Tel Aviv and Caesarea

Monday brought us to our final Airbnb apartment of the trip, a comfortable and modern set of rooms overlooking a ruin named the Tel Afek fortress on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Our journey from Jerusalem proved much easier than expected, as we took advantage of a very new, recently constructed high speed train that runs between the two cities. This ride proved reminiscent of those experienced by two our our party on the exceptional Shinkansen bullet trains of Japan, and it was a group of three happy travelers that reached Tel Aviv (in only 23 minutes).

For our last full day in Israel (and of this trip) we drove north to visit the ancient port city of Caesarea, built by of Herod the Great around 25 BC. Renowned for its large artificial harbor, Caesarea prospered for centuries under different rulers before finally being abandoned in the 13th century, after the conquest of the Mamluks. Today the ruins of the city are mostly contained within the walls constructed during the Crusader occupation, but several notable Roman remnants, including the ruins of an aqueduct, bath house, circus, and amphitheater, lie outside these fortifications. 

Our visit brought us among these ancient edifices next to the clear waters of the Mediterranean, whose picturesque blue hues are quite pleasing to one used to the opaque waters of Charleston. A plethora of tourist shops and restaurants have sprouted up among the ancient remnants in modern times, though our frugal party steered clear of these additions, satisfying itself instead on the ruined piles of antiquity that dot the landscape.

Our relatively early arrival, combined with the size of the site, and our dwindling appetite for ancient ruins, resulted in an unusually early departure around noon. With such an abundance of time before dusk we headed due south to Tel Aviv, for a drive along its scenic beachfront. This ride terminated in a brief stop at the ancient port city of Jaffa, which has been absorbed by the sprawling Tel Aviv. Here we once more gazed upon the clear waters of the Mediterranean before returning to our Airbnb, for one final night's rest before embarking on the long journey home.

-Theodore and Nathaniel

 

A monument near the spot where the surrender of Jerusalem was accepted during World War I

 

On the train to Tel Aviv

 

Fortress at Tel Afek, as seen from our Airbnb

Tut and Tut in front of the Roman aqueduct

The clear waters of the Mediterranean

Crusader wall encompassing Ceasarea

 

Through the vaulted entrance

 The remnants of the artificial harbor constructed by Herod the Great

The hippodrome (circus)

The whole crew in Jaffa

Galilee to Masada

We awoke bright and early at 6 am to make the most of the day which returns to darkness surprisingly early here at around 4:30 pm. Following the road mishap of the previous day, our plan was to quickly see the sites around the Galilee before heading back south to see Masada by the alternate route.

We began by walking to the nearby beach to gaze upon the still waters of the Sea of Galilee, whose calmness that morning belies the eternal storm of conflict that has engulfed the region since antiquity.

By 7:30, we were making our way to the nearby Mount of Beatitudes, the supposed location of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Unlike Bethlehem, this area is still mostly picturesque, with tree covered hills overlooking the waters of the Sea. A relatively modern (1937) Roman Catholic Franciscan chapel sits on the site. The altar is housed within an octagonal portion of the chapel, whose windows on each wall contain one of the eight Beatitudes.

Despite the hour, we were preceded by several large tour buses, whose inevitable appearance at noteworthy sites never ceases to fill the Author with the most un-Christian sentiments. Nevertheless, we were able to see the chapel in relative tranquility, for only one group had made its way there, as many of the others had occupied outdoor chapels around the grounds for impromptu Sunday services. After a quick tour of the area we headed out, and noted that at least a dozen more tour buses had arrived during our brief stay.

We next headed to Capernaum, the city on which Jesus centered his ministry. The city is the set of many Gospel stories, including the lowering of the paralytic through the roof and the healing of the Roman centurion's servant. It is now in ruins, and contains the remnants of two ancient Synogogues and a house said to have belonged to the Apostle Peter. At one point an octagonal Byzantine church was built on this spot, but was later destroyed, and today an elevated modern structure sits over the excavated ruins of both.
In lieu of having breakfast, we next sought spiritual nourishment by heading to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish. At the entrance of the site a security guard told us the area was not yet open to tourists but only for attending mass. Our desire to see the church prompted us to positively respond to the latter, but we did not get far before our scruples caught up with us and forced us to turn back, as we had no intention of staying for a full mass, being pressed for time to get down to Masada.

And so we set off for the long journey south, after picking up much needed vittles. Our circuitous route brought us down towards Jerusalem, through which the detour necesitated by the flood damage brought us. From there, we headed south to the city of Arad, which actually lies to the south of Masada, requiring backtraking to the north. This route brought us through the West Bank, meaning another check point stop was required upon exiting that area.

Masada is the site of an ancient fortress, built on a high plateau that affords a commanding view of the surrounding area. The site was fortified by Herod the Great in 37 BC with massive store rooms and cisterns for collecting and storing rain water. A palace on the north side featured a Roman style bath and mosaic floors.

Around 66 AD, during the First Jewish-Roman war, a group of rebels took possesion of the fortress from the Roman garrison. These rebels were reinforced in 70 AD after the destruction of the Second Temple. Three years later, the Roman governor Lucius Flavius Silva set out to apprehend the rebels. In the face of a lengthy siege, a huge ramp was constructed to conduct the Roman siege engines to the top of the plateau. Rather than submit to inevitable defeat, the rebels killed themselves on the eve of the final Roman assault. Over 960 men, women, and children participated in this last defiant act.

Our detour brought us up from the east, which gave us an excellent view of the Roman siege ramp on our approach. The western side of the plateau is also significantly closer to the ground than the eastern, meaning the climb to the top was relatively easy. At the top, we admired the ruined palace, panoramic views, the mosaic floors, and the cisterns before being ushered out at closing time, which hit us an hour earlier than expected.

-Nathaniel

 

Inside the Church of Beatitudes

 

Outside the Church of Beatitudes

 

 The ruins of an ancient synagogue at Capernaum

 

Palestinian controlled cities, such as Bethlehem, are off-limits to Israeli citizens

 Mummy and Tut 2 in front of Masada - the Roman siege ramp is clearly visible

 Nothing but ruins remain on the top of the formidable plateau

 The view east; in the distance you can see the Dead Sea

Ruins of original Roman encampments at the base of Masada

 Remnants of the Northern Palace built by Herod

 

The Roman bathhouse; a furnace outside the building heated the air beneath the well ventilated floor

Closed Roads, Checkpoints, and Land Mines

Upon picking up our rental car in Jerusalem, we made for the Route 90 highway which runs north to south along the eastern side of the country to visit the fortress of Masada located near the southern tip of the Dead Sea.  We were to then drive north to the Sea of Galilee to spend the night and see the sites the next day before returning to Bethlehem.

Our drive through the dry and barren hills east of Jerusalem came as a refreshing change to that bustling city, and our spirits were only marginally dampened after a prohibitively expensive "public" beach prevented a stop at the shores of the Dead Sea.

These as yet still light and positive sentiments suffered a strong blow shortly thereafter, when we came upon a barrier and policeman blocking our progress further south. This sentinel informed us that a segment of the road had been washed away by a storm (coincidentally part of the same system that caused severe flash flooding in Petra just two days after our own visit) and that the only other way to reach Masada was to backtrack through Jerusalem and take another route 10 miles to the west.

Our plans thoroughly disrupted, we decided to visit Masada the next day and proceeded directly north towards the Sea of Galilee.

This drive brought us once more past the Allenby Border Bridge, as well as the Israeli side of the Baptismal Site of Jesus. We had originally planned to see the Jordanian side of this significant location, but had run out of time during our circuitous northern jaunt in that country. Seizing the moment, we diverted our course and made our way towards the Jordan River, which separates Israel and Jordan.

The no nonsense Israeli border security was unambiguously evident as we passed a series of barbed wire fences, watch towers, and mine fields (clearly marked with a liberal use of warning signs) on our way to the Holy site. These interesting distractions did little to detract from that location's merry atmosphere, however, as we found it bustling with eager pilgrims, many of whom were clad in white robes in anticipation of a full body immersion in those ancient waters.

We were all surprised by the narrowness of the river, which is barely 15 feet wide and quite shallow. Visitors are warned not to venture too far across to the Jordanian side, which also has its own Baptismal Site complex. For whatever reason, this bank was quite deserted but for a lone guard reclining in the shade.

While not partaking in the complete immersion experience, all of our party touched the refreshingly cool river water, which the recent rains had muddied to an opaque brown.

Continuing our journey north, we presently came to the border of the West Bank and yet another douse of checkpoint fun. Upon stopping our car and checking our passports, the guard asked where we were headed as well as our starting point. With our perhaps too honest reply of "Bethlehem" to the latter query he seemed somewhat taken aback and incredulous, perhaps because we had admitted coming from a Palestinian city. Asking whether we had spent the night there ("You slept in Bethlehem?"), which of course we had, and receiving our reply, in which we mentioned that we were staying in an Airbnb (nothing sinister there), he seemed to think for a minute and then inspected the trunk. After asking whether we had carried anything in the car for a Palestinian, he finally let us pass into Israel proper. 

This being our first time out of the West Bank apart from visits to Jerusalem, we were all eager to observe the differences between these two regions. A lighter, more positive atmosphere permeates Israel, which is perhaps engendered by the more concrete differences between it and the West Bank. Barbed wire and guard towers certainly pay their contributions, but a more dilapidated and rough hewn nature also permeates this region, which reminds us of Jordan or even parts of Egypt.

At any rate our drive north brought us through pleasant scenery and nice neighborhoods, and towards the beginning of late afternoon by the Sea of Galilee (known locally as Kinneret), whose blue waters nearly extended so far as to obscure the opposite shore.

Running low on daylight, we decided to save the local Holy sites for the next morning and instead make our way north of this body to visit the Hula Nature Reserve, where we hoped to see flocks of migrating birds. Despite a slow start to the bird flocking, we presently saw hundreds of cranes alighting from afar for another leg of their journey south.

-Theodore

Passing 300 meters below sea level on the way to the shores of the Dead Sea

Driving in the lowest place on Earth

Mummy being rejuvenated in the Baptismal waters of the Jordan River 

Passing a mine field on the way back from the Baptismal Site to the main road

Tut 2 and Mummy in front of the Sea of Galilee

 

White Pelicans seen on the way north

 

Papyrus plants in the nature reserve

A water buffalo

Mallard ducks hunting for food

A Grey heron and a pair of Mallard drakes

Hundreds of cranes taking flight

A White-throated Kingfisher

An invasive rodent called a Nutria (also Coypu)

Border Joys in the Little Town of Bethlehem

A busy Saturday began with a walk through the streets of Bethlehem to take a bus bound for Jerusalem. This time we decided to walk through the border wall out of the West Bank to take the more direct bus, which we had successfully done the previous day on our return trip to Bethlehem (going into the West Bank).

This early morning walk once again took us by a portion of the wall, which is covered with a combination of murals and graffiti. These mostly express the general discontent of the Palestinian people with the current geopolitical arrangement, and include images of world leaders saying provocative things as well as silhouettes of children playing juxtaposed with creeping barbed wire.

The wall itself was constructed by the Israelis in 2000 after an eruption of violence and suicide bombings from the West Bank. They say it was built to curb this violence, while the Palestinians say it only segregates them. Both points are probably true, which only makes it more of a mess.

This rather gloomy atmosphere followed us to the pedestrian gate, which we found behind a cluster of ever present cab drivers waiting for people to cross over. The fact that we were heading across the wall out of the West Bank ourselves did not save us from their aggressive entreaties, and we politely refused to tell them our destination and declined all offers for drives to various West Bank cities no matter how good a deal they claimed to be.

Passing this obstacle, we found ourselves in an above ground concrete trench walking towards the gate. For pedestrians, this consists of a ratcheted turnstile that allows individuals to pass through the wall one at a time. We found this entrance seemingly locked, with the turnstile resisting any effort to push through. Several Palestinians were in front of us, and seemed to be waiting in vain for something to happen (as no Israeli was in sight on the other side to unlock the door). When several of these fellows started forcing their way through, we decided it was time to either take the other, more circuitous bus ride or try our luck walking through the vehicle entrance one block to the west.

This we did, and were relieved to find two Israeli soldiers inspecting the passing vehicles at this gate, who might shed some light on how we could get across. Mummy approached these guards, and was told that pedestrians should take the pedestrian entrance which we had found so troublesome. Nevertheless, we were spared having to backtrack (and pass through the taxi driver gauntlet again) as the guards permitted us to enter through the vehicle gate this one time.

Through this barrier, we quickly noticed the slow trickle of Palestinians entering through the pedestrian entrance and heading towards another building to be screened. Why the gate seemed to be locked (when it obviously wasn't meant to be) remains a mystery, and we all agreed that entering the West Bank was far easier than leaving it.

Going through an airport style X-ray machine and getting our passports examined by a guard in a booth cemented this notion, and it was with some relief that we boarded the bus bound for Jerusalem, to pick up a rental car for the day's planned activities.

-Theodore

 

Approaching the wall. Pictured is the vehicle entrance; that for pedestrians is one block to the left. 

Murals and graffiti on the Palestinian side of the wall

Jerusalem

Our visit to Jerusalem began with a bus ride from Bethlehem, which took a somewhat circuitous route to go through the contentious West Bank Barrier wall (a more direct route also runs through the wall, but no public bus takes this). At the highway gate through the wall, which resembles a line of toll booths, Israeli soldiers came onto the bus to check each occupant's identification.

We got off the bus at its last stop near the Damascus Gate on the north side of the Old City, and decided to start our day with a walk to the Mount of Olives located beyond the city's eastern extent. The traditional site of Jesus' ascension into Heaven, today the mount still contains several groves of olive trees as well as a chapel built over the stone believed to have been His ascension point. We entered the chapel during a momentary lull in the crowds and observed this very stone, which is left exposed in the floor.

Departing through a torrent of incoming tourists, we next made our way down the hillside after first pausing to take in the panoramic views of the Old City, which lies to west. 

Our descent took us by an ancient Jewish cemetery known as the Silwan Necropolis, followed by a slight detour to see the Dominus Flevit Church, or "The Lord Wept", which is built in a tear drop shape to mark the location where Jesus wept when predicting the destruction of the Second Temple and the Jewish Diaspora.

At the base of the Mount of Olives, we stopped at the Church of All Nations next to the garden of Gethsemane, which is built over a section of rock where Jesus is traditionally believed to have prayed before His betrayal and arrest. The neighboring remnant of the Gethsemane garden contains a grove of very venerable olive trees, which came as a refreshing sight to all after our walk through the dense town surrounding the Chapel of the Ascension.

Next we ventured across the street to see the Grotto of Gethsemane and the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. The former location is a small cave where Jesus is said to have found His disciples asleep after praying in the garden, before being betrayed by Judas. Today, like all of these Holy sites, a church is built encompassing it. Our visit corresponded to an ongoing service in this church, so we satisfied ourselves by peering into this ancient Grotto from near the entrance. We found the neighboring Tomb of the Virgin Mary to be relatively empty, on the other hand, and descended into this hollow on a flight of broad stairs dipping into the ground. The structure traditionally believed to be the tomb itself was once part of a larger rocky cemetery, which was mostly cut away by ancient Christians in order to feature only the tomb in question. Today a small shrine, or aedicule, is built around this stony bed, which we entered and exited through low doorways on either side. Elaborate gilded paintings cover the walls of the chapel, as well as many parts of the interior of the encompassing church.

Being content with our visits to these Holy sites outside the city, we headed back towards the Lion's Gate on its eastern wall to make our way towards the start of the Via Dolorosa, or "Way of Sorrow", the road believed to be the path taken by Jesus before being crucified.

On the way to this unhappy road we stopped at a building with a subterranean chamber claiming to be the birthplace of the Virgin Mary, before entering the neighboring St. Anne Seminary which contains the Pool of Bethesda as well as St. Anne's Church, built over another chamber claiming this same distinction. Regardless of the veracity of these titles, we enjoyed our visit to this church which is renowned for its superior acoustics, a remarkable result of its construction which we experienced first hand by the singing of some of our fellow tourists.

The adjoining Pool of Bethesda is an archeological site containing the remnants of Roman and earlier structures containing several pools and cisterns (now empty). Biblically, the waters of the pool would periodically become troubled at which point the first to enter would be healed. In the Gospel of John, Jesus heals a cripple who cannot make it to the pool during this salubrious disturbance.

Leaving these ancient ruins we soon came to the Via Dolorosa and the First Station of the Cross, which, along with the 13 subsequent stations, is marked by a plaque on the wall inscribed with Roman numerals (some stations also have small chapels). The Via Dolorosa ends with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contains what is believed to be the Golgotha rock where Jesus was crucified as well as the tomb where His body was placed.

We presently reached this Holy site after first stopping for a falafel lunch at a small shop next to the road. We found the sprawling church, like the rest of the Via Dolorosa, to be flooded by pilgrims, but nevertheless made our way steadily through its ornate interior. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is remarkable for being jointly controlled by several Christian denominations, and the chapels for each are scattered around within its walls.

Near the entrance to the church is a bare bed of exposed rock known as the Stone of the Unction, where Jesus is traditionally believed to have been placed after His death and removal from the cross. Many pilgrims cluster around this rock, imbuing various religious objects with its holiness by holding them against its surface.

To the right of the Stone of the Unction is the Golgotha Rock, barely visible through its enclosing chapel (itself contained within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre). Ascending a flight of steps brings visitors within this chapel, where a long line waits to touch the supposed spot of the crucifixion through an opening beneath the alter. This chapel is the most ornately decorated of any within the surrounding church. 

Proceeding in a clockwise path around the church, we passed several more chapels and soon came within the rotunda, a large room under a domed ceiling containing another shrine known as the Aedicule, which contains what is believed to be a piece of the rock which sealed Jesus' tomb as well as the tomb itself. A prohibitively long line of pilgrims waiting to enter the shrine for a glimpse of these relics stayed our own desire to enter, and we satisfied ourselves by gazing upon its exterior and marveling at the austere and imposing grandness of the surrounding church, as well as at the gargantuan candlesticks with faux electric candles arrayed around the Aedicule.

Leaving the church we wandered through the city towards the western extremity, stopping for beer before continuing to the Jaffa Gate for a tour along the southern ramparts. These relatively modern fortifications are the result of an order by the Sultan Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire in 1535, who desired that the original walls be rebuilt.

This tour brought us near the famous Western Wall of the Second Jewish Temple, which we visited before returning through the city to the bus station outside the Damascus Gate for the return trip to Bethlehem.

-Theodore

Mummy and Tut 2 outside Herod's Gate, which we took to enter the Old City on our way to the Mt. of Olives.

Through the streets of the Old City

Tut 1 outside the Lion's Gate near the Mt. of Olives

Outside the Chapel of the Ascension

Inside the chapel, during a very brief moment of emptiness

The whole crew with the Old City in the background. The Dome of the Rock in the Temple Mount is clearly visible. 

 

Tut 2 and Mummy in the garden of Gethsemane

Inside the Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of the Agony, by the garden of Gethsemane

The Tomb of the Virgin Mary, the small door in front of Tut 2 on the right leads to the actual tomb which is now empty

 

St. Anne's Church

Ruins surrounding the pool of Bethesda

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, out of the frame in front of the painting is the Stone of Unction

The Aedicule

 

The rampart tour

 View from the southern ramparts

Part of the wall surrounding Bethlehem