Dec 5, 2005 - Hebron

Hebron (2003 est. pop. 155,000)is in the West Bank situated at an altitude of 3,000 ft (910 m) in a region where grapes, cereal grains, and vegetables are grown. Tanning, food processing, glassblowing, and the manufacture of sheepskin coats are the major industries. The city is also a road junction. Hebron has usually had a significant Jewish population, although following Arab riots in 1929 most Jews left and did not return until after the Israeli occupation following the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, when numerous Jewish settlements were...

Dec 2, 2005 - Jerusalem Archeological Park

Unlike "parks" in the western world, in Israel parks and archeological excavations are not only looked at, they are walked in. For the most part nothing is roped off or restricted. You are THERE. Walking the same streets, touching the same surfaces that the people of the era walked and touched. While standing at the base of the wall around Jerusalem we found pottery shards from the era of the excavation level we were standing at, typically the First Temple era where we spent most of our time. Look at the pictures that show what remains of...

Oct 26, 2005 - Jerusalem - The Holy City

Jerusalem - The Holy Land Often referred to as the Holy Land, Jerusalem has some of the most important historic references to Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions found anywhere in the world - the Jewish Western Wall, Islam's Dome of the Rock and Christianity's Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Stations of the Cross. Jerusalem and the rest of the country are abounded by biblical references and historic religious sites making this destination very popular for pilgrimages of many religions. The modern day Jerusalem has become more and more...

Oct 26, 2005 - Jerusalem - The Holy City

Jerusalem Often referred to as the Holy Land, Jerusalem has some of the most important historic references to Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions found anywhere in the world - the Jewish Western Wall, Islam's Dome of the Rock and Christianity's Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Stations of the Cross. Jerusalem and the rest of the country are abounded by biblical references and historic religious sites making this destination very popular for pilgrimages of many religions. The modern day Jerusalem has become more and more religious while...

Oct 21, 2005 - Jerusalem - Israel

Jerusalem. The word itself drips with history and religious fervor. One minute you're munching a snack on the corner, and the next you're eyeing Jesus' tomb, the site of his burial and resurrection and the holiest place in Christendom. It's the mundane and the profound side by side. The Temple Mount, where Muhammad ascended into heaven is here. 50 meters away is the Western Wall, where the Jews bemoan the loss of their Temple at the hands of Roman legions 1900 years ago. These days it's filled with Orthodox Jews celebrating the holiday of...

Oct 17, 2005 - Jerusalem, Round 1

Here I am at the Palm Hostel, in the Muslim quarter, above a falafel shop, at one of the 2 community PCs. It's 2:30 and I needed to start over. It's been a long day already and on the heels of a money-changer telling me to go to Hell, I suggested, very directly and with very few words, that he leave his current location and have relations with himself of a very personal nature. As I walked away I felt ashamed of myself and defeated by impulse and like "is this the best I can do in this ancient maze of synagogs and mosques and churches and...

Sep 20, 2005 - Amman to Jerusalem!

Shalom, Why am I signing on with Shalom if we're in Jordan? Because we spent all of yesterday in Jerusalem—a spur of the moment decision. Here's what happened—we arrived in Amman Sunday noon and strolled around the city for a while and having a lamb schwarma sandwich for lunch. It didn't us take long to see that this is a modern city looking towards the U.S. and Europe for inspiration and growth, and there is not much for a tourist. There is no old city or souk or great mosque, just all of our fast food chains, plus a few of their own, big...

Aug 26, 2005 - The Lowest Point On Earth...

My not-so-glowing impressions of Israel aside we did visit a very unique spot, The Dead Sea (which also happens to be the lowest point on earth.) The Dead Sea lies between Israel and Jordan and is in the Negev desert on the Israel side. Looking across to the Jordan side there were beautiful mountains which turned pink at sunset. The salt content is so high you float, you really couldn't sink or even dive under if you wanted to. In fact, Paul tried to dive under and I warned him not to open his eyes under (for obvious STINGING reasons) which...

Aug 25, 2005 - Jerusalem, Israel

Thursday, August 25. Jerusalem, Israel. Feeling better, I headed to one of the most disputed pieces of real estate in the world: Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Jerusalem is where three major religions-Christianity, Islam, and Judaism-claim as either the holy land or the promised land. The immigration officer at the King Hussein bridge border crossing between Jordan and Israel thoroughly scrutinized my reason for visiting Israel and eventually granted me a thirty day visa. At my request, she did not stamp my passport with an Israeli...

Aug 16, 2005 - Israel and Jerusalem in particular

We found a cheap hostel (called the Palm Hostel) in an otherwise expensive city, just outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. I swear I want to write a play about the nutty cast of characters staying there and some of the interactions we have witnessed. First of all, it is Palestinian owned but they have a Roman Catholic sister running the place. She is your worst Catholic school nightmare magnified severalfold. There is a small sitting room into which everyone crowds and the sister titters about inserting herself...

Aug 4, 2005 - Jerusalem, Israel

Walking down Ben Yehuda street (A main shopping street in Jerusalem) we saw something funny. An apparently observant, american sounding, hippy Jewish guy with a long beard got in a shouting match with a hippy of similar description with the addition of rubberbands around his beard as if he were some sort of mid 80's rastafarian rapper. They exchanged insults such as: "You are a Christian", "What, are you trying to get attention by putting rubberbands in your beard" and "you don't even go to synagogue." The heated debate could have been...

Aug 1, 2005 - Israel

Short story - we changed our plans to return to Jordan by boat and instead went through Israel. With only 24 hours to spend, we had a whirlwind tour of Jerusalem before leaving again. Take a look at the photos - the captions are self explanatory. *********************************************** We left Dahab with the full intention of getting the ferry back across the Red Sea to Aqaba in Jordan, in time to make a bus connection up to Amman for our flight to Uganda the next day. Unfortunately, like the best laid plans of mice and men, the...