The morning started with a beautiful sunrise over the Dead Sea viewable readily viewable from our hotel room, and off we went for the day. Itai told us that the area we were leaving was actually adjacent to Sodom and Gomorrah. Who knew we'd spent the night so close to the most wicked place on earth in biblical times?
We headed north along the Dead Sea, retracing our steps from the prior day, and back past Masada. In the brilliant sunlight, you can see the Snake Path - the winding trail leading from the bottom to the top. Some members of our group actually hiked up this pathway successfully - apparently earlier in the day yesterday at least 4 people broke various limbs trying to do the same thing, so fortunately none of group befell the same outcome. I've included this picture, though, to show what that pathway (the Snake's Trail) was like.
The Dead Sea was even more grand in the early sunlight than in the fading light of yesterday's late afternoon. Lying at an elevation of 1,412 feet below sea level, its depths in its northern part reach nearly 1,000 feet deep, While there was no sign of life, no boats, no nothing. . . there were canals where some of the hyper-salinated water is pulled off and pushed to a plant that pulls critical minerals from the water for use in fertilizers and other industrial purposes. One can clearly see, though, the decline in water level of the Dead Sea with a fair amount of formerly covered bank now exposed.
Heading due west from the Dead Sea and we came eventually to the outskirts of Jerusalem. We drove to the Mount of Olives where Christ stayed before entering the Holy City. From this vantage point, you could see much of this 2 mile square city occupied by 4 separate groups: Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Palestinians.
Our next stop near Bethlehem - Shepherd's Fields - here an Angel of the Lord found three shepherds, and told them they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. "And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:8-10)." Armed with this news, they quickly spread the word.which eventually reached the three wise men who journeyed from Persia to pay homage to the new King.
We held Mass in a small chapel at this site, and then visited the beautiful Franciscan Chapel designed to resemble the caves where the shepherds sought refuge from the winter. The chapel lies over the caves themselves. And, back on the bus to drive a few miles into Bethlehem for a beautiful lunch.
And, then, the highlight of the day and perhaps the week - a walk to the Church of the Nativity. Currently under renovation, it was originally built by Helena, Constantine's mother (whose son founded Constantinople) in the third century. We waited in a long line for 90 minutes and finally down 17 steps to, first, the birthplace highlighted by a 14 point silver star (to illustrate the 14 generations between Abraham and Jesus) and then, nearby, to the site of the manger People were falling to their knees to touch the silver star and the employees were trying to shoo them out and move them along . . . .a bit of chaos and very warm, but oh so wonderful.
The cave where these Holy sites reside is actually split into two with these being located in the Greek Orthodox side, while the adjacent side is entered through a separate area which we also visited. The title of today's blog came because, spontaneously, our group began singing "O Holy Night" in the chamber, prompting some of the other persons there to join in. . . .a beautiful moment indeed.
Back on the bus for what we thought was a short, fifteen minute ride home. Jerusalem is a very, very crowded city, and rush hour only added to the chaos. A demonstration by a group of handicapped individuals forced us to take an alternative route and stretched the trip back to the hotel to more than an hour. This hotel (Grand Court Jerusalem) is the nicest of all the ones we've stayed in, though, and we're happy to be here for the next 3 (and final) nights. A full day in the old city awaits us tomorrow, so watch for more then.
The Dead Sea was even more grand in the early sunlight than in the fading light of yesterday's late afternoon. Lying at an elevation of 1,412 feet below sea level, its depths in its northern part reach nearly 1,000 feet deep, While there was no sign of life, no boats, no nothing. . . there were canals where some of the hyper-salinated water is pulled off and pushed to a plant that pulls critical minerals from the water for use in fertilizers and other industrial purposes. One can clearly see, though, the decline in water level of the Dead Sea with a fair amount of formerly covered bank now exposed.
Heading due west from the Dead Sea and we came eventually to the outskirts of Jerusalem. We drove to the Mount of Olives where Christ stayed before entering the Holy City. From this vantage point, you could see much of this 2 mile square city occupied by 4 separate groups: Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Palestinians.
Itai gave us an excellent commentary on the last days of Jesus in Jerusalem, pointing out the sites where He entered on Palm Sunday, the house for The Last Supper, the Garden of Gesthsemane, where the Apostles slept while Jesus prayed, the area where Jesus' "trial" was held, and the Via Dolorosa (a street within the old city believed to be the path on which Jesus carried the cross), and the site of his crucifixion on Calvary. Most of these we'll visit in the next couple days, and this stop was more of an orientation overview.
Our next stop near Bethlehem - Shepherd's Fields - here an Angel of the Lord found three shepherds, and told them they would find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. "And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:8-10)." Armed with this news, they quickly spread the word.which eventually reached the three wise men who journeyed from Persia to pay homage to the new King.
We held Mass in a small chapel at this site, and then visited the beautiful Franciscan Chapel designed to resemble the caves where the shepherds sought refuge from the winter. The chapel lies over the caves themselves. And, back on the bus to drive a few miles into Bethlehem for a beautiful lunch.
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| An amazing Nativity set at a cost of $32,000 |
After lunch we stopped at the Olive Wood Shop owned by the Zaccharias Brothers, Palestinians whose beautiful shop featured all types of things made from olive wood. I couldn't stop myself from splurging on a replica of The Pieta after falling in love with Michaelangelo's real Pieta in Rome, and what the heck - the threw in a small Holy Family from olive wood. I tried to get Cheryl to splurge on one of the many beautiful Jerusalem crosses, but alas, no luck.
We also met a wonderful 25-year old Palestinian doctor finishing his education in Russia and preparing to move to LA to be a plastic surgeon. He had some very interesting insights into the Jewish-Palestinian conflict, and we enjoyed that meeting tremendously.
And, then, the highlight of the day and perhaps the week - a walk to the Church of the Nativity. Currently under renovation, it was originally built by Helena, Constantine's mother (whose son founded Constantinople) in the third century. We waited in a long line for 90 minutes and finally down 17 steps to, first, the birthplace highlighted by a 14 point silver star (to illustrate the 14 generations between Abraham and Jesus) and then, nearby, to the site of the manger People were falling to their knees to touch the silver star and the employees were trying to shoo them out and move them along . . . .a bit of chaos and very warm, but oh so wonderful.
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| The place of Jesus birth, denoted by the 14-point silver star |
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| The location of the manger, adjacent to the birthplace shown above |
The cave where these Holy sites reside is actually split into two with these being located in the Greek Orthodox side, while the adjacent side is entered through a separate area which we also visited. The title of today's blog came because, spontaneously, our group began singing "O Holy Night" in the chamber, prompting some of the other persons there to join in. . . .a beautiful moment indeed.
Back on the bus for what we thought was a short, fifteen minute ride home. Jerusalem is a very, very crowded city, and rush hour only added to the chaos. A demonstration by a group of handicapped individuals forced us to take an alternative route and stretched the trip back to the hotel to more than an hour. This hotel (Grand Court Jerusalem) is the nicest of all the ones we've stayed in, though, and we're happy to be here for the next 3 (and final) nights. A full day in the old city awaits us tomorrow, so watch for more then.
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