Israel: Jerusalem and Bethlehem

We woke up at dawn our last day in Israel in order to squeeze in a 10-hour trip to Jerusalem and Bethlehem before catching a midnight flight back to the States. This was another tour with Bein Harim, the same group that took us to Masada and the Dead Sea. After making several stops, we finally made it to Scopus, one of the Seven Hills of Jerusalem. We stopped here to take photos and learn more about the famous golden dome and black dome of the old City. 

The golden Dome of the Rock and the black dome of Al Aqsa Mosque are part of the Temple Mount, one of the most important religious sites in Old Jerusalem. At least four religions have been known to use the temple: Judaism, Christianity, Roman religion and Islam. According to Judaism, it is here where God chose the Divine Presence to rest. After being destroyed twice, Jewish tradition states the current temple is the third and final temple. Therefore, it is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn toward during prayer across the world. Likewise, among Sunni Muslims this site is also very important as the third holiest site in Islam and is the location of Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to Heaven. It is no wonder that this is one of the most contested religious sites in the world and is in the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

We then drove to the wall of the Old City and began our walk inside. The current walls around the city were built in the 16th century by the Muslim Ottoman Empire and measure 10 feet thick, with varying heights between 16 and 49 feet.We entered in the Armenian Quarter, where we learned the city is divided into four quarters: the Armenian Quarter where we were standing, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter. The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the sections and it is interesting to note that the Armenians have their own quarter even though they are Christian. The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most populated and is situated in the northeast corner of the city. The Christian Quarter is in the northwestern corner of the city and contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or Church of the Resurrection, one of Christianity's holiest places. It is said this, or the Garden Tomb, is the spot where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances (so our guide said and did not elaborate) we were unable to visit the Church - another reason I must go back! Finally, the Jewish Quarter is in the southeastern corner of the city and has been occupied by Jews since as early as 8th century BC.

Here comes my least favorite part of the day - we were literally dragged through the city by the tour guide, unable to stop at any locations or shop in the markets due to the vast amount of people on the streets and the amount of area to cover in a short period of time. I managed to take photos while walking, coming out with only a couple of stubbed toes.

In order to make it up to us for the Church of the Resurrection being closed, the guide so graciously sped us through the Stations of the Cross on Via Dolorosa. Now, I don't consider myself a very religious person. However, here I am, in arguably the world's most religious city, and this is just not what I pictured. I imagined taking time to learn about the ancient history and reflecting on my purpose in life - yadda, yadda, yadda - that is not what happened. Did I mention it was also the Muslim sabbath and Greek Orthodox Good Friday? Probably not the best timing for a visit to Jerusalem. This may have been the most crowded place I have ever been. Dad, just pray that you were not there. That being said, I really really really want to return here some day - on my own, with plenty of cash for the colorful souvenirs in the market and with a book as a reference guide.

Finally, we made a visit to the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall, which included a trip through a security line prior to entry. The wall is located on the western side of the Temple Mount and is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard. This is one of, if not the most, sacred site recognized by the Jewish faith outside of Temple Mount. It has been a site for Jewish prayer and pilgrimage for centuries as the sole remnant of the Holy Temple. The areas for prayer were broken into two sections - one for women and another for men, which was much larger. I noticed upon departure from the wall, it is customary to walk backwards, not turning your back to the wall until you nearly reach the back of the prayer area.

With the early half of the day behind us, we exited the main part of the city through Zion Gate and switched buses for our trip into Bethlehem. Israelis are unable to enter so we needed a Palestinian driver and guide. Our guide brought us to the Church of the Nativity, where we hunched over and entered through the Door of Humility, the church's main entrance.

The main Basilica of the Nativity is maintained by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Roman Catholics built the adjoining Church of St. Catherine and there is also a small Armenian chapel. Remember how I said it was Good Friday for the Greek Orthodox? There was a full blown ceremony occurring at the exact time we were in the church and during which no one could enter the Grotto of the Nativity. The plus side is that we had front row seats to the traditional ceremony.

After a 2.5 hour wait we finally made it through the double doors and saw the entrance to the underground cave where Jesus was said to have been born, the Grotto of the Nativity. At the bottom of the stairs, there is a small altar with a 14-pointed silver star that marks the exact spot of birth. There is also another altar that is said to be where Mary placed Jesus in the manger.

When we entered Bethlehem, I only caught a glimpse of the West Bank barrier walls. However, upon leaving I got a full fledged view of just how serious the State of Israel takes separating the Palestinians from the Israelis.