March 27, 2023
The modern port town of Ashod is lies near a large red sand hill, which may once have been the acropolis of an ancient city, much of which lies under sand dunes between the hill and sea cliffs. Ashod was our gateway to travel west Jerusalem and then south to Bethlehem.
What was absolutely the most surprising thing to me of all is how green and forested Israel is! I expected desert, but that is not the Israel of today. Although both Jerusalem and Bethlehem are heavily populated — bursting at the seams, there are many trees, and the countryside between the cities is thickly forested.
In fact, Israel is one of the only countries in the world that entered the 21st century with more trees than it had 100 years ago. Since its inception, Israel has been devoted to sustainable forest management, planting trees mostly in area with arid and semi-arid climates. Just how many trees? Since 1900, approximately 250,000! The Jewish National Fund launched a campaign for a massive afforestation (planting trees on land that was not recently covered with forest). Trees were chosen that grow quickly and can survive the dry climate. Many trees were blooming, with the loveliest in purples and bright yellows. I saw a long ancient wall completed covered in fragrant blooming wisteria vines.
Jerusalem is a pivotal city in the formation of the world’s greatest monotheistic religions. Although these religions have in common the worship of one God, there are endless differences among the people who see Jerusalem as a spiritual center. This is what we experienced as we walked the streets of ancient Jerusalem. As our group split to visit the Wailing Wall, men on one side and women on the other, with a divider in between, we saw Christians, Muslims and Jews praying at the wall, while a rowdy bar mitzvah provided revelry and traditional music in a joyous parade. Tremendously contested over for so many centuries, Jerusalem is yet a symbol of hope for people throughout the world.
Jerusalem
The ride from Ashod to Jerusalem through the Sharon Valley was about an hour. We stopped along the way at a gas station/restaurant for a restroom stop. The entire restaurant was designed around Elvis Presley and the iconic American Diner. It was weird and delightful at the same time.
We stopped at Mount Olives (Scopus) for inspiring views of Kidron Valley and the beautiful, holy walled city of Jerusalem. The guide played “Gabriel’s Horn” for us, which was the long horn of a goat.
First, we entered a walled Jewish Quarter, the oldest quarter in Jerusalem, to the Western Wall or Wailing Wall. Women and men are divided from each other with a barrier. I had the opportunity to place a written prayer for my dear friend, who has been in ICU for over two weeks. Cliff prayed for our families as well.
Emotions swept over us at the Wailing Wall. It is a truly spiritual experience, so tears are inevitable. This wall is the most sacred Jewish site in Jerusalem. From the plaza, we could see breathtaking views of the El Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, sacred Muslim sites.
Next we embarked on a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem, Via Dolorosa. It represents the Way of Suffering, the path that it is believed Jesus took as he carried the cross to his crucifixion. The numbered trail winds through the Old City and marks locations of significant moments during Jesus’ journey, beginning at the Muslim Quarter and ending in the Christian Quarter.
Unfortunately, the Via Dolorosa winds through the Arab Market (Bazaar) which was the mercantile heart of Jerusalem from at least Ottoman times and up to the present. The souk is filled with high arches and ceilings. The stone pathways have both steps and ramps, side by side, so you must watch every step.
Like many souks we have visited, the shops are packed tightly together. We had no time to shop at any of them on this 10 hour tour. It was very crowded with tour groups from our ship, other tourists, and locals. This market was similar to trying to walk in Petra, because motorcycles and small trucks honked their way through the crowded market.
We ended this portion of our tour at the magnificent Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We climbed steps to enter the Rotunda containing the Holy Sepulcher (Christ’s tomb). In front of the entrance are huge candelabra. There are 43 lamps (13 each from Greek, Latin, and Armenian churches, and four from the Copts). In one chamber was the Angel’s Chapel, where there is the stone on which the angel who announced the resurrection of Christ to the holy women is said to have sat.
A five hour line wound around a small domed building inside the church where you can look down through glass to see the Rock of Cavalry where Jesus was crucified. (Of course, we did not have time to wait in line.) About 10 years after the crucifixion, a third wall was built in the church to enclose the area of the execution and burial within the city of the Old City. The site where the church is located has also been identified as the place where the tomb of Jesus is located. We kneeled to place our hands on the marble stone placed over the limestone bed where the body of Jesus was placed after his death.
Our guide had trouble rounding up our group, because he did not have a specific time for us to meet back at the steps outside. We had earbuds and listening devices, so we could hear him calling us back. He counted heads and started walking us to the bus, when he discovered that a police officer had told the bus to move. He walked us up steep hills and many steps, trying to find the bus, which was exhausting, because we were already very tired. We walked about a mile, only to find ourselves back at almost the same place we started. Then, after we boarded, for the longest time, the bus wasn’t leaving. We saw a couple leave the bus. Then after about 40 minutes, another couple came back on the bus. It turned out that the first couple was with a different tour group, and the second couple did not have on their listening devices to hear the guide’s call to return, and were back in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the whole time. What a mess.
We were hour late for lunch at a lovely hotel with a buffet. As we sat down with our plates of food, we were delighted to find open bottles of a lovely shiraz to enjoy. It was a welcome reprieve.
Bethlehem
The traffic was heavy, so the drive the Bethlehem took over half an hour, even though it is only a few miles from Jerusalem. We were there only to see the Church of the Nativity. We had about a 500 meter walk uphill, which wasn’t bad, past little shops and restaurants. We were to humble ourselves by stooping under a low doorway to enter the church.
The Church of the Nativity was just as spectacular as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Through a narrow, low dark passageway with rough stone steps, we entered a room with two small caves. A silver star set in marble marked the grotto where Jesus was born. Visitors bent to their knees and reached in to touch it and pray. Across from that was the location of the manger where Baby Jesus was laid. As we left, we saw a square cut in the wooden floor, where a glass window gave us a view of the lovely original mosaic floor.
Back to the Ship
It was dark when we arrived back at the ship, an hour later than the All Aboard time. However, ours was not the only bus unloading.
It was a wonderful day — a visit so many people in the world aspire to do. We feel very blessed and thankful to be on this cruise.
An Aside about the Separation of Religions
Something else I did not know about Israel is how it is divided into three administrative zones, which were established by the Oslo Accords.
Area A has 18% of the population and the Palestinian Authority administers both civil and security matters.
Area B has 22% of the population and administers only civil matters.
Area C has 60% of the population and Israel maintains full control.
Bethlehem in Zone C is only 6 miles from Jerusalem in Zone A within the West Bank, yet they are worlds apart. Our tour guide, Ben, who lives in Jerusalem, is not allowed to travel into Bethlehem as an individual or as a tour guide. He is able to go as part of a tour group, but a citizen of Bethlehem, a Muslim, had to step onto the bus when we entered Zone C, and take over for him.
That’s when the tour became a whirlwind of confusion, as the Muslim tour guide rushed us to see the Church of the Nativity, with Ben taking up the rear. Ben was trying to look out for our group, and was going back and forth to make sure no one was falling behind. The Muslim guide was constantly saying, “Where’s Ben?” It become a joke among our group, turning to each other now and then, saying “Where’s Ben?” The Muslim guide got off the bus just as we were to pass through the gates to return to Zone A.
Can you imagine if the two towns in the area where we live, Bradenton and Palmetto, which are divided by the Manatee River, were separated into a Jewish side and a Muslim side, and we couldn’t cross over from our side to theirs because of religion? That’s a pretty good comparison to how close these zones are and how strange it all seemed. I cannot imagine living that way.
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