Around Jerusalem and a Little Town called Bethlehem



The day after we got back from Galilee was the eve of Yom Kippur, so the city was basically shut down, which was a blessing to give us a day of rest from the whirlwind week! The next day was Yom Kippur, so we still took it easy and just walked up the Mount of Olives to a church on top dedicated to the “Our Father.” I think this church started the trend of having scripture and mosaics in several different languages, because in the original church there were reports of finding inscriptions of the Our Father in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. That inspired the current church to have the prayer written in over a hundred different languages. There were really so many that I did not recognize at all. Even Cherokee Native Americans had one! And several languages were written in Braille as well. It was really neat.

The courtyard of the Pater Noster church with some of the different languages

The next day, Lori and I went to the Citadel and the Tower of David. It is part of a fortress Herod built, that was mistakenly identified as David’s before they knew where the real City of David is (on the complete other side of the modern city). The museum there was really interesting. Instead of artifacts, they had really well-done visual representations of the history of Jerusalem. We are getting so good at our history that we could identify many events without reading the descriptions!

The ruins inside of the fortress

Monday we walked around half of the city on top of the walls! It was really neat! We walked around the Christian and Muslim quarters. Some of the time we were just looking at the sides of buildings that are built right against the wall, but most of the time we were looking at the rooftops, which are basically the people’s backyards with swings and laundry lines. It really gave us an appreciation of the residential life of the city, which you can forget about when all you do is visit the shops and tourist attractions. There was also a great view of the Temple Mount from the Damascus Gate in the Muslim Quarter. Then we went to the basement of a convent called the Lithostrotos. They have pavement from the 1^st century where Jesus might have been in prison, and in the marble pavement is a engraving called the “Game of the King” which was a dice game prisoners would play. The winner was king for the day and could do whatever he wanted, but at the end of the game he was killed. Something like that. I didn’t really understand, but it was interesting to see!

Walking along the top of the wall

Part of the Lithostrotos



Tuesday was one of my favorite days. We went to Bethlehem! Bethlehem is in Palestinian territory so we had to go through a checkpoint in the wall separating Israel and Palestine, but we didn’t have any problems. We started out at Shepherd’s Field, which is the field where the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them announcing the birth of Jesus. We had Christmas Mass there, meaning we used the Christmas readings and sang Christmas carols! It was so moving to be in the place the songs are referencing! And lo and behold, a shepherd walked his sheep through the field below us while we were watching! So picturesque! While we were waiting for the bus to pick us up, we started talking to one of the vendors selling olive wood and bags, and it turns out, he works in Pittsburgh during the Christmas season! He has a kiosk in the Pittsburgh Mills Mall selling olive wood! It is such a small world! He was so friendly. He was sharing with me how since the wall was constructed, the cost of living in Bethlehem has gone up. At the same time, tourism has gone down. So it is becoming very difficult for people who have been dependent on tourism to make a living. Please, after November 20, if you are in the Pittsburgh Mills Mall, stop by his kiosk and buy some olivewood! He really needs the support! This year he is hoping to have a kiosk near the food court. His name is Gassan, and he is really a nice man! We exchanged emails, so he will remember me and give you a good price if you mention that I told you to go to him!

The fields of the Shepherds

Sheep!

Then we went to the Church of the Nativity. This is one of the oldest churches still in use in the world. Helena built the first church in the 4^th century, and most of it was destroyed so Justinian built one on top of it in the 5^th century. In the middle ages when the Muslims were destroying all of the churches, they saw a mosaic of the Three Kings in this church, which looked like them, so they didn’t destroy it! That’s why the church has been able to be in continual use for so long! In the church is the cave where Jesus was born, which you can touch. The site has been reverenced since the 2^nd century which makes scholars think it is pretty authentic. Don’t worry, Jesus was born in a manger. The area has a lot of caves carved into the soft chalk rock, and people would often build their homes in front of the caves, using the caves as part of the home. In the winter, they kept their animals in the cave because they provided warmth for the rest of the house. To separate the animals and the house, the mangers would block the cave. So when there wasn’t room in the inn, Mary and Joseph may have been in the back cave of an inn or house. Not the picture we imagine, but a more archaeologically accurate representation. Pretty neat! After the church we went to the olive wood shop that is owned by friends of our professor. We got to see them carving the wood which was really interesting.

The Church of the Nativity



The grotto where Jesus' birthplace is reverenced. Its so decorated you cant even tell what you are looking at.

Then we went to Bethlehem University to talk to students about life in Bethlehem and how the Christian presence there makes such a difference. The school is the only Christian college in Palestine, and was built in the 70s. Most of the students are Muslim, but that makes the school one of the only places in Israel where Christians and Muslims can learn together and become friends with each other. The video we watched about the school said that no one knows when peace will come to this area, but when it does, Palestine will need well-educated, well-rounded citizens with open hearts to rebuild Palestine, and those people will come from Bethlehem University. The students shared with us the hopes they have for the future, and the fears that they have for today. It really gives such a different perspective on the conflict, as simply living here has. The news does not portray it accurately, and that was one of the most important things the students wanted to tell us. 

The chapel in Bethlehem University



Yesterday Kasia and Kate and I walked around the city ALL day! We wanted to go to a museum, but it was closed because of Sukkot. It is really amazing how the holy days of each of the 3 religions really affects daily life as far as what is open, which buses run, where you can go, etc. Anyway, we walked around all 4 quarters. It was the first time I had been in the Jewish and Armenian quarters. I also find it amazing how each quarter is like going into a completely different world. In the Jewish quarter we saw a lot of the booths they have built for the feast which was neat. We went to “The Burnt House” which is the remains of a house that was burned down when the Romans destroyed the Jewish temple in 70 CE. It had a video presentation about the destruction of Jerusalem that gave a good idea of what life was like, and that the whole city was destroyed, not just the temple. The churches we wanted to see in the Armenian quarter were closed, but we were talking to a shop owner who told us to go up the staircase near his shop to the roof because there is a good view. What was even better than the view, was the fact that the rooftops were like another street. They are paved and all connected, and people were walking around. We felt like Aladdin! 

A Sukkot booth in the Jewish quarter



The Burnt House

On the rooftops



We went to the Christian quarter and climbed to the top of the bell tower of the Lutheran church of Christ the Redeemer. It had a beautiful view of the whole city! Then we went back to the Holy Sepulcher (where Jesus’ tomb is). The line at the tomb was still way too long, but we were able to go to the chapel upstairs on the hill of Calvary and reach your hand under the altar and put it in the hole where the cross would have been inserted. That was really amazing. Then we went to the Western Wall to see the Jewish people getting ready for Sukkot. We got there too early, but since the wall was empty we went and prayer. The woman praying next to me was reading the Jewish scriptures and was actually weeping. I couldn’t help but cry myself. It was a really moving experience to pray there. We saw a few families coming to the wall with their palms and fruit, but we had to leave so we could make it to dinner. We might go back another day this week.

The view of the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives from the bell tower



It is hard to see, but to the left of the altar is part of the stone of Mount Calvary, and under the altar where Kate is in the blue shirt is where you can reach through and feel the hole.