Trip to Israel and Jordan for the Feast of Tabernacles 1998

Part 4

Saturday 10 October, Jerusalem — We arrived safely on Wednesday in Madaba, after leaving our Jordanian hotel. We had lunch there, and went to a church (unusual for a muslim country) which had a map on the floor with Greek writing of the biblical lands some time ago, showing the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and other major places.

Then on to Mount Nebo to see where Moses was told he was going to die by God, and from where he saw the Promised Land which we was not allowed to enter because he struck the rock earlier.

Then back to the border crossing across the River Jordan, although this time getting back into Israel was harder than leaving. We arrived in Jerusalem later that day, the city was very busy (lots of Jews coming in to keep Sukkot). Eventually we arrived at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Mount Scopus. Nice hotel, although the beds were too short for tall people like me. We had dinner in the ballroom and then a service with short messages for our spiritual edification.

On Thursday morning it was up early again for a tour of the Old City and the Temple Mount. On that mount there are now two muslim mosques, the original temples built years ago long since gone. The only remains are the western wall (where lots of Jews go to pray) and some foundations. Like all religious sites, people cannot enter with bare legs or shoulders, and green “skirts” are handed out to people in shorts to cover up. Also, before entering the mosques, we have to take our shoes off.

The Dome of the Rock is the famous mosque, with the gold dome. It is claimed by muslims that Mohammed ascended to Heaven from here. Inside the Dome it is very beautiful, very nicely decorated.

The rock itself in the center is surrounded by a fence to stop people from touching it, but there are steps going down underneath with a circular hole which we looked up through and saw the ceiling of the Dome. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside, so you will have to buy a guide book or go there yourself if you really want to see the inside. But it is worth seeing.

Leaving the Dome we walked to a point from where we could see the Mount of Olives. Then down from there and around the recent excavations near the temple. And on to various other historic sites around the city, before going to Cardo Culineira restaurant, where the staff dress as Romans and even put togas and laureal wreaths on all the guests. So we had a Roman lunch, with entertainment provided by a juggler, who juggled first with balls, then with 3 flaming torches, then with 2 torches and a big sharp knife.

We saw more of the city in the afternoon, and walked through the narrow streets full of little shops selling all kinds of things, from spices to sweets, clothing, souvenirs, camera films, shoes, leather goods, etc. Then back to the hotel for dinner.

On Friday we got up and set off early again, another really hot day, this time our first stop was the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept. The museum is in Jerusalem, opposite the Knesset, home of the Israeli Parliament.

Our guide showed us a big slab with Hebrew text in Mosiac form on it, and then we saw a statue of a man planting a tree, with a large head, all in black (see photo).

The Scrolls are kept in a dome-shaped building inside a circular room. The displays show the actual scrolls with some information about them. In the center of the room was the only complete scroll — the Book of Isaiah the prophet.

After leaving there, we came to a place with a huge model, one fiftieth real size, of Jerusalem at the time of the second temple, just after Christ, and before its destruction in AD70. The model and especially the temple look impressive, giving a fascinating view of Jerusalem in the first century. I can now imagine more what it was like at that time.

Moving on we then went to Yad Vashem, a museum and memorial to the millions of Jews who died in the holocaust caused by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during and before the Second World War. At the entrance is the Avenue of the Righteous, where there are trees planted and plaques placed in remembrance of righteous non-Jews who helped Jews, including Oskar Schindler who had a small pile of stones by his name.

Inside the place first we see a huge mural telling the story of the Jews, in 4 parts, including bad things before like the holocaust, and the last section (see photo) shows the future with the lion of Judah and two candles and olive branches, showing the blessing that God will give them in the future.

Inside is the story of how Hitler persecuted the Jews and with many photographs it is a very moving place, and we did not have enough time to really do it justice. There was also a room with a candle and mirrors to picture the million Jewish children who died (the mirrors make it appear there are a million candles), but I did not get enough time to see that, although others did see it.

After that we went to Bethlehem, in the Palestinian area, ruled by Palestinians and very poor looking compared to neighbouring Jewish Jerusalem. It is still part of Israel, but we must go through checkpoints to enter, past machine gun posts. Bethlehem is very noisy, dusty and lots of construction work going on to build houses or whatever. Not a very impressive area, our only reason to be here is to visit a church which is supposedly on the site where Christ was born. It is a bit run-down. Then into a shop to buy souvenirs, such as olive wood items and jewellery.

Then back to the hotel, we were left to get our own lunches. Some people went off to find Hezekiah’s tunnel to explore that (it contains water up to the thighs, rather them than me). I stayed in and wrote my postcards, then went out to find a postbox to post them in. Unfortunately I was too late for the last postal collection on Friday (10:00h) and the next postal collection was Sunday morning (none on the Sabbath of course). Then back to the hotel to sit by the pool with other church members before getting ready to go back to the western wall where we were going to see the start of the Sabbath and how the Jews there celebrated it.

There at the wall they segregate men and women, and the men must cover their heads before going near the wall. There is a pleasant atmosphere here, but no music is allowed to be performed on the Sabbath. So the Jewish men stand there, reading, praying, singing a bit. The sun sets and Shabbat begins, and shortly after that we even saw some Jewish men by the wall doing the Conga and dancing.

Then back on the buses to return to the hotel for dinner. Then Sharon Treybig asked me and others to sing in the special music for the Sabbath services the next day. We chose to sing Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold), and practised that, singing the verses in English, the first chorus in English, second chorus in Hebrew, and for the third chorus half sang in Hebrew (including myself) and half sang in English. It sounded really good.

On Saturday we departed at 9:00h for a group photo on top of Mount Scopus with the Mount of Olives in the distance. Then our coaches take us up to the top of the Mount of Olives, and we walk down the steep slope (not easy to do). There are lots of graves here, it is the place that Christ will return to, so Jews want to be buried where the Messiah will stand thinking they will have a better ressurection. Oskar Schindler is buried here somewhere, but we did not get a chance to see his grave. At the bottom we entered a garden with a church and some very old olive trees, perhaps 2000 years old.

After that it is on to the Garden Tomb, where it is supposed that Christ’s body was placed after He was crucified. The tomb itself is very small, but the garden is quite big and worth seeing. Then some people went off to see Hezekiah’s tunnel, they went the day before but could not get to see it then so they want to go today and see it.

The rest of us went on to Mount Zion Hotel for lunch, in a large sukka (tabernacle) on the terrace outside the hotel. Another nice big lunch, then back to the Hyatt to prepare for the Sabbath service — and my singing role!

We met up shortly before the service to practise our singing, all six of us (3 men, 3 women), and shortly after the service began we were called up to sing Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. It went very well and I enjoyed doing it, the audience loved it and it was such a privilege and a thrill to sing about Jerusalem in Jerusalem! And without any amplification equipment or music (not allowed here on the Sabbath).

Bill Cowan gave a good sermon about miracles and things that had happened in his life. After that some went off to the optional dinner and folklore evening, but some of us decided to go into the Old City, to the Tower of David Museum, where at night they had a sound and light show, with actors’ voices telling the story of Jerusalem in its 3000-year history. On the way there, we rode in the minibus provided by the hotel (which was supposed to be a 20-seater but was only a 12-seater, so some of us were on the floor), but we were stopped by the Israeli police who questioned the Arab driver. Turned out the driver had invalid identification to drive that vehicle, and we sait patiently, not knowing what was going to happen. Then another policeman came, and they all look like soldiers and carry M16 machine guns as well. Then a police car pulled up behind and more police got out. Then they told us we could go, so we did, but asked them first how to find Ben Yehuda street, where we planned to go to eat. We got there eventually and had pizzas outisde Pizza Hut, although some people bought junk food from McDonalds. The pizza I had was a spicy one, it was the hottest spicy pizza I ever had, and certainly much better than eating a Big Mac.

Then we went to the Tower of David for the show, and after that back to the hotel for the night.

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This scholarly volume contains 18 studies, edited by Nitza Rosovsky, which approach the city from many different angles: through religious spirituality, folk songs, literature, art, architecture and politics. Rosovsky contributes a fine introduction and two of the studies, including a fascinating account of the perceptions of 19th century travelers including Mark Twain, Benjamin Disraeli and Herman Melville.

Text and photographs copyright by David King, unless stated otherwise.

Some images on this site have been enhanced.

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