Newsletter #18 - early May 2000
We just returned from our 12th anniversary vacation in the Golan Heights of northern Israel. We left the Metulla-Kiryat Shmona area (near the southern Lebanese border) several hours before the rocket attacks occurred. It was totally peaceful while we were there. More on our vacation later.
Spring is here! Flowers bloom everywhere, scenting the air. There is also a less pleasant phenomenon known as a "hahm-SEEN" or hot wind that occasionally occurs in spring. The wind blows up the dust in the southern Negev desert, creating a massive gray dust cloud that hovers oppressively for a few days. The air smells dusty, and a layer of dust coats everything inside our homes and cars. until it eventually dissipates.
Holocaust Memorial Day was last week. Places of entertainment shut down for the day. For two minutes beginning at 10:00 a.m., a siren sounds throughout the entire country. We were by ourselves pumping gas at a remote self-service station in the middle of the Golan Heights when the siren suddenly went off. Was it an air raid? It was kind of scary, but since nothing happened after that, we went on about our business. We had absolutely no idea what was going on until the next day!
This week Israel celebrates Memorial Day, and its 52nd Independence Day. There are countless blue and white streamers criss-crossing city streets, and many people (including us) fly small Israeli flags from their cars. The contractors shut down, and we US Government employees get one extra day off.
OUR TRIP TO JERICHO:
We took an Embassy bus tour to see monasteries of the Judean Desert. Following the rainy season, over 1000 varieties of wildflowers bloom in the desert. The rain comes in from the Mediterranean and heads east. As the rainclouds hit the mountains of central Israel, the last of the rain falls on the western slopes. However, there's an underground aquifer that carries some of this rainfall to the eastern slopes, and on into the desert. The Judean Desert is not part of the global chain of deserts that circles the globe; rather, it's considered a "localized desert."
Many American foreign service personnel take these bus trips. It can be very interesting to listen to their conversations. They often become involved with American politicians who visit Israel. Some of our American politicians are totally unaware of what's really going on in Israel, or who the "players" are. (One of our US Senators thought that the PLO was one of the political parties in Israel.) As a result, our foreign service personnel sometimes find themselves in the "damage control" mode!
Jericho is booming since it was turned over the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Palestinians are replacing their adobe homes with new ones built of white Jerusalem limestone. We drove past PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat's house. The Palestinians built a casino within the last year or two, which is helping their economy by bringing in many Israelis (Muslims aren't allowed to gamble). There was even a bellydancer at one of the tourist restaurants!
Our first stop was a Greek Orthodox monastery located in an oasis way, way down in Wadi Kelt. A wadi is a creek bed that has eroded into a canyon over time. This monastery is built near a spring, so while the surrounding area and most of the wadi itself are desert, there are tress, flowers, and birds all around the monastery.
There were many types of monks who lived in the Judean desert, but the two main categories were the communal monks, who lived in monasteries, and the solitary monks, who dwelt in caves near the other monks. One solitary monk, who lived just above this monastery many years ago, lowered a ladder so he could climb down and get food. Another remained in the cave constantly and simply lowered a food basket by rope, to be filled by the monks below. We also saw a cave reported to be where the Jewish prophet Elijah lived when he was fed by ravens. Inside the monastery were a bunch of skulls and other bones belonging to some monks who were killed by Persian invaders. The Jewish residents of the area were pretty much on the side of the Persians, because they hoped they'd restore Israel to the Jews. But, it didn't happen.
After an exhausting climb out of the wadi and back to the bus, we headed for the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Jesus' Temptation, built up high into a mountainside. Kevin and I visited this monastery shortly after the tram opened back in November. Now that the tram is open, hundreds of tourists are riding up and tromping along the mountain ledge. The upper tram station and restaurant are built upon uncemented loose rocks held in place with chicken wire. Our tour guide expressed concern that the mountain ledge will shake, rattle, and roll, either from the increased number of visitors, or during the next earthquake.
We stopped at a nearby archeological dig. An ancient wall had been excavated, but it was too far underground to have been the famous wall that came tumblin' down when Joshua fit the battle of Jericho. In fact, the Biblical wall has not yet been located. The PA is also restoring Elisha's spring, where he is said to have changed the water from bitter to sweet by tossing in some salt.
We saw an ancient synagogue with a beautiful mosaic floor depicting a Jewish menorah (lampstand). The PA realizes the tourist value of non-Muslim religious sites, and as such is making efforts to protect and preserve them. Our last stop was the ruins of an old Arab palace that was destroyed by an earthquake. One of the buildings contained absolutely fabulous mosaic work.
OUR TRIP TO THE BEIT SHEAN AREA:
Kevin and I took another Embassy bus trip to Beit Shean, Beit Alpha Synagogue, and to Belvoir, a Crusader fortress.
The Beit Shean region is where Gideon (as recounted by the Bible's Old Testament Book of Judges) selected his top warriors for a major upcoming battle, by observing how they drank water out of a spring.
Beit Shean, located south of the Sea of Galilee in the Jordan Valley, was once a very large and wealthy Greek and Roman Decapolis city known as Scythopolis, although it was occupied long, long before that period. It was conquered and rebuilt many times because of its abundant water supply and important location on two main valley roads. Since the area is mountainous, ancient travelers looked for the easiest ways to cross the region north-south and east-west. Cities grew up along these routes. There is a hill or tel in Beit Shean that contains about twenty layers of civilizations, which has not yet been fully excavated. The archeologists have been working so fast and furiously in this region that for several years, they haven't stopped digging long enough to write up their reports. So, no one except them really knows what's going on. You can't even construct a new building in the surrounding areas without uncovering archeological finds - they're everywhere! Roman glass, pot handles, and coins are easily found by tourists casually strolling around the park. By hiking up to the top of the tel, you can get a panoramic view of the whole city.
Long before the Romans, Beit Shean was mentioned in the Bible's Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel. Remember Israel's first king, Saul? On the way to Beit Shean, we drove by Mt. Gilboa, where King Saul and his sons were killed fighting the Philistines. ("O, how the mighty have fallen!") The Philistines hung their dead bodies on a wall at Beit Shean, until they were spirited away by a group of Israelites.
The Greeks who lived there worshipped Dionysus, the god of wine and fun. During the later Roman period, a gridline of streets was set up, typical of Roman city planning. The Romans built a massive bridge and a huge country club containing bathhouses, massage rooms, and exercise areas, that lasted for 400 years. There is an amphitheater where gladiators fought. The larger entrances are for people to enter, with smaller doors for the lions. Of course, some of these activities stopped when Christianity became the official religion. During the Byzantine period, shoppers could stroll in the shade from store to store on marble walkways, covered by tiled roofs. The Byzantines are also remembered for their public 40-seat lavatory. You can see the "seats" - two slabs of marble for each "sitter," with a water channel below to wash away the wastes. You washed your hands in a separate water channel in front of the toilets.
There was a huge earthquake in 749 A.D. that destroyed the city. Many of the buildings have been re-constructed, while others have not. When the Crusaders arrived, they plundered Beit Shean's antiquities in order to build their fortresses.
After leaving Beit Shean, we stopped at the 6th-century A.D. Beit Alpha synagogue. Originally, synagogues didn't contain mosaics of people or critters because of the prohibition against graven images. However, after awhile the rules were relaxed. This synagogue copied the zodiac floor of the Tiberias synagogue. The figure of Gemini is not even circumcised! (Of course, he wasn't Jewish anyway.) Beneath the zodiac is Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. God is represented by a hand reaching downward from heaven. There were also two menorahs and the ark of the covenant. There was no Star of David, since it only became a symbol of Judaism in the 1900's.
Our last stop was the nearby Crusader hill fortress of Belvoir, surrounded by a dry moat. The view from Belvoir is spectacular. You can see across the Jordan River valley to the Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights, and the mountains of Jordan. Belvoir was one of the last Crusader fortresses to fall to the Muslim forces of Saladin. Crusader forts were constructed in two parts, the inner and outer fort. After the Crusaders initially conquered the Holy Land, most of them returned to their homes in Europe, assured by the Pope of their places in heaven. Apparently only a few Crusaders wanted to stay in the Holy Land to guard it from the infidels. (After all, it gets pretty hot here in the summer, and they wore armor.) So, they lived in the inner fortress, and hired mercenaries who lived in the outer fortress. On an amusing note, make-up kits were found. Since no women were allowed inside, we assume the Crusaders sometimes wore cosmetics and false eyelashes as entertainment. They must have had a really bad case of cabin fever! Or, perhaps fashions were different in those days.
CELEBRATING PASSOVER IN ERETZ ISRAEL:
Passover, or Pessach, is one of the most important Jewish holidays. It's a festive holiday celebrating the Jews' supernatural deliverance under Moses from captivity in Egypt. It lasts for 1 1/2 weeks, and is closely tied to the Christian celebration of Easter/Resurrection Sunday, which is a regular workday in Israel. It seemed really strange to be working!
By placing the blood of the Passover lamb above the door of the home, the Jewish families were spared or "passed over" when God's Angel of Death killed all of the Egyptians' first-born children and animals. (Christians consider this to be a forerunner of Jesus/Yeshua as the ultimate Passover lamb, whose blood was shed for atonement of sin.) The next day, Pharaoh allowed them all to leave Egypt, and the Israelites began their forty-year journey to the Promised Land.
Jesus' Last Supper was a Pessach seder, the first ever recorded in Israel (although of course Pessach had been celebrated there for many years). One of the Pessach traditions is saving a seat at the table for Elijah, whom Jews expect to come to earth before the Messiah appears. Christians believe that John the Baptist fulfilled that role for Jesus/Yeshua. Another Pessach tradition is to have three pieces of matzoh, the middle piece ("afikomen") of which is hidden in the house somewhere. The children search for the missing piece, and whoever finds it receives a reward. In Christian symbolism, the three pieces represent the Trinity. Jesus/Yeshua is the middle piece. "Afikomen" in Greek means, roughly, one who goes away and returns again.
No products containing leaven (yeast) may be eaten during Pessach. A few days before the start of Pessach, the grocery stores cover up the beer, flour, bread, and pasta so they can't be sold. Many restaurants close down during this period. Heavy-duty spring cleaning takes place in many homes, and any products containing leaven are discarded. Even people who normally don't eat kosher avoid bread and pasta during Pessach. About the only bread you can obtain for about eight days is matzoh, served in a variety of ways.My boss gave me some crackers so he could get them out of his house before Pessach. I was told that if I wanted to bring a regular sandwich to work during Pessach, I should wrap it in tinfoil so no one would get upset seeing it in the office refrigerator. Some people even use a whole set of dishes specially for Pessach, that are put away for another year at the conclusion of the holiday.
Kevin decided he wanted to observe the leaven prohibition this year. I wasn't too keen on the idea, since matzoh has a reputation. We've heard that some people have to take laxatives for a week after Pessach, thanks to good old matzoh!
Children are off from school for about three weeks, the Israeli contractors shut down, and many people take vacations. The hotel rates go way up during this period, so it's an expensive time to visit Israel. We US Government employees get two vacation days off during Passover.
Kevin and I enjoyed a seder at the Messianic Jewish church we attend. Afterward, different members of the congregation, who moved here from all over the world, spontaneously shared songs in their native languages. Some of the South African members danced a zulu dance. There were even Arab Christians there. Kevin camcorded part of the service, which lasted over four hours. (When he first began taping church services a couple of months ago, some people in the congregation were afraid he was a spy sent by the Chassidic Orthodox Jewish synagogues. These spies have been known to photograph Jewish converts to Christianity, and then follow them home and harrass them.)
During the Pessach service, a Muslim man stood up, and said he had decided to convert to Christianity. He said that the Koran mentions the Angel Gabriel telling the Virgin Mary that she would bear a child who would be the Messiah. However, most Muslims kind of skip over that part.
Well - there's never a dull moment here in Israel!
Don't forget to check out our website at:
http://www.geocities.com/liznkev/index/html. If you don't here from us for a while, it's because I may be going on a business trip to Germany for a long time. Shalom and le-HEET-rah-OTE (au revoir)!
K&E