My previous trip to Jerusalem was solely concentrated in the old city. This time it was a mixture of both old and new. We started with a group of 40 people. Except for the organizers, most of the participants were non-Israelis. So there was always a sort of fresh enthusiasm and eagerness to see whatever comes on the way. From Guatemala to China and Belo-Russia to Ethiopia, participants were from diverse nationalities. Accompanying us were also two young armed Israeli youths (a boy and a girl) to protect us. Sounds odd? It is the usual trend in Israel when you travel in group. In addition, we had one of our M.Sc. student from campus as a guide…but believe me he has more than 10 years experience as a professional tour guide and he may be in his early thirties!
Just to give you the brief schedule. We started by 6.45 am from the campus and reached a place called Sataf by 9 am. Sataf is an ancient agricultural site west of Jerusalem and almost 10 min drive from the Holy City. Rich with many water caverns, caves and archaeological sites, this area has one of the most ancient mountainous agriculture practiced as it is done by Israelites thousands of years ago. The parking lot of Sataf is at the top of a mountain called Mt. Eitan (where we had our breakfast) and has a very beautiful view towards Jerusalem. The valley beneath this look out is called Sorek, believed to be very ancient. One can see from here the city of Ein Kerem (where John the Baptist was born), Monastery of John in the Desert (where he hid from King Herod) and modern Hadassah hospital. Our hike lasted 2 hr and was an easy one, except for the hot sun. The best part was to enter a cave, from which the Ein-Sataf spring flows. The cave's opening is near a pool (built on Byzantine remains). From the entrance a congested tunnel leads to this cave. It was so dark and humid inside the tunnel that the only sensation I had was the cool Ein-Sataf spring flowing beneath my feet. After walking a few feet we had to climb a slippery steep opening to enter the cave. Inside the cave with the help of flash lights I could see the stalagmite formation and the openings from which the spring sprouted.
After finishing the hike we took our bus at the base of Monastery of John in the Desert and entered the Holy City through the city of Ein Kerem (the birthplace of John the Baptist). The next stop was Israel Museum, renowned for its Dead Sea Scroll collection (one of the greatest archaeological discovery of all time) and the famous 1:50 model of Ancient Jerusalem (AD 70). Want to feel the best market in Israel for fresh fruits, vegetables and spices? Mahane Yehuda is where you should be and that’s where we had our lunch. I had laffa bread (its some thing like a rotti 2-3 times bigger than the normal size) stuffed with a tasty mix of spices and grilled meats for lunch and believe me it was like a full meal. After lunch we went to Mishkanot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of old city with its 1857 erected Montefiore Windmill. Our guide explained how tough it was those times to attract people to settle in this area which was outside the walls of the Holy City. Today, to own a house in mishkenot shananim is not a joke as it is one of the most sought out residential area in Jerusalem. There is a nice view from here to the legendary Mt. Zion which currently has the Church of Dormition (where virgin Mary had her last sleep), the tomb of King David and the last supper room. One can also see Mt Olive regions and even the controversial separation barrier that divides West Bank and Israel. The last halt for the day was Armon Hanatziv Promenade with its excellent views to Jerusalem. If I am not wrong this look out could be the best place to view the whole Old City from west. It was almost 6 pm and we were tired enough to take rest in the hostel called Beit Ben Yehuda. After getting fresh we moved to the Ethiopian restaurant called Megenana for dinner. The food was very spicy for many but appeared to me more similar to our hot cuisines. The day still remaining, none wanted to go back but to enjoy the night life of Jerusalem. Need not to say that visiting a pub was the best option every one demanded. Mikes Place as it is called appeared to me more like a meeting place than a party venue or bar. Any how after spending a few time there watching the long plasma TV for the European league football and athletic highlights, we a few boring souls bid good night to majority of the pleasure seekers and took a taxi back to the hostel. Being Shabbath there was no logic in bargaining for the fare and had to say yes for whatever the taxi driver asked. I had a short yet good nap before kicking start for the second day towards the Old City of Jerusalem.
The entire sanctity and fame with the word Jerusalem is however associated with a short strip of land, in fact just 1% of total area of modern Jerusalem called the Old City. Since I had been to most of the prime destinations (except for the Tower of David which we visited this time), it was just like refreshing my old memories. However, every visit to Jerusalem is said to be an entirely new experience; one never gets the feeling of boredom or repetition. We started the day from the Rehavam lookout at the top of Mt. Olive. The view you see below is one of the best in Israel. I think each and every stone lying before you will have such long stories to tell that you can summarize the whole history of Jerusalem and probably a major share of mankind’s association with God by just standing here and looking towards the horizon. The lookout is the hot spot for photographers who come to Israel for experiencing its religious sentiments and an ideal venue to begin your trip to the Holy Land. We descended down through the steep road which passes through many churches that currently symbolizes some of the major events associated with the life of Jesus Christ especially during the Passion Week. Starting from the Dominus Flevit Chapel where Jesus wept for Jerusalem and through the Garden of Gethsemane with the ancient Olive trees (where He was arrested), the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane and the Tomb of Virgin Mary: brought fresh memories to the last hours He spent as written in the Gospels.
The New Testament says that Jesus was arrested from Gethsemane and brought to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate who was living inside the city. Gethsemane is outside the city walls and Christian traditions say that Jesus entered the Holy City at that fateful Thursday night through the Lion’s Gate (One of the 8 gates of Jerusalem). After hearing His death verdict from the mouth of Pilate, Jesus dragged the cursed cross through the narrow streets of Jerusalem. He was crucified however, outside the city walls in a place called Golgotha or Calvary on a Friday. Today, Via Dolorosa with its 14 stations symbolizes the path He took with the cross and some of the stations are really tough to identify amidst the busy crowded market areas. Golgotha where He died is inside today’s Church of Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site for Christianity. The stations 10 to 14 are in fact inside the Church. For those who are interested to know more about the Church with lot of photographs, please do see my earlier blog entries (archives for March, 2008). It gives a privilege when I think that I may also have walked the same footsteps (at least partially) what Jesus might have took 2000 years ago from Lion’s Gate to the Church of Holy Sepulcher.
As we approached the Lion’s Gate I saw a heavy presence of Israeli Border Police and blockades in the road entering the Gate. The incident responsible for such a deserted look and strong security presence occurred hardly a day before…some one shot two Israeli soldiers fatally and escaped to the adjacent Muslim cemetery. This cycle violence and hatredness never ends and both the sides have their own justifications. Yet life moves own. I missed the first station of Via Dolorosa last time. It is actually a Muslim College now and tourists are not entertained freely. I have photographed the first station and you can see in blog. Walking through the busy congested markets and stopping at the stations for a few minutes we finally reached the Church of Holy Sepulcher. Before entering the Holy Sepulcher I went to see St. Alexander Russian Orthodox Church which has remains from the original Holy Sepulcher Church built by Constantine (4th century AD). Among the many chapels inside the Holy Sepulcher visited last time I missed the Ethiopian Monastery which has a separate entrance, but managed to do this time.
No doubt it is really worth to be in such destinations that are dream-come-true venues for millions and if you are a religious Christian, definitely experiencing the Golgotha means a lot beyond words description. But if you expect the usual serene calmness and peaceful atmosphere of a church inside the Holy Sepulcher, you will be shockingly disappointed. To enter the Church of Holy Sepulcher is like entering a market…so much densely crowded and noisy and for most of them it is just like another tourist spot. People flashing their cameras and posing before all the free spaces they could occupy just as if it’s part of a game and for every photographs taken you will receive some points after reaching back home. I guess had Jesus been in the church he would have whipped all just like He did for the merchants in Jerusalem temple. So if you want to sit some where calmly and pray or meditate Church of Holy Sepulcher would be a bad option.
The next site was the Tower of David or Citadel near Jaffa Gate, one of the most prominent monuments in Jerusalem. Unlike its name this tower has no association with King David but has remains from a palace built by King Herod. Today, the David Tower Museum conserves some of the fine archaeological findings from Jerusalem. Inside the Museum we were introduced to a short 14 min animated film with English subtitles about the history of Jerusalem…a good resource for all the beginners to the city. The Herodian building still remaining in the site is a huge structure called Phasael Tower, which was built by King Herod in memory of his brother 2000 years ago. Today, the tower is a wonderful viewpoint to observe Jerusalem in 360 degree angle spread with both modern and ancient monuments. The courtyard of the citadel has many ruins from the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Lunch time approached and I had to satisfy myself with a Pitta-Felafel and black mint tea from an Arab restaurant. Leaving Jerusalem without visiting Western Wall is an unpardonable offense at least if you are part of an Israeli official tour. The holiest site of Judaism might have seen more tears than any place in Jerusalem and no doubt why the Wall is known for generations as the Wailing (Weeping) Wall. A wall that stood 2000 years as the sole remnant evidence to the fact that the Jewish people had a temple here, today occupied by the Muslim mosque called the Dome of the Rock. We walked through the famous Jewish Quarters and climbed to the top of Cardo (the oldest road discovered in Jerusalem, assumed to be at least 2000 yrs old!). One more view to Jerusalem, though not at all beautiful as we experienced from other lookouts, I think the proximity to the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall makes it special. You can also see Mt Olives afar with the huge Jewish Cemetery spreading from one end to the other. Since it was Saturday the Jewish Sabbath, no photography was allowed at the wall. We went to an adjacent balcony close to the wall, yet far enough and permissible to click photographs without breaking the law. Took some nice snaps and walked towards the wall. Men and women had separate places at the wall and men are supposed to cover the head with the Jewish skullcap called Kippah before approaching the wall. People write their prayers in small papers and stuff into the crevices inside the wall. Jewish tradition says that the wall stood adjacent to the holiest site of Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple and thus the prayers go directly to God. These papers stuffed in the walls are collected once in a month or so and then buried in soil and not burned or discarded, because each letter is holy and the prayer is given the status of a human being and thus treated with the same respect. There is even facility to send your prayer through email or fax!!! The wall is under 24x7 camera surveillance and any one interested can see the live images of the wall anywhere in the world anytime. see http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/livekotel/aish/index_1.php?affid=18&CFID=2834592&CFTOKEN=66859311
Time to say good bye to Jerusalem. We walked outside the Old City through the Dung Gate and took our bus to campus at 4 pm. Indeed it was a very well organized and pleasant trip to Jerusalem and will always remain afresh in my memory. By the time I reached home and opened the door it was sharp 6 pm.
Just to give you the brief schedule. We started by 6.45 am from the campus and reached a place called Sataf by 9 am. Sataf is an ancient agricultural site west of Jerusalem and almost 10 min drive from the Holy City. Rich with many water caverns, caves and archaeological sites, this area has one of the most ancient mountainous agriculture practiced as it is done by Israelites thousands of years ago. The parking lot of Sataf is at the top of a mountain called Mt. Eitan (where we had our breakfast) and has a very beautiful view towards Jerusalem. The valley beneath this look out is called Sorek, believed to be very ancient. One can see from here the city of Ein Kerem (where John the Baptist was born), Monastery of John in the Desert (where he hid from King Herod) and modern Hadassah hospital. Our hike lasted 2 hr and was an easy one, except for the hot sun. The best part was to enter a cave, from which the Ein-Sataf spring flows. The cave's opening is near a pool (built on Byzantine remains). From the entrance a congested tunnel leads to this cave. It was so dark and humid inside the tunnel that the only sensation I had was the cool Ein-Sataf spring flowing beneath my feet. After walking a few feet we had to climb a slippery steep opening to enter the cave. Inside the cave with the help of flash lights I could see the stalagmite formation and the openings from which the spring sprouted.
After finishing the hike we took our bus at the base of Monastery of John in the Desert and entered the Holy City through the city of Ein Kerem (the birthplace of John the Baptist). The next stop was Israel Museum, renowned for its Dead Sea Scroll collection (one of the greatest archaeological discovery of all time) and the famous 1:50 model of Ancient Jerusalem (AD 70). Want to feel the best market in Israel for fresh fruits, vegetables and spices? Mahane Yehuda is where you should be and that’s where we had our lunch. I had laffa bread (its some thing like a rotti 2-3 times bigger than the normal size) stuffed with a tasty mix of spices and grilled meats for lunch and believe me it was like a full meal. After lunch we went to Mishkanot Sha’ananim, the first Jewish neighborhood outside the walls of old city with its 1857 erected Montefiore Windmill. Our guide explained how tough it was those times to attract people to settle in this area which was outside the walls of the Holy City. Today, to own a house in mishkenot shananim is not a joke as it is one of the most sought out residential area in Jerusalem. There is a nice view from here to the legendary Mt. Zion which currently has the Church of Dormition (where virgin Mary had her last sleep), the tomb of King David and the last supper room. One can also see Mt Olive regions and even the controversial separation barrier that divides West Bank and Israel. The last halt for the day was Armon Hanatziv Promenade with its excellent views to Jerusalem. If I am not wrong this look out could be the best place to view the whole Old City from west. It was almost 6 pm and we were tired enough to take rest in the hostel called Beit Ben Yehuda. After getting fresh we moved to the Ethiopian restaurant called Megenana for dinner. The food was very spicy for many but appeared to me more similar to our hot cuisines. The day still remaining, none wanted to go back but to enjoy the night life of Jerusalem. Need not to say that visiting a pub was the best option every one demanded. Mikes Place as it is called appeared to me more like a meeting place than a party venue or bar. Any how after spending a few time there watching the long plasma TV for the European league football and athletic highlights, we a few boring souls bid good night to majority of the pleasure seekers and took a taxi back to the hostel. Being Shabbath there was no logic in bargaining for the fare and had to say yes for whatever the taxi driver asked. I had a short yet good nap before kicking start for the second day towards the Old City of Jerusalem.
The entire sanctity and fame with the word Jerusalem is however associated with a short strip of land, in fact just 1% of total area of modern Jerusalem called the Old City. Since I had been to most of the prime destinations (except for the Tower of David which we visited this time), it was just like refreshing my old memories. However, every visit to Jerusalem is said to be an entirely new experience; one never gets the feeling of boredom or repetition. We started the day from the Rehavam lookout at the top of Mt. Olive. The view you see below is one of the best in Israel. I think each and every stone lying before you will have such long stories to tell that you can summarize the whole history of Jerusalem and probably a major share of mankind’s association with God by just standing here and looking towards the horizon. The lookout is the hot spot for photographers who come to Israel for experiencing its religious sentiments and an ideal venue to begin your trip to the Holy Land. We descended down through the steep road which passes through many churches that currently symbolizes some of the major events associated with the life of Jesus Christ especially during the Passion Week. Starting from the Dominus Flevit Chapel where Jesus wept for Jerusalem and through the Garden of Gethsemane with the ancient Olive trees (where He was arrested), the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane and the Tomb of Virgin Mary: brought fresh memories to the last hours He spent as written in the Gospels.
The New Testament says that Jesus was arrested from Gethsemane and brought to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate who was living inside the city. Gethsemane is outside the city walls and Christian traditions say that Jesus entered the Holy City at that fateful Thursday night through the Lion’s Gate (One of the 8 gates of Jerusalem). After hearing His death verdict from the mouth of Pilate, Jesus dragged the cursed cross through the narrow streets of Jerusalem. He was crucified however, outside the city walls in a place called Golgotha or Calvary on a Friday. Today, Via Dolorosa with its 14 stations symbolizes the path He took with the cross and some of the stations are really tough to identify amidst the busy crowded market areas. Golgotha where He died is inside today’s Church of Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site for Christianity. The stations 10 to 14 are in fact inside the Church. For those who are interested to know more about the Church with lot of photographs, please do see my earlier blog entries (archives for March, 2008). It gives a privilege when I think that I may also have walked the same footsteps (at least partially) what Jesus might have took 2000 years ago from Lion’s Gate to the Church of Holy Sepulcher.
As we approached the Lion’s Gate I saw a heavy presence of Israeli Border Police and blockades in the road entering the Gate. The incident responsible for such a deserted look and strong security presence occurred hardly a day before…some one shot two Israeli soldiers fatally and escaped to the adjacent Muslim cemetery. This cycle violence and hatredness never ends and both the sides have their own justifications. Yet life moves own. I missed the first station of Via Dolorosa last time. It is actually a Muslim College now and tourists are not entertained freely. I have photographed the first station and you can see in blog. Walking through the busy congested markets and stopping at the stations for a few minutes we finally reached the Church of Holy Sepulcher. Before entering the Holy Sepulcher I went to see St. Alexander Russian Orthodox Church which has remains from the original Holy Sepulcher Church built by Constantine (4th century AD). Among the many chapels inside the Holy Sepulcher visited last time I missed the Ethiopian Monastery which has a separate entrance, but managed to do this time.
No doubt it is really worth to be in such destinations that are dream-come-true venues for millions and if you are a religious Christian, definitely experiencing the Golgotha means a lot beyond words description. But if you expect the usual serene calmness and peaceful atmosphere of a church inside the Holy Sepulcher, you will be shockingly disappointed. To enter the Church of Holy Sepulcher is like entering a market…so much densely crowded and noisy and for most of them it is just like another tourist spot. People flashing their cameras and posing before all the free spaces they could occupy just as if it’s part of a game and for every photographs taken you will receive some points after reaching back home. I guess had Jesus been in the church he would have whipped all just like He did for the merchants in Jerusalem temple. So if you want to sit some where calmly and pray or meditate Church of Holy Sepulcher would be a bad option.
The next site was the Tower of David or Citadel near Jaffa Gate, one of the most prominent monuments in Jerusalem. Unlike its name this tower has no association with King David but has remains from a palace built by King Herod. Today, the David Tower Museum conserves some of the fine archaeological findings from Jerusalem. Inside the Museum we were introduced to a short 14 min animated film with English subtitles about the history of Jerusalem…a good resource for all the beginners to the city. The Herodian building still remaining in the site is a huge structure called Phasael Tower, which was built by King Herod in memory of his brother 2000 years ago. Today, the tower is a wonderful viewpoint to observe Jerusalem in 360 degree angle spread with both modern and ancient monuments. The courtyard of the citadel has many ruins from the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Lunch time approached and I had to satisfy myself with a Pitta-Felafel and black mint tea from an Arab restaurant. Leaving Jerusalem without visiting Western Wall is an unpardonable offense at least if you are part of an Israeli official tour. The holiest site of Judaism might have seen more tears than any place in Jerusalem and no doubt why the Wall is known for generations as the Wailing (Weeping) Wall. A wall that stood 2000 years as the sole remnant evidence to the fact that the Jewish people had a temple here, today occupied by the Muslim mosque called the Dome of the Rock. We walked through the famous Jewish Quarters and climbed to the top of Cardo (the oldest road discovered in Jerusalem, assumed to be at least 2000 yrs old!). One more view to Jerusalem, though not at all beautiful as we experienced from other lookouts, I think the proximity to the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall makes it special. You can also see Mt Olives afar with the huge Jewish Cemetery spreading from one end to the other. Since it was Saturday the Jewish Sabbath, no photography was allowed at the wall. We went to an adjacent balcony close to the wall, yet far enough and permissible to click photographs without breaking the law. Took some nice snaps and walked towards the wall. Men and women had separate places at the wall and men are supposed to cover the head with the Jewish skullcap called Kippah before approaching the wall. People write their prayers in small papers and stuff into the crevices inside the wall. Jewish tradition says that the wall stood adjacent to the holiest site of Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple and thus the prayers go directly to God. These papers stuffed in the walls are collected once in a month or so and then buried in soil and not burned or discarded, because each letter is holy and the prayer is given the status of a human being and thus treated with the same respect. There is even facility to send your prayer through email or fax!!! The wall is under 24x7 camera surveillance and any one interested can see the live images of the wall anywhere in the world anytime. see http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/livekotel/aish/index_1.php?affid=18&CFID=2834592&CFTOKEN=66859311
Time to say good bye to Jerusalem. We walked outside the Old City through the Dung Gate and took our bus to campus at 4 pm. Indeed it was a very well organized and pleasant trip to Jerusalem and will always remain afresh in my memory. By the time I reached home and opened the door it was sharp 6 pm.
1 comment:
Good good good......
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