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Israel and Palestine

February 2022
A 27-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 1

    Old City

    February 2, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Here is a 1st glance at the Old City of Jerusalem. I will be back visiting this area a number of times while here. So I expect there to be a number of additional posts.
    The 1st picture is the Jaffa gate and some of the ancient city walls. This gate dates to the Ottoman period and was constructed during the rebuilding of the city walks in the 16th century.
    The 2nd picture is the Tower of David or the Citadel. This is now a museum, but was built as a fortification. This structure only dates to the Mamluk period, but it is built on the foundations of older fortifications dating back thousands of years.
    The 3rd picture is along David Street, the main street in the Arab Shuq. The 4th picture looks into a restaurant on David Street to show what the shop spaces in this part of the old city look like.
    The 5th picture is the Western Wall, sometimes called the Wailing Wall, one of the holiest places in Judaism. This is the retaining wall built by Herod to created the platform on which his work on the 2nd temple was built. So it is more thane 2,000 years old. It is a profoundly spiritual place where prayers are arising 24/7.
    The last picture is the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Church of the Resurrection, as the Palestinian Christians call it. This will have its own posts soon.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 2

    Jerusalem overlook

    February 3, 2022 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    For a 1st post from Jerusalem, here's a series of photos taken from the top of the tower at the YMCA Three Arches Hotel. I would have taken a continuous panorama, but the balcony isn't continuous: each of the 4 sides has an individual door and balcony.
    The 1st pictures look towards the old city (see what will probably be multiple posts). The pictures look around the tower, moving in a counterclockwise direction.
    My 1st impressions of being here are an interesting sense of comfort. I feel comfortable here. I've enjoyed the scale of the place, the diversity of people, traditions and cultures, the history and the food.
    One of the joys of travel is meeting up with travel friends. I enjoyed a beer with an Israeli friend I met at Uluru in Australia.
    I'll be in country for almost a month. Stay tuned.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 3

    The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

    February 4, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    This is the traditional site of Jesus'crucifixion, tomb and resurrection. Helena, Constantine's mother, identified this as the site based on oral traditions and information she received. She caused the original church to be built. While originally this was several chapels all near each other, today it is a single building that incorporates the area from Golgotha to the tomb with it's different elevations.
    The 1st picture is upstairs on the higher ground of Golgotha where the crucifixion took place. Under the altar table where someone is kneeling is said to be the actual rocky outcrop where the cross was placed. That and to either side appear to have 3 notches to hold the uprights of the crosses.
    The 2nd picture is down one level and is said to be the spot where Jesus was prepared for the tomb after being taken down from the cross. The marble slab here is not original as the original was being chipped away by pilgrims. This is located immediately inside the main entrance with the mosaic in the 3rd picture behind it. This mosaic follows Jesus as he is taken from the cross, prepared for burial and carried to the tomb.
    The 4th picture is the Aedicula that sits atop the tomb site. It is a small structure that has, like the church itself, been damaged and renovated many times.
    Inside the Aedicula is the tomb shown on n the 5th picture. I had the unusual opportunity for a private visit. The marble slab is not original. It, too was placed to stop damage by pilgrims. However, during the recent renovation, they found the original limestone shelf to be in tact under the marble.
    The last picture is in another of the chapels included in the building.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 4

    Ramallah

    February 5, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    Ramallah is a small city not far from Jerusalem that serves as the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority. It is said that the Mediterranean is visible from here, but not today in the fog.
    The 1st 3 pictures are in Arafat Square. The center of the square or traffic circle is a water feature with a flagpole. The 2nd picture is a close up of that flag pole showing the sculpture of a young man climbing toward the Palestinian flag. It is said to represent the Palestinian people's struggling for a home. The 3rd picture is a close up of the lower part of the column with the flagpole/sculpture above.
    The 4th picture is lion square, so called because of the 4 lions in the center. They are just visible peeking over the canvas barrier in the center. They represent the 4 families of the 4 sons of the founder of the city. If you blow up the photo and look to the right, you'll see a green sign that might look sorta familiar. 😉
    The last 2 pictures are Yasser Arafat's tomb. If you look to the left of the mausoleum, you can make out the presidential office. Arafat's will says he is to be buried in Jerusalem. All the stone in the mausoleum and sarcophagus is from Jerusalem, at least temporarily meeting his final request.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 4

    Jericho

    February 5, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Jericho has several important distinctions. It is acknowledged as the oldest city in the world, dating back 11,000 years. It has the oldest city or protective wall. That's the one Joshua and company are said to have destroyed. It sits at the lowest elevation, 260 meters below sea level, of any city.
    Most of the pictures are taken at Tell es-Sultan, the archaeological site at the 1st permanent settlement here. The 1st picture is at the edge of the archaeological site. The prophet, Elisha, is said to have made unusable water here become potable. An adjacent pump house still sends water from this spring to the city. The 2nd picture looks down into what is known as trench 1 of the archaeological site. The bottom dates back to about 9,000 BCE. The round stone structure in the center is a silo.
    The next 3 pictures are all of the archaeology. The 3rd picture looks across part of the site and over a bit of modern Jericho to Jordan across the river. The 4th picture is of a residential area, and the 5th picture is a small section of that protective city wall.
    The last picture is taken from Tell es-Sultan. You may recall that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan just a bit down stream from Jericho (see posts of the site from the Jordanian side). This picture is of the Mount of Temptation where tradition holds that Jesus met the devil after his 40 days in the wilderness after his baptism. At the far left is a small bit of a monastery that includes caves that are said to be where Jesus spent at least some of those 40 days.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 4

    Grotto of the Nativity, Bethlehem

    February 5, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    This cave is the site traditionally held to be the place of Jesus' birth. It is the oldest extant site of Christian worship, predating even Helena's visit, it seems.
    The 1st picture is of the grotto from the far end. The altar at the far end is significant as the 2nd picture shows the silver star under that altar. This is the traditional site of Jesus' birth. The circle in the center is an opening to the floor of the cave as it was 2,000 years ago.
    The 3rd picture is down a few more steps from the section with the altar. The marble slab is at the site said to be where Mary and Joseph had the manger.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 4

    Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

    February 5, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    The Church of the Nativity is built upon the cave or grotto that is the traditional site of Jesus' birth (see another post). The original basilica was built by Constantine in the 4th century on the site identified by his mother, Helena, as that site. The 1st building was destroyed. The current structure dates to the 6th century and was built by Justinian on the foundations of Constantine's basilica.
    The panorama inside shows the building and some of the preserved and restored mosaics. The small section of floor mosaic is the only part of the Constantino's building.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 5

    Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs

    February 6, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    This is the site of the cave Abraham bought from the Hittites to use as a tomb for his wife Sarah. Later he was buried here by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. Also Isaac and his wife Rebecca plus their son Jacob and his wife Leah are buried here. The actual tombs in the cave are well below the mosque and synagogue in the building. The sarcophagi are representative but do not hold the remains.
    Great significance is applied to this site as this is the 1st recorded purchase of land (something like 3,800 years ago) in what became known as the promised land by an ancestor of the faiths. That is intentionally plural because Abraham is seen as the father of all 3 monotheistic faiths.
    The building here over the actual caves was built by Herod more than 2,000 years ago. In recent years it has been divided into a mosque and a synagogue. Each with its own entrance that is not accessible to people of the "other" faith. Christians can access both sides.
    The 1st picture looks at the 2,000 year old wall of the building. The 2nd picture is in the mosque with Jacob and Leah's mausoleums. The 3rd and 4th pictures are the sarcophagi of Abraham and Sarah. These are located between the two separated worship spaces so the Jewish and Muslim worshippers can easily see them.
    The last picture is another sarcophagus, Isaac, I think.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 5

    Hebron

    February 6, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Hebron is the 2nd holiest site in Judaism after Jerusalem and 1 of the 4 holy cities of Islam. This is where Abraham settled and purchased the caves that are now known as the tombs of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs (see another post).
    Hebron is an important economic engine in the West Bank due to it's limestone quarries, agriculture, pottery, glassblowing and dairy products.
    Politically, Hebron is described as a microcosm of the Israel/Palestinian issue. Administration of the city is divided between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli military. The people are divided and rarely interact. It seems that there is much distrust and even fear of the other here. I found that most sad.
    The 1st picture looks over the city from high in the Israeli section of town. The large building is the tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs (see another post). The small Israeli section is below and to the left of the tomb building. The rest is Palestinian, much of which can be seen in the 2nd picture.
    The 3rd picture is Beit Hadassah. This is now a cultural center that had previously been a charity and clinic for all the people of the region.
    The 4th picture is in the casbah and old market in the old city of Hebron. This is part of the Arab occupied sections of Hebron.
    The 5th picture looks up from a street in the casbah that doesn't have a roof. Notice the wire mesh that is placed to catch objects falling from above.
    The last picture is is a shop in the casbah that is being expanded and renovated into a museum. That is a mill used to grind sesame seeds for tahini and sesame oil. The entire process will eventually be shown.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIsrael and Palestine
    Day 7

    Bethlehem and Beit Sahour

    February 8, 2022 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    A look at Bethlehem beyond the Church of the Nativity, and at Beit Sahour, the smaller town adjacent to Bethlehem.
    There is more to Bethlehem than just the famous church celebrating the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem is only a few kilometers from Jerusalem. Yet it is a Palestinian city. In many ways, it has become closely associated with the wall, the Israeli security barrier. The 1st picture looks at a portion of the wall on the Palestinian side. Much of the wall is painted with this type of art, mostly of protest. While I didn't get a picture, they seem to have a sharp sense of humor about the wall as evidenced by the pointedly named Walled Off Hotel. (Yes, it really exists). Likewise, in the protest style typical of "his" work, there are several Banksy works in Bethlehem. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are 2 examples.
    Beit Sahour is immediately to the east of Bethlehem. The name refers to the traditional understanding that this is where the shepherds were "abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night."
    The 4th picture is taken from a rooftop in Beit Sahour looking over the town and across the valley to the east side of town. In the distance, you can make out some open fields. These are the fields where it is said those sheep and shepherds were hanging out that night. The last 2 pictures were taken adjacent to those fields.
    The 4th picture is in a cave church. Not surprisingly, this is called Shepherd's Cave. The site was originally a convent built by Helena who heard that this was the place the shepherd stayed when in these fields. The Franciscans also built a shrine here in the 14th century. The last picture is in the Gloria in Excelsis Deo chapel nearby also built by the Franciscans.    Read more

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