Well today (physically a couple of days ago as I catch up on the blog………….we are here in Jerusalem) we head back into Israel and cross the border at Aqaba on the Red Sea , about an hour and a half from Petra, and then head up towards the Dead Sea. Border crossing went a bit quicker this time around and we set off in good time.

First port of call today was Timna Park which was the centre of copper mining in ancient times, although revived briefly during the 1960/70s. This  is a desert landscape park and has as one of its attractions a replica of the Tabernacle carried around by Moses and his gang in the wilderness for 40 years. The replica has been constructed from interpretations of  measurements contained in the Bible. It is of a reasonable size and an interesting structure apparently it is or was designed to be pulled apart to ease the issue of carrying it around. Still I would not like to be one of those who hulked it around. One can make what one wants to of this replica but it is an imposing structure on the landscape.

The replica of the Tabernacle at Timna Park

Leaving Timna Park for Be’er Sheva we travelled through the Negrev desert region for kilometre after kilometre past wide expanses of brown, almost black, grey, white and green tinged lunar like landscapes. Not much evidence of water in these parts.   Be’er Sheva was were in 1917 the famous Charge of the Light Brigade (the Australian Light Horse regiment) took place against  the Turkish army. This was apparently a turning point in this part of WW1 as the victory at Be’er Sheva allowed the Commonwealth forces to move further north into the then Palestinian territory controlled by the Turks. The British then achieved administrative control over this southern part of the middle east which it was to retain until Israeli independence in 1948.

Coming into Be’er Sheva we passed by the plain where the Charge took place, now surrounded by scattered settlement before the city proper starts. In the city we stopped at the Park of the Australian Soldier which connects the Australian contribution to the victory at Be’er Sheva with the Israeli people. Later we moved on to the British Cemetery which contains the graves of the Commonwealth forces who died in this theatre of the Palestinian conflict in WW1. This was a moving experience, particularly  as there were 2 (?3) members of our party who had relatives who fought here. 

Light Horse Memorial in Park of the Australian Soldier at Be’er Sheva

Headstones in the British Cemetery at Be’er Sheva containing graves of Australian soldiers who died in the Charge of the Light Brigade and later actions near here.

We then headed off to the Dead Sea.

The Treasury at Petra is carved out of the rock face. It is 30 metres wide and 43 metres high and dwarfs tourists that mingle with camels and donkeys at its base.

Here we are at Petra and this is a quite amazing place. The Romans have been here to. They’ve been everywhere it seems and have left their mark. You can read all about Petra on the internet and in magazines but when you first glance at The Treasury coming out of the Siq after a 1 km walk down a narrow canyon it is really something different. Indiana Jones found a good set for his film!

Whilst Leanne  and a few others lounged around the main part of the site R climbed out of the gorge, with a group of co venturers,  to The Monastery up along a path with around 800 steps carved into the side of the cliffs. This is one of those ‘bucket list’ things people do.

The Monastery is 800 steps up the cliffs at Petra, looks a bit like The Treasury fare below.

This donkey appears quite patient while the owner takes a nap on the job.

She was carried forth on a horse

We are staying in a neat village complex overlooking a valley with craggy peaks. There is also a contrast in life with small children trying to flog  postcards and other trinkets to the tourists,  young men touting  ‘silver’  bangles  aggressively to passersby and older more laid back and wily merchants peddling all manner of wares.                                                 

The view from the carpark at the village complex we stayed in near Petra.

Pictures speak louder than words in this part of the world.

It was a long day getting here punctuated at the end by a meal in the Tawaheen Al-Hawa restaurant somewhere in the western side of Amman. This was a great establishment and we had what could be described as a Jordanian BBQ with salads, homus etc seated around a low circular table on comfy lounges.  Around us were groups of locals taking it all in as well, a good number of the women were sucking on some pipes of sorts….need to find out what these actually are….off to the hotel and bed. A 5.30am wake up call awaits……..

The first stop was at the Amman Citadel, this is one of Amman’s oldest known places. It dates back 7000 years by some estimates. It has been occupied by all comers, including of course the Romans who built a temple to Hercules along with all the other typical Roman stuff…theatre, colonnades. We also have a mosque and other building reflecting the muslim occupation. The site was flattened by the big earthquake in the mid 8th century.

Temple of Hercules atop the Citadel in Amman

Back on board we headed for the Jordan river and the site  thought to be where John baptised Jesus.  The river here is a real contrast  with its headwaters.  Here it is a muddy channel in pretty sparse low-lying land probably about 5 metres across. We are on its east bank and across the way on the Israeli side is a site for full immersion  baptismal gatherings of all sorts. Before coming to the river there is archaeological evidence of the presence of 3 ‘churches’ built atop each other which provides evidence of the importance of the site and the thinking that this was where Jesus may have been baptised.

Footings of the first church above which 2 others were built near where it is thought John baptised Jesus in the Jordan.

A baptisimal event or perhaps reaffirmation across on the Israeli side of the Jordan.

We now head back into the mountain region for Mt Nebo where Moses saw the Promised Land. By this time we had encountered a sand storm of sorts which substantially reduced visibility. There is a Franciscan Church complex being built atop Mt Nebo which overlays a much older church site.  Moses  is thought to be buried somewhere in the valleys below and not atop the mountain.

Looking through the dust at the Promised Land from atop Mt Nebo

Much driving south sees us reach Petra in the early evening.

I have slipped a day behind and this is a bit of a catch up from yesterday as well. We left the Sea of Galilee for a trip into the top corner of Israel. This is the area that was taken by Israel in the 6 day war from Syria. The Golan Heights,  with Mt Hermon as a back drop across the valley. There was remnants of snow on the mountain.  As an aside,  Mt Hermon is suggested as a place where Jesus may have been transfigured, no proof of course.  Half of Mt Hermon is Syrian territory and the other half Israeli. Our guide gave us a run down on the various wars Israel has fought with the Arabs over the years and the territorial ‘gains ‘ and ‘losses’ arising from each. It was quite impassioned and at times personal account (he is actually a member of the reserves forces). Looking down  from the Golan Heights into both Lebanon and Syria left one in awe of the issues involved in the ongoing war of words and conflict. They are somewhat intractable problems it seems.                                                                                                   

On the Golan Heights there are constant reminders of the tension

                                                                    Prior to reaching the Golan Heights we stopped in at the Tel Dan which is an ancient fortress site with many layers of inhabitation. One of the most significant sites here is the Canaanite gate which has been dated back to Circa 2700 BCE, which was the time Abraham was wandering through this area, he may have actually passed by here and entered the town through this gate. The Tel is situated on one of the ancient cross roads of the time.  The Gate is at the base of the Tel and there are other gates higher up the hill built at later times of occupation. The Tel is also the area that contains  one of the  sources  of the Jordan River. We walked around here and followed the course of the stream to the pool seen in the attached photo. It was a very peaceful area.

At Tel Dan where the Jordan River sources

The Canaanite Gate through which Abraham might have passed

From here we moved on to Caesarea Philippi  an ancient Roman town built by one of Herod’s sons (check this !) which has long disappeared. The area we visited once was occupied by a Roman temple complex  for the god Pan, various remnants of this remain. Pan was the god of the underworld and what we might call ‘wild living’, ‘party animals’ etc. There is a grotto here that would have been at the  back of the temple and which was referred to as the Gates of Hades. This site is particularly significant in the Jesus story because it was here that  Jesus charged Peter (means ‘rock’) as the rock on which he would build the church …………. and the Gates of Hades will not overcome it. The reference to Gates of Hades actually places Jesus and Peter at this spot, but also can refer to the Pan lifestyle being a potential threat to the Church which will be overcome. 

Hermon Stream pools at Banias (Caesarea Philippi) near the Pan Temple complex

Moving on it is Sunday and we have arrived in Amman after spending time at Bet She’an,  a Roman city which was flattened by an earthquake and then subsequently covered over. It has been subject to ongoing excavation since the 1960s. It is really quite a spectacular site covering  a large area. Pictures speak louder than words about this place. It is linked to the Israelite story because it was on the walls of Bet She’an that King Saul’s body was hung.

Roman arena walls and seating at Bet She’an

Mosaic of a lion at Bet She’an

The main street (cardo) lined with columns of the Roman city at Bet She’an

The border crossing was a quite involved process of checking and cross checking, particularly on the Jordanian side, and took over an hour to complete before  we headed off on the two hour  drive to Amman.

Tomorrow we head to Petra.

Nazareth has been around for a long time. Today,  it is  a city with an Arab population, many of whom are Christians as opposed to being muslims,  and a minority Jewish population. It is a bit of a melting pot which has largely lost its rural roots. Today we travelled for about 45 minutes to reach Nazareth and visited  the Nazareth Village project.

The modern city of Nazareth, no longer a rural hamlet!

Now this project is a bit like the  Jondaryan Woolshed concept. But in a setting right in the middle of Nazareth; houses, apartments and shops hemming it in.  It is a re-creation of a first century Nazareth Village environment. Hillside farm terraces, olive trees,  grape arbors, donkeys, goats and a flock of sheep roam the land. There is a fully reconstructed village including homes, shops, a synagogue and a working olive press. In clearing the land for the village project a first century grape press was also revealed having been carved into the rock surface below where the garden terraces would have been and are now reconstructed. The objective of the Project is to introduce us to the lifestyle of villagers at the time of Jesus and the impact this culture had on his teaching. I think it succeeds and is well worth the visit.

Donkeys on the go in Nazareth Village project

Some sheep too

Later we visited the Church of the Annunciation which sits on the site (Mary’s house)  which has traditionally been associated with the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to tell Mary she was pregnant with Jesus. To what extent this site is it or not seems when you visit the place to be a bit irrelevant compared to the  feelings and imagery conjured up by just being there.                                                                                                                          

The Church of The Annunciation and its courtyard area is filled with mosaics of representations of The Virgin Mary and Jesus from around the world. Whilst it is the same subject the representations are all different and reflect the culture of the country. This is the Australian one which is one of the few that are actually inside the Church.

We returned mid afternoon to the hotel and to get ready to go up the Golan Heights tomorrow and,  amongst other things, overlook the Syrian border.

We have had a wonderful day today doing what I call  ‘walking on sunshine’ .  We have spent the day travelling up and down that part of the shores of the Sea of Galilee where all the evidence  (archaeological, biblical and geographic)  points to the historical Jesus and his disciples living and proclaiming their message to the local population. One of the overwhelming understandings gained  is the small geographical area within which it all took place. The Beatitudes sermon, feeding the 5000, his appearance to the disciples on the Seas shore after the resurrection and so on all took place in this  tight little space. It was from this area  that Christianity then spread out through the world.

The day started with a visit to the museum that holds the fishing boat  found in the mud of the Sea dating back to the time of Jesus. From there we went in our own boat onto the Sea and looked towards the shore in much the same way as they did 2000 years ago. We had a short Communion service on board. Returning to land we then visited the mountain (a big hill) where the Beatitudes sermon was arguably delivered, if not there then not far away. On then to the site of the multiplication of the 2 fish and 5 loaves, followed by the shoreline area  where  Jesus most likely appeared to the disciples after the resurrection. Finally, Capernaum and Peter’s house,  if not actually  his then one dating about the same time. Some extensive archaeological evidence supports this conclusion. It was from  the fishing village of Capernaum that Jesus early ministry was based.

We returned a little weary to the hotel but having experienced a rewarding day of connecting ‘stories’ to their locations and thereby enhancing understanding.

Off tomorrow to Nazareth.

We have made it to the Sea of Galilee!  Now our guide, David Goldberg, reckons it is more like a big lake and maybe so but it still looks great late in the day with the afternoon sun lighting up the Golan Heights. It has  been a long  10 hour day on the road getting here from Tel Aviv,  with plenty of on and  off the bus stuff to wander around various sites.

First stop was Caesarea.  Now this was a town built by Herod the Great as a port city and very much designed on a Roman plan.’ It was the place where The Holy Land connected with the outside world. Outward flowed the agricultural trade with Rome and inwards the things to keep the Romans in the Holy Land happy!  Helped keep Herod in a job too.

The port site at Caesarea today,in Herod the Great’s time it extended out 3 times as far.

Caesarea is remembered for a number of things.  Among them the story of the conversion to Christianity of Cornelius, the Roman centurion, by Peter following the insight he received in Joppa (see yesterday’s notes). It is also the place from which Paul was sent by boat to Rome by the authorities.  At one point today we were standing on a spot where the biblical and archaeological  evidence suggests  Paul was questioned by the Roman authorities, if not that spot then within yards of it.

This is the spot where it is thought Paul was questioned ahead of being put on the boat to Rome. Nice view.

Caesarea, is also the place where we have a clash of two cultures. The rather blood thirsty Roman existence, gladiator games, chariot racing etc where blood and gore was  entertainment;  but to the Jews blood (whilst being involved in sacrifice ) was considered to be life. Little wonder the Romans and the Jews did not see eye to eye. The Caesarea that Herod the Great built has long gone and what we walked over were the not insubstantial  remnants uncovered by archaeologists and now protected within a National Park.

The Aquaduct that brought water from Mt Carmel 80 km away to Caesarea.

From Caesarea we moved onto Mt Carmel. This was after a short stop at the aqueduct that carried water to Caesarea from a spring at Mt Carmel, a distance of about 80 km. A very significant piece of engineering. At Mt Carmel Elijah dealt with the Baal worshippers. Our guide is pretty convinced that the biblical and archaeological evidence points to Mt Carmel, perhaps not exactly where we were but not far away, for this event in biblical history. The linkage is the reference to the spring on top of the Mt.  Mt Carmel is quite high up and looks over the Jezereel Valley, which connects the coastal area to the inland, the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee.From here we headed off to  Mt Megiddo. This is a largish hill which has been built up by 25 layers of historical occupation. From memory the guide suggested 5000 years of history is lying underneath. This is also the place which overlooks the plain of the Jezereel Valley where John in Revelations claims the battle of Armageden will be fought. Not sure I will be around to see it. The big event here was wending our way down 270 odd steps to the bottom of a shaft that was dug to connect via a tunnel at the bottom  to a water sorce outside the walls of the city. Leanne (true to form) and a couple of others got a bit twitchy here descending these steps, but all made  it!  Including getting out at the other end up 80 steps.

Taking it easy down the shaft at Megiddo

Across the Sea of Galilee to the Golan Heights.

From Megiddo we headed off to Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and our beds for the next few nights….

Beachside Tel Aviv

The Tel Aviv boardwalk area, nice spot for a drink and take in the action

Well,  Allthego and Leanne have arrived , with all  the others,  in Tel Aviv following a relatively calm flight from Oz via Bangkok and then Amman in Jordan. There are 30 all up in the party and no one has got lost at this stage. There are quite a few tired souls settling into the Metropolitan Hotel a block or so back from the Mediteranian and not far from Joppa (or Jaffa as it is known today) where Jonah set sail all those years ago. Have been keeping an eye out for whales or other big fish whilst walking along the beach. Did not see any. Although as you see from the picture they are around these parts………..

Simon the Tanner’s digs

That Whale!

Spent the afternoon down in Joppa checking out the sights and the sites. The main one we took in was the ‘House of Simon the Tanner’,  this is the guy Peter stayed with when he got his insight into the possibility for the  conversion of not only Jews but also the Gentiles to Christianity. This is one of those standout points in the development of Christianity. Anyway it seems the house we saw  was not around at the time and it is more of a tradition that this is the ‘ place’  where  Peter  stayed. If not right on this spot then around this area………….

Back to the Hotel for dinner and an early night ahead of leaving to go up to Gallilee tomorrow…..