A Beautiful Sunday in Jerusalem

Our 6th day in Israel was Sunday June 19th (Fathers Day in the US). Fortunately our first free day in Israel had landed on Sunday, so we had the opportunity to go to church. Dr. Beyer a professor with Columbia International University had recommended Christ Church at Jaffa Gate. The church is an evangelical Anglican congregation and their services are held in english.

A few of us made our way with Dr. Painter to the church. We walked up to the gated entrance and made our way inside the courtyard of the church. The church was built in 1849 and is the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East.

Christ Church: photo cred: Jane Lam

The inside was not expansive but it was still beautiful. We sat in brown wooden chairs toward the front. Little details escape me, it has been a few months, but we did have the wonderful opportunity to worship and partake in communion. Communion was a little different, in which we shared the wine cup.

Following the service we communed outside in the courtyard. The sun was shining brightly of course as it was a summer day in Israel. That day was Fathers Day in the US and I remember thinking I would have given anything to have my father visit with me.

Our plan for the rest of the afternoon was to visit the Israel Museum. We decided to catch a taxi outside Jaffa Gate to the museum because it was located in the new city of Jerusalem. Two taxis later we all arrived at the Museum and made our way inside to their cafe. We enjoyed a nice lunch (for me a delicious salmon salad) and then ventured into the Museum.

Leilani and I in front of the Shrine of the Book Exhibit

Museums are not my most favorite destinations in the world. Yet, being able to visit a museum in another country and on top of the that a museum in the country where Biblical events occurred caught my interest. This Museum also house the ancient manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, most notably the Isaiah scroll that I had always wanted to see. My family had the opportunity to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit at the Seattle Science Center back in 2006, but I had been unable to. The Shrine of the Book was beneath a giant white looking dome. It is supposed to represent the lids of the clay jars which had encased the scrolls for over 2000 years. Another interesting exhibit to the Musuem is the almost a one acre model of Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period. It gives a great 3-D visual of what Jerusalem looked like when Christianity was born. Leilani and I ventured into the book store after we were through and I found a book that I was pretty excited to bring home to my father who is fascinated with archeology.

Jerusalem 2nd Temple Model

A few of us decided to walk back to the college from the Israel Museum instead of taking a taxi back. It was a great way to enjoy the weather, the neighborhood of Jerusalem and was a free trip back. It took us about 50 minutes and I was in a skirt and sandals.

Ariel view of Christ Church at Jaffa Gate
The chapel is the building that is across from the red roof building, it has trees rising up in front of it. 

Resources:
Virtual Tour of the Shrine of the Book

Judean Desert to the Mediterranean

A hike in the desert, lunch in Jericho and a swim in the Mediterranean. Our fifth day was another expedition in Israel. 

We began our adventure in the Judean desert overlooking the Wadi Quelt. FYI – A wadi is another term for valley or ravine. Many times the edges of a wadi or their ground floor was used by travelers for roads. We all emptied out of the tour bus took a quick walk up a hill and over the other side was an expansive view overlooking part of the Judean desert and the Wadi Quelt. With rolling hills below us, the sun rising in the east and the heat escalating, we had the pleasure of having this imposing scene serve as our classroom while Aubrey taught for 30 minutes.

It was such a blessing to be apart of this group and have Aubrey as our instructor. I could not have imagined a better trip if I had chosen to study and tour alone with a small group. Aubrey added details, an abundance of scripture and emotion to her teaching at each inspiring and historical site we visited. Here at the ridge overlooking the desert she read Psalm 139, Jeremiah 2:6, Deuteronomy 1:19 and 32:8. Scriptures talked about the land we were presently in and how it was viewed in the Bible. It is spoken of as a dreadful place and hardly inhabited. Yet, for me who had security in the fact: I knew where my next meal was coming from and how I was getting out; it was a gorgeous sight to marvel at.

Our next adventure for the day was a hike along the Wadi Quelt. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, except that we were going on a hike through the Wadi Quelt and were ending up in Jericho. The hike was optional but most of the group chose to go. We passed St. George Monastery in the first portion of the hike. After that we continued along the upper ridge along the quelt. The hike was pretty much level the whole way through. To our left was a steep drop off to the valley canyon below and to our right was steep walls that possessed numerous caves.

Our hike in the Wadi Quelt

A few of us headed up the front of the group, when Lindi had a minor accident. She tripped and caught her toe on a rock. I have to mention Lindi and Lucas, if they read this I apologize, but these two adventurous duos chose to wear sandals! Albeit it would have been duable with any closed toe shoe but risky with sandals. Lucas made it out unharmed. Lindi unfortunately cut her toe pretty badly about half way through. Lindi is a tough cookie at 18, and once it was wrapped up as best it could be -- she finished without a peep. Her toughness challenged me the rest of the trip, but I still don’t think I’ll ever be as tough. The one thing I remember vividly is the heat! I had chosen not to put on any sunscreen and as a result I watched and felt myself burn through our walk. I soaked it in though cause I hadn’t been burnt yet, and I was still reveling in being in the sun. The whole not wearing sunscreen phase would soon disappear after that. 

A lesson in being in front: know where your going! As I was walking in the front, seemingly following a trail a small girl came up to me and said something. I thought she was just being kind and smiled back at her and kept walking. However as I quickly realized she was trying to show me the right way to go. An embarrassing story to round out the hike but you got to laugh at yourself sometimes I suppose.

We all finally made it out of the Wadi. At the end of the hike was another one of Herod’s palaces. Because of the climate and the fact Jericho is well below sea level; the location of the palace served as an escape from the winter season.  

Following our adventurous hike we piled back into the bus and headed into Jericho. Jericho possesses a tropical climate with mild winters. It is 820 feet below sea level and is considered the lowest city on earth. Archeological evidence suggests it may also be the oldest city on earth, but that is up for debate. What contributed to it is thriving history is good soil, controllable water source and early fortifications. In Judges 3:12 Jericho is referred to as the “City of Palms”. 1 Kings 16:34.

We ate lunch inside a restaurant in Jericho. We had our own packed lunch but were able to sit inside the air-conditioned place at tables. They were selling drinks to us, so I tried Turkish coffee for the first time. It was actually pretty good. They had a large gift shop downstairs. After lunch we walked around and checked out the goods. I ended up buying a poster of the city of Bethlehem. I was exhausted by the time lunch was finished and was looking forward to a quick nap before we stopped at our next site. However, as we pulled away and got back on the road I was still amazed at the views and decided against a quick nap.

http://www.temptationcenter.com/about.html/

Jericho: Leilani, Jackie and I

Our next stop was a Nebi Samuel. The site is the traditional buriel place for the prophet Samuel. It served more as a visual point as Aubrey taught class. As she was teaching we witnessed a fire start, in a family field below. We watched as the surrounding community rushed to the aid and helped put out the rapidly spreading fire. By the time we left the fire was controlled and for the most part out. Unfortunately the family had lost a bit of their crops.

Tel-Gezer was our next stop. It was a dramatic change in scenery. For we had come from the desert and had ended up in a lush green area of Israel, close to the coast. Aubrey taught for a while here and then we had a chance to go out and experience the area. I felt miserable at Gezer. I was hot, sweaty and tired. I was looking forward to going back and taking a shower. I regret not spending more time and checking Gezer out.

Our last stop was the beach! I felt miserable and hot, but was looking forward to cooling off in the water. Our final destination was Ashkelon. We all exited the bus quickly and went to change into our bathing suits. As soon as we jumped in I managed to swallow enough salt water to make me need fresh water ASAP. This was so frustrating, I don't swallow water - I never swallow water when I swim! And it seemed everyone was enjoying the salt water just fine. I ended up getting out a few times to borrow water from a gracious friend. When I got back in Leilani asked me if I had been stung. Stung? Apparently there were jellyfish in abundance and everyone was being affected. I brushed it aside cause I was fine.

I was amazed by the height of the waves. They were massive and I loved it. In Washington and Oregon the waves are puny but here you could swim out just a bit and experience actual waves. Then it came – I was stung– and it was painful! So on top of my throat burning from the salt water, my wrist was in pain. I finally got out of the water and someone took me over to the lifeguard who directed me to the first aid station, the women there sprayed some vinegar on it (I think thats what it was) on it and the pain actually subsided. It seemed the jellyfish had managed to wrap itself around my wrist and sting me about the whole way around it.

So Ashkelon was definitely an adventure. I got stung by a jellyfish and swam in the Med Sea for the first time and experienced actual waves. I would love to go back though because I never was able to venture over to where some of the archeological sites were in Ashkelon, like some had. Our trip to Ashkelon rounded out our fifth and final day for the first portion of the trip. The next day was a free day and following that would be our first exam.

Our group running into the water  at Ashkelon after a long and hot day
Photo Credit: Victoria B 

Dancing in Jerusalem: "Flash Mob" experience

On our 3rd night in Israel I decided to stay in and not venture out with a few others into the Old City. When Leilani came back that night I heard that they had bumped into someone who had asked them if they wanted to learn a dance from a dance professional from Tel Aviv who was directing a flash mob to kick off the Light Festival the following night. So they had ended up working on the dance that night on top of Mamilla Mall right outside Jaffa Gate.

Leilani, Jackie and Lindi tried to teach me a little of the dance before and I got some of it. But I was not confident or prepared to get out there and dance; yet I wanted to participate, just to say I did it. The following night, after dinner, we went out to practice the choreography a few more times before dark. The dance was taking place when it was dark and we were given light sticks to dance with, tying into the light theme that week.  

practicing the dance for the flash mob in Jerusalem

We all jumped in to begin working on the dance. We practiced a few times and then were told that we would be picked out according to our ability to form the first row, second, third and so on. Then I got nervous because I knew I didn't know the dance as well as the others and besides that I am not coordinated when it comes to someone else showing me how to dance. Long story short, after some confusing choreography; who would come in and at what time, we were ready to get the show on the road. 

We were told shortly after the sun began setting that the Prime Minister of Israel would be at the flash mob dance. However we weren't for sure. I got my camera out and prepared Dr. Painter to take a picture of any "important" person who happened to be in attendance lol. After repeatedly being told it was going to start, then that time passing and them telling us that same story again we finally were told to be ready. It was supposed to be like a regular scene at other flash mobs, people were walking around the top of Mamilla Mall in the courtyard area and then the music would start and the rows of dancers would soon form and finish the dance. Because so many people were aware that the dance was taking place because we had practiced there a lot of the people were mulling around in the same area. 

All in all it finally came together and we got the dance done. The Prime Minister ended up being the Mayor of Jerusalem. Apparently his bus had broken down below and him and his security had an interesting time making it to the top safely. 

Mayor of Jerusalem: Nir Barkat; far right

Mt. of Olives to Bethlehem: Day four

Wow…I can’t believe it has been so long since I posted something, I am only on day 4. Ahhhh.

Day 4 was a packed day, in fact I cannot believe we did all that we did on this day. A quick highlight:

            We began at Mt. Scopus, then went to Mt. of Olives. Down the road of the Mountain we ventured into the grounds of the Dominus Flevit Church, a site remembered for where Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. We ended up at the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. We ate lunch at UN Hill. Lastly, we traveled to the West Bank and visited one of Herod’s Palaces, Herodium and then made our way to Bethlehem!

We began our day eating breakfast as usual. Breakfast at JUC was between 6-8am. However, we had to be at the bus pretty early in the morning. Wake up time for me was usually 5:30am so I could take a shower and have breakfast. If were really lucky we had to be at our tour bus at 7:45, other times it was by 7am. The Tour bus waited for us below the Mamilla Mall on a major road in the Hinnom Valley, just below Jaffa Gate. It took us about a 5-minute walk if we were fast to 10 minutes to get to the bus. It was a good warm up to the hiking and walking we would be doing the rest of the day.

Friday June 17^th was our fourth study day in Israel. We all packed on to our tour bus and traveled a short distance to Mt. Scopus, near Mt. of Olives. Mt. Scopus is east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley but in Jerusalem and visible from JUC. Mt. Scopus is named after the fact that it was considered a good “viewpoint” or place to “scope out” the surrounding region. On a clear day you could see the Mediterranean. Here we also visited a large 1^st century buriel tomb.

Our second stop was the Mt. of Olives. I was excited to visit the Mountain of Olives. It was definitely not what I expected. But again, I really hadn’t a clue of the terrain and geography of Israel before I came. I expected the Mt. to be…well a mountain; interestingly enough it is even described in the Bible as a “hill” (Luke 19:29). It gives a great view of Jerusalem, but is hardly a mountain, especially compared to the ones I see in Washington. On the Mt. of Olives are fully functioning roads so there was no hiking to the top, but we did make our way down, by walking down a road. On our walk down we saw the burial sites on the left and to the right were a variety church’s and church gardens. A tall stonewall paralleled our walk on both sides, giving the pathway character, sort of blocked view in some parts but nonetheless pretty. The view of Jerusalem was amazing. You could see the Mosque (Gold Dome, temple mt), Temple Steps, Hinnom Valley, Kidron Valley, City of David and much more.

Our Simpson Group from the Mt. of Olives

From the Mt. of Olives we walked down. All along the left side were buriel sites. The Senonian chalk on the Mt. of Olives makes this a prime location for tombs. Our first stop as we walked down the Mountain was the Dominus Flevit Church. This Church is dedicated to the spot where Jesus went and wept over Jerusalem. In Luke 19:28-38, Jesus is in Jerusalem riding down the Mt. of Olives, this scene is what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. “They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.”…Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:35-36,38).

Luke 19:41: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring peace- but now it is hidden from your eyes."

While the Dominus Flavit Church may not be the precise location of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, the general location is close. The view from the Church is a great point of view of the city of Jerusalem. From inside the church the windowpane gives a nice profile of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Inside Dominus Flavit Church looking towards Jerusalem

We continued down the Mt. of Olives and our final destination was the Garden of Gethsemane. I hadn’t been aware that the Garden and the Mt. of Olives had been so close. The perimeter of the Garden was gated. We were able to walk around the whole perimeter. The Garden was beautiful, full of olive trees, vibrant flowers and other lush plants.

Garden of Gesthename 

Next to the Garden was the Church of All Nations. The Church was dedicated to the promise God made with Abraham. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3. I thought the Church was beautiful inside. The entrance doors were grand and extremely tall. Inside the windows are made with purple alabaster and a cross marks each window. It is remarkable.

Inside the Church of All Nations: purple alabaster window panes

For lunch we traveled to the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Promenade on what is known as UN Hill because a UN building is located there. The Promenade had a terrific view of Jerusalem, Jordan the West Bank and the Dead Sea. From there we traveled to the West Bank and ventured to one of Herod’s palaces Herodium. Herodium was considered one of Herod’s great palaces, it possessed an open garden area and massive cisterns. Herod wanted to be able to see his Palace from Jerusalem. We were able to venture into a tunnel system there that was relatively expansive.

Our last stop of our fourth day in Israel was Bethlehem. Bethlehem is located in the West Bank, thus the Palestinians have majority control over this area. Due to this fact, and that Bethlehem is a popular tourist attraction because of it’s relativity to the site of Jesus’ birth the Palestinians are looking for way to make money off the large tourism. There is an obvious large resistance to charge people to visit “Holy Sites” so the Palestinians do not allow tour guides at the Church of Nativity. You must hire one of their tour guides. So as we entered the city Aubrey said that we were going to park our bus in a car garage and then from there she would quietly direct us where to go but for the rest of it we were on our own. We parked in the under ground car garage and took an elevator up to the main level. We walked out the mall type building and hit the street where we walked a few minutes to the church. There were Palestinian guards patrolling the area making sure there were no groups accompanying an unauthorized tour guide.

Stealing words from Dr. Painter’s blog he states: “The church is built over a cave which very early on was identified as the birthplace of Jesus. Though "traditional" is still a good term to use, the antiquity of the tradition is very impressive, making a strong case for the possibility that this is the actual site of Jesus' birth.” (Thanks Dr. Painter J) Aubrey noted that the church had not been taken care of, just like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I would agree with her, it may be old, but for the fact that it could have been the birthplace of Jesus, the inside seemed remarkably beat up. I would definitely recommend making a trip to Bethlehem if possible if anyone does venture to Israel.

As we made our way back to the bus we decided to make a stop at Stars and Bucks, a coffee shop mimicking Starbucks. I think I ordered an iced caramel coffee or something like that and it was surprisingly good with added coconut on top! Unfortunately Israel possesses no Starbucks! So it was a nice ending to the day touring the land. 

As we were driving away from Bethlehem, prior to making our way across the border of the West Bank and Israel Dr. Beyer, a Professor from Columbia International University shared that there was a mural on the wall separating the two regions that I would want to get some pictures of. So he kindly traded places with me on the bus and allowed me to take some pictures of a mural which depicted Palestinians view on the wall. 

The wall has stirred major controversy since it was erected in 2001. After the 2001 Intifada (or "uprising") Israel built the wall to defend their land from suicide bombers coming from the region of the West Bank. The wall has strongly hurt commerce in the West Bank and has made it difficult for Palestinians to travel back and forth to earn an income in Israel. However, it served as a defensive measure for Israel and thus has stirred controversy of its necessity. The question, How do you keep your land safe without seriously affecting others lives? It is a question the US asks every day as well. Unfortunately, certain defensive measures need to be taken in order to maintain an adequate level of security and it does not always please everyone and affects many. But is some respects in order to be secure you lose other things in the process. It is a difficult, risky and challenging decision to make sometimes. 

Hezekiah's Tunnel & Wall - Day 3

One of the main destinations the group was looking forward to doing this day was venturing into Hezekiah's tunnel. (Unfortunately I failed to bring my back up battery, thus have no personal pictures :( The tunnel was one of the first exciting adventures we made on our trip.

Inside Hezekiah's Tunnel

2 Kings 20:20/ 2 Chronicles 32:30
We entered the tunnel single file. The tunnel was only wide enough for one person to walk. As we stepped into the tunnel the water was pretty cold and went to about my knees. As we begin walking the temperature became more comfortable and the depth of the water subsided. The height of the tunnel changed drastically. Some areas we had to crouch and other times the top was a few feet above our heads. Fortunately there was no one close behind me, so I was able to walk at my own pace and take in what I saw. Albeit we were in the tunnel for about 20 minutes, so there was a lot of time to experience it. It was pretty dark as well but most of us had flashlights in addition to cameras. I videotaped the whole walk with someone's flip video camera. They had warned us that if were claustrophobic we may not enjoy the tunnel and there were some people in our group who were claustrophobic and were anxious to get out right away. I am a bit that way too, but I wasn't stationary and alone in a dark small space so I was alright.
A few facts about Hezekiah's Tunnel: It is 1750 ft long, considered a great example of water engineering for its time. Was constructed by one group starting at one end and another group at the other end finding their way to the middle. Thus that is why it is not perfectly straight and the width and height are sometimes drastic.

Display showing water level in Hezekiah's Tunnel

The tunnel is located in the City of David. The City of David is considered the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Jerusalem in the world. The city is south of the Temple Mt on the Eastern Hill. http://www.cityofdavid.org.il/hp_eng.asp

City of David

After the tunnel we came out to the Pool of Siloam. A 1st century pool. It is associated with John 9: 6... Jesus says to the blind man, "go wash in the Pool of Siloam." The actual portion of the pool is now protected by a garden on the property of an Eastern Orthodox Church. No excavation has been done there.  What we are able to see was the steps leading down into the pool. 

That day we also visited excavations in the city of David. (Meaning nothing to anyone who reads this except those who were there, we saw the lg. stone structure and stepped stone structure.) In Jeremiah 11:13 it speaks to the idea that there was a prevalence of idol worshipping among the people. There is an abundance of archeological evidence that proves this; many fertility gods were found here. In this time there was a high infidelity rate among the men. We also visited a "wall" known as the Broad Wall or  Hezekiah's Wall. The discovery of the wall by a man named Avigard actually proved to archeologists, historians and theologians that Jerusalem was in fact the kind of remarkable city is described as being in the Bible. Avigard interestingly enough was persuaded by his own discovery to discard previous theories about the description of Jerusalem in the Bible and take on a new perception of Jerusalem as a great city. See: Isaiah 22:10; Nehemiah 3:8; 2 Chronicles 32:2-5 

Class Time! God's amazing design even over the weather pattern, geography and geology helped secure water for Jerusalem which was amidst dry land. We learned about the Eocene, Senonian and Cenomanian strata deposits. These layers or deposits are highly influenced by the rain shadow that is present in the east. The storms from the Mediterranean come from the west and the presence of the Mt. of Olives and Watershed Ridge allow for rain to continue in Jerusalem. The rain shadow thus appears on the eastern side of the hills.  

Getting Ready to enter the Tunnel

Between a Canon and a Holy Place

June 14^th was our 2^nd day studying in Jerusalem. I don’t want to lose you at the word “class” but I’ll take the risk for just a second. When learning about Biblical geography it is important to understand that it played a role in many aspects of life in the region. (like any geographical setting does) For example, the vast exploration, West of the Mississippi, can be argued as, playing a vital role in expanding the power of the US. Therefore, the geology and geography would have had a role in shaping civilization in the region of Israel. It defined roads, strategic battle plans and basic living methods. We discussed the life of a Shepherd and a Farmer; learning different lifestyles each possessed and how the geographical settings affected their roles in the land.  

Prior to venturing out into the Old City again for another field study we were given a few short passages from the Bible: Psalms 122, Isaiah 9:6,7 and Isaiah 2:2.

My gracious brother allowed me to bring his very expensive cannon camera on my 3-week adventure to Israel. With no experience using a camera like this (other than my $100 7mp cannon - I hardly use) I was anxious to teach myself how to use his; learning all the funky little functions and settings ect. As I began to play around with it I quickly felt the power of taking pictures. And -- I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the "massive" camera over the more compact one that I owned. I always thought the smaller cameras were better…I had been wrong.

It was fun to look through the viewfinder of the camera and snap the picture. Used to seeing my "shot" on a screen, I now had a more accurate idea of what I was snapping a photo at. So, this time I was constantly placing my eyes between the camera’s viewfinder and shooting at my target. I soon found myself "special" targets, which happened to be at a number of “Holy Places”.

I became attached to my cannon due to the fact that I was a novice at capturing these "Holy Places" artistically and logically. It was fun and engaging to experience the places we went, behind the cannon; using different angles, lighting and camera settings. It was as if I could not experience where I was at or take in what I had seen without looking through the viewfinder. I found myself desiring a logical shot of the site as well as an aesthetically pleasing one for the eye. I wrestled with spending the short amount of time; snapping photos or reflecting on where I was at. Sometimes the I chose the Cannon and other times I chose to reflect. 

My expectation of how I would feel when I was at these “Holy Places”, was not what I experienced. Prior to coming I expected to be mesmerized and in awe, but in a way it was anti-climactic. I hate to say this because in no way do I regret visiting these places, but the feelings of expectations and desire to visit, when I saw them in a picture at home was not what I experienced when I arrived. I soon realized I didn't have any spiritual feelings or life changing epiphanies. Attached to this lack of revere was the fact that churches had been built over many of the Holy places and it distracted me from focusing on God and His son's possible presence at my very location.

Spiritual feelings aside, I was fascinated by what was inside of these Churches. The architecture, art and history captured my attention. The fact I had the power of a Cannon to replay the memory of being there begged me that much more, to place myself behind the lens, which stood between me and the "Holy Place". Thus the inner struggle of remembering where I was at, but also wanting to snap a “pretty” picture reminded me of church history, when we discussed the iconoclast controversy. A debate in the church that has had lasting ramifications; the argument of whether or not images in the church should be allowed. The argument for those who desired images was that it brought glory and attention to God in the Church. Whereas, iconoclasts rejected images within the church. They argued, images served as another form of idol worship. Where before I might have said, let the men keep their pictures, I have a better understanding of how art could have jeopardized others ability to worship and focus on God. 

I concluded that it was okay not to have the feelings I was expecting at these sites. God was not judging me based on how I felt at a place on a map or a site dedicated to Him. While I Love Israel and Enjoyed every second at those “Holy Places”; I realized I have experienced God more fully, in the young nation of America. A place where no “Holy place” exists, but God’s creation does. A reminder to myself; a ‘bursted bubble’ for some-- you can experience the Love and Joy of knowing the Lord anywhere on Earth. While being at those “Holy Places” intrigued me as a history student, it did nothing for me spiritually. Of course that is my personal experience. I am not here to say you cannot or should not feel something if you visit. But I think it's okay if you don’t. 

Near the roof of the Upper Room

Our second field day was in Jerusalem where we began on the roof of the Holy Mother of Zion church. This is a location argued by many where the Last Supper may have occurred, as well, where the first century church had it’s beginnings and possibly the location of the Jerusalem Council. We also visited David’s Archeological Park. This area is on the excavations surrounding part of the temple. We ended up at the temple steps of the Southern Wall. Most likely where Jesus would have taught. John 7

View of the Temple Steps at the Southern Wall, after visiting David's Archeological Park

We finished up at St. Anne's Cathedral and the Pool of Bethesda. As a class we entered the church and were able to experience the impressive acoustics. Aubrey invited Faith, up to sing, so we could experience the sound. Then Aurbey sang a hymm and we were then led by Dr. Beyer to sing Amazing Grace. Singing Amazin Grace as a group in this church was something that awed me. I love hearing people worship God, and reflecting upon the Grace of God as a group in this Church was a great experience- So thanks Dr. Beyer for suggesting that!

Inside St. Anne's Cathedral: Aubrey lifting up her voice to God

War and Peace: Experiencing Jerusalem's Past and Present

Our first full day in Israel had arrived. Preparing, planning and packing were over. We were all ready to apply our pre-course work in the field and experience Israel. Our day was broken up between time in the classroom and time in the field. In class we met our instructor Aubrey. Aubrey ended up being an amazing instructor. Interestingly enough she was a music major turned scholar. Her passion for historical geography ignited the class and made it intriguing. She packed us with information and I loved it. We were informed that we would be graded on our 2 tests, 1 final, mapwork (completed before traveling) and impression reports. We were required to write up a 1-page impression report that detailed each days adventures, what we experienced, learned and our reflections of it all. So I added excerpts from my first impression report. They are italicized below.

The first field experience was spent touring the Old City. We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Dormition Abbey, the Zion Gate and saw our first glimpse of the Western Wall. Some may not be surprised however that I began my first impression report by noting the food. For dinner tonight I was pleasantly surprised with chicken stuffed pita. The chicken was marinated in some kind of peanut sauce. We were served roasted tomatoes shish kabobs. There was a bowl of mushrooms, fresh green salad with bright red peppers and juicy cucumbers. In addition corn, pickles and olives. The food they serve is full of vegetables and fruits and very enjoyable!

Today we began our journey in Jerusalem and then were given a tour of the college grounds. … the scenery and views are amazing. From one section of the building the Hinnom Valley separates us from the more modern part of Jerusalem, including the notable King David Hotel, which is located on the Watershed Ridge. In the back of the college is a nicely landscaped area with great views of Jerusalem. In a few months the pomegranate, lemon, oranges, olive trees will ripen. The college is the only Protestant academic college in Jerusalem, therefore not as well known as perhaps Hebrew University. In Jerusalem, the Protestants are the minority.  We are about a 3 minute walk from Jaffa Gate. Within the old city there are four quarters: Jewish, Christian, Armenian and Muslim. However, these people are not bound by these quarters. 

View from the rooftop of JUC
Hinnom Valley below and the King David Hotel building in the middle of picture

An interesting story about the history of the premise of the college: Following the 6-day War in 1967, the grounds were acquired after serving as the front of battle between the Jordanians and Israeli soldiers as well as being consistently occupied by soldiers since the Independence War in 1948. The buildings that comprise the school were in reality the property of the Armenian Church. JUC began their lease on the property in 1967 and a few weeks ago secured an additional 25-year lease. Due to the location of this place the Israelis had a difficult time receiving supplies and armaments to the premise, so they constructed a cable care that is still attached to the side of the building and went across the valley to the Mt. Zion Hotel - I believe it is called. We saw the cable and its extensions to the car at the other side of the valley. Apparently that story is very well known in Jewish history and schools. The man who toured us around the school said that it is similar to Paul Rever's ride to various cities in the colonies warning that the British were coming. There is also a cemetery close to the grounds, which can only be accessed through JUC. The cemetery is dedicated to Protestants who were coming to Jerusalem in the middle of the 19th century and were dying for various reasons. Because there were no protestant connections in Jerusalem and each religious community is very tight-nit and private there was no place these bodies were being buried. A fund therefore was taken up and sponsored by various parties to build the cemetery. One notable figure buried in the cemetery is the man who wrote the hymn "It is Well with My Soul" his name was Horatio Spafford. 

We walked a ton today in the "old city" of Jerusalem and Aubrey stopped often to lecture. Probably the most memorable, intriguing and exciting thing we experienced today was visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the supposed site of Jesus` crucifixion as well as his buriel. Aubrey stated that the church had not been well preserved or kept up, however I didn’t feel that way when I walked inside. The architecture fascinated me and there was paintings that adorned some of the walls. There are various chapels inside.

Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

It seems very peaceful right now and it has been for a while. We were told that Jerusalem is the New York of news and media. Thus if a boy throws a rock - it makes headlines. While thousands are murdered in the US and coverage shown to each of those incidents pales in comparison to some of the events the media chooses to highlight in Jerusalem. He jokingly said they "have to prove their existence in Jerusalem somehow". In fact the relative peacefulness that drapes over the land is going to allow us to visit Samaria in the West Bank. This somewhat surprised me. I was confident I was going to a safe region in Israel, but have witnessed Jews, Arabs (cannot for sure say they are all Muslims) and other religious people interacting, walking, driving and living together in relative peace - granted I have been here less than 2 days. 

The Zion Gate: riddled with bullet holes that were made during Israel's War of Independence in 1948.

Dormition Abbey