Day 2 - SAT - 15/9/12 -
Israel, Jerusalem
As you know I write to
inform on what I experience, sometimes based on opinion, sometimes
based on fact but in Israel I was slowly being taught the art of
storytelling. As our guide put it - these are just tales, there are
some dates (often rounded up for convenience of memory space),
sometimes some evidence... but don't get caught up in the fact; just
enjoy the story. So for 5 days we joined the pilgrims and got
involved in the story and were rewarded with an experience that was
one of head scratching at times but at others awe inspiring.
Today we were certainly
the early worms!! Up at 5:20am... and learnt the valuable lesson that
time doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does when you're in a
foreign country as our pick up from our hostel for our tour was
supposed to be 5:50am but it didn't happen until 6:55am!?! Which was
also as it turned out was 5 mins before breakfast opened, so it was
brekkie bars for us that we had shoved in the backpack at the last
minute at Luton.
We were headed to
Nazareth, Sea of Galilee and Tiberius for an organised tour. Passing
Mount Precipice - Mt Precipitation where it is alleged that the
people of Nazareth, not accepting Jesus as Messiah tried to push him
from the mountain, but "he passed through the midst of them and
went away." Our head began to nod off and there was a fair bit
of sleeping on the bus whilst going past desert and concrete
buildings mounded together like a grey forest on the way to our first
stop of Nazareth.
Straight off the
tourist bus and literally corralled directly into the souvenir shop -
English to the left and Spanish to the right... the introduction on
the bus didn't quite match the pit stop that had been described to us
- coffee, tea and toilets yes but sales counter hadn't been in the
proposal for some reason??
We went with it however
and nodded our heads politely and were shown the cross of Jerusalem
(which was also later hawked to us as the cross of Bethlehem), olive
branch nativity scenes and the Israel stone. Then making a bee-line
when we were given a hot tip about a local bakery for a halloumi
cheese and zeeta pizza fresh out of the oven - yuuummmo!
After stuffing
ourselves silly we were guided to our first real itinerary point of
Church of Annunciation where it is said that this was where Mary was
living when she announced that she was pregnant with Jesus. As we
were to discover during our time in Israel, all sacred sites are now
real estate and property of one religious church or another with many
a new church built up over the excavated site.
This church in
particular was finished in 1996 but was not able to be afforded by
the church to complete it so every country that chipped some into the
coffers was given a mosaic around the church walls. Japan is the most
impressive as it has mother of pearl and gold tiles as part of their
design.
St Joseph's Church
situated right next door - thinking this was how they met or maybe he
worked from home... had to fill in the detail a bit and considering
there was no eHarmony...?? This was where Joseph told Jesus to be a
carpenter, again this was a cave that they have built a church over -
Mum had a word for you - Broseph and I as you know get along well and
I'm missing him since I sent him home for you to borrow!
There was the
obligatory DVD sales schpeel in the bus to the next location which
was always entertaining and a UN car was spotted on the side of the
road from Nazareth to Galilee.
Next stop was Tabgha to
the Church of Multiplication of Fishes and Loaves. It is said that in
the church is the rock where Jesus laid the 5 fish and 2 loaves of
bread which multiplied to feed 5000 faithful listeners after a sermon
he gave. Also interestingly as well they clean their holy water
basins with Windex and drain it out with an ordinary Tupperware bowl
and chuck sponge - put some Windex on it!!
Capernaum was next on
the agenda where strangely enough directly translates to Caper -
Village, naum - People; YMCA anyone!!? Where it was told to us that
this was the home base for Jesus during his most influential period.
It was the home of Peter's Mother-In-Law where many of the disciples
stayed. The church was built in 1995 over the excavated home. It was
built as a boat shape to coincide with the legend that this was where
fishing was invented!
Also on the site is a
3-4th century synagogue with the synagogue being made out of marble
and the surrounding houses being made from black volcanic stone;
clearly showing that the houses were not important - the design and
materials etc, only the synagogue. Surrounding the edge of the
synagogue of the rim of the building is 7 food icons that were the
'super foods' and staples of Jesus' time. These were pomegranate,
dates, grapes, barley, wheat, figs and olives.
At Jesus' time 16,000
people lived in the area where over an intense 21 months it is said
he performed most of his healing miracles - blind and paralysed
people, fish and bread to feed thousands and the infamous fish with
Sheikels in their mouths to pay the local taxes where the government
were trying to drive them out. Capernaum was also the base for export
to Demascus in Syria of spices and fish.
Lunch was excellent -
fresh fish from the Galilee Sea and delicious Israeli salads and pita
then a quick toe dip in the warm sea also.
On the way back to
Jerusalem we saw the boarder wall with Jordan whilst heading for
Yardenit. This was the last stop on the tour where you too could be
baptised in the Jordan River (end of) just like Jesus was for only
US$20 but also as you need to wear a white nightie for the bargain
price of only US$10 to hire one in case you hadn't packed yours!
Back in Jerusalem all
the shops were closed due to Shabbat so we headed to the offie
(corner store) to grab some pita and peanut butter for dinner and hit
the hay for what was to be a later start for a Jerusalem City Tour
and Dead Sea trip :)
