Today's pilgrimage went from the little grotto at the interfaith church for the burial of St Mary and ended up at the Roman stair that leads up from the Kidron to the old city. It was the day for the Palm Sunday trek. Both beginning and end of the trek was amazingly powerful.
See, the St Mary burial site is right next to the totally ancient cave of Gethsemane, and its incredibly old olive trees. This is the spot where Jesus was arrested. And the Roman Stair is -- yep, you got it -- built by Romans likely in Augustus's time, and goes right by the prison cave that Jesus spent the night after the arrest. His path would have led down from Gethsemane, across the Kidron valley, through the old city of David, and up that stair, en route to Calvary.
I figure that one of the really remarkable parts of this tour is that our guide stops at sites, whips out his bible, and has one of us read a passage that is appropriate for the site. We start getting silly and go into a shopping frenzy over all the cool glitzy things that vendors have -- and wham! there's another bible text to bring us all back into focus -- that we really ARE walking the very steps that Jesus walked.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Limestone Everywhere...
It's getting to the point where I can close my eyes and see grottos and caves, all festooned with Orthodox god-lamps by the score. It's also gotten to the point where I suddenly understand why it was that Gideon was threshing grain "under ground" -- he was really in a grotto -- and that makes sense. Not only are there caves EVERYWHERE here, but they are good sized ones. And if you want to hide your crops, you do it in a cave.
For that matter, there are GRAVES everywhere here, too. A moment ago we were descending from the Mount of Olives, and had gotten aboard the bus -- driving back to St Georges for lunch. Off to the right in one of the older districts of town was a front-end loader busy clearing a lot -- and the driver had just uncovered a pair of kokhim graves, chisled in stone -- and nobody cared. There are so MANY of this first- and second-century graves, that nobody any longer gives a rip about a new one!
For that matter, there are GRAVES everywhere here, too. A moment ago we were descending from the Mount of Olives, and had gotten aboard the bus -- driving back to St Georges for lunch. Off to the right in one of the older districts of town was a front-end loader busy clearing a lot -- and the driver had just uncovered a pair of kokhim graves, chisled in stone -- and nobody cared. There are so MANY of this first- and second-century graves, that nobody any longer gives a rip about a new one!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Holy Sepulchre in the dawn...
Jeff and I thought a trip back in the dawn to Holy Sepulchre church would be a cool adventure. After all, yesterday afternoon, we were already pretty much on overload from the Israeli Museum and the Dome of the rock, and St Annes and the Dead Sea Scrolls and the two speaker presentations.
So at 5:15 we struck off, down through the Damascus gate and up the long long street through the main Suq -- much of which was in the dark, except for the dozens of feral kitties prowling for garbage. It was so early, that St George's gates were still locked -- and we were locked in. Fortunately we remembered the back way and the secret button to push to get that back gate open.
The church itself was already open; dozens of other folks already were there, although not nearly in the numbers we experienced yesterday. We hit as many of the chapels as were open, although several we saw yesterday were not -- including the Armenian Excavation area that somehow Nigel and our tour guide had conned our way into. That spot, which is the eastern section of the great rock of Golgotha, is entered through a locked grill, -- and apparently is so secret that even the great Holy Land guide by Fr Murphy OConner doesn't even mention it.
Oh! I'm in the garden close again -- breakfest is just over - and there is that Yellow-vented Bulbul again singing -- along with the Hooded Crows cawing. Earlier some flicker looking bird flew by, but I have no idea what that one was.
Bethlehem is on the schedule for today; morning prayer is about to start.
So at 5:15 we struck off, down through the Damascus gate and up the long long street through the main Suq -- much of which was in the dark, except for the dozens of feral kitties prowling for garbage. It was so early, that St George's gates were still locked -- and we were locked in. Fortunately we remembered the back way and the secret button to push to get that back gate open.
The church itself was already open; dozens of other folks already were there, although not nearly in the numbers we experienced yesterday. We hit as many of the chapels as were open, although several we saw yesterday were not -- including the Armenian Excavation area that somehow Nigel and our tour guide had conned our way into. That spot, which is the eastern section of the great rock of Golgotha, is entered through a locked grill, -- and apparently is so secret that even the great Holy Land guide by Fr Murphy OConner doesn't even mention it.
Oh! I'm in the garden close again -- breakfest is just over - and there is that Yellow-vented Bulbul again singing -- along with the Hooded Crows cawing. Earlier some flicker looking bird flew by, but I have no idea what that one was.
Bethlehem is on the schedule for today; morning prayer is about to start.
Ah. jasmine...
Give the brits lots of credit -- they surely do know how to put a little paradise --in the midst of paradise. The garden close here at St George's has a huge jasmine vine right at the base of the stairwell that we take to come down from our rooms to enter the close.
Morning we spent on the Al Aksa mount, wandering through the great Arab complex of parks and fountains and trees -- yes, trees, lots of trees ... We had a prof of anthropology lead us -- who happens to be Muslim -- and whose family ancestors are actually buried at the Cotton Market Gate at Al Aksa. Talk about finding the appropriate leader! From here we spent time at St Annes' and then a hike back to St Georges.
Afternoon was a neat presentation by the brand new canon missioner for the diocese of Jerusalem -- and then an incredible journey through the most amazing cluster of churches I've ever seen -- Holy Sepulchre. What a total warren of tunnels, odd chapels and strangenesses! More to follow -- honest!
Jeff and I had incredible experiences today -- he got to lead us in at St Anne's Crusader era church in song -- including a solo that took our breath away -- the entire group went silent, including all the other tourists thronging the building. And I got to lead noonday prayer in St George;s cathedral. Oh my.
Morning we spent on the Al Aksa mount, wandering through the great Arab complex of parks and fountains and trees -- yes, trees, lots of trees ... We had a prof of anthropology lead us -- who happens to be Muslim -- and whose family ancestors are actually buried at the Cotton Market Gate at Al Aksa. Talk about finding the appropriate leader! From here we spent time at St Annes' and then a hike back to St Georges.
Afternoon was a neat presentation by the brand new canon missioner for the diocese of Jerusalem -- and then an incredible journey through the most amazing cluster of churches I've ever seen -- Holy Sepulchre. What a total warren of tunnels, odd chapels and strangenesses! More to follow -- honest!
Jeff and I had incredible experiences today -- he got to lead us in at St Anne's Crusader era church in song -- including a solo that took our breath away -- the entire group went silent, including all the other tourists thronging the building. And I got to lead noonday prayer in St George;s cathedral. Oh my.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Home Base at St George's
Nigel just sent this pic of where we will be staying much of the time in Jerusalem -- St George's Anglican College and Cathedral, located just north of the Old City in Jerusalem. On the right you can see a picture of the garden at St George's, with the guest house immediately to the left.
One could do worse, I suppose.... ;o)
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