Wednesday, May 12, 2010
May 11th - Home Sweet Home
We arrived home tired but safely. Please come back in a few days and I'll fill in the days I was not able to post and add some new pictures!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
May 8th - Exploring the Hills and Valleys and Jerusalem
Here are a few shots from the days. I'll add more details when I return.
A few of the current day Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives. The Dome of the Rock, (location of the Temple and High Place in Bible times) the gold domed mosque, is in the center of the photo.
The garden of Gethsemane.
Visitors come to kiss the rock where many believe Christ came to pray the night before his arrest.
More olive trees on the Mount of Olives.
The "security" wall built by Israel along the border of Palestine. This is a very sensitive political issues. More on that another time.
Mosaic tile floor in the Church of the Nativity that marks the traditional site of Jesus' birth. This Byzantine era (565 AD) church is one of the oldest surviving churches.
Church of St. Catherine where the Pope holds Christmas Eve mass.
Stained glass from the Church of St. Catherine.
One of three presumed sights where the shepherds were told of Jesus' birth.
One of the "original" jars that contained the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran.
The grandson of Mr. Kando, an antiques dealer that Bedouins took their find to. He was one of the first to recognize their value. It is an interesting story I'll describe in more detail.
The Place of the Skull. Some believe this is the location of Jesus' crucifixion and burial in a nearby tomb. The bottom (mouth) of the skull is hidden by vegetation at the moment.
The Garden Tomb where some believe Jesus was buried and arose.
Erin (my roommate for the trip) and James.
Ferrell Jr. picks up trash around the opening to Herod's family tomb so we don't have to PhotoShop it out. Many sites were just covered with litter.
The cleaned up opening to tomb where Herod's family is buried. Notice the rolling stone in the upper left corner. This was a common way of sealing tombs at the time and depending on the size, may be much like the stone rolled in front of Jesus' tomb.
Wall of geraniums outside our hotel entrance.
Friday, May 7, 2010
May 7th - Jerusalem and the City of David
Another fabulous day....another short post. We covered some serious ground today and it was almost all on foot. It is hard to comprehend what all we saw, the age of the ancient structures, the incredible engineering skills of these ancient people, and most of all the significance of where we are and what we saw. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so once again, for now I'll leave you with a few pictures from our day. I took over 400 pictures today, so maybe that will give you some idea. I sure hope I can sort them all out when I get home!
I hope you had a great week. We have two more days in Jerusalem and our trip is rapidly coming to an end. It is hard to believe our journey will be over soon, but it is equally hard to believe what all we have seen in just a few days. Here's a sample from today.
House of Ahiel (presumed to be because they found his name here. Built in the Canaanite period (500ish BC) just outside the city walls. It was a two story house with about four rooms. The columns here would have supported the second floor.
Entering Hezekiah's Tunnel, an amazing engineering design carved from bedrock that provided water to the city and feed the pool of Shiloam.
A rendering of the fortification and upper collection pool.
Descending into the an area where the Gihon Spring flows with amazing force even today. It is not hard to imagine how it could have provided water for an entire city
This is the edge of the spring. It is so clean and clear you can't see the water in this picture.
We exit through irrigation tunnels that were also dug into the bedrock and provided water for agricultural applications.
The corner of the current "Old City" wall. In the lower right hand corner are stones from the time of Herod. 
Corner of the pool of Shiloam. Most of the pool remains is yet to be excavated.
Waters of the Gihon flow through the ruins of the City of David.
We entered the Jaffa Gate for a journey through the city. You may recall we were in Jaffa the first day we arrived. This would have been the road from Jerusalem to Jaffa. I am so very thankful for buses. It would be a long walk!
Walking through the city streets. There are shops everywhere selling everything!
Courtyard and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where many believe Jesus was crucified and buried. The church was built over the site and various religious groups claim "ownership" of various holy sites. Struggles continue today over who owns what.
Visitors kiss touch and rub objects over the rock where many believe Jesus' body was laid after being removed from the cross. There are also evidences that indicate this may not be the exact place. Ferrell frequently reminds us that if this is not location, it is in the area and further reminds us that where He was buried is not an important as the fact that He is risen.
Sunlight streams in from the top of the dome of the church into the top a shrine over what many believe to be the tomb of Jesus.
Musistan, an intersection of avenues. It was created in 1903 when the Greek Orthodox Church redeveloped the area.
Walking the Via Dolorosa in reverse.
The market is not just for tourists. We saw many places like this where people set up "shop" to sell fresh produce. This woman is selling grape leaves.
Parking is limited in the old city. You park where you can!
Ruins at Bethesda. There are ruins from a Byzantine church as well as Roman times. It is considered by many to be the area where Christ cured the paralyzed man on the sabbath.
We exit the city through the Lions' Gate.
Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives.
Steps form the time of Christ in the area where Peter denied Christ three times. A church, St Peter in Gallicantu commemorates the traditional spot.
I hope you had a great week. We have two more days in Jerusalem and our trip is rapidly coming to an end. It is hard to believe our journey will be over soon, but it is equally hard to believe what all we have seen in just a few days. Here's a sample from today.
House of Ahiel (presumed to be because they found his name here. Built in the Canaanite period (500ish BC) just outside the city walls. It was a two story house with about four rooms. The columns here would have supported the second floor.
Entering Hezekiah's Tunnel, an amazing engineering design carved from bedrock that provided water to the city and feed the pool of Shiloam.
A rendering of the fortification and upper collection pool.
Descending into the an area where the Gihon Spring flows with amazing force even today. It is not hard to imagine how it could have provided water for an entire city
This is the edge of the spring. It is so clean and clear you can't see the water in this picture.
We exit through irrigation tunnels that were also dug into the bedrock and provided water for agricultural applications.
The corner of the current "Old City" wall. In the lower right hand corner are stones from the time of Herod.
Corner of the pool of Shiloam. Most of the pool remains is yet to be excavated.
Waters of the Gihon flow through the ruins of the City of David.
We entered the Jaffa Gate for a journey through the city. You may recall we were in Jaffa the first day we arrived. This would have been the road from Jerusalem to Jaffa. I am so very thankful for buses. It would be a long walk!
Walking through the city streets. There are shops everywhere selling everything!
Courtyard and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where many believe Jesus was crucified and buried. The church was built over the site and various religious groups claim "ownership" of various holy sites. Struggles continue today over who owns what.
Visitors kiss touch and rub objects over the rock where many believe Jesus' body was laid after being removed from the cross. There are also evidences that indicate this may not be the exact place. Ferrell frequently reminds us that if this is not location, it is in the area and further reminds us that where He was buried is not an important as the fact that He is risen.
Sunlight streams in from the top of the dome of the church into the top a shrine over what many believe to be the tomb of Jesus.
Musistan, an intersection of avenues. It was created in 1903 when the Greek Orthodox Church redeveloped the area.
Walking the Via Dolorosa in reverse.
The market is not just for tourists. We saw many places like this where people set up "shop" to sell fresh produce. This woman is selling grape leaves.
Parking is limited in the old city. You park where you can!
Ruins at Bethesda. There are ruins from a Byzantine church as well as Roman times. It is considered by many to be the area where Christ cured the paralyzed man on the sabbath.
We exit the city through the Lions' Gate.
Russian Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives.
Steps form the time of Christ in the area where Peter denied Christ three times. A church, St Peter in Gallicantu commemorates the traditional spot.
A view of the wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre can be seen in the distance.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
May 6th - The Dead Sea, Masada, Qumran, and Jericho
I planned to mostly post pictures tonight but the internet connection is really slow. I'll try again...in the morning (or late evening for those of you at home)! Today was another incredible day. I'll tell you about it soon!
Update: Here are a few. The last one is what I'd like to be doing right now (Friday morning) but alas another fun filled day awaits!
The Dead Sea as viewed from Masada
The Dead Sea again with walls in the foreground from the fortification around Herod's Palace on Masada.
The siege ramp where Roman soldiers attacked the Zealot Jews that had escaped to Masada to escape Roman capture.
The cave (known as Cave 4) at Qumran where the most significant Dead Sea Scrolls were found - not by the way by a Bedouin Shepard that threw a rock into the cave in search of a lost sheep. More on that later...
Update: Here are a few. The last one is what I'd like to be doing right now (Friday morning) but alas another fun filled day awaits!
The Dead Sea as viewed from Masada
The Dead Sea as viewed from the bus window! Because the water is low, a number of sink holes can be seen along the shore.
The Dead Sea again with walls in the foreground from the fortification around Herod's Palace on Masada.
The siege ramp where Roman soldiers attacked the Zealot Jews that had escaped to Masada to escape Roman capture.
The cave (known as Cave 4) at Qumran where the most significant Dead Sea Scrolls were found - not by the way by a Bedouin Shepard that threw a rock into the cave in search of a lost sheep. More on that later...
The oldest structure excavated in the "Old" city of Jericho. If I got it right, it dates back to 10,000 BC! It is part of a tower. We also saw the revetment walls that still stand in Jericho.The inner wall is what fell.
How I feel after the last few days and what I'd like to be doing.
May 5th – A Picture Perfect Day!
Update: May 5th Internet service was not available. This is what I wrote, yesterday. Today was another really long day so I doubt I'll do much more than post pictures. Maybe I'll catch up when I get home :-)
Here’s a summary of the day, because I’m fading fast and don’t think I’ll be able to do much more than upload some pictures. In a nut shell, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise, galloped on an Arabian horse (twice!), climbed up the most amazing rock formations that could possibly exist, spent some time on a sacrificial altar, stood in the Dead Sea, and watched the sun set into Jerusalem from across the Dead Sea. There is no way I can possibly describe what I saw today. God’s creation is truly magnificent and I’m so glad I took this opportunity to put into context what we read about in the Bible. It has already been and experience I’ll never forget!
See http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com for the biblical significance of the site we visited today.
I knew it would be a good day when I opened my window to find a blush of color in the sky behind the rough, sharp rock formation outside my window. If only I had known what was in store.
We left the hotel around 8:00 a.m. stopping briefly at an overlook to get a glimpse of the mountains and valley below. Through my long lens, I can see carved structures come into focus. Oh my…this is going to be a good day! We continued down to the entrance to park among what appears to be 30 or more buses just like ours…I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It is the most visited tourist site in the area. We enter the gates and start the day with a rest stop. I think I have spent at least half of the trip waiting in line. They really aren’t equipped to handle such large crowds. By 9:00 we were riding Arabian horses down the hill. My “handler” (the guy that owns the horse and walks with it) slowed or stopped at everything we passed. See they get tips at the end of the trip. When we got behind he asked if I had ridden a horse before and off we went! We raced down to the foot of the hill and caught up with the rest of my group. I think someone got a picture and I’m sure it was not pretty. What a ride!
Our walk begins down into a region called the Siq which is an area of enormous rock formations that reach to what seems like the sky. After 30-45 minutes of literally gawking at textures, colors and carvings in the rock including a flood prevention system of channels, we turned the corner to get our first glimpse of “The Treasury” which is the classic picture you always see from Petra.
It is a massive temple carved into the side of the rock in the 1st century BC. Because it is protected by valley rock walls, it has deteriorated less than other structures. It is truly an unbelievable feat of ancient engineering, but we’ve barely scratched the surface. Our ultimate goal for the day is reaching the “High Place” and view it offers. Little did we know the journey would be equally rewarding. We continued down the path past more unbelievably carved temples and tombs and in the distance we see an enormous stadium carved into the rock. Around the corner is a path to the high place.
The Treasury
I’ll have to finish this later. I can’t keep my eyes open. Jane was working on hers on the bus, so for those of you following the blogs, check her site for the rest of the story! I’ll try to finish it up tomorrow.
May 6th Update: The internet connection here is really slow too. Check the websites of those with aircards and maybe you will find more. I will try again at a different time of day. It has taken an hour to upload 3 pictures and I really need some sleep! Please forgive any typos since I'm practically doing this in my sleep.
http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com
http://journeyswithjane.blogspot.com
http://thejamesmiller.wordpress.com
Here’s a summary of the day, because I’m fading fast and don’t think I’ll be able to do much more than upload some pictures. In a nut shell, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise, galloped on an Arabian horse (twice!), climbed up the most amazing rock formations that could possibly exist, spent some time on a sacrificial altar, stood in the Dead Sea, and watched the sun set into Jerusalem from across the Dead Sea. There is no way I can possibly describe what I saw today. God’s creation is truly magnificent and I’m so glad I took this opportunity to put into context what we read about in the Bible. It has already been and experience I’ll never forget!
See http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com for the biblical significance of the site we visited today.
I knew it would be a good day when I opened my window to find a blush of color in the sky behind the rough, sharp rock formation outside my window. If only I had known what was in store.
The Siq at Petra
We left the hotel around 8:00 a.m. stopping briefly at an overlook to get a glimpse of the mountains and valley below. Through my long lens, I can see carved structures come into focus. Oh my…this is going to be a good day! We continued down to the entrance to park among what appears to be 30 or more buses just like ours…I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It is the most visited tourist site in the area. We enter the gates and start the day with a rest stop. I think I have spent at least half of the trip waiting in line. They really aren’t equipped to handle such large crowds. By 9:00 we were riding Arabian horses down the hill. My “handler” (the guy that owns the horse and walks with it) slowed or stopped at everything we passed. See they get tips at the end of the trip. When we got behind he asked if I had ridden a horse before and off we went! We raced down to the foot of the hill and caught up with the rest of my group. I think someone got a picture and I’m sure it was not pretty. What a ride!
Our walk begins down into a region called the Siq which is an area of enormous rock formations that reach to what seems like the sky. After 30-45 minutes of literally gawking at textures, colors and carvings in the rock including a flood prevention system of channels, we turned the corner to get our first glimpse of “The Treasury” which is the classic picture you always see from Petra.
The Treasury
I’ll have to finish this later. I can’t keep my eyes open. Jane was working on hers on the bus, so for those of you following the blogs, check her site for the rest of the story! I’ll try to finish it up tomorrow.
May 6th Update: The internet connection here is really slow too. Check the websites of those with aircards and maybe you will find more. I will try again at a different time of day. It has taken an hour to upload 3 pictures and I really need some sleep! Please forgive any typos since I'm practically doing this in my sleep.
http://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com
http://journeyswithjane.blogspot.com
http://thejamesmiller.wordpress.com
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