Israel Day 4: First Views of Jerusalem...

Our first stop after breakfast was at an overlook for our first glimpse of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital (although not internationally recognized as such) with a population of 780,000. Until 1860, the city did not extend beyond the city walls shown in the center of this photo. The sun was nice to come out for a few minutes to make the Dome of the Rock’s (marking where Mohammed ascended to heaven) gold top shine. 

East Jerusalem, which is 57% Muslim and 43% Jewish

Mount of Olives

Day 3: The Haunted Elevator...

We arrived at our hotel in Jerusalem just as the Sabbath was starting on Friday at sunset. We learned that it is common for some Jewish families to spend the Sabbath at a hotel so it is easy for them to relax and not do any work. Both hotels served only kosher meals: dairy and eggs at breakfast with no meat other than herring, and meat with no dairy at dinner. I was impressed with the large selection of vegetables and salads each day except Saturday, which had a limited menu during the Sabbath. 

Little did I know that the timing of our arrival would impact us in a funny way. When Al, Andrea and I got into the elevator, I pushed for the 4th floor, but nothing happened. Then I pushed the close doors button and we went down to the basement. I pushed the 4th floor again and we went to the 6th floor. Al then confessed he was claustrophobic; he wanted to get out, but we convinced him to stay. Linda, Marijke and Batya were waiting and laughing when we finally arrived at the 4th floor. We thought the elevator was haunted, but turns out we’d gotten into the “Sabbath Elevator” and it had been pre-programmed to stop at every floor so passengers could ride it without having to do the work of pushing buttons. 

Day 3: Caesarea...

Our final stop on our journey to Jerusalem was at the ruins of Caesarea Maritima, a city and harbor built along the Mediterranean by King Herod around 25 BC. This theater seating 4,000 is the most ancient of all theaters in Israel. It has been fully renovated and is once again used for performances. We also saw the remains of the arena, which held 10,000 spectators, and the king’s pool. Despite the rain, there were a lot of windsurfers near the harbor.

This fellow wasn’t with us, but I couldn’t resist taking a photo of him demonstrating the public loo.

This Roman aqueduct brought water to the city from 4.5 miles away because there were no rivers or springs close by.

Day 3: Views and Falafels...

We stopped at Mount Carmel  to see the view from the roof of the monastery. Rather than sharing another view photo, I thought this sign at the entrance was more interesting. Perhaps these icons are listed in order of importance? Of course, that would change significantly if you read from left-to-right instead of right-to-left.

We stopped for lunch at a falafel restaurant in a Druze (an ancient and mysterious religion) village. At first glance I was disappointed to be eating at a tourist stop, but quickly changed my mind when I saw the huge assortment at the veggie bar. I especially loved the eggplant.

Day 3: Tel Megiddo..

Next, our journey took us to the first of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites that we would visit that week: Tel Megiddo. This site was occupied from approximately 7000 BC to 586 BC; excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins from different time periods. Batya said the palm trees were planted to give archaeologists shade.

I was fascinated by an engineering marvel: the 2,800-year-old underground water system (the shaft was 82-feet deep connected to a 230-foot tunnel to a natural spring). Normally, enemies could cut off access to water by blockading the well, but that was impossible with this hidden system. This was described in detail in James Michener’s novel The Source, which Batya recommended reading to learn about Israel’s complex history. 

Day 3: Wonderful Mosaic...

Next, we went to Bet Alpha to see what was once a Byzantine synagogue from the 6th century. All that remains is an amazing mosaic floor depicting the signs of the Zodiac that was unearthed in 1928 while digging irrigation ditches. We watched a really good multimedia show offering a possible explanation of how a synagogue might have ended up decorated with Roman and Greek mythological symbols.

Below the Zodiac was the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. Although these photos don’t do it justice, this was definitely the most interesting and best preserved mosaic we saw on the trip.

Israel Day 3: Jordan River...

We packed up to leave the hotel as it was time to begin our journey to Jerusalem. Our first stop was along the banks of the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. We were surprised how commercial the location seemed, but based on the number of tour buses we’ve seen over the last few days, we shouldn’t have been surprised. When we realized there was no one getting baptized, we tried to talk Al into donning a white robe, but no such luck. As the only man in our group, he was a very good sport. He had a quiet manner with a great sense of humor; I especially loved hearing his “scientific theory” of how he can predict rain based on how many cows are sitting versus standing in a field.

The large nutria or river rats looked ready to join anyone considering a dunk into the water. They might be herbivores, but didn’t look like fun swimming companions.