Day 9

So...an eventful day! We started by exploring the City of David excavations...

And, after checking the current level...

Two intrepid explorers joined Steve in Hezekiahs tunnel, while the rest journeyed overland through the city

We then had a float in the Dead Sea

And a trip on the cable car up to Masada

The journey back was a bit unexpected...after noticing a beautiful rainbow over the Dead Sea, we hadn't thought that it would result in a torrential deluge washing down the valley and flooding the only road back!

Thankfully, we were only stuck for an hour...sometimes this can go on for 10!  So we got back to the hotel in time for dinner and a meeting with Rev Hosam Naoum, the Dean of Jerusalem.

It was fascinating and challenging to hear from Rev Hosam some of the struggles faced by him and his congregation as Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem and throughout the land.  It was a real privilege to spend this time with him, and increase our understanding of what we can do to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this troubled, holy, land. Rev Hosam left us with 4 P's: Pray - it is never in vain Peace - and work towards a true peace based on justice for all Pilgrimage - encourage others to "come and see" Pennies - support financially those organisations who work for reconciliation and harmony (whether Jewish or Palestinian based) Home tomorrow...getting back at some horrendous time, so no more blogs...hope you've enjoyed following us, thank you for your prayers.  Please continue to join us in praying for peace for Jerusalem and the land of the Holy One.        

Day 8

Today we began the day with a short walk from our hotel to St Georges Cathedral.  

  This very English-looking building was built in the late 19th Century and today serve the local Palestinian Christian population, as well as pilgrims and tourists.  The service was conducted in both English and Arabic, and was very moving.  The experience of worshipping alongside the "living stones" of this land is one that I know many of us will remember for a long time.  

The preacher was Rev Hosam Naoum, the Dean of Jerusalem.  Rev Hosam will be spending some time with us tomorrow evening in the hotel to give us an insight into what the experience is like of living in this land today for his Palestinian congregation. We then went to the Western (wailing) wall

And the Ophel Excavations

While we were here, the heavens opened, so we went on for lunch - intending to visit the City of David and Hezekiahs tunnel afterward.  However, the traffic was so bad that we have had to postpone this until tomorrow...😒  Still, while some were taken back to the hotel, others had the opportunity to explore the Jewish quarter if the Old City, and we are all happy and relaxed-flexibility always has to be our watchword when on pilgrimage in this land! So...tomorrow it's City of David, then the Dead Sea and surrounding region.      

Day 7...

So...how to describe walking through Holy Week in one day? Amazing, inspiring, challenging, exhausting, spiritual, emotional, how many adjectives are there?! We started at Bethphage, the church on top of the Mount of Olives with the mounting stone - from which Jesus mounted the Colt at the start of the Palm Sunday Trimphant entry to Jerusalem

 

 

As you can see, the mounting block was painted by the early church and used as an alter...

 

We then had a fantastic view over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

 

 

 

We then walked down the Mount of Olives, stopping at Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over the city. And we descended into the garden of Gethsemene.

Here, surrounded by 2000 year old olive trees we shared a service of Holy Communion, and then travelled on to Caiaphas' house, where Jesus was taken and held before appearing before the religious authorities.

 

From here we took the bus to the Jaffa gate of the Old City and entered the Christian Quarter where we had lunch and time to explore the market

 

 

After lunch we were delighted that the church of Alexander Nevsky was open!  This is very rare to pass and find we can go in...

Inside this Russian Orthodox Church is the judgement gate - through which Christ would have walked as he went out of the city carrying his cross to Golgotha.  Also, next to the judgement gate is the Eye of the Needle..."truly I tell you, it is easier fir a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven"...

 

 

 

 

We then visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre - the site of Golgotha and the empty tomb.

             

 

What a day!  Tomorrow is a bit lighter - physically and spiritually - as we share in a Palestinian service at St Georges Cathedral, and visit the Ophel excavations and City of David

 

Day 6

So...we started today with a bus ride to the Herodian.  This was one of the palaces built by and for Herod the Great, and lies between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.  An imposing structure, and a man-made mountain, this is likely to be where the Magi stopped as they were looking for the one born King of the Jews.   We then journeyed onwards to Shepherds Fields, a beautiful peaceful spot, where we overlooked Bethlehem and sang It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.  Many of the words of that carol have an added significance when sung in that place - yet neath the angle strains have rolled two thousand years of wrong.  Very moving and poignant...

 

From here we went into Bethlehem to the church of the nativity, which, despite being a very different tradition to what we are used to, has a real sense of presence and spirit - here the Word became flesh and lived among us.  Here God was present and moved among us today.

 

We then had a fantastic lunch!  

This was at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation which does a fantastic work providing medical care to the people of Palestine.  No one is turned away, regardless of race, creed, wealth, or any other distinction.  This is one of the charities that Maranatha support through groups such as ours.  We heard about their work from Mary

And then travelled back to the hotel via a view point over the Old City from Mt Scopus

Another great day!  Tomorrow we do Holy Week...

Day 5

There are no photos for our first activity this morning, just as there are no words to adequately describe it. We journeyed to Yardenit baptismal site, where we held a service of renewal of baptismal vows using the river Jordan.  No doubt individuals will share with you their experiences of this occasion, suffice to say - God met us.  Dawn and Steve both feel deeply privileged, humbled, and blessed to have been of part of this moment in people's lives.

 From Yardenit we travelled to Be'it Shaen -- one of the Roman cities of the Decapolis, and a powerful statement of imperial Roman might. Our guide, Nurit, explained the site which includes a bathhouse

 

And an early Christian baptismal pool

Steve then climbed these steps

To take this photo

As a favour to his Dad, who over many years has built up a series of "excavation in progress" of this site! However, he was not alone in this foolishness, in the midday sun, as these two madmen joined him on the climb...

And got a round of applause when we rejoined the group! From here we journeyed to the north shore of the Dead Sea, which we will be floating in on Monday, for a spot of lunch

After lunch we went to Bethany-beyond-Jordan (where I forgot to take photos-sorry!) and Wadi Kelt (ditto!) and on to Jerusalem, which feels as safe as any other city...some groups have been in this hotel for a few days before us and have not experienced any disruption whatsoever.  Our hotel has a rooftop terrace with views of the old city and the golden dome - honest(!) 

(It's between the two trees in the middle of the picture!)

Tomorrow we head to Bethlehem to do some souvenir shopping (send your requests now!) - but more importantly to visit the church if the nativity, and the shepherds fields.  We are also visiting the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitaion Centre to learn of their work.

One last thing for this blog...Steve keeps being mistaken for a local wherever we go...and he's not sure why....?

     

Day 4

Another good day...

First we visited the artistic quarter of Safed - the city referred to by Jesus as the "city on a hill", and the centre of the Kabbala branch of Judaism.

We then travelled north to Tel Dan where we explored the nature reserve and some of us had a paddle

Dan was the biblical Capitol city of the Northern Kingdom, and we had the chance to wander through the remains of this once-great city.  These include the old gate, an ancient temple, and an arch which predates Romans arches by around 1000 years (what your history teacher told you about arches being a Roman invention is wrong!) and is listed on the UNESCO world heritage site.

We then visited Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his declaration "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God"

Had lunch, and finally stopped at a viewpoint over the Road to Damascus on the Israel/Syria border.

Smiles all round at the end of another day!

Time for a paddle in the Sea of Galilee

Some were then brave enough to take a swim in the Sea of Galilee (can you tell who they are?   I was forbidden to show any before and after shots!)

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Galilee and head south to our second hotel which will be our base for exploring Jerusalem and Bethlehem.