Incredibly " we leave for Oz tomorrow after a whirlwind tour of the Israel. Its pace has been hectic so we are glad we have the next few months to reflect on all we have experienced. In our final "foreign correspondence', we thought we'd take the opportunity to fill you in on our ventures around Jerusalem over a couple of days.
Two days ago in our walk around the Old City, we visited to the Western or Wailing Wall. To our surprise we gentiles were able to go right up to the wall and mix with the orthodox Jews saying their prayers. Curiously, we were unable to go to the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount just behind the wall, as our tour guide could not guarantee our safety. At the Wailing Wall, ladies are separated from men, something we might look into back home, but the dress code, and rocking during prayers is unlikely to quickly be adopted. The Jews have a practice of writing their prayers on paper and sticking them in the cracks in the wall. It is said that when the papers fall to the ground God has answered their prayer. While it was easy to appreciate the significance and attraction of the wall to Judaism " we came away thankful for the open access to the Father we have through the Son.
We went on to walk around the old city, visiting the various quarters (I think there were 5 in all which fits well with my standard of maths). There is a never ending mixture of old and less old, possible sights of significance and the potential for some great bargain hunting. There is the content tension between discovering the history of the place and wanting to stop and buy that little something for that someone special. Actually, even in this is a tension. When you are buying for that afore mentioned someone special back home, yet trying to pay as little as possible " others may get the impression you don't want to spend much on them. Of course this is not the case.
A centre of interest was the "Church of the Holy Sepulchre'. A very large complex built at the behest of the mother of Emperor Constantine (even Roman rulers did what their mum said) and is now a warren of rooms and churches under the authority of no less than six different denominations. Despite the distraction this place can be, there is strong reason for assuming this in fact marks the location of Jesus crucifixion and burial. When contrasted with the Garden Tomb outside of the city walls, you almost want this quite and peaceful garden to mark the spot. Either way, the important thing to remember is that Jesus has risen and is in neither location.
We didn't mention before that on our visit to Beth-shean, we also visited a recently excavated "Hippodrome' (no " not the night club). This was an amphitheatre used for entertainment of the people " in particular a place where many, including Christians were forced to do battle with lions. It's existence in Israel shows the massive influence of the Romans empire on the Holy Land. Not to diminish what this site represents, we recreated anyhow the scene for you in one of the pictures to give you a more realistic idea of what it is like for a lion to emerge from his cell. (yeah right!)
Today we moved to more modern times, with a visit to the Holocaust Museum. While our time here was brief, its impact is lasting. The museum is thorough and shocking. Oh the brutality of man! We entered just behind a group of young Israeli soldiers. Some of our group remarked on the importance of the holocaust in shaping the identity of modern day Israel (not to mention a little bit of modern theology). We figure the holocaust defines modern Israel in much the same way Gallipoli does for us. Though the image of Orthodox Jews at the Wailing Wall might depict an image of Israel, this is not of the majority. The nation seems defined far more by its common, recent and horrifying bond of suffering. It's more than an event in Jewish history, it is central to the formation and propaganda of the nation as a whole.
This afternoon was free time to wander through the narrow and bustling streets of old Jerusalem. Fun was had by all in the haggling with vendors over souvenirs. They lure you into the shop they will offer you anywhere from 50% to 99% discount, reminding you that it is "free to look'. From there it is a matter of setting a price and sticking to it. Some proved better than others!
This is our last blog from Israel. The time has simply flow by, partly because each day has been jam packed. We've all had an amazing time and have grown strongly as a group. Paul Barnett rich insights into the geographic, historical and political background for the biblical sites and events grew our understanding immensely. Our thanks to our loyal e-followers over the last 10 days, we hope you have enjoyed looking over our shoulder as we journey throughout this land.
Should you come to Israel yourself? Sure " why not! Though, don't come merely for a pilgrimage, or to retrace the steps of Jesus (I mean, there a two sites for the crucifixion, 2 for the resurrection, 2 for Sermon on the Mount and countless churches marking other events!!). But come to discover new things about the world of the New Testament, in particular the Gospel accounts. We have a historical faith. We follow a historical Messiah. Jesus walked, preached and healed in this place, it happened in history. Come so that you can read your Bible in a new way. To be able to picture the view from the Mount of Olive to Jerusalem makes more vivid Jesus words about the city he comes to.
Maybe this will even give you new questions to ask of these accounts. How far was it to Caesarea Philippi? How close were the towns around the Sea of Galilee? What was the weather like at the time of the Passover? These are not questions of faith per se, but they are questions of history that add to our appreciation of the world of Jesus' day. It was a rich and interesting world that tells us more about why Matthew, Mark, Luke and John present things in the way they do, describe details about the little things so often overlooked, as we focus on mainly the "big things'.
Maybe you can come when we come back, that is, if our wives let us.
Cheers,
Antony and Dave
