in the six-day war of 1967. from Jericho, where according to tradition this is where Jesus fasted for 40 days after Many very prosperous Arab farms were seen being baptized by John. The Greek Orthodox along the way, and we started to observe the Church acquired the site in 1874 and a first Bedouin camps with their tents and Monastery was built here. As we left Jericho, herds of sheep and goats. These Bedouins with the modern town on our right, we also must live just like the people of Abraham's observed the National Water Carrier again. day. Our guide told us that they could have a After seeing the luscious fruit orchards of this, better life, but this is the way they want to area, it was easy to see how the Israelites live. The landscape started to get much called this a land flowing with milk and rockier now. The landscape in Israel changes honey. every few miles, and all of it is beautiful. Many sheep and Bedouins were seen along our trip down the West Bank. The Bedouins really fascinated me. We also passed a memorial to the Israeli soldiers killed trying to get terrorists out of the area.

March 14 - Jericho

Jericho lies 22 miles Northeast of Jerusalem and 9 miles northwest of the Dead Sea on the West Bank of the Jordan River. Bananas, dates, and oranges grow well here due to the mild climate and abundant fresh water. Jericho is said to be the most ancient city in the world. Archaeological investigations of the Tell of Jericho began in 1860, ultimately identifying 20 successive layers indicating different settlements, the earliest dating from 8000 BC. Joshua 2:6 provides a detailed account of the capture and destruction of the fortified city of Jericho by the Israelites who came out of East Jordan under the leadership of Joshua.

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March 14 - Road from Jericho to Jerusalem tabernacles to commemorate the Feast of Passover. Our first stop today, was the Model We started steadily climbing to a higher of Old Jerusalem. This model covers an 1196 elevation as we drove toward Jerusalem. The sq. yd. area, and represents an accurate model roads were lined with Bedouin camps, and the of Jerusalem, as it must have looked during hills and mountains were actually green the time of the Second Temple, or the time of because of the recent rains. (We were told Jesus. The model was begun in 1965 and they were normally brown at this time of the completed in 1968. The old City of David year.) But these rolling desert mountains had slopes down from the 1st century city. A tour a very unique beauty. Just before entering and explanation of this model was very Jerusalem, we passed Bethany, and we are educational prior to visiting all the sights in finally in Jerusalem. The temperature was still Jerusalem. cold and coats and sweater were necessary. Next, we headed to Bethlehem, which is just 8 miles from Jerusalem. Bethlehem is first mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 35:19) as the place where Rachel died. "When Rachel died, she was buried beside the road to Ephrath, now known as Bethlehem. Jacob set up a memorial stone there, and it still marks Rachel's grave to this day." Our first stop in Bethlehem was Rachel's Tomb, a small 18th Century domed structure supposedly built over the tomb in which Jacob laid her to rest Bedouin Camps seen in the deserts of the Middle East shortly after she gave birth to Benjamin. At the entrance to Rachel's Tomb, an Israeli We arrived at the Knesset Hotel, and had a soldier stood guard (with his gun), as was great dinner. (I still cannot believe the way we typical at all tourist sights. To go into the were fed on this trip -- it was ten times better building, men had to put on the Jewish head than our fare in Europe!) The buffet table was covering, as this is considered a very sacred laden with an abundance of salads, all kinds of site. fresh fruits, avocado, pineapple, eggplant, carrots, squash; hot foods included chicken, Our next stop in Bethlehem was The Church stuffed squash, and a beef dish. And a of the Nativity, which is located in Manger multitude of pastries and cakes! (I think I Square. The history of the Church of the gained back my pounds lost before the trip.) Nativity is very interesting, and certainly Our hotel room had a beautiful overlook of lends credence to the fact that it is built over the City of Jerusalem. It seemed we always got the site where Jesus was born. Emperor the choice views, while others were Hadrian erected a shrine to Adonis over the overlooking parking lots, buildings next to Grotto of the Nativity in 135. The latter is not them, etc. mentioned in the gospels, but Justin Martyr does speak of it around 155. By about 200 it March 15 - Jerusalem - Model of Old City - had already become a firm concept for the Bethlehem - Upper Room, etc. pilgrims. In 325, Emperor Constantine had a As we started out the morning of the 15th, church built above the grotto in place of the after a very full breakfast buffet (even with shrine dating from Hadrian's time. The Mosaic scrambled eggs), it was noticeable that all floor of this 4th century church is still in good apartments, houses, etc., had balconies. Our condition today and can be seen from guide said these balconies are used to build openings in a second floor built above it.

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the Grotto is not open to the public. A few decades after the construction of this building, St. Jerome came to Bethlehem and Since by word of mouth from the first century, settled in a grotto near the Grotto of the and various documentation, which dates from Nativity. It was here that he prepared the the middle of the second century, this was the Latin version of the Bible. At that time, birthplace of Jesus, we felt we were actually in pilgrims were coming to Bethlehem in great a very holy place though it was quite different numbers from many different lands. As from the wooden and straw manger inside a Jerome put it, "People hymned God's praises stable that we portray here in America. The in every imaginable tongue". Samaritans feeding troughs for animals were actually destroyed Constantine's church in 529. hewn out of stone (as we saw at many other Justinian (who had been Emperor for 2 years) excavated sights), and the "stable" was inside was persuaded to rebuild the church, which a rock cave. The quietness of this spot is has survived to the present day. preserved since only one group is allowed into the Grotto of the Nativity at a time. We read the Christmas Story and sang Christmas carols while we were there.

A few of us ventured next door to the Catholic Church of St. Catherine to get a glimpse of the statue of St. Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin in one of grottos (caves) adjacent to the Grotto of the Nativity. The front of the Church of the Nativity is Manger Square, which serves as a car park, and is bordered with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. We stopped at an olive wood shop in Church of the Nativity over the birthplace of Jesus Bethlehem, where I bought a carving of Mary As seen from the square, The Church of the and Joseph and the boy Jesus, with Mary and Nativity looks something like a fortress. We Jesus riding a donkey, called "Flight into had to stoop down to get through the Egypt". Since olive wood is so plentiful in this entrance door, as the Crusaders had reduced area, olive wood carvings, beads, etc. seemed the size of the door in the 6th century to to be one of their main products. prevent the Mamelukes from riding horse- back into the church. Paintings, columns, etc. We saw from the road the Monastery of inside the church represent different periods Elijah which was built originally in the 6th in history, but the focal point of the church is century, and restored by the Crusaders in the th the Grotto of the Nativity, which is in a cave 11 century and still survives. Just north of underneath the church which you reach by Bethlehem (where Rachel's Tomb is located) going down stairs. It is 40 feet long and 10 is the village of Ramat Rahel. On the high feet wide. mountain in this area, a fortified palace of the The actual place where Jesus was born is Kings of Judah has been excavated which was th th marked by a silver star with a Latin built in the 9 - 8 century BC and occupied inscription, "Here Jesus Christ was born of the until the time of King Jehoiakim (608-598 BC). Virgin Mary." Above it there is an altar in a Of course, we did not visit this excavation, and niche with 12th century mosaics, and oppo- I am making note that it exists so that perhaps site the altar of the manger stands the Altar on our next visit, it can be included. of the Three Wise Men. The further part of Southeast of Bethlehem a certain field is said 16

to be the field of Boaz. This is where when in 1099. They rebuilt the Zion Minster and Ruth, after being left a widow, came with her built a 2-story Romanesque house. On the mother-in-law Naomi back from Moab to her ground floor was the Room of the home-town of Bethlehem, and when she was Footwashing and on the first floor the Room gleaning corn in the field belonging to Boaz, of the Last Supper. These were destroyed by she met him, and they married, and Ruth gave Egyptians in 1219 and the Room of the Last birth to Obed, who was "the father of Jesse, Supper was rebuilt in its present-day Gothic the Father of David" and finally Jesus was style by the Franciscans in 1342. The remains born of the lineage of David in Bethlehem. of buildings dating from the time of Herod There is also the Field of the Shepherds have been discovered in excavations. where the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus. These terraced fields, lined with olive We went upstairs to the Room of the Last trees, and grazing areas for cattle and sheep, Supper, passing through a room with and where we observed the shepherds out on windows before getting to the Room of the the fields with their sheep, must look much Last Supper, which had no windows. We were like they did in the day of Jesus. told that Leonardo Da Vinci used this room with windows for his backdrop for the We enjoyed a brief lunch stop at a restaurant painting of The Lord's Supper because of the called "Harp of David", where we ate on a lighting. In the Room of the Last Supper there patio with a beautiful overlook of Bethlehem. was one column and a portion of stone wall As we left Bethlehem, we observed Mount that was suppose to date back to Jesus time. A Herodian near Bethlehem where Herod I had group picture was taken in the Upper Room. a monumental tomb built for himself, which consisted of a palace and fortress. After his death in 4 BC in Jericho, his son Archelaus conveyed the body from Jericho to the Mausoleum on top of Mount Herodian. It would have been interesting to see these excavations, which they say confirm the descriptions given by Josephus in his Jewish Wars.

March 15 - Back in Jerusalem - Afternoon

Our next stop was on Mt. Zion, which was part of the upper town at the time of Herod, and since the 4th century this has been Room of the Last Supper rebuilt by the Franciscans revered as the place where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples and where March 15 - Jerusalem in Afternoon the Holy Ghost came down upon them at Pentecost. According to the 7th century After visiting the Upper Room of the Last patriarch Modestos, this is where Mary spent Supper, we came back downstairs to the the end of her life and where she died. Since Room of the Footwashing, which is now used the 12th century, the tomb of King David has as a synagogue, and in the adjoining room is been venerated here. the Tomb of David (or where his tomb is venerated). Left of this room is a Martyrs' The churches erected in the 4th and 5th Room built in memory of the Jews murdered centuries commemorating these events had by the Nazis. Of course, the Jewish head fallen into decay when the Crusaders arrived coverings had to be worn in this sacred place, 17

which they had available at the door. As we Bible --and all at once I noticed the guard left this place, several Jewish boys were (with a gun) standing on an elevated area in playing and eating snacks outside with their the center of the building was observing me head coverings on. very closely -- and I decided to put my camera away. As we left the site of the Upper Room, we had a beautiful view from Mt. Zion of the Kidron Valley, and also looking back toward Bethlehem. On our way back to the museum we passed the remains of an old outdoor theatre, which had not been fully excavated; and then made our way to King David Street where we saw the first of two windmills we would see in Jerusalem. This one was named for its builder, Montefiore. King David Street was lined with apartment buildings. We were told by our guide that when Golda Meir was prime minister, she continued to stay in one Shrine of the Book Museum shaped like a jar lid of these apartments rather than move to the Government-owned luxurious home. We also Our next stop in the Museum was the passed the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament Archaeological Museum, which is divided Building), which sits all by itself atop a rolling into sections by periods of history, i.e., hill -- surrounded by many fences. Prehistory, Canaanite Period, Period of the Judges, Period of the Kings, etc. We only had March 15 - Israel Museum about 30 minutes in this museum, and I wished we had at least a whole day! Of special While there are many museums in Jerusalem, interest was the Holy of Holies Altar from the the Israel Museum, only opened in 1965, is temple of. King Ahab (1 Kings 16:32) certainly the main one and the only one we (Remember that King Ahab was a wicked had time to visit. It is located just southwest king, married Jezebel, and built a temple to of the Knesset Building. We only had time to Baal in Samaria, and "made an altar for him see a few highlights of this sprawling facility. and put it in the temple -- and it is this altar Our first stop was at the Shrine of the Book, we saw.) We also saw the entrance into the whose concrete dome is shaped like the lid of Palace of the Kings from 9-8 BC. one of the jars in which the "Dead Sea Scrolls" were discovered in 1947. In the And before we got to several other very center of the round building are displayed the interesting items -- one of the security people scrolls containing the main sections of Isaiah, motioned for me to put my camera away (and and I believe some from Psalms. It was hard I was not using a flash) So I did not get to believe we were looking at 1st century BC pictures of a small bone pomegranate (not scrolls, which are the oldest manuscripts of more than several inches tall), which is the the Old Testament in the Hebrew language. only item ever found from the 1st temple. We Other texts are displayed on outside walls. also saw the Tomb of King Ozaiah, and a stone nd with an inscription from the 2 temple. I had been told by our guide that I could take pictures so long as I did not use a flash. I got very good pictures of one of the clay jars the scrolls had been found in, portions of the scrolls from Isaiah and Psalms, a 5th century 18

March 15 - Diamond Factory believed by many to be the Sepulchre and Garden of Joseph of Arimathea. Whether or Our last stop before heading back to the hotel not this is the actual tomb where our Lord was at a diamond factory, where the stones was laid, it certainly provides an atmosphere are cut and polished. I didn't realize that that brings into focus the relevance of the Israel is one of the main countries in this Death and Resurrection of our Lord. The business. And, of course, there were beautiful history of this place is so interesting; I think it rings, necklaces, pendants, etc. for sale here is worth sharing with anyone who is reading and some of our group did make purchases. this. As we headed back to the hotel, we passed a monument called "Stairway to Heaven", According to the New Testament, Jesus was which was just a modern sculpture of stairs crucified at Golgotha (or The Place of the probably about 40-50 feet high. We passed Skull). In 1842 a German scholar was among through a Moslem section of the city where those who suggested that the Crucifixion there was a lot of construction going on, probably took place outside the north wall of which always looked to me like they were not Jerusalem, near the rocky knoll known as employing much modern equipment but were Jeremiah's Grotto. General Gordon, a notable relying on strictly manual labor. British soldier who was also a Bible student, was on leave in Palestine in 1883 and spent The street scenes in Jerusalem were always much time and research on the subject. He interesting, and it seemed that more women was impressed by the location and skull-like dressed in the typical Moslem dress than men, appearance of the rock near Jeremiah's Grotto with their white head wraps and black robes. (a cave in the hill, where Jewish, tradition Back at the hotel, we had a five-course meal accepts as the place where the Prophet waiting for us rather than the usual bountiful composed his "Lamentations” in his buffet -- but even then they gave us multiple desolation. choices. The appetizer alone would have been adequate for a meal, then a delicious salad, soup, grilled turkey (which was great), and ice cream and cake.

March 16 - Jerusalem - The Garden Tomb

While it had been rainy and hazy up until today, the sun was actually shining this morning -- but we still needed our coats. Our first stop today was going to be The Garden Tomb, for which you must have reservations. On our way, we passed the church that commemorates where the tree was supposed Garden Tomb perhaps where Jesus was buried and arose. to have been cut for the Cross. The Garden Tomb is located just northwest of the Jeremiah utters an appeal that foreshadows Damascus Gate (to the old city), which is the the sufferings of the Messiah, fulfilled perhaps gate through which Paul passed to go to near this very spot at the Crucifixion of Jesus Damascus. Christ: "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like While according to tradition, the tomb where unto my sorrow..." (Lam. 1:12).) Also by Christ was laid is underneath the Church of Jewish tradition, this hill was a "Place of the Holy Sepulchre, the "Garden Tomb" is Stoning". Christian tradition links this place to 19

the stoning of Stephen, and in early Christian for the site and host groups coming to view it times, the north entrance to the city was (Mr. Sinclair and his wife come two months known as the Gate of St. Stephen. At any rate, out of every year); there is no admission the main road (where people would have charge, so it is not a money-making gimmick; "passed by") was at the foot of this skull-like they preserve the quietness of the site by hill. General Gordon's letters to friends in limiting admissions (you must have England aroused considerable interest, and in reservations). time the hill itself became known as "Gordon's Calvary". It is certainly no fly-by-night scheme, since the association has been in existence since In 1883, when Gen. Gordon was convinced 1867. Mr. Sinclair concluded his introductory that he had located Golgotha, he sought a remarks by saying that while they were tomb which had to be "nigh at hand". As a convinced this particular sight met all the result of Gordon's activities an influential scriptural criteria for being the place of the body of people in England made an appeal for crucifixion and the resurrection, they were funds to purchase the ground where a tomb not saying they knew this was the sight -- but had been discovered in 1867 along the foot of it certainly had to be typical of the site, and the cliff to the north of the skull face rock. The what was more important was that we funds were raised, and as a result, the worship a risen Lord and the tomb (be it this "Garden Tomb Association of London" was one or another) is empty. formed to further excavate this site. We observed the Lord's Supper, read The tomb was found to be a typical tomb of scripture, sang hymns and experienced one of the 1st century A.D. It definitely belonged to a the most meaningful worship experiences I've rich person during the Herodian period. It is ever had the privilege of being a part of while hewn out of rock, with a weeping chamber here at the Tomb. I don't think there was a large enough to hold 8 or 10 people, and has dry eye among us, and this was because we two burial chambers. It was located in a were experiencing something very deep and garden as evidenced by the finding of a large personal with our Lord at this very moment. cistern (which can be seen in the excavations), and a fine winepress. It is close From an observation point in the Garden, we to the place of crucifixion. There is a window could look across a few hundred yards and above one of the burial places where it could observe the skull-like appearance of the rock be viewed from the outside (John 20:5), and cliff, and between the garden and skull hill there was a "trough" (probably 15-18" wide) was the cave where Jeremiah was put in where a large rolling stone had been placed. prison by King Zedekiah and there wrote his This trough had been hewn out of the rock on lamentations (about 605 BC). Several the front side of the tomb. An early Christian "Absalom" trees were seen in the garden, so symbol appears on the Tomb face, which named because of the unusual direction and indicates later Christian use of the tomb. almost "snarled" structure of the branches. Ironically, a Moslem cemetery is now located On our entrance to the Garden Tomb, we on the hill above Jeremiah's Grotto and atop were met by a Mr. Ian Sinclair, a lawyer from Golgotha or Skull Hill and a Moslem bus England and a member of The Garden Tomb station is located opposite Golgotha. Association, who gave us a history of this place and concluded with a beautiful Christian testimony. What is so impressive about this Garden Tomb Association is that the members contribute their time to come over and care 20

March 16 - Leaving Jerusalem for Masada and themselves as the true Israel, and their Dead Sea theology was based on the coming of the Messiah and the dualistic doctrine of the After our visit to the Garden Tomb, we ultimate struggle between the sons of Light stopped just outside of Jerusalem near and the sons of Darkness, which is depicted Bethany for, an overlook of Jerusalem. on one the scrolls found which is 10 feet long. Jeremiah was born in this area. Boys tending their sheep were on the sloping hills below us. The road from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea had many Bedouin camps along the way, and these were so interesting to me. Of course, we were descending the higher elevation as we left Jerusalem, and the rolling green hills (which we were told were normally brown) were a beautiful sight -- nothing like any hilly or mountainous areas that I have seen in the USA. In these desert mountains, there are no trees -- only vegetation that may be 1" high in areas.

As we approached the Dead Sea area, we Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found could see the high Jordanian mountains on the other side of the sea. (The middle of the Dead Sea is the border between Israel and Tradition has it that it is most probable that Jordan.) This area looked much more like a John the Baptist belonged to the Essene rocky desert, but there were also many oasis community at least for a time. Approximately with date trees and other vegetation. Our first 4,000 Essenes scattered throughout the stop was, at the "Jericho" restaurant country and made Qumran their center, with overlooking the Dead Sea, where we enjoyed approximately 200 Essenes living there. schnitzel, potatoes, beans and salad. The Qumran came into being about 150 BC on mountains west of the Dead Sea were high, what was left of a 9th - 6th century BC rocky cliffs, with many caves in view. Of settlement. It was destroyed in 31 BC by an course the most interesting of these were the earthquake, rebuilt, and finally destroyed in caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found, AD68 by Roman troops during the Jewish the Caves of Qumran. War, but not until the inhabitants had hidden their library, archives, and other treasures in March 16 - Ruins of Qumran the nearby caves.

The Ruins of Qumran are located 12 miles Over 500 Hebrew, Aramaic, and occasionally south of Jericho on the Israeli-occupied West also Greek manuscripts have been found in Bank. When a Bedouin boy found the first eleven caves in Qumran. Ten of these scrolls Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave in this area in 1947. are almost perfectly preserved (and which we This was followed by the excavation of the had seen in the museum) Dating from the 1st monastery-like site of the Essenes where the centuries BC and AD, these are the oldest scrolls originated. Along with the Sadducees manuscripts of the Bible. They include all the and the Pharisees, the Essenes were the third books of the Old Testament except Esther, sect of the Jews to stem from conflicts plus the Apocrypha, and the Hebrew text of centered on the Temple and its services in the book of Sirach, and writings of the Jerusalem around 150 BC. They saw community of Qumran. Included is the scroll 21

over 10 ft long which contains the whole book Herod enlarged what was originally a small of Isaiah. When these texts were compared fort into a complex where royal magnificence with later Biblical manuscripts, it was obvious combined with strong fortification to make how extraordinarily reliable the textual Masada a fortress and stronghold. On several tradition had been over the centuries. The occasions, Herod sent his family here for finding of these scrolls also brought greater safety. Masada was surrounded by a 4,000 knowledge of the Essene sect, previously foot wall, reinforced by 38 towers, each 33 known only from references in the literature feet high. There were palaces, administrative of Jewish and Roman authors such as Philo, buildings, storehouses, barracks and 12 Flavius, and Josephus. The finds also proved cisterns. Enough food could be stored to keep that Qumran was the center of this the castle supplied even during a long siege. community. This major "construction" program was undertaken by Herod the Great in 36 BC. March 16 - Brief Stop to View 'David’s Springs" and En-Gedi After Herod's death in 4 BC, Masada housed a Roman garrison, It continued to be a Roman Settlements at En-Gedi date back to 4000 BC. post until AD 66 when, at the beginning of the After the Israelites took over the Promised Great Jewish Revolt, a band of Zealots took it Land, En-Gedi was listed as a city in the by surprise. Even after the fall of Jerusalem in territory of the house of Judah (Joshua 15:62). 70 AD, 967 Jews (men, women, and children) When David was fleeing before the wrath of lived on Masada and refused to surrender to the aging King Saul, he sought refuge in the the Romans. fortress near En-Gedi (1 Samuel 24:2-23) En- Gedi is also mentioned in the Song of Solomon (1:14). Excavations on this site were not started until 1961. The waterfall in the En Gedi Nature Park is an attraction that can be seen for quite some distance. We continued to see the occasional oasis with date tree farms, and between us and the Dead Sea were almost sculptured looking sand dunes.

March 16 - Masada

Our next stop was Masada, the massive, Masada 1,424 ft above the level of the Dead Sea rocky cliff that rises 1424 feet above the level

of the Dead Sea. This was an ideal site for the In AD 72, the Romans surrounded Masada. Jewish rulers to build a fortress, yet it was a (the remains of their camps can still be seen). place of historical importance for a mere 100 After 8 months, when the Romans broke years as a refuge for King Herod the Great and through the West wall, Eleazar (the Jewish as the plate where the Zealots managed to leader) called on his comrades to die rather hold out against the Romans for three years than submit to slavery. They burnt all their after the fall of Jerusalem until AD 73. The possessions except food, and since the Jewish Jewish historian Josephus ascribes the first law forbids suicide, ten men were chosen by constructions on this hill to the high priest lot to put the rest to the sword, then one of Jonathan. However, this was not the brother the ten was chosen to end the lives of his nine of Judas Maccabeus but his great nephew companions before impaling himself on his Alexander Jannaois (103-76 BC) who was also sword. When the Romans began their attack known as Jonathan. 22

the next morning they stumbled upon 960 47 miles long and up to 10 miles wide. The bodies. However, two women who had Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, but no crawled away into a water pipe with five water flows out of it. But it has such a rapid children told them what had happened. rate of evaporation that up until now the water level remains fairly constant. However, The first excavations of Masada started in since more and more water is being taken 1955-56., but the large-scale excavations from the Sea of Galilee for the National Water were carried out during 1964-65. We Carrier, the amount of water reaching the ascended Masada by cable car, from which Dead Sea from the Jordan River has been were beautiful views of the Dead Sea (looking greatly reduced, leading to increased salinity. across to Sodom and the mountains of Moab, To offset the loss, a canal is to be built from and the mountainous areas adjacent to the Mediterranean. However, the neighboring Masada). After departing the cable car, we Arab countries are opposed to this project. had to walk another 80 steps up the side of the cliff to get to Masada. Here we saw the remains of the storehouses, the dwellings of the Zealots, the remains of Herod's two palaces, the "steam-room" at the bath-house, ritual baths, towers, the remains of the wall surrounding the fortress, mosaic floors, the great cistern, the "Columbarium" which had niches or slots in the wall which archaeologists think served as a depository for human ashes, and the synagogue of Masada. This was a large walled building adjoining the western wall of Masada with stoned benches and pillars which had Floating on the Dead Sea without moving a muscle. supported its roof. This is considered the oldest synagogue found in Israel. When As we started our drive from the Dead Sea excavating the synagogue, archaeologists back to Jerusalem, the shoreline was found the 37th chapter of Ezekiel among its beautiful, with the terrain changing almost ruins. every mile from oasis, to sand dunes, to cliffs.

We passed some old ruins that I did not get March 16 - Stop at the Dead Sea the identity of, and also an old Jordan military

base, now deserted. On our way for a stop at the Dead Sea, we passed a military camp and a "bathing" beach. March 16 - Back at the Knesset Hotel for a The bathing beach had a number of large, Bountiful Buffet Dinner colorful tents amidst date palms. Our stop at the Dead Sea was also by a military base. I believe this is the only night I took pictures There is not an "inch" of the beach area that is of the buffet tables at the hotel, but these not covered with stones. Many of our group were so elaborate with fruit sculptures, fresh had "tough" enough feet to take their shoes cut flower arrangements, and all kinds of food off and go for a wade. The water had a very that I wanted to preserve this memory. bitter salt taste. The water is a very bright blue color. March 17 - Tour of Old Jerusalem

The Dead Sea is 1306 feet below sea level and On the way to the old city, we passed many is the lowest place on the earth's surface. It is 23

open-air markets on the street curbs with wall. We also passed St. Stephen's Gate, wagons behind donkeys transporting the which is also called the "Lion's Gate". By produce. We also noted a variety of religious tradition, this is where Stephen suffered his "dress" on the streets -- some Jewish, some martyrdom. Arab. As we continued around the East City Wall, we had a beautiful view across the Kidron We passed the Damascus Gate (near the Valley to the Mount of Olives and Garden of Garden Tomb) to the old city. While this gate Gethsemane, and at the base of the mount, in has been added onto and refortified through the lower section of the Jewish cemetery on the years, the lower arch is supposed to be the side of the mount, were the from Jesus' time, and the gate that Paul Tomb of Absalom, the Grotto of James passed through on his way to Damascus. Since (from 1st century B.C.), and the Tomb of we were not entering the city through this Zachariah. Tradition has it that James hid in gate, we continued our route around the city the "Grotto of James" (which was a Jewish wall to the "Dung" Gate, passing the only family burial place in the side of the hill) section of the original city wall, which was when Jesus was arrested. We also had a good actually the base of a portion of the current view of the village of in the Kidron Valley.

Perhaps the most dramatic view of Jerusalem is from the Mount of Olives looking west across the Kidron Valley. In the foreground in this picture on the left is the Church of St. Mary Magdelene. The Golden Gate is to the right along the wall. But the most striking focal point is the Temple Mount where stands the Dome of the Rock since approximately 650 AD. Here is Mount Moriah where 4,000 years ago Abraham brought Isaac; 3,000 years ago Solomon built the 1st Temple; and, 2,000 years ago Herod rebuilt the Temple where Jesus entered through the Golden Gate. The Dome of the Rock is 67 ft. high. Solomon’s Temple was 47 ft. high according to 1 Kings 6:2 while Herod’s was 157 ft. high according to Josephus. As three religions converge at this site representing over half of the world’s population, imagine the history and significance of your faith.

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and this is also the belief of Islam (or the This Jewish cemetery dates back to Bible Moslems), and they all want to be here on the times and is still used today. M. Begin was day of Judgment. buried there just a week or so before our trip. On the other side of the Kidron Valley, sloping March 17 - Entry into Old City up toward the old city is a Moslem cemetery above which is the "Golden Gate" to the old Just before entering the old city through the city, and is the gate through which Jesus Dung Gate, the excavations in progress in the would have passed. This gate is the only gate old City of David (on the slope of the hill that has been "walled up" and completely below the newer city) were in plain view. closed. The lower arches date from the 1st They have gotten down as far as the stratum century and the time of Jesus. The Moslems of the period when David founded the city in have walled this gate up since this is where 1000 BC. David's Jerusalem was built on the Jews believe the Messiah will come, and terraces on the hillside, somewhat like the where the Christians believe the Messiah will present-day Arab village of Silwan. The City of come again. The reason for the cemeteries in David was not abandoned until the Middle this particular spot is that it is here that the Ages, by which time Jerusalem had moved to Jews expect the Last Judgment to take place, the present-day old town and the hill then known as "Mount Zion".

This simple and illustrative map is a great way to first remember where these sacred landmarks are generally located followed by using a more detailed and accurate map. Note the Mount of Olives in the upper right corner from where we viewed the Old City in the previous picture. Note there are 7 functioning gates around the city by which you could enter and leave the Old City and also to orient yourself. The northernmost Damascus Gate on top is the most famous. The Via Dolorosa or Way of the Cross begins near the Lions Gate (aka St. Stephens Gate) and leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Note the four quarters.

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(King of Jordan) was assassinated in 1951 As we entered the city through Dung Gate when entering the El Aqsa Mosque...in the (the men through one side, the ladies through presence of his grandson, now King Hussein II the other side), our pocketbooks were of Jordan. checked thoroughly by Israeli soldiers. From this point on, the Moslems were in control of It is holy for Jews, whose temples used to the Temple Mount (per agreement reached stand here. It was on Mount Moriah where when Israel had taken the old city in the six- God ordered Abraham to offer his son Isaac, day war of 1967). However, Israeli soldiers and it is generally accepted that this mount is could be seen patrolling the wall at various where the temple was later built. When David lookout points on top of the wall and the captured the city in about 1000 BC, he built an gates. As we proceeded to the Temple Mount, altar on the threshing-floor of the Jubusite we had our first glimpse of the Wailing Wall, Ornan, and placed there the Ark of the which we would come back to later. Covenant containing the Tablets (2 Samuel 6); and by tradition, this was where Abraham March 17 - Temple Mount - Old City had offered Isaac.

We entered the Temple Mount through the Then, Solomon, David's son, built the First Court of the Gentiles, after passing the Temple on this spot (in conjunction with his Wailing Wall, and soon the Dome of the Rock palace), which was completed in about 950 was right in front of us. The money changing, BC. This building stood for 400 years until it etc. would have taken place on the level of the was destroyed by the Babylonian Court of the Gentiles. Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC. On their return from captivity in Babylon, the Israelites built the Second Temple which was completed in 516 BC. This temple was less sumptuous than the First Temple.

In the course of time and with the many conflicts taking place in this area, the Temple was probably severely damaged, which is why Herod (37-4 BC) wishing to appear a true believer in the eyes of the Jews, had it rebuilt, and which commonly has been called the Third Temple. This temple lasted only 100 years and was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70. This was the end of the Jewish Temple. The Temple Mount’s 34 acres. Before the Moslems conquered Jerusalem in 638, the city stood in the shadow of the Cross. The Temple Mount is a holy place for three of It was during this time that the Church of the the world's religions. The spot is holy to Holy Sepulchre was built by Constantine the Moslems (Islam) because it is here that Great, and other churches were built in other Mohammed is supposed to have ascended parts of the city. into the "seven" heavens and then returned to Mecca (in the 17th century). It was here that When the Moslems conquered the city in 638, King Hussein I (1853-1931), a pioneer of the their leader's prayed at the "Rock of Arab movement in this century, was buried, Abraham" and the Dome of the Rock was and it was here that his successor Abdullah built between 687 and 691 on this spot. 26

Islamic rule over the Temple Mount was control, or else we could probably find other interrupted by the Crusaders from 1099 until remains of the original temples. 1187, when they plundered the Dome of the Rock and the El Aqsa Mosque. It was In the Temple Square, there were arches, recaptured by the Moslems in 1187, and it certain sections of pavement, and portions of was a site of further building, but it was other structures (including the Antonia damaged during the 1948 Israeli-Arab Fortress) dating back to Herod's time. The conflict. It underwent reconstruction in 1958- Antonio Fortress was built by Herod in the 1st 64 by Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and was century BC, and is thought to have been given a new golden dome. Israeli soldiers where Jesus was judged. Our next stop on our regained the Wailing Wall during the Six-Day walking tour, after passing through the "Eye War in 1967, and since that time, Jews have of the Needle" gate was the Pool of Bethesda been able to visit the Wailing Wall. where Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for 38 years (John 5:1-9), and Of course, the Temple Mount is Holy for because this was done on the Sabbath, Jesus Christians because of the old testament incurred the wrath of the pious Jews. events mentioned above which are also Excavations of this area started in 1871. important for the Jews; but it is also here that Jesus was presented as a baby (Luke 2:22); it was here that he argued with the scribes as a 12-yr old boy (Luke 2:46), and it was from the courtyard that he later cast out the merchants and the moneychangers (Matthew 21:12), and it was on a pinnacle of the Temple that he was tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4:5).

Time did not permit us to go into the El Aqsa Mosque, but we proceeded to the outside of the Dome of the Rock where we had to remove our shoes before entering. (Editor’s Note: Presently we’re not able to go into the The Pool of Bethesda Dome of the Rock) All of this took place near the El Kas Purification Fountain, where I assume you washed your feet (and hands?). In Next to the Pool of Bethesda, was. St. Anne's the center of the Dome of the Rock structure Church, built in 1142 on spot where Mary's is the Holy Rock or the Moriah Rock, which parents (Joachim and Anne) are supposed to rises about 4 feet above floor level, is 59 feet have lived. As we left St. Anne's church, the long and 44 feet wide. streets were very narrow, and many children were playing along the way. Note the The Jews and the Moslems believe that the beautiful child sitting on the rock ledge along Rock marks the spot where Abraham the street. intended to sacrifice Isaac, and the Moslems further believe that Mohammed ascended to March 17 - Via Dolorosa (The Road of the heaven from this rock. Under the rock is a Cross) cave, where the Jews believe was a place of drainage for the sacrifices made. The Moslems The Via Dolorosa begins near the Antonia believe this is where the souls of the dead Fortress where Jesus was judged, and we gather to pray. There has been no excavation entered this very narrow street through the in this area because it has been under Moslem 27

Gate of the Virgin (Mary's Gate). The street is chapel as one of the monks read from the also called the "Street of Sorrows” because it scripture. These monks celebrate Christmas is this path that Jesus must have taken to the the 24th of every month. place of execution. The stations of the cross are indicated along the way, but these should Next, we entered the Church of the Holy not be' considered as historical sites so much Sepulchre, the site of the last stations of the as points marking stages in the procession. cross. As we entered, the first item on display The street level today is probably raised from was a rock slab where Jesus' body was the street level of Jesus' day. However, these supposed to have been prepared for burial; narrow streets, with cobblestone pavement, then the catacombs where the body was open-air markets, and people in their typical placed; and. the Holy Sepulchre, where he was Moslem dress, must resemble very nearly laid to rest. The place of crucifixion was also what they were like in the day of Jesus. in the upper level of the church, and the place where they are supposed to have found the We walked, all the "stations" of the cross, remains of the cross. stopping at the Church of Flagellation where various statues pictured Jesus' suffering as he carried the cross and his crucifixion. In the back of the church (roped off for preservation) was a section of original pavement from the courtyard in front of Antonio's Fortress (we were still in this general area), with Roman inscriptions carved into the rock.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the Orthodox belief (six different Christian faiths such as Catholic, Greek, and Coptic oversee the church) where Jesus was crucified and buried. It has more believers of this location than the Garden Tomb where Evangelicals celebrate communion and reverence. As Mrs. Fields said this location and history deserves close study and reverence.

While by tradition since the 1st century, these are the original holy sites, I suppose my mind The Ecce Homo Arch along the Via Dolorsa had been prejudiced after visiting the Garden As we proceeded, we actually walked under Tomb; and the atmosphere in the Church of the Ecce Homo Arch (also part of the original The Holy Sepulchre was not exactly conducive structure of the Antonio Fortress), named to worship. It was very crowded and under after Pilot's words, "Behold the Man". Station construction (which they say will last for 9 of the cross is now an Ethiopian Monastery, years). To really appreciate the history of this which is built over the Church of the Holy place, I think you would almost need a one- Sepulchre. The monks live in very crude huts, on-one guide. I felt somewhat confused when and we visited one of their chapels that were we left. If I ever go back to Israel, I would like filled with their folk art -- a very decorative to spend more time here and perhaps I would and ornamental display. We sat quietly in the have a better feeling about it.

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As we continued our tour, we passed the which was built in 1924 on the same spot. A Wide Wall of Hezekiah, built in 721 BC (2 very colorful facade is painted on the front of Chronicles 32), and many other ruins still the church, and six columns on the interior being excavated. One area that has been support twelve small covered domes, which excavated (and is currently one level under make up the roof of the church. In front of the the present street) is the "Cardo", a street altar is the rock where Jesus is supposed to built in the 4th century during the Byzantine have prayed. period, lined with columns, which linked the Damascus Gate with the Zion Gate. Some of As we headed back across the Kidron Valley these columns are on display, and some of the to the City of Jerusalem again, we passed street blocks date back to the 1st century. through a Moslem section of this typical area. We also had another very good view of We then left the old city and traveled to the "Golgotha" near the Garden Tomb. We Mount of Olives, stopping at an overlook of proceeded to the Jewish Quarter of the city the city where we had a group picture made. where we had lunch, and afterwards visited This is a beautiful view of the city of the Museum of the Temples, where models of Jerusalem, with the Golden Dome of the all three temples were on display, as well as a "Dome of the Rock" the focal point. The ruins - model of the Ark of the Covenant and the of the City of David show up well, as does the Menorah. Moslem Cemetery sloping down from the "new city". And, finally, we arrived at the Our next stop was the Wailing Wall, where a Garden of Gethsemane, where there are number of Jews were praying -- the women eight olive trees over 2000 years old. This is on the right side of the wall and the men on where Jesus went to pray after The Last the left, separated by a substantial fence. Part Supper and where he was betrayed by Judas of this wall is actually from the second temple. and arrested. Some of these ancient olive trees' trunks have now spread out 12 feet or March 18 - Last Day in Jerusalem more in diameter. This was a free day in Jerusalem to do whatever we liked. We decided to go to The Citadel and the Holocaust Museum. We first caught a cab to The Citadel, which is next to the Jaffa Gate (the gate which connects the old town and the Jewish new town of Jerusalem). Immediately to the south of the Jaffa Gate is the Citadel, more popularly known as "David's Tower". However, it does not date back to the time of David, but to Herod who built his palace and surrounded it The Church of All Nations alongside the Garden of with fortification in 24 BC. Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. The Citadel today is a museum of the history The Church of the Nations joins the Garden of the city, and there are some beautiful views of Gethsemane and is supposed to be built of the city from the upper levels of this over the rock where Jesus prayed. As early as structure. The three towers were originally the 4th century, Emperor Theodosius I built a names for Herod's brother, Herod's wife, and basilica over the rock, and its ground plan is a friend. There are various stages of visible in the floor of the modern church excavation of the lower levels.

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One of the sad things here was what happened to the Jews after World War II was over, and while Britain still controlled Israel and only allowed 10,000 Jews (I think this was the number) to reenter Israel each year. So, many of the Jews...not being able to return to their European communities because of persecution there...found illegal ways to travel to Palestine...only to be put back inside barbed wire when they reached Israel by the British. (We actually saw this on film). David’s Citadel near the Jaffe Gate

March 18 - The Holocaust Museum Next we caught a cab to Holocaust Museum on the outskirts of Jerusalem. We first entered the Children's Museum, a memorial to the more than 3,000,000 Jewish children murdered in the ghettos of Nazi Germany. As we entered the first corridor, there were pic- tures of these beautiful children of all ages. Then as we continued, we moved into total darkness with "stars" in the heavens The Hall of Names containing Pages of Testimony evidently representing these 3,900,000 commemorating the millions of Jews who perished in the children, where their names and age are being Holocaust. continuously called out, with a death moan following each name. I believe the money for this memorial was contributed by a Jewish family in the USA. March 19 - From Jerusalem to Egyption Border The next memorial building was marked first by an eternal flame (if my memory serves me (Editor’s Note: This concludes the Israel correctly), around which flowers are being portion of Mrs. Fields 1992 trip where those continuously placed by visitors. We then went returning home left early in the morning for into the "art galleries", featuring pastels, pen the airport in Tel Aviv. The remaining group & ink, and pencil drawings created by Jewish going to Egypt left their hotel in Jerusalem children and adults while imprisoned in the after breakfast and drove to the Egyptian ghettos. These drawings depicted the prison border, which today is the beautiful resort life and were quite revealing, i.e., one picture city of Eilat on the coast of the Red Sea. entitled "My Mother" with a child looking over its dead mother. It seems that many of The border crossing is much more pleasant the German soldiers liked for the Jews to than 1992 as described next by Mrs. Fields. draw their pictures, so there were quite a few However we are leaving a properly of these, including "Ivan, the terrible". commercialized Israel and entering a third world country. But when you check into your We then went into the area with actual Five Star Hotel in Cairo, you’ll be as photographs and some actual film footage. comfortable as you were in Israel.)

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Entering Egypt

March 19 – Israeli / Egyptian Border number of buses to congregate: We learned that one busload carried Jordanians, and it We arrived at the Israeli/Egyptian Border at took them much longer to get checked out. 10:15 am, where we would stay for three hours going through all the red tape While we waited, we observed a delivery of necessary to cross from Israel into Egypt and pita bread to the Egyptian soldiers. The bread waiting for our military escort to Cairo. Many was simply piled in dirty boxes in the back of of our suitcases were opened and searched. an open pickup truck; it was picked up by This area was a terrible first impression of hand and stacks (of about a dozen pieces) Egypt. I wondered if we had made a good counted and handed to each soldier. I suppose decision to take this was their this excursion: ration for a day or It certainly so. A UN patrol appeared to me vehicle also pulled that Egypt had up and parked in slipped a long the area, since the way from being border between the "birthplace Egypt and Israel is of civilization". still under UN Of course the patrol. Michael, area was our Egyptian tour heavily guarded host also joined us with Israeli at this point (I soldiers on the believe). Michael Israeli side, and was really a with Egyptian lawyer, but had soldiers on the found he could Egyptian side. make more money There was in the tourist really a contrast between the We drive from Jerusalem along the Dead Sea to the beautiful resort city of trade. Finally, two countries' Eilat where we cross the border. From there we either drive to St. enough buses had soldiers. The Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai or we go from Eilat directly to congregated to Israeli soldiers Cairo. There we check into the comfort of a 5 Star Hotel and begin our begin our 5-hour sight seeing the next day. were much drive to Cairo. better dressed and looked to be much higher caliber March 19 - Road to Cairo Across Sinai Desert individuals. The Egyptian soldiers looked illiterate, dirty, and poor. Now we really started to see desert, with many Bedouin shepherds along the way with The restroom accommodations were filthy, their herds of goats and sheep, and occasional and the snack accommodations (and it was camels. After seeing how the Bedouins of lunchtime) were terrible -- the soft drink Egypt lived, the Bedouins of Israel seemed bottles looked like they had been recycled for well off: These Bedouins lived in very small decades; and then we found that we were mud-brick huts topped with straw, with going to be one of a caravan of buses escorted thatch or straw courtyards which they shared to Cairo, and we had to wait for the desired with their animals and these would just be

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sitting there in the middle of the desert sand and I didn't even have time to get a picture of with nothing else around them. We also them. Those donkeys could make as much observed small-unused concrete structures time as vehicles on the road. along the way. Michael said the government had built these for the Bedouins, but they preferred their thatch huts.

March 19 - Sinai Desert

Traveling across the Sinai along the Mediterranean Coast, we passed through several resort areas (which in no way would compare to beach resorts in the US). There were many patrol stops along the way, soldiers at intersections, army stations, etc. Also evident along these desert roads and villages was that the donkey and camel were the main modes of transportation. Michael The Suez Canal under which we drive tried to teach us a little Arabic on the bus, but I'm afraid I had forgotten most of it by the next day. March 19 - Across Sahara Desert to Cairo

March 19 - Suez Canal As we left the Suez Canal, we were now traveling through a portion of the huge We finally arrived at the Suez Canal, which Sahara Desert, and we continued to see the was heavily guarded by soldiers, and border Bedouin shepherds and huts. I thought we police. We were warned not to take pictures had seen the depths of poverty in observing until we had permission. We boarded a ferry the Egyptian Bedouins in the desert, but we to cross the canal to the other side, where we had not seen anything like the poverty on the made a rest stop and had good views and outskirts of Cairo. People were seen cooking were able to take pictures. The Suez Canal, in crude vessels over open fires outside which joins the Mediterranean Sea with the almost cardboard box dwellings. Conditions Red Sea, was started in 1859 and completed were so crowded, and people looked so in 1869. Since that time it has been deepened destitute. And, all at once, we approached the and widened several times, so that it is now new, modern, wealthy section of Cairo. It was over 700 feet wide, 64 feet deep, and 118 hard to believe that we had observed the miles long. Along the banks could be seen the extremes of poverty and wealth in this close, remains of tanks, guns, and other ruins from proximity. the war between Israel and Egypt. The Suez Canal was also the entry point for US ships As we traveled into the inner city, and during going to the Persian Gulf War. our next two days here, I never quite figured out the driving rules in Egypt, but it seemed During our stop at the Canal, I watched a that our bus driver always had the ride of way Moslem couple as they tried to get atop a with a system of horn-honking. Streets were donkey with their wares, and finally crowded with cars, buses, and yes, donkeys -- succeeded to get themselves and everything all going at break-neck speed in all directions, else loaded, and I was wondering how this honking their horns -- and I don't think I ever small donkey was going to carry the load saw an accident! Cairo is I believe the largest when all at once he took off like "lightning" city in Africa, with 6 million people. 32

Egyptian civilization began about 3100 BC After our introduction to Egypt at the border, when King Menes of Upper Egypt conquered I had prepared myself that we should not Lower Egypt and united the country, founded expect our accommodations in Cairo to be the Memphis as his capital (now Cairo), and best. We stayed at The Sheraton Hotel right established the first Egyptian dynasty of on the Nile River, and it was absolutely which there were at least 31. elegant. The rooms surpassed anything we had had yet, and the view from our window was the Nile River right below us. The hotel had many dining rooms, and I think we were assigned one of the more informal dining areas, but the dinner buffets were bountiful and the breakfasts more continental. We had been warned not to eat salads in Egypt, but the spread of salads each evening were irresistible, and we were told we probably would not have to worry in this hotel.

March 20 - Cairo

Cairo is alive at night as we arrive with congested roads We were joined by our guide, Zainab Shawki, and overcrowding but is beautiful to see. early the morning of March 20. Zainab - was a very attractive lady, probably 45'ish, who had Egypt's decline accelerated rapidly after 1100 two sons at the university. She was Moslem, BC, when finally in 332 BC Alexander the but evidently not a very strict Moslem, as she Great added Egypt to his empire. After did not participate in the five calls to prayer Alexander the Great's death, one of his daily (which could be heard and seen across general's, Ptolemy, gained control of Egypt the city night and day), and she told me she and took title to King and founded the did not regularly attend Mosque services. dynasty of the Ptolemies. About 37 BC, Queen Zainab was Egyptian and very proud of her Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemies married Mark heritage, and was quick to tell us that Antony, a co-ruler of Rome. Antony wanted to "Egyptians were not Arabs". However, most rule the vast Roman lands by himself, and he other reading material says that 90% of combined his and Cleopatra's military forces Egyptians consider themselves "Arab". There to fight Octavian, another co-ruler of Rome, are black Egyptians in the lower part of Egypt, but they lost the battle to Octavian in 31 BC. whom we saw during our trip to Luxor, and The couple committed suicide the next year, more medium tanned skin Egyptians in the and Octavian then made Egypt a province of North. Zainab was in the latter category. Rome. Rome's control of Egypt gradually weakened after AD 395, and by AD 642, Zainab seemed to beam with pride as she Muslims from Arabia conquered Egypt. tried to give us a lesson in Egyptian history. Egypt was the birthplace of civilization. They Egypt became an independent republic in created the first national government, and the 1953. It is a democratic and socialist society. early forms of mathematics and writing. They Its population is 57 million, the second largest created the first 365-day calendar; and populated country in Africa. Ninety-nine invented a form of picture writing called percent of the people live along the Nile River hieroglyphics. They invented the use of and Suez Canal, an area that covers only 4% papyrus for writing, and developed one of the of the land. The other 1% of the population first religions to emphasize life after death. 33

are Bedouins and wander in the desert. The hundreds of small golden statues language is Arabic. Ninety percent of the representing his servants; a grainery with a people are Muslims. Coptic Christians choice of grains for food; and the four represent the largest group of minority shrines,, which were displayed separately, but Christians. Forty-five (45%) percent of the which had been originally found one inside people cannot read and write. However, this the other, with the mummy in the innermost is an improvement over 80% illiteracy in the shrine. These were all large enough to be 1940's. small "rooms", and were covered with intricate paintings and hieroglyphics. Four March 20 - Egyptian Museum in Cairo chariots were also on display that was found in the tomb. There was absolutely nothing Our first stop was at the, Egyptian Museum that he would lack for in the "after-life". in Cairo, where we only had time to see a few highlights, and mainly the thousands of items We, of course, did not see the actual mummy found in King Tut's (Tutankhamen) tomb in since the mummy room is not currently open the Valley of the Kings. His tomb had four to the public. Sadat had caused the mummy rooms, all filled with items he would need in room to be closed, feeling that the mummies the "after life". (On our later visit to the Valley should rest in peace and not be on public of the Kings, this tomb is closed to the public display. But I have read some articles since at this time and we did not get to see his our trip, that the current government in Egypt actual tomb.) It is noteworthy that King Tut is supportive of opening the mummy room was not famous in life, only in death...since his again (probably in the summer of this year) to tomb is the only pharaoh’s tomb found with draw more tourist trade. Mummification its original contents. All the other tombs had took 70 days. been looted and robbed. This tomb was not found until 1922. King Tut died when he was "Embalming" consisted of first extracting the only 18. brains through the nostrils, then filling the brain cavity with liquid bitumin which hardened on cooling. The eyes were removed and replaced by porcelain substitutes. An incision was then made in the left side of the body and the intestines and internal organs removed. The organs and brains all had their own separate treatment and were placed in jars next to the mummy, The cavities in the stomach were carefully washed with palm wine, dried with a powdered mixture of aromatic plants and finally filled with myrrh or perfumed sawdust. The body was then placed in a solution of sodium carbonate and The Egyptian Museum with over 6,000 artifacts left for 70 days.

After this treatment the flesh and muscles had The items found in King Tut's tomb covered completely dissolved away and nothing almost an entire floor of the museum, and remained except the skin attached to the included his mummification slab; his Golden bones. Bandages impregnated with resin Mask (which we had seen on display in were wound round each finger, hand, arm and Charlotte also); Beautifully carved alabaster other limbs, and head. Then the whole body vessels; chairs plated with gold; hundreds and was wrapped in a sheath of gold work which 34

reproduced the shape of the body. Jewels lot. would be placed between the layers of wrappings of the mummy. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Egypt. It is located in "Old Following mummification, there was a very Cairo", surrounded by 29 Mosques and 20 elaborate funeral procession, and when the churches. The inhabitants of the area are mummy finally reached the tomb (usually about 133,000 Moslems, 10,000 Copts, and 42 prepared and designed during the life of the Jewish families -- yet we were told that pharaoh, there would be the ceremony of the though their religions vary, they are united opening of the eyes and mouth, by which the and love each other as one family. The history dead person had their senses restored to of the Ben Ezra Synagogue is very interesting, them, and the mummy would then be laid in and, perhaps has some truth to it. I will try to the tomb, summarize it from a pamphlet I picked up there: In the time of Moses, about 1392 BC, March 20 - Street Scenes in Cairo and Visit to during the reign of the Egyptian King Ben Ezra Synagogue Meneptah (19th dynasty), Jews lived in the Land of Giza (Goshen Land) close to the We had lunch at The Hilton Hotel, just across Synagogue in the City of Giza, where Moses from the Museum, and treated ourselves to a used to pray and worship. Before Moses left good old American Hamburger. As we left the Egypt, he prayed there for the last time square where the Museum and The Hilton leaving unmistakable traces or mark signs were located, we had some beautiful views of which prove his existence in Egypt in those the Nile River. In one area, there were a lot of early times. sailboats, and instead of the colorful or white sails that we normally see in the US these sails were a dingy looking brown. We passed many modern apartment buildings, Moslem women on the street in mostly either black robes and head-dress, or solid white robes and head dress.

As we left the more modern Cairo and passed through some of the poorer sections (but not the poverty stricken areas on the outskirts of town), there were many street side fruit markets, dirtier streets and housing with everyone's wash hanging out the windows. Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo Streets were very crowded with traffic, with the donkeys having the right-of-way.

Our next stop was to start our walk to the Ben During the reign of Nebudchanezzar (606-538 Ezra Synagogue. I think we actually had to BC), the Jews who returned with Jeremiah walk through the sewer to get to the accidentally found the Mark of Moses close to synagogue. In this particular area, it seemed the City of Giza and there they built a to offend the people if you started to take a Synagogue in the name of Jeremiah. Many photograph, so we obliged and did not take historians refer to the synagogue and the photographs though I would have loved to place where the old Torah of Ezra the Scribe have captured the faces of the people in this was found. To the west of the Synagogue is a area. They looked like a poor and desperate 35

crypt where "historians" say that when Mary American Jewish Organization was and Joseph, and the boy Jesus fled to Egypt, sponsoring the current restoration. Services they sheltered in this Crypt. It is said that are still held here three times a week. It was Joseph would have naturally sought out his evident that while this was a Jewish own people for refuge, and history bears out synagogue, they had to be Jewish Christians; the fact that a settlement of Jews lived here. as everything in the church (paintings, etc.) centered around Christ and his ministry. When the Romans invaded Egypt in 30 BC, they destroyed the Synagogue of Jeremiah. In March 20 — Garbage Dumps of Cairo, City of 60 AD, when the Romans were defeated, all the Dead, and Alabasta Mosque properties which had been taken were returned to the rightful owners, and the Copts On our way to the Alabasta Mosque, we claimed the land of Jeremiah's Synagogue and traveled along the outskirts of Cairo, in some they built a church on the land -- referred to of the most poverty stricken areas -- literally by some as the Angel Gabriel's Church and the garbage dumps of Cairo. People were others as St. Michael's Church. In 1115 AD, the living in box-like shacks, pieced together from Copts were being taxed so heavily for the land all kinds of scrap materials. There were lots of the church was on, that Rabbi Abraham Ben cement plants in this area, and the people just Ezra convinced the rulers that the land seemed to live in these crude shelters along rightfully belonged to the Jews, and after the streets, with a few clothes hanging on a some negotiating, the land was given to the line, and the family "donkey". Donkeys were Jews so long as they paid the heavy taxes, and definitely the prime mode of transportation. the synagogue was rebuilt and is still called Before we got to the Alabasta Mosque, which by his name, "The Ben Ezra Synagogue". was inside The Citadel, we passed the City of the Dead, which was a 7-square mile Many centuries passed and in 1894 an cemetery with many elaborate tombs, small American Historian, Professor Schichter came minarets, domed structures, etc. We were told to Egypt and when he visited the Synagogue, that many of the city's poor actually live in he found the Guenizeh in which the Old Torah had been kept -- a definite proof of the old synagogue. He also found 100 books of various dates. By special permission of the Jewish congregation, Professor Schichter took part of the Old Torah back to America with him. The Old Torah is now spread over the Western part of the world, in Columbia University, a seminary in New York, the British Museum, and the Bodleian University College.

This synagogue is currently undergoing Alabasta Mosque and The Citadel restoration -- there was scaffolding everywhere, and one of the workers lifted and among these tombs. some canvas so that we could see the "Holy Site of Moses" (something which looked like a The Citadel was a mighty walled fortress atop granite tomb). There were twelve columns one of the highest elevations in the city. The inside the church, representing the 12 dominant structure inside this fortress was disciples -- the one unpolished column the Alabasta Mosque, which I believe was represented Judas. We were told that the constructed in 1830. This is about a seven- 36

story mosque, faced with Alabasta Stone, weighing about 2-1/2 tons, and took ten years topped with multiple domes, with minarets to build. We did not have time to go inside the rising from the roof corners and mid-sections. pyramids but we did take time for a short In the courtyard of the Mosque, there was the camel ride. I don't think I would take up camel cleansing fountain, and on top of the arched riding, as this was a pretty rough ride; and barricade surrounding the Courtyard was a when the camel stopped to let us down and tower clock, which was received from France off, his front feet go down first while his back in exchange for the ancient Obelisk which legs are still erect -- so if you don't lean way now stands in a park or square in down-town "back", you could easily go over the head of Paris (and which we saw while in Paris). the camel. While the obelisk is a cherished antiquity for Paris, the tower clock has never worked.-- so Egypt really got the worst deal.

Of course, we had to take our shoes off to enter the mosque, and we were able to take pictures inside (without a flash). Just as you enter the mosque, the Tomb of Mohammed Ali can be seen in a separate room to the right.

March 20 - Cairo Street Scenes

As we left The Citadel, the Mohammed Ali The Great Sphinx and Giza Pyramid in the background Mosque could be seen atop an adjacent elevation in the city. We again passed the City March 20 - The Great Sphinx of the Dead and made our way from the poverty stricken area to probably what could Our next stop, which was not far from the be called a middle class section of apartment pyramids, was the Great Sphinx, which buildings (with everyone's clothes hanging represents a lion with a human head which out the windows). Women were carrying very some believe to be a likeness of Chephren large packages and containers on. their heads, standing guard over his tomb (pyramid in and donkeys were still the mode of background). The Sphinx has been covered transportation. Then we arrived back in with sand many times and dug out. Its modern Cairo, with very nice apartment defacement is due in part to erosion by the buildings (about 12-15 story buildings), more wind and from the cannons of the Mamelukes cars, nicely paved streets, and you could tell who used it for target practice. The most the people were much better off in this area. renowned restoration of the Sphinx was that About half the people were still observed in of Tutmose IV who was ordered in a dream to the typical Moslem dress -- some all black, uncover the Sphinx ... so the Sphinx and the others in various colors. Pyramids must be around 4500 years old. Its dimensions are 73 meters long and 5 meters March 20 - Giza Pyramids high.

The Giza Pyramids are just on the outskirts March 20 - Papyrus Institute of Cairo, and they were a site to see. There are three large pyramids (the largest in Egypt), On our way back into Cairo, we stopped at the with the largest one covering 13 acres at its Papyrus Institute, where we saw a base and reaching a height of 481 feet. It is demonstration of how the papyrus plant is made of 3,000,000 blocks of stone, each 37

made into a sheet to write or paint on. Many young Arab men who were university paintings were available for sale, and I had students, and spoke very good English. One become intrigued with The Judgement Scene was a student in Ancient Egyptian paintings back in the museum and decided to buy a and writings and was on his way to pre-pare a small paintng of this scene on papyrus. (This Government Exhibit on some of these items. is where the Pharoah is standing in front of He invited us to come see the exhibit, and the judges and they ask him many questions while this seemed to be a good opportunity, about his good deeds and his bad deeds; he we were not quite that brave, and we also had then proceeds to the Judgment of Right or to get up at 4:00 am the next morning for our Wrong with the God of Embalming leading flight to Luxor. him to the Judgment Hall. Here the heart is placed on a scale and a feather on the As we crossed the bridge in front of the motel, opposite scale. If his good deeds outweigh his a pretty little girl came running up from bad deeds, the feather will be lighter. The under the bridge -- where I assume she and Scribe of the Gods writes down the verdict, her family lived with a small boat there -- and and if he passed, the Son of Osirus (Osirus"is clothes were hanging out under and beside the God of Resurrection) takes him to Osirus, the bridge. I asked her if I could take a picture, where he is given the Keys of Heaven, and his which she obliged, and then held her hand out soul goes on forever and forever. ) for money. There were other more desperate looking beggars along our walk, which I could hardly resist and did oblige in some cases. We passed a military camp, and when we stopped and looked over the fence, a soldier motioned us on. We also went across the Bridge of Lions at another section of The Nile.

The city buses were literally overflowing, with people hanging out the windows and doors. They must have carried five times as many people as they should have. Police-men, tourist police, and military officers were everywhere. People along the streets were friendly and congenial. You know, come to The Papyrus Institute learning how its’ made think of it, I don't think I ever saw a display of temper among these Moslem people (which March 20 - Karnak Bazaar could be contrasted with the frequent display

of anger by Italians seen in Italy). Our guide Our next stop was at the Karnak Bazaar, indicated that no matter what a persons "lot" where I purchased a Carteuch -- a gold was in Egypt, they were "contented" believing pendant with my name in hieroglyphics. After that what God wills He wills. dinner we decided to take a walk across the

Nile River from where our hotel was -- as we March 21 - Flight to Luxor had been told there was nothing to be afraid of

in walking the streets of Cairo. (Isn't it strange We awoke at 4:00 am to prepare for our early that in Greece, Israel, and Egypt you don't have flight to Luxor only to find that we had a to worry about the normal street crime such as power outage in the hotel. We had no lights in robberies, rapes, and murders -- while here in our room, only a very small flashlight. So we the USA, we are afraid to get out of our houses. showered in the dark, dressed in the dark, As we took our walk, we were joined by two and found. our way down the stairs (elevators 38

were not working) for breakfast at 5:00, and corridors and chambers cut into rock. Carved left the hotel at 5:30 for the Cairo Airport. and painted religious scenes and hieroglyphic After passing through separate lines for purse texts cover the walls. This art work depicts and bag checks (that is, one for men, and one the activities of a dead king in the hereafter. for women), we boarded Egypt Air's Boeing 767 (300.passengers) for our two-hour flight Tombs in this area include those of to Luxor. We left the airport at 7:00 am. From Tutankhamen, Thutmose III, Ramses II, and the air, we had good views of the Nile, the Ramses III. We only went into the tombs of Delta areas, and the desert. On arrival at Ramses III, and Ramses IX. These pharaohs Luxor, a bus carried us to a ferry to cross to designed their own tombs, and if they died the other side of the Nile for our trip to the before it was completed, it was just never Valley of the Kings and Queens. finished. So, in both cases, where we went into the tombs, the innermost chambers had March 21 - Route from Luxor to Valley of the nothing on the walls. Since I had to pay to Kings take a camera into the tombs (which still could not be used with flash), I only took Before we reached the ferry and on the other photos inside Ramses III's tomb, and even side of the Nile, sugar cane was being though it was fairly dark inside, the pictures harvested in the most primitive ways, loaded came out great. It was hard to believe these on the backs of donkeys and/or carts pulled carvings and paintings were over 3000 years behind donkeys, and loaded onto railcars (not old. It was actually much lighter (corridors railcars like we see in America) but "flatbeds" were wider) in Ramses IX's tomb, so I wished resembling something like a small logging I had paid to take my camera in it. Some of trailer in our country that has been in use for these tombs took 35 years to complete -- and I decades. These scenes were very picturesque, can easily believe this, with the depth of these and I got some very good photos from the bus. carved chambers into the mountain of rock and then the intricate carvings and paintings. After getting off the ferry, we boarded another bus for our short trip to the Valley of the Kings. This lower part of Egypt is a much poorer section of the country. It is rocky desert, with cultivation only along the Nile. The people look very poor, and for the most part, live in very simple dwellings. We passed some houses and small stores that were colorfully painted with various scenes, which had some religious significance -- but I missed the explanation by the guide.

The Valley of the Kings is actually a rocky, narrow gorge, which was used as a cemetery The Valley of the Kings by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt between 1550 and 1100 BC. It lies on the west bank of Of course, King Tut's tomb was not open to the Nile River. Sixty-two tombs have been the public at this time due to bacteria growth found in the Valley of the Kings and the caused from the breathing of visitors. adjoining valley, with the Pharaohs having the However, since he died at age 18, his tomb most elaborate tombs. (Queens, women, and was virtually plain as they had not had time children were buried in the Valley of the for all the elaborate carvings and paintings. Queens). The tombs are in the form of However, as has been mentioned before, his is 39

the only tomb found that had not been robbed one of the natives proceeded to pull up his and looted. As we left the Valley of the Kings, robe, squat, and use the bathroom in full view we passed several Funeral Parlories of the of all around him. While this was labeled an Pharoahs, which now lie mostly in ruins. Alabasta "Factory", it was being prepared very primitively it seemed. While the people March 21 - Leaving the Valley of the Kings and in this area looked very poor, our guide Visit to Temple of Hatshepsut indicated they were not as bad off as they looked. Everyone seemed to have their own As we left the Valley of the Kings, many cave- donkey, which would cost 200-300 pounds; a like tombs were observed in the bare rocky camel would cost at least 1000 lbs (we saw cliffs of the adjacent mountains. Our next stop less of these); and a water buffalo would cost was at the Temple of Hatshepsut, the first as much as 3000 lbs. woman to be Pharoah, and who ruled Egypt for 22 years. The temple was built in 1600 BC. As we continued our drive, we passed the This temple was actually a funerary funeral parlor of Ramses II, which was monument built for her father, Tutmose I, and destroyed in an earthquake; and also the herself. Queen Hatshepsut had herself funeral parlor of Ramses III. (The elaborate depicted as a male rather than female in all funeral procedures took place in the funeral the paintings on the temple; as well as in her parlors before the mummy was placed in the tomb. This temple sits at the base of a fan- tomb.) shaped rocky mountain ledge, which has already fallen once and destroyed most of the March 21 - Valley of Queens temple, which has been partially restored. It is said that these rocks loosen with time, and We then arrived at the Valley of the Queens, the mountain is likely to fall again. Queen where women and children were buried. Hatshepsut's nephew, who succeeded her as There are sixty-two tombs that have been Pharaoh, resented her reign as Pharaoh, and located in this area. Ramses III lost five had tried to mar the paintings of her in the children in a smallpox epidemic, all of whom temple. are buried here. Only five tombs are open to the public. We visited the tomb of the wife of Ramses II, and one of the five children of Ramses III. While the more important women and children were buried in tombs hewn into the stone mountain; less important people were just buried in tombs as we approached the mountain, marked by stones on just flat ground. I did not take my camera in either of these tombs, but I wish that I had in the tomb of Ramses' son to show how the paintings on the wall depicted the young boy.

Temple of Hatshepsut The tomb of Nefertari (wife of Ramses III) is under excavation, and is expected to be March 21 - Drive to Valley of the Queens opened to the public in the near future. I As we left the Temple of Hatshepsut and failed to mention that in the tomb of the wife proceeded toward the Valley of the Queens, of Ramses II , a seven-month fetus was found we passed a small village where we visited an in this tomb and is on display in a glassed Alabasta Factory. Just across the road from us, enclosure.

40

March 21 - Colossi of Memnon to the north the village of Karnak developed.

Still in the general area of the Valley of the March 21 - Temples of Karnak and Luxor Queens and Kings, we saw the two gigantic statues, 20 meters high, cut out of a single We visited the ruins of the Temple of Karnak block of sandstone, representing Pharoah and then the Temple of Luxor, the avenue of seated on his throne with his hands on his the sphinxes in front of the temple, where two knees. This is all that remains of the obelisks of Ramses II used to stand, but where monumental avenue which used to lead to the there is only one today, since the other temple of Amon-Of is III. obelisk was taken to France in 1833 and now stands in the centre of a square in Paris March 21 - Crossing the Nile and Back to the (which we saw while in Paris). There is so City of Luxor much history to absorb in these temples. There are enormous columns, all of which are As we proceeded to catch the ferry, we covered with intricate hieroglyphics. Each observed the water buffalo being used by the pharaoh added on to the temples, so the sugar cane farmers along the way. Of course, structures represented a number of dynasties. the donkeys far outnumbered the water Outside the temple was the pool where the buffalo, since the buffalo were more priests washed before they went in. expensive. As we boarded the ferry and made our journey across the Nile, we were told that March 21 - A Little Shopping Time in Luxor we were in the area where Moses was placed in the bulrushes. As we looked across at We were allowed a little shopping time in Luxor, we had good views of the Temple of Luxor, and I finally found T-Shirts with the Karnak and other ancient temples we would hieroglyphic alphabet on front for the visit. We had lunch at a hotel in Luxor, where grandchildren. reservations had been made in advance for us. March 21 - Flight Back to Cairo

Luxor is really where the ancient city of We boarded our Egypt Air flight back to Cairo, Thebes was laid out. For centuries, it was the and it was about 9:30 when we got back to capital of the Egyptian Kingdom and famous our hotel for dinner, and off to bed so that we for its wealth. It is the city where Homer in could be ready for a 5:00 am breakfast to start the IX canto of the Illiad referred to as our trip home. "Thebes of the gates How-ever, it was just a little village during the "Memphis" era. Its March 22 - Homeward Bound importance started to increase from the Xth dynasty onwards, for both political and We left our hotel at 6:00 am for the Cairo geographical reasons, until finally it became airport for our flight to Athens. We boarded the capital of the pharaohs of the New our flight in Athens for New York City finally Kingdom. Every victory and triumph was arriving home in Charleston, SC. This had celebrated by the construction of new and been a wonderful trip. I am writing this last grandiose temples to the God Amon. Its page some four months later when we have decline started in 672 BC, and it was finally just gotten back from a trip to England, Wales, destroyed by the Ptolemies. As with Memphis, Ireland, and Scotland. The latter trip was a prophesy had been fulfilled, "Thebes shall great, but in no way would it compare to the be rent asunder".... Ezekiel 30:16. The old trip to the Holy Land and Egypt. Egyptian capital is divided in two by a canal; to the south grew up the town of Luxor while 41

Table of Contents Listed below are the headings to find topics that are most frequently searched for additional information or to be reminded of their significance. To Find the Subject: Page Numbers are listed with either A (left column) or B (right column) where subject is located A Hyphen ( – ) means the subject is discussed throughout those pages like page 2 thru 4 A Slash ( / ) means the subject is discussed separately on those pages, not throughout like 2 and 4 Subjects are underlined and in bold on the pages to help find the specific information

Acrocorinth (Greece) Citadel (North at Megiddo) ...... 3A ..7B Acropolis (Greece)...... 1B – 2B / 4B City of David (Jerusalem) ...... 25B / 29A Aegean Sea (Greece) ...... 3A Corinth (Greece) ...... 2B-4B Agora (Greece) ...... 3B Court of the Gentiles (Jerusalem) ...... 26A Aigina (or Egina) (Greece) ...... 2B Crusader St. Paul Cathedral (Caesarea)...... 6B Alabasta Mosque (Egypt) ...... 36B Damascus Gate (Jerusalem) . 19A / 24A / 29A Altar of the Three Wise Men (Bethlehem)16A David's Tower (Jerusalem)...... 29B Antonio's Fortress (Jerusalem)...... 27B - 28A Dead Sea (South) ...... 21A / 23A Archaeological Museum (Jerusalem)...... 18B Dead Sea Scrolls (Jerusalem)...... 18A Ark of the Covenant (Jerusalem) ...... 26B Diamond Factory (Jerusalem)...... 19A Athens (Greece) ...... 1A Dome of the Rock (Jerusalem) ...... 26B-27A Baptisms in the Jordan (North) ...... 13B Dung Gate (Jerusalem) ...... 24A-25B Bedouin (Egypt) ...... 31B Ecce Homo Arch (Jerusalem)...... 28A Bedouin Camps (Throughout)...... 14A Egyptian History (Egypt) ...... 33A – 34A Bema (Greece) ...... 3B Egyptian Museum (Egypt)...... 34A Ben Ezra Synagogue (Egypt)...... 35A Eilat (South)...... 30B Bet Shean (North)...... 13B El Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem)...... 26B – 27A Bethany (Central and Jerusalem) ...... 15A / 21A El Kas Purification Fountain (Jerusalem). 27A Bethlehem (Central)...... 15B En-Gedi (South)...... 22A Caesarea (Mediterranean Coast)...... 5A-6A Erechtheion (Greece)...... 4B Cana (North of Nazareth) ...... 9A Feast of Passover ...... 15B Capernaum (North) ...... 10A-12A Field of Boaz (Bethlehem)...... 17A Cardo (Jerusalem)...... 29A Field of the Shepherds (Bethlehem)...... 17A Carmelite Monastery of Elijah (Muhraka).. 7B Filopapou Hill (Greece)...... 1B Baha’i Shrine (Haifa on Mediterranean) ...... 7A Garden of Gethsemane (Jerusalem)...... 29A Carteuch (Egypt)...... 38A Garden Tomb (Jerusalem) ...... 19A Children's Museum (Jerusalem) ...... 30A Gate of the Virgin (Jerusalem)...... 28A Church of Flagellation (Jerusalem)...... 28A Giza Pyramids (Egypt) ...... 37A Church of Gabriel (Nazareth)...... 8B Golan Heights (North)...... 12A – 13B Church of Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem)...... 19A Golden Gate (Jerusalem)...... 25A Church of St. Catherine (Bethlehem) ...... 16B Great Sphinx (Egypt) ...... 37B Church of St. Peter (North)...... 11B Grotto of James (Jerusalem)...... 24B Church of the Annunciation (Nazareth)...... 8B Haifa (Mediterranean Coastal)...... 7B Church of the Beatitudes (North) ...... 10A Herod's Aqueduct (Caesarea) ...... 6B Church of the Holy Sepulchre ...... 26B / 28A Herodian (North) ...... 14B Church of the Nations (Jerusalem) ...... 29A Herodian Temple (Caesarea) ...... 6A Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem) ...... 15B Hezekiah’s Wall (Jerusalem)...... 29A Citadel (Egypt) ...... 36B Hills of Nazareth (North) ...... 7A Citadel (Jerusalem)...... 29B Hippodrome (Caesarea) ...... 5B 37

Holocaust Museum (Jerusalem)...... 29B – 30B Roman Theater at Bet Shean (North)...... 13B Hydra (Idra) (Greece) ...... 2B Room of the Footwashing (Jerusalem)...... 17B Israel Museum (Jerusalem)...... 18A Room of the Last Supper (Jerusalem)...... 17B Isthmus of Corinth (Greece) ...... 3A Sea of Galilee (North) ...... 9B / 10A / 12A Jaffa Gate (Jerusalem)...... 29B Sedot Yam Kibbutz (Coast) ...... 5B Jericho (Central) ...... 14A Shrine of the Book (Jerusalem) ...... 18A Jezreel Valley (North) ...... 7B Solomon's North Palace (North)...... 7B Jordan River (North to Central) ...... 13A St. Anne's Church (Jerusalem) ...... 27B Karnak Bazaar (Egypt) ...... 38A St. Peter's Fish (North) ...... 13A Kibbutzim (Throughout Israel)...... 9B St. Peter's House (North) ...... 11B Kidron Valley (Jerusalem) ...... 18A St. Stephen's Gate (Jerusalem)...... 20A / 24B King David Street (Jerusalem) ...... 18A Stations of the Cross (Jerusalem) ...... 28A King David’s Tomb (Jerusalem) ...... 17A Storm of 1992 (North) ...... 9B Knesset (Jerusalem) ...... 18A Street of Sorrows (Jerusalem)...... 28A Lechaion Road (Greece) ...... 3B Suez Canal (Egypt)...... 32A Luxor (Egypt) ...... 38B Synagogue in Capernaum (North) ... 11A-11B Manger Square (Bethlehem) ...... 15B Tabgha (North) ...... 10A Mars Hill (Greece)...... 4B Tels (Throughout the Holy Land)...... 6B Mary's well (Nazareth)...... 8B Temple Mount (Jerusalem) ...... 26A Masada (South)...... 22A Temple of Aphaia (Greece)...... 2B Megiddo (North) ...... 6B-7A Temple of Aphrodite (Greece) ...... 3A Miri Lowenberg (Israel Guide)...... 4B Temple of Athena (Greece) ...... 4B Model of Old Jerusalem (Jerusalem) ...... 15B Temple of Hatshepsut (Egypt) ...... 40A Mohammed Ali Mosque (Egypt)...... 37A Temple of Karnak (Egypt) ...... 41B Monastery of Elijah (Bethlehem)...... 16B Temple of Luxor (Egypt)...... 41B Moriah Rock (Jerusalem)...... 27A Temple Square (Jerusalem) ...... 27B Mount Herodian (Central)...... 17A Temple to Apollo (Greece)...... 3B Mount Moriah (Jerusalem)...... 26B Theatre of Dionysus (Greece) ...... 4B Mount of Olives (Jerusalem)...... 29A Thebes (Egypt) ...... 41A Mount of Temptation (North) ...... 14B Tiberias (North)...... 9B / 12A – 12B Mount Zion (Jerusalem) ...... 25B Tomb of Absalom (Jerusalem) ...... 24B Mountains of Moab (Central) ...... 14B Tomb of Zachariah (Jerusalem)...... 24B Mt. Carmel (Mediterranean Coastal)...... 7B Valley of Armageddon (North)...... 6B Mt. of Beatitudes (North) ...... 10A Valley of Armageddon (North)...... 7A Mt. Zion (Jerusalem) ...... 17A Valley of Jezreel (North)...... 7A Mummification (Egypt)...... 34B Valley of Megiddo (North)...... 7A National Water Carrier (North)...... 9A Valley of Sharon (Mediterranean Coast)...... 5A Nazareth (North)...... 7B-8A Valley of the Kings (Egypt)...... 39A Netanya (Mediterranean Coast) ...... 5A Valley of the Queens (Egypt)...... 40A Old Corinth (Greece)...... 4A Via Dolorosa (Jerusalem) ...... 27B Old Jerusalem (Jerusalem) ...... 23B - Wailing Wall (Jerusalem) ...... 26A - 26B / 29B Papyrus Institute (Egypt)...... 37B Water Tunnel (North at Megiddo)...... 7B Parthenon (Greece)...... 4B West Bank (Central West) ...... 14A Placa (old Athens) (Greece)...... 2A/2B Zion Gate (Jerusalem) ...... 29A Pool of Bethesda (Jerusalem)...... 27B Poros (Greece)...... 2B Qumran (South)...... 21A Rachel's Tomb (Bethlehem)...... 15B Roman Theater at Caesarea (Costal)...... 6A 42