Friday, June 1 - back to the desert

As is becoming normal, we visited a number of fascinating sites.  This is supposed to be our last day in the desert and that is none too soon for me.  There are a lot of interesting things to see, and this was very much the life of not only the Israelites but also for Jesus, but I don’t think I’ll complain about Nebraska heat for quite a while.  The temperature was not that bad by itself – only about 90.  But there is zero shade, no clouds, and heat also radiates up from the barren ground.  Couple that with always climbing up or down fairly steep trails and it makes for a long hard day.  But now for the details.

We started the day by leaving Bethlehem for the last time and driving down to Jericho.  This is considered the oldest city in the world – dating back to at least 9000 BC.  It is also the lowest city in the world.

This was the first city the Israelites conquered after coming into the Promised Land.  We walked around the perimeter of the ancient city just as they had been instructed to do (but not blowing rams’ horns).  It took about 11 minutes and is about ¾ of a mile around it – much smaller than I imagined.  Supposedly on the 7^th day of walking around the city they walked around it 7 times and then shouted and the walls fell down, allowing them to simply overrun the city.  They did not settle there, but instead continued in toward Jerusalem.

Excavation site at Jericho

It was also near Jericho that the prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven in ‘chariots of fire’ leaving behind Elisha to take over as prophet.  Elisha is described in the bible as having made a spring in Jericho change from bad water to good again.  That spring still flows here.

We drove a short way out of the city to a place where we could connect with the ancient road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  We hiked along this for about and hour (2 miles or so).  

Starting up to the road

It is narrow (about 3 ft wide) with one edge being the cliff edge and the other steep hillside.  This is undoubtedly a road that Jesus walked many times in his life.  It would have been the road he and his parents took to Jerusalem when he was 12 as well as the road he took when going up to Jerusalem for the last time.  It is also likely that this is the road Joseph and Mary took when going up to Bethlehem for the census, during which time Jesus was born.  It was thrilling to walk this same road but by the end I was beat. 

Along the road - note the drop off

And more hiking

Looking back from where we got off the road

 At the end of where we hiked we found the Monastery of St. George.  We did not have time to go down there.

We were heading back to Jerusalem where we will be staying for the next few nights.  Along the way we stopped in a wheat field where John explained that these would have been the fields of the shepherds in the Christmas story.  There is a narrow strip of land used to grow wheat and barley which extends from just below Bethlehem to almost Jericho.  After the harvest, shepherds take their flocks into the fields to graze.  

It was also along here also that we stopped in a cave similar to others in the area which has been used to shelter sheep.  Part of the cave is sectioned off for the shepherds to use to sleep in (the area where Mary would have had Jesus)

and the rest is the sheep pen.  It is likely that this is the type of place that Mary and Joseph had to use as a place to stay and where Jesus was born.  The Nativity area in the Church of the Nativity is a cave so that part is not really disputed.  I cannot imagine a more humble spot for such a magnificent birth!

While here in Jerusalem we are staying at a convent where they also rent out rooms.  I’m not sure if the convent used to be bigger and now with not many nuns here they rent out the rooms or if it was built for both purposes.  I have not yet found an English speaking nun so I can ask.  

There is a statue of St. Theresa the Little Flower here and I’m interested in learning the connection since that was who my childhood parish was named for.

After dinner we went down to the western wall to witness the start of the Jewish Sabbath.  Jews from all over the world visiting Jerusalem come down to participate.  There is general singing and dancing to mark the start of their day of religious rest.  I saw Russian Jews with their large black wheel shaped hats to Hasidic Jews with their traditional garb, to Israeli solders in uniform (including machine guns over their shoulders) dancing and praying together.

A gold Menorah is also located at the square.  This has been built by the Temple Institute which we visited yesterday and I'll post more information when I finish updating that day.  It stands almost 6 feet tall and includes 95 pounds of gold plating.

Dome of the Rock at night from our hotel/convent