Lod is the site of Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport (Middle East's best airport), whereas Ramla is the only city in Israel founded and developed completely by Arabs. However, my eagerness to visit both these cities were due to other reasons. Lod is also the legendary birthplace of St. George, patron saint of England who is known in our part of world as Geevarghese Sahada. He is one of the most venerated saint in the Christian world. Today, the Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Lod which shares space with the El Khadar mosque contains the Tomb of St. George.
In a similar context, some identify Ramla as the birth place of biblical Prophet Samuel. For Christians, Ramla happens to be the birth place of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who donated his own tomb for the burial of Jesus Christ. The same Joseph was later linked to many fanciful legends and myths associated with the Holy Grail (the cup from which Jesus drank in His last supper). In recent years, many of these tales are smartly encashed in entertainment and literature fields. Steven Spielberg's Hollywood blockbuster, 'Indiana Jones and the Last crusade' and Dan Brown's, Da Vinci Code are a few to name.
There are just two buses in week days to these places from Beer Sheva and since it happened to be a Friday there was only one. I took the Metropolin 60 (7.15 am) to Beer Sheva and grabbed the one and only Metropolin 354 (8.05 am) to Lod. After reaching Lod around 9.30, I went to see the Tomb of St. George. Next hurdle was to reach Ramla. Luckily I got a Sherut (shared taxi) and after roaming around the main sites in Ramla, I walked to the central bus station and took the last bus to Beer Sheva (Metropolin 354, 12.20 pm).
In a similar context, some identify Ramla as the birth place of biblical Prophet Samuel. For Christians, Ramla happens to be the birth place of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who donated his own tomb for the burial of Jesus Christ. The same Joseph was later linked to many fanciful legends and myths associated with the Holy Grail (the cup from which Jesus drank in His last supper). In recent years, many of these tales are smartly encashed in entertainment and literature fields. Steven Spielberg's Hollywood blockbuster, 'Indiana Jones and the Last crusade' and Dan Brown's, Da Vinci Code are a few to name.
There are just two buses in week days to these places from Beer Sheva and since it happened to be a Friday there was only one. I took the Metropolin 60 (7.15 am) to Beer Sheva and grabbed the one and only Metropolin 354 (8.05 am) to Lod. After reaching Lod around 9.30, I went to see the Tomb of St. George. Next hurdle was to reach Ramla. Luckily I got a Sherut (shared taxi) and after roaming around the main sites in Ramla, I walked to the central bus station and took the last bus to Beer Sheva (Metropolin 354, 12.20 pm).
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