More Adventures in the Holy Land

I'm attempting to play catch up  here, since I'm a day behind in my posts and there have been so many interesting and exciting adventures to share.

I have mentioned before that the Israeli work week falls Sunday through Thursday.  I find that to be a bit disconcerting because Sunday is the one day of the week that Marty and I attempt to hold sacred by attending Mass in the morning and, on most days, spending the day doing something different than the daily routine.

That being said, Saturday here, was technically, our Sunday,  which would have begun with morning Mass.   But that was not an option for us.  When I visited Stella Maris on Wednesday, I verified with one of the monks that there was, indeed, an English Mass  at 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Latin Church, in the German  Colony of Haifa, the community located at the bottom of the hill from our hotel.

So, we had our day planned out to be back in plenty of time to take the local subway transit down the hill, attend Mass, have dinner in the German Colony, and then return up the hill via the Carmelit subway.

We set out early in the day, with Marty behind the wheel, to the other end of Mt. Carmel, to Muhraka (Muhraqa). The drive was relatively uneventful…... until we made the turn onto the road that leads to the Carmelite monastery.

We found ourselves driving right through an outdoor Arab bazaar.

There is no description that can do the experience justice. However, it may explain just why every rental car that Marty has driven in Israel has been covered with dents.

Once we maneuvered through the chaos, we were at the monastery in short time, and had the place pretty much to ourselves.  Walking through the entrance takes you to a plaza that features a large stone statue of Elijah with his sword raised.

The name Muhraka (Muhraqa) means "place of burning" in Arabic, as, according to the Bible, fire came down from the sky to burn Elijah's sacrifice at the time of his battle with the prophets of Baál.

Inside the church stands an altar that is positioned on 12 stones, signifying the 12 tribes of Israel.

Climbing out on the roof of the church would have offered views reaching nearly to the other side of Israel, but, once again, the dust prevailed, and such was not the case.

The floor on the roof has a schematic which shows the direction of the various cities in Israel that one would be able to spot on a clear day.

But this was about all that we were able to see.

We walked around the grounds for a bit 

and even ventured along a trail that runs around the base of the monastery.

 Notice that Marty is wearing his new Loaves and Fishes shirt that he bought yesterday.

Among the rocks on the hill, these unusual red flowers were peeking out.

Simple….but beautiful, all the same.

We heard the tour busses rolling in, and we decided that it was time to get back on the road.   The drive down the entryway to the monastery became a bit more challenging as we found ourselves having to make way for the tour busses which were arriving in droves.

And, as I write this, it is obvious to me, that those busses did NOT maneuver their way through that Arab bazaar, as we were barely able to squeeze through the pandemonium with our little car.   We both breathed a sigh of relief when we made it safely to the highway on our way to Akko also known as Acre.

This ancient city is located along the Mediterranean coast, north of Haifa, and it is where we ate dinner on Friday night on our return from our tour of Galilee.  It is one of the oldest continually habited cities of the world, dating back 5000 years to the Phoenicians.

The city is mentioned in the Bible several times:  In Judges 1:31 as belonging to the territory of Asher.  Later King David conquered this city and his son, Solomon, inherited the kingdom.

It is also referenced in the New Testament under the name Ptolemais in Acts 21:7.  The Apostle Paul arrived by sea and met with believers of Christ here.

Centuries later, King Richard the Lionheart made this the capital of the crusader kingdom in the Holy Land.

Arriving here was relatively east, but parking was a bit of a challenge, as, unbeknownst to us, the streets feature one huge Turkish bazaar which is obviously a hopping event for many in the area.

After creeping through the town in search of parking, we made our way back out and settled for a lot outside the walls of the city, with an interesting photo opportunity right across the street.

How would you like to have that in your front yard?

We were just in the nick of time, as there were only a few spaces left when we entered the lot.


The Old City of Akko is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our first stop was the Visitor's Center so that we could get our bearings and seek out information on the Crusader City tour.

We purchased the basic ticket, which included the Fortress, Templar Tunnel,  Okashi Museum and The Treasures in the Walls Museum.  The woman behind the counter included a map of Old Akko for 3 shekels.

The tickets included an audio guide in English, so we exchanged my driver's license for 2 listening devices, and had 2 hours to return them.  That seemed reasonable, so we headed to the entrance of the Fortress with tickets in hand.

The inside information was quite fascinating.  Much of what we were walking through had been standing under layers of dirt for centuries.  The preservation was outstanding.

We were walking through what was once the Crusader Fortress here

Although we made every attempt to follow the tour signs, we found ourselves very confused by our location several times on the tour.  In the hall of pillars, I spotted this flag which reminded me very much of Dr. Seuss's book "One Fish, Two Fish".

Don't they look happy?

Obviously, something happened when a third fish was added.  

Don't ask me what the significance of these flags are because I haven't a clue. To begin with, I got the audio guide with the numbers that kept sticking so it took me 3 times as long to get to the prompt.

In addition, we had enough trouble just trying to figure out which way we were supposed to be going, as the numbers suddenly did not increase in chronological order.

Then, it hit me!  Hebrew is written from right to left, opposite of what we are used to reading.  The courtyard entries progressed counter clockwise from 6 to 12, at which point we needed to walk back to 6 , where they continued clockwise no, to 12.  

If you find this confusing….you should have been living the experience!

One of the interesting features in the Hospitaller compound was a highly advanced drainage system that was used to drain sewage from the compound.

There was a latrine that held 35 stone seats, arranged in four rows.

Personal hygiene was attended to by using grass and straw.  Now….how did they know that?

I haven't a clue…..nor do I plan on figuring it out.  

We finally made our way to the tunnel that leads down and out of the Knights Hall and soon found ourselves in a Turkish Bazaar.  That was quite an experience, and there were tunnels filled with vendors selling their wares.  

Because of the numerous renovations to the building and the number order confusion, we found ourselves nearing the time of returning our audio guides, so we made our way through the maze of streets back to the information center to reclaim my driver's license.  I can see now why they insist on holding such a valuable item.  One would easily toss the audio guide as the exit was nowhere near the entrance.

You would think that there would just be a simple collection at the exit.  

But then again, there are a lot of simple solutions to many things here that are obviously lacking.

Our ticket had included the admittance to four exhibits, so we began our search for the Templar Tunnel.   

After once again attempting to follow the posted signs for the exhibit to no avail, I realized why the woman at the ticket office included the map for 3 shekels. I'd like to say that the map led us to the entrance, however, it did not.

We did stumble upon the Okashi museum, which took us all of 3 minutes to walk through.  Marty thinks they just throw that into the ticket because no one would bother to pay to go in otherwise.

Exiting the museum, we were still on our search for the Templar Tunnel.  I cannot tell you how many times we retraced our steps, and I'm quite certain that the three Arabs relaxing on a bench were taking bets on how many times we were going to pass by them.

But, finally, we found the entrance, and were soon walking down the steps to a landing that led to a very low tunnel.  It had a wooden floor, elevated over running water on each side, so it was obvious that we were pretty far under the city.  It was illuminated, but we had to hunker down in order to walk through it. 

This is no easy feat for a woman with a fused spine, but I managed to make it through the low spots, which suddenly opened up to a much higher ceiling. 

Along the way, there are projected animated screens that show what life would have been like during the Crusader period.  The Templars were a military-monastic order who aided pilgrims who came from Europe to visit the Holy Sites of Israel. 

The tunnel is 350 meters long and it leads from the Fortress to the Port, which is why we had such difficulty locating the entrance.

By this time, we needed a break, so we headed back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before, but not before taking some photos along the exterior wall.

There is a church, St. John's along the water's edge, but I'm not sure if it is open since there was no sign anywhere to be seen.

And here is the lighthouse.

When we arrived at the restaurant,  it was bustling with activity as crowds people were enjoying their main meal of the day.  Quite a difference from the evening before. 

Feeling rejuvenated, we went off in search of the final exhibit that was included in our ticket.  The Treasures in the Wall.  When we arrived, it was officially closed, but the man in charge welcomed us to take a quick peek through the place.

This place was fascinating, located beneath the walls of the city.

It featured a variety of wares from over the centuries, some of which I found to be quite fascinating.

 This chair was unique

 and the dolls were certainly interesting

Who knew that our Western Games had similar ones in Israel?

 There was a display of unusual musical instruments

and some beautiful pieces of pottery.

I'd say that the name of the place, Treasures in the Wall, described the experience to a tee.

And how lucky were we that the proprietor let us take a quick look inside?

All in all, we had a fabulous experience in  Akko.  We had toured the walls

taken in some beautiful sights

and Marty even found a friend!

But it was time to head back to Haifa so that we could relax a bit before heading down to the German Colony for Mass.

Marty had been told that the Carmelit transit would be operating after sundown according to the Jewish custom of Shabbat.  It is closed from Friday night through Saturday sundown, but opens again after sundown until midnight on Saturday. The concierge had told him that we would be on our way by 6:25 and that it took only 4 minutes to make the trip.  We then had to walk several blocks to get to the church, but we felt that there was plenty of time. 

So, we headed to the station which is only over a block from our hotel.  At around 6:35, the station lights went on, and we could see the escalator running up from the tunnel.  But the gate was still closed and locked, and there was no sign of an attendant.  

By 6:45, we knew that it would be virtually impossible for us to make the trip in time, and with no sign of it actually opening, Marty hailed a taxi and asked him to take us to St.  Joseph Latin Church in the German Colony.  We gave him the address.

The driver asked us if we were Catholic, and we said yes, and he told us that he was Catholic as well.  He went on to say that he did not think that the church would be open tonight.

I felt fairly confident, having had the assurance from a monk on Wednesday, so I didn't let  his comment sway my opinion.  Somehow, he managed to make it down the hill, which involves weaving back and forth along a road, just about a minute before 7:00.  He stopped outside a church and we noticed that there were lights on inside.  We thanked him and ran into the church, through the doors, to see that the service had not yet begun.

We sat down in a pew, and looked at each other in confusion.  There were icons hanging all along the wall, no sign of a tabernacle, and there had not been holy water fonts when we came through the door.

I asked Marty if he had noticed a name to the church when we came in, and he said no, and he proceeded to begin to walk outside to check out the name.

At that point, a bell rang, curtains in the middle of what appeared to be a sanctuary suddenly flung open, and standing behind the curtain was the back of a priest, in red vestments, who then began to chant some woeful message.

At this point, Marty and I ran out of the church as fast as our feet could take us.  Upon exiting, I saw the sign, St. Elias. 

Obviously, we were in the wrong church.  Wait….didn't the taxi driver tell us he was Catholic?

Well, as luck would have it, the Catholic Church was only across the road and down the block, at the location that we had actually given the cab driver!

People were still hustling in, even though it was obviously after 7:00.  We immediately knew that we were at the right place, and proceeded to find a pew.

It was obvious that we were not the typical attendees as the church was filled with people from the Philippines.  In fact, I do believe that we were nearly the tallest people in attendance.

And, their version of "English"was with a very strong accent.  The priest, however, had an Australian accent which we found very easy to understand.

As is typical in Philippine communities, the music was lively and the crowd was enthusiastic.  Both of which we welcomed!

After Mass, we headed to the German Colony for dinner.  After walking several blocks to the Carmelit, we headed down the stairs only to have an attendant tell us that it was not working.

So, once again, we found ourselves hailing a cab for the return trip back up the hill.

I'd say that was quite an unexpected adventure, for sure.

I leave with a photo of the lovely Baha' i Gardens taken at night, from the bottom, looking up.

Quite spectacular, don't you think?

Driving the Jesus Trail

Here in Israel you will find posters that say, "Jesus didn't ride the bus…..why should you?"

It's an advertisement to encourage people to walk the trail that was made for pilgrims who want to experience Christ's journey through Galilee.

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but this Gallivanting gal will be moving from place to place via an automobile that even comes with a driver….my husband.   He does get mis-directed from time to time, but I'm amazed that he doesn't become completely frazzled!  The drivers in Israel are ruthless.  Honking the horn seems to be the National past time.  But I'll elaborate on that another day.

Let's get to the Trail!

Here you see a schematic of the many areas where Jesus was known to have visited during his ministry.

We decided to head out to the west part of the Sea of Galilee to "walk in His sandals"….sort of.

You get the point.

Our original plan was to follow the chronological movement of Jesus.  But that would have involved quite a bit of backtracking, and we already were trying to squeeze in as much as humanly possible in one day.

First stop:  Mt. Tabor, mentioned many times in the Old Testament and, in the New Testament,  believed to be the site of the Transfiguration:

Matthew's Biblical account of this event tells us:

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Mt. Tabor is the highest mountain in southern Galilee.  It was no easy feat to get to the top. 

In fact, I'd rank the ascent as one of the most frightening events that Marty and I have made.  We do owe part of the terror to the Google Maps phone App that Marty insists on using.  Lady GPS decided that we should shorten the driving the time by rerouting us through a city that is located on a hill.

Imagine "S"turn streets, one after the other, with parked cars lining either side of a narrow street.   Add to that combination a group of high energy little kids darting in and out of the street playing a game of soccer.  Or perhaps they were playing 'Scare the Tourists'.  If that was the case, then they won hands down for sure!

And, as if that wasn't bad enough, the road was one of the steepest that I've ever encountered. We've driven steep roads in Pittsburgh and in San Francisco,  but these roads, believe it or not, out-did either of those cities.

Have you ever experienced the wheels of your car spinning, due to lack of traction, while maneuvering up hill in these type of conditions?

Well…….WE HAVE!!!

Just when we got to the point where we could breathe a sigh of relief, we followed Lady GPS's advice, and found ourself on a macadam road that obviously was the preferred route of travel.  

And, I'm willing to bet that we did NOT save any time with Lady GPS's advice! 

And we probably have a few more grey hairs as a result!

So, by now, you probably realize that this hill that Matthew speaks of is pretty darn high.

Nearly touching the heavens, as Marty put it.

After parking in the lot and walking to the entrance we could see the Basilica of the Transfiguration in front of us.

Once inside, the central dome of the cathedral is adorned with a mosaic reflecting the Transfiguration of Christ.

Magnificent!

To the right of the main sanctuary there is a small chapel devoted to St. Francis.

The church and grounds, which include a monastery, are run by the Franciscan community.

In the front of the church, there are small chapels:  one devoted to Elijah

and the other to Moses.

Although the day was beautiful, the dust storms put a haze on what would have been a glorious view of the countryside.

We walked around a bit, exploring the grounds,  which offered a bit of a surprise.

I looked up to see two of these creatures, perched as if ready to pounce, peering down at me.  

Marty thought it would be a great photo opportunity, so I handed the camera to him and walked away.  Just for the record, I don't do lizards who are looking down at me.  Call me feint of heart.  

As it was,  this guy seemed quite happy to pose for Marty, and his friend scurried away in a different direction, which was fine by me!

We decided to make the trip back down the road lined with cedar trees

through the gate

and continue on the main road, ignoring any advice that GPS Lady had to offer otherwise.

The trip down the hill was relatively uneventful, although I will admit, I never expected to spot a camel munching away by the side of the road!

Before we could reach our next destination, we had to drive through Tiberias, which is quite the bustling city on the Sea of Galilee.  Traffic was intense and I was all too happy to find us driving north along the sea on our way to the Mountain of the Beatitudes.

By the time we reached that holy spot, it was closed for lunch, so we headed back down the mountain to Tabgha, to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.  

This is a restored Benedictine Monastery which was unearthed by German archeologists in 1932.  At one time, the church was decorated with floor mosaics that are considered to be the most beautiful in the Holy Land.

The mosaic at the base of the altar represents the loaves and fishes.

The exposed rock under the altar, is believed to mark the spot where Jesus fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish, after his Sermon on the Mount.

The rock is a natural dolman, and is believed by historians to have been a sacred place since before the time of Jesus.  It was used originally as the altar in a Byzantine Church erected over this spot in 350 A.D.

Around that time the pilgrim, Lady Egeria,  traveled to Tabgha where she found a large Christian community, originally of Jewish descent, who kept alive the memory of Jesus'  presence here.   She recorded her findings that the local community verified that this rock was, indeed, the one used by Jesus when he performed his miracle.  

Pretty amazing, don't you think?

And, I found it rather amusing that the church should feature a fish on the weather vane.

And the plaza in front of the church had a pond filled with all sizes of goldfish.

But there was no bread to be found anywhere!

From here, we walked out of the complex, and down the road just a little way, when we came to the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter, also known as Mensa Christa. 

The grounds here were quiet and peaceful

walking down the path led us to the church made of black basalt.

It was here that Jesus is believed to have appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.

Peter and several apostles were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, fishing, but having no luck.  Jesus appeared, told them to cast their nets, upon which the nets became so full that they could not bring them in.  Jesus then told them to bring in some of the fish, and then proceeded to share a meal with them. 

It was at this meal when Jesus asserted the Primacy of Saint Peter, thereby giving the church its name. 

The pilgrim, Lady Egeria has recorded that it was at this spot where Jesus appeared and spoke to his apostles.

The interior of the church features a stone that is believed to have been the table where Jesus shared this meal.

Marty was excited to be able to actually put his hands into the sea of Galilee

and while he was doing so, he spotted a fish

which seemed quite appropriate, don't you think?

He took a photo of the two of us with the Sea of Galilee behind us.

From here, we walked back to the car, and made the drive back up the hill to the Church of the Mount of Beatitudes.

It is located on the hill, near the Sea of Galilee, and not far from the spot where he performed the miracle with the loaves and fishes.

Here is where it is believed that Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount

"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Mt 5:1-5)

Above the entrance to the Sanctuary is a lovely depiction of the Jesus delivering his sermon.

The interior is fairly simple, 

but the tiled floors are magnificent.

As you can see, the walk way to the church is beautiful

with stone markers listing the beatitudes along the way

and some interesting mosaics as well.

Truly awe inspiring.

Are you getting tired yet? 

Just one more stop, and then we'll be heading back to our hotel.

Nearby stands the ancient village of Capernaum.  It was home to Peter, Andrew, James and John, and Matthew, and it is known that Jesus spent much time here.   The actual village, once a prosperous fishing town, was abandoned around 700 A.D. and never reconstituted.  

Today it is a set of ruins, holding the foundations of the Synagogue where  Jesus healed the servant of the centurion and gave his sermon on the bread of life.

The foundation of Peter's house is exposed for view.

And an octagonal church is suspended over the spot where Peter's house foundation stands.

The center of the interior has a round glass window that looks directly down into that foundation.

The engineering behind this mastery is amazing in itself.

From the grounds, a beautiful Greek Orthodox church can be seen in the distance.

And with that,  I'm calling it a day.

Hope you enjoyed the accounting of our New Testament Adventure.

You can be guaranteed that there is more to come!

Gallivanting in Galilee

Yesterday morning, while Marty was getting dressed, he said to me "T-G-I-T".  Since I've found myself immersed in Hebrew as of late, I looked at him and said, "Tgit?  What does that mean?"

Can you guess?

Thank Goodness It's Thursday.

And why would he bring that up?  Because, here in Israel, the work week starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday.  Which is why Marty was free today to take a road trip to Galilee.

It was quite a full day, and it's late, so I have decided to post a few photos and leave the details of the day for another time.

First stop:  Mt. Tabor:  Basilica of the Transfiguration

Getting there was quite a story…which I intend to share with  you later.

Next, we visited Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.

Here I managed to talk Marty out of buying one of these super colorful t-shirts

(actually…..they ended up being only kid sizes) and he settled for this instead.

Don't you just love it?  Well….let me just say that Marty does, for sure!

From there we walked around the corner to Mensa Christa

which stands on the shores of the  Sea of Galilee. (More about that later as well.)

Marty got his chance to put his hands in the water

and he took a photo of the two of us.

From there we headed to the Church of the Beatitudes

which is strikingly beautiful and I'll be sure to elaborate more on another day.

From there we made a quick stop in Capernaum

and then headed into Akko for dinner at the Abu Christo restaurant,  which was right on the waterfront of the Mediterranean.

I know this looks like a lovely, peaceful, romantic place to enjoy a meal.   

Were we ever surprised when one "party"boat after another came buzzing by, one with neon lights flashing pink/green and orange while blasting  hip hop music so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk! 

It didn't exactly fit the aura of an ancient city, that's for sure!

But, then again, there are a lot of things here in Israel that are certainly unique. 

Don't worry…..I plan on filling you on that sometime in the future as well.

But for now, I say Shalom!