The Holy Land

Wow, what an opportunity to see all the places were the beginning of Christianity came from. We ported in Ashdod, Israel, which is the transportation port of the country. Israel itself is a very small country, about 750kms from north to south and 150kms at its widest point east to west. It was bigger, but Israel gave the Siana, east of the Suez Canal, back to Egypt for a peace agreement and most of the West Bank of the Jordan River to Jordan for a peace treaty. 

A great portion of the land around Jerusalem was ruled by Jewish Kings until the Jews were conquered and then exiled from their home lands by the Roman legions. Now it is a country of about 8 million (20% Arab) that wakes up each morning wondering if they will be bombed by some neighboring company bent on eliminating the Jewish race.

We took a day trip to Tel Aviv, the commercial and financial center of the country. Tel Aviv is a big modern city with lots of new high rises and ongoing construction. Tel Aviv adjoins Jaffa, which may be the oldest port in the world.

Then to Jerusalem, the focal point of Christianity and Judaism and also considered a holy place by Islam. A city of old and new, contrasts and complexities, Jerusalem has something to offer every one. Originally named the capital of Israel in 996 BC by King David, Jerusalem has been conquered and partially destroyed by Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, The Ottoman Empire, Britain, Jordan and present day Israel.

At the Mount of Olives, place of the Ascension, we wandered through olive groves hundreds of years old and visited the Church of Ascension. From there we could also see the wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem, which is located within The Palestinian Authority of the West Bank.

Olive Trees at the Church of Ascension, Mount of Olives

The old city of Jerusalem is totally surrounded by walls built and maintained by various conquerors over the years. The temple that Solomon built has been destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed throughout the the years. The Dome of the Rock Mosque was built over the original temple site by Muslim's in 632.

Dome of the Rock

Gate into the Old City

Only the Western Wall, called the "Wailing Wall" still exists. Within a few meters of the Wailing Wall there are at least three churches, two mosques and a synagogue. It seems that all religions come into this area to worship peacefully.

Loreen at the Western Wall




As men and women cannot pray in the same areas at the wall, I was off to the men's section.

Heading to pray!

There are several huge church buildings in Israel that have multiple Churches inside. Adjacent to the Western Wall is is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is shared by numerous Christian denominations. This large building and its multiple churches are built on the site where Jesus was crucified, entombed and resurrected.

Then we were off to walk the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) the mile long route that Jesus walked with the cross from the point of condemnation to Crucifixion. At that time the route was through wide streets and open fields, today it a very narrow street with shops on both sides and full of people. We met about 5,000 Muslim's on their way to the Dome of the Rock for noon prayers, we tourists going the opposite way probably out numbered them, so it made for crowded streets.

First Place Jesus dropped the Cross

Bethlehem, best known for the birth place of Jesus, was also the birthplace of King David. Bethlehem is under the Palestinian Authority, so the procedure is drive to the security point with an Israeli guide and then walk through the gate and continue on with a Palestinian guide. We were lucky, our guide was also licensed in Bethlehem so we just went through. He did get a lot of guff from the Palestinians, though.
Bethlehem is mostly populated by Christian Arabs, and there are many Christian shops.

Loreen in the tunnel in the Church of Nativity

We went to the Church of the Nativity, built in 530, built over top of the stable area where Jesus was born. The Church of the Nativity houses three churches, Greek, Armenian and Roman.  The grotto of the birth place is under the church and is open, we did not go as it was too crowded and hundreds of people light candles in the grotto. Just a little too much for us.



Inside the Church of Nativity