Here, there, and everywhere...

(Scenes from the streets of Old Jerusalem)



(The Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, of Old Jerusalem)



(Caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found)


(Ruins on top of Masada)


(Temple carved in the stone walls at Petra)


(The Treasury at Petra, Jordan, used in scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark)

I would have blogged before now, but I just can't seem to read Hebrew! When we try to open the blogspot, all the instructions are in Hebrew...and I just can't seem to figure them out! So, I'll try to catch up on the last three days.

On Sunday, we returned to the old city through the Dung Gate...called so because this was the gate they used to "take out the garbage"! But on our way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, we had a little bit of hassle at the border. They made us all get off the bus and walk across the border, checking our passports multiple times, and just generally being intimidating. Well...any young kid with a big gun in their hands is a LOT intimidating. It really just feels like they are acting tough, but I wouldn't want to be the one who provoked them! Anyway, we went to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem...men to their side and women to ours. It is so moving to see Jewish women rocking back and forth and praying at this wall. All the cracks are filled with bits of paper containing prayers. We were really disappointed to learn that we would not be allowed to go to the Temple Mount. The Israeli government closed the area because of all the unrest going on over their announcement that they would be building more settlements. We have seen some rock throwing, and lots of general unrest. We went to the pools of Bethesda, where people could be healed if they could get into the pool when the waters were stirred. Supposedly, they were stirred when a snake was thrown in...sure would make me stir! Ended the day with a visit to St. George's Cathedral, which St. Paul's in Fayetteville helps support.

Monday we left Bethlehem with minimal hassle at the border and started our drive south. We stopped at Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. This was once the place where the Essenes lived. They had more rules than you could shake a stick at...for example, if you wanted to use the bathroom, you had to be at least 2000 cubits from camp...which was quite a hike. Problem was, on the Sabbath, you were only allowed to walk 1000 cubits. And the story goes that they just held it. No thank you... not me! We then stopped at the Dead Sea and had lunch and waded around a bit. The water leaves your skin feeling very oily, and the bottom is covered with little balls of salt. Then it was on to Masada, one of Herod's fortresses, and the place where 960 Jewish Zealots committed suicide rather than become Roman slaves. It was quite a place...but the temperature was nearing 100, and a sand storm was blowing in, so it was not as pleasant as we would have liked! Our hotel in Eilat on the Red Sea was a welcome sight that night!

Today was supposed to be a free day just to rest and relax, but....we got an incredible chance to cross the border into Jordan and see Petra...and we just couldn't pass it up. After a little bit of work, we got our visas, and went through the complicated process of crossing the border. Petra was just incredible...Indiana Jones all over again! We were gone all day, but it was so worth seeing!

Now I must wrap this up because we have to be at breakfast at 6:00 and then it will be on to Egypt. Love to all!