Just yesterday I drove from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee via the Jordan Valley. The southern part of the valley is desert, but even there the evidence of the winter rains were obvious.

Alongside the road

As we drove further north it became breath taking. The wild grasses were standing high and thick, and the flowers were coming out in their full glory.

I love this drive through the Jordan Valley at this time of the year, especially when we have had good winters, as we have had this year. And we are not finished. The day we drove there, was one of the brilliant pre-spring days, between heavy bouts of storm and rain. We were so lucky.

Of course we had to stop and enjoy the sight and take picture. And of course I have to share it with you.

When the almonds blossom it is the sign we are all waiting for.

Winter can be cold in some parts of Israel, particularly in the mountains of Judea, Jerusalem, the Galilee and Golan Heights. When we have good winters, the rain comes, and interspersed with sunny days.

It is also the time when the country goes green. Finally the trees have been washed clean of the summer dust, and grasses and wild plants sprout. The fields are also sprouting, and there are sometimes so many different shades of green that I find it hard to name them all.

Many tree, especially the fruit trees, stand bare without leaves. Then comes February with its good tidings. The almond trees are the first trees to burst out in flowers, like pink or white cotton candy scattered over the country side.

This is what we have been waiting for. Now we know we have reached the peak of winter, and spring will soon come, with its new abundance of colors.

Christmas is a time of joy, of being together with family and loved ones, of giving and receiving.

Here in the land where Jesus was born, Christmas is not an official holiday, but is very much celebrated by the Christian communities, as well as visitors.

Manger Square at Christmas

The main mass takes place in St. Catherine’s Church Bethlehem, and in the Grotto of Nativity in the Church of the Nativity. The celebrations start long before the mass, with the arrival of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Click here for full details.
You have to purchase tickets to attend this mass, and only specially invitees will attend inside the Church. Most will see and hear the mass while standing outside in Manger Square.
If you ever do attend, remember to bring warm clothes. December can be very cold, even raining.

There are plenty of other places where you can participate in Christmas celebration in Jerusalem or Bethlehem or other places.

Below is a list of some of the services being held, either in English or multi lingual.

LATIN PATRIARCATE OF JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM – CHURCH OF NATIVITY, Bethlehem
DECEMBER 24 (Saturday)
1.00 pm                                          Beginning of celebrations
DECEMBER 25 (Sunday)
0.00 am at St. Catherine                  PONTIFICAL EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION (Tickets required)

PONTIFICAL INSTITUTE – NOTRE DAME OF JERUSALEM CENTER,
New Gate, Tel. 6279111, Fax: 6271995
24 Dec.: 11.30 pm Carols and Christmas Midnight Mass (Multi-lingual)
25 Dec.: 10.00 am Solemn High Mass (Multi-lingual)
6.30 pm Holy Mass (Multi-lingual)

ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL OF ST. GEORGE,
20 Nablus Road, Tel. 6271670, Fax: 6273847, www.j-diocese.org
24 Dec.: 4.00 pm Carol Service in the Shepherds Field (YMCA) of Beit Sahour (Arabic/English)(reservations required)
11.30 pm Holy Eucharist “Midnight Mass” for the feast of the Nativity at the Cathedral, Jerusalem (Arabic/English)

CHRIST CHURCH, Jaffa Gate, Tel. 6277727/9, Fax: 6282999
24 Dec.: 7.00 pm -10.00 pm Christmas Carols in the Church
24 Dec: 10.30 pm Nine Lessons and Carols with Eucharist
25 Dec.: 10.30 am Family Christmas Service with Eucharist

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER,
Old City, Muristan Road, Tel. 6266800, Fax: 6276222
24 Dec.: 5.00 pm International Service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem
10.30 pm Christmette in the Redeemer Church in Jerusalem (free tickets required)
25 Dec.: 10.30 am Service in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

ST. ANDREW’S SCOTS MEMORIAL CHURCH,
1 David Remez Street, Tel. 6732401, Fax: 6731711
24 Dec.: 11.15 pm Christmas Watchnight Service (English)
25 Dec.: 10.15 am Christmas Communion Service (English)

Services can also be found in Nazareth at the Church of the Annunciation and in Tiberias at the Scots Hotel.
Please visit Christian Information Center for further information.

From BIRTE EDWARDS, Your Guide to Israel

Courtyard of Citadel

There is a question I receive very often as a guide in Israel, in particular in the Old City of Jerusalem. It comes in various forms such as: “Are there any original buildings in the Old City?” “How old are these buildings?”

To talk about original buildings in Old Jerusalem is problematic. What is original? If we are talking about buildings dating to the first Jerusalem, the answer has to be an emphatic no. After all, Jerusalem has been built and destroyed innumerable times.

Dome of the Rock

If by original we talk about buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and are still standing, the answer must be yes. Examples of this are The Dome of the Rock and The El Aqsa Mosques on Temple Mount, built in the 7th and early 8th centuries, and still standing more or less as they were built. Another example is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built in the 12th century by the Crusaders, and incorporating even older building from the 4th century.
So these buildings are original, although not necessarily the first buildings on the site.

But often the questions relate to the ordinary buildings used as housing or other mundane purposes. Again, it’s hard to come with a direct answer.

Housing showing several stages of construction

Many years ago I lived in an old, restored house in the Jewish Quarter. It was an old house that had been renovated and modernized as part of the general renovation of the Jewish Quarter, following the Six-Day War in 1967.
I am not exaggerating when I say some of the walls were more than 5 ft. thick. At the time I did not question how that came about, but today I do understand the process.
A long time ago, a house was built there. With the passing of time, it may have been damaged through acts of war or natural causes. Instead of tearing it down, as is so often done today, new layers of stone were pasted on to the walls, thereby making it structurally sound again, but of course also adding depth to the walls. This probably happened many times, until it today has those amazing thick walls.

A friend of mine also lived in an old building. And one day they decided to scrape away the newer levels. When they reached Crusader columns, they decided they had gone deep enough. And from then on part of the decorations of their living room were these 12th century columns.

Stone in secondary use

Another thing to understand is that most common building material in Jerusalem, indeed in Israel, is stone. In Jerusalem it is referred to as Jerusalem stone. But quarrying stone is expensive and takes time. So it was normal to use stones from destroyed buildings to build the new buildings.
Examples of this can be seen especially in archaeological sites all through the country. But many buildings in the Old City show this feature as well.

City wall next to Dung Gate showing several layers of construction

There are also architectural features that can easily be seen as you walk the alleys of the Old City that show how a building has undergone changes. There are arches in walls, now blocked up. There are walls with stones from obvious different ages.

So the answer to those first questions on being original and age of buildings is that there are original buildings. But there are even more stones that may have been quarried two thousand or more years ago, that are now in secondary use in relatively modern buildings. These stones are the proof of the continuous life in Jerusalem for more than three millennium.

How many construction periods do you see? Southern Temple Mount wall

Nights in November may be cold, especially in Jerusalem and more specifically in the evenings. But that should not hold anyone back from enjoying something unique – The Knights Festival in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Royalty in Jerusalem? Not since the Crusader times. But they are inviting you to experience the medieval festivities taking place in Jerusalem during the month of November.

The royal family has put on spectacular festivities every Thursday night during November. They have invited  knights,  singers,  troubadours, magicians, dancers, soothsayers and court jesters and much more to entertain you, and to show you Jerusalem’s magic.

Your best access to the festivities is to enter the Old City through Jaffa Gate, and then wander through the Christian Quarter, particularly down to the Muristan Square. But keep your eyes and ears open for the entertainers are everywhere. This is truly a royal affair. All expenses for the entertainment has been paid for. You enjoy it all free of charge.

You may end up spending something, as some of the shop keepers will stay open late, as well as the eateries.

For more information: Jerusalem-Old City, Knights Festival

Mount Beatitudes

View of Sea of Galilee from inside the church

Mount Beatitudes is located on a low hill on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee. It offers a spectacular view over the Sea of Galilee, on clear days all the way to the south end, as well as the surrounding mountains of Galilee and Golan.

We can only call the site traditional, as more than four hundred years passed between the original event and the building of the first church there in the 4th century. Only very few ruins remain of this early church in the vicinity of the modern site.

The Sermon on the Mount

Church of Mt. Beatitudes

Modern Mount Beatitudes is located within easy walk of Capernaum. In fact Capernaum can be seen from the balcony of the modern church.

This is the place where traditionally the Sermon of the Mount (Luke 5: 3-11) (Revised Standard Version) took place. The Sermon of the Mount is the longest of all the teachings of Jesus, and starts with the 8 Beatitudes:

Three Beatitudes in higher windows of the Church

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunder and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God

Inside the Church

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs the the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are you when men rvile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely
on my account …

Luke 5: 3-11 (Revised Standard Version)

The western slope of Mount Beatitude has a unique feature. It is almost like a Roman style theater. If someone stands or sits on the lower slope and talks, the talk can be heard higher up and quite clearly. Maybe this was the reason the Byzatines chose this hill rather than any of the other hills around.

A Little Sister on the steps to the Church

Mount Beatitudes has for the last app. 150 years belonged to the Fransiscan Order and is administered by The Little Sisters Order. In 1938 they commissioned the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi to build a church.

Barluzzi decided to use an octagonal outlay, so that when standing inside the church looking out, the view is slightly different. Each side in the octagonal represents one of the Beatitudes. He may also have chosen the octagonal shape, as that was a very popular shape in the Byzantine period.
The Church on Mount Beatitudes is one of 11 churches that Barluzzi built in Palestine.

The new hostel

For many years the monastery not only served the White Sisters. It was also used as a hostel. A few years ago, a new building was erected for this purpose, with all modern facilities. This may be the place to say for anyone in need of quiet time with spectacular view over the Sea of Galilee.

Even if you don’t stay here, take time to enjoy the gardens, with small groves and seating spaces. The seating areas have been designed for groups to hold service or time for teaching. Most of them offer spectacular views over the Sea of Galilee.

All too often I forget that there are terms and expressions that I use all the time as a guide. I take for granted that my audience understands what I am saying, forgetting that they may not be so familiar with them. In fact it may be the first time ever they hear those expressions.

How do I know this? Often, I see it in the eyes. Like a blank expression.

So that you will not have that expression I will here explain some of these terms. If I forget some, remind me, and I will explain them another time.

Dating

Throughout the world it has been common to use the terms BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini – The year of the Lord) to designate dates.
In Israel, and in most of the academic world, two different terms are being used.
BCE (before common era) and CE (common era). Basically they say the same as the first two, but are to some more
“politically” correct, or maybe I should here say “religiously” correct.

I use these last two, mainly out of habit.

Tell

Tel Hannaton, courtesy biblewalks.com

This term is not related to Israel only, but to the whole Middle East, and maybe also other parts of the world. Tell is an Arabic word which means hill or mound, usually artificial, i.e. not a natural hill, but rather a hill that grew up through the development of history. It is very much an archaeological term.

A tell is a place where people have lived for centuries, often even millenia. The first settlement would be on a small hill for better defense, usually with easy access to water and agricultural land, even adjacent to a road . As time went on this settlement was destroyed, sometimes through natural causes, more often through war. In some instances it may have been abandoned for a shorter or longer period of time.

Whatever the reason, when the place was rebuilt, it was rebuilt on top of the remains of the previous settlement. Luckily for us they did not have bulldozers in those days. They would clear out the place, remove some of the building stones, and use them in the new structures.

A rough sketch of layers of a tell. Names have been inserted for clarification

This would continue again and again over the centuries. Since the new settlement was built on top of the old, it would now be higher. This process would cause the original hill to grow. Some tells can be very deep with up to 20 main layers, others may only have a few. They all usually have the same tell-tale signs of gently sloping sides and a relatively flat top.

For archaeologists a tell is a treasure trove. When opened up properly, the tell will show the strata (layers). Each strata belongs to a specific period, and through the artifacts and remains, even building structures, archaeologists can date each level. And through all these findings tell us how people once lived, what occupied their time, we can learn about their beliefs, and much much more.

Early 2011 saw the beginnings of what has been termed “The Arab Spring” (no comments).

In July 2011 Israel’s hot summer began in Tel Aviv. Not the physical heat, but Israel’s equivalent to the Arab Spring. Equivalent? Only in one way – the desire for change. Everything else was different.

It all started with a few students camping out on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. Now, Rothschild Boulevard runs right down through Tel Aviv’s financial center. Banks and other financial institutions have headquarters round there. A few minutes walk and you will get to Lilienblum Street and the stock exchange.

The reason the students began camping out was in protest against sky high and continually rising costs of housing in Tel Aviv (and all of Israel). Prices are so high that most ordinary, middle class young couples can’t even dream of buying a home.

Within days these few tents swelled to hundreds, maybe even thousands. And not just in Tel Aviv, but all over the country. What started as a protest against high cost of housing has developed into a mass protest of the high cost of living all together in Israel. And it is not just young people and students. By now it is a protest and rebellion of Israel’s middle class.

The tent city may have started as a demonstration against high cost of housing, but soon expanded. For quite some time the financial leadership of Israel is boasting that Israel has one of the strongest economies in the world. So how come people, especially the middle class don’t feel it? In fact, quite the opposite. Cost of living has soared faster in Israel than anywhere else. Families with good income levels find it difficult to make ends meet.

The protest has become a demand for social justice, for a more equal share of the cake, for reduction of housing costs, reduction of cost of education, for reduction of taxes (especially felt by the middle class), for fair salaries and better public health care, and more.

So far the culmination was on Saturday night (August 6), when more than 320.000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest, to show the government what they feel and think. At the same time there was large demonstrations in most other cities in Israel.

It was absolutely amazing to see so many people on the streets of Tel Aviv. The number even surprised the organizers. And best of all, it was all peaceful. Not quiet for the noise level was incredible. Some reporters found it hard to be heard. This is proof of the democracy of Israel.

The protests may topple the government, or at least change the setup in next elections (two years ahead). The government is finally paying attention, having set up a committee to examine all the issues. They will also be meeting with representative of the protest movement.

Will all demands be met? Most likely not, and some of the issues will take time to fix. The feeling is though that we, the people, are finally taking back our power. No longer the silent majority. When needed we can be heard, and it can be done democratically and peacefully.

The clips included I found on YouTube and I chose them as they express my feelings the best.

Of the seven open gates to the Old City of Jerusalem, one of the most used gates is the Jaffa Gate.
The Jaffa Gate is unique in several ways. It is the only gate on the south side of the Old City, and it is the only one of the gates that sits at a right to the walls.

The name derives from the old port town of Jaffa (modern Tel Aviv-Jaffa), as does the main street of Jerusalem leading from the Jaffa Gate westward. Due to the many modern renovations in the area, it can be a little difficult today to see the connection between the two.

As early as late 2nd C BCE walls were built in this area with a gate for easy access from the south and west. Remains of this early wall were discovered during excavations and renovation work in the 1990s and can been seen today just outside the gate. Herod the Great reinforced the defense of the area with the Citadel and adorned it with three towers. The bases of these towers can still be seen inside Jaffa Gate as part of the Citadel.

Nothing much has been found of walls or gates from later periods.

The grave of one of the architects. Site is a bit neglected, with hope that someone will soon fully restore it

The present Jaffa Gate was built in 1538 under the orders of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, as part of the rebuilding of all the walls around the city. Just inside the gate (on left hand) is a small area with two graves. The story is that these are the graves of the two architects who built the walls for the Sultan. However, when he was told that they had not included Mt. Zion and the Tomb of King David within the walls, he had them executed, but as a sign of honor to the otherwise great job, they were buried inside the Jaffa Gate.

App. 1890, Walls have not yet been breached

It stood pretty untouched for almost 400 years. Then, in 1898 the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, came on a state visit. The Ottoman authorities wanted the Kaiser to have full triumphant entry into the city (remember at that time there was pretty much nothing outside the city).

For this they filled in the moat and tore down a small section of the walls, so the Kaiser could drive into the city in his carriage with raiser banner raised. The story is that the Ottomans had intended to rebuild the walls after the visit, but they never got round to it.

From around the latter part of 19th century, shops, stalls and service stations start to spring up both inside and outside the gate. It was already then one of the major entries and exits from the city.

General Allenby leaving Jaffa Gate,

In 1917 the British General Allenby entered the city on foot, apparently to show his respect for the city.

In the years of divided Jerusalem, the gate was pretty unused, as the Old City was under Jordanian rule, with the boundary just outside. No entry, no exit.

2011, as seen from inside the city, with breaching on left, gate on right

Following the Six-Day War in 1967 the gate, as well as the area both inside and outside, have seen major changes. The Mamilla project, completed 2009, includes a bridge connecting the Alrov Street across the old (but modernized) Jaffa Road. This has created a plaze outside the gate, which has zero mile of Jerusalem. This plaza is used during some of the many festivals taking place in Jerusalem.

The area inside the gate has become more and more people friendly. Less cars, more space for pedestrians to walk, more room for vendors and street musicians, guides and tourists.

General view with windmill

Anyone who knows even just a little about Jerusalem, knows about the Old City. Most take the new city for granted, nor at least believe that Jerusalem outside the walls was an integral part of the city, always.  And why not? Why should anyone think that it once was different?

What most don’t realize is that until 1860, absolutely no one lived outside the protection of the walls of Jerusalem and it’s closed gates at night; that till then Jerusalem was only within the Walls, what we today call the Old City.

The initiative to live outside didn’t even come from the people of Jerusalem themselves. Though many were modern and progressive, the idea of living outside the walls was terrifying, due to Bedouin raids, pillaging, and general banditry rampant in the country at the time.

But in 1860 the Jewish English philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore, visited the country and Jerusalem for the 5th time (out of a total of seven visits). From previous visits he knew the conditions within Jerusalem. With donations from the estate of  Judah Touro of New Orleans, he built a row of buildings on a hill opposite Mt. Zion on the other side of the Sultans Pool, and surrounded it with walls for protection.
It was named Mishkenot Sha’ananim from Isaiah 32:18 – “My people will abide in peaceful habitation (mishkenot sha’ananim), in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places.”

He also built a windmill with two purposes: 1. to create additional places of work, 2. to increase the supply of wheat to Jerusalem. (More about the windmill another time).

At the time the living conditions within the walls were abysmal, for Jews, Muslims and Christians. But in particular for the Jewish population, which had seen an exceptional growth since the beginning of the 19th Century, from 2.250 (out of total of 9000), to 11.000 (out of total 22.000).

In contrast, the 16 apartments of Mishkenot Sha’ananim were luxurious. They even had proper outhouses. And still, people were reluctant and fearful to move there.

The story on how he after all made Jerusalem residents move out there, may be within the legends of Jerusalem. But it deserves a place here.

When Montefiore saw the resistance to move outside the walls, he offered financial incentive to move out there. This was too good a deal to refuse. However, in the early weeks of living there, the new residents would return to the protection of the city walls in the evening, and only spend their days in Mishkenot Sha’ananim. As time went on, they realized it was safe to stay there also at night.

This became the incentive for other Jews of Jerusalem to leave the squarlor of the city, and build more neighborhoods around the city. Eventually Christians and Muslims followed suit.

Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the neighborhood became a no-mans land, due to its proximity to the armistice line dividing Jerusalem. Most of the residents of Mishkenot Sha’ananim and the adjoining neighborhood of Yemin Moshe fled the area.

After the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967 both areas were renovated and modernized. Mishkenot Sha’ananim was turned into an upscale guest house for visiting artists, as well as a convention center and home to the Jerusalem Music Center.

The modern Mishkenot Sha'ananim