Gallivanting Grandma

Sunday – October 15, 2017

Today was our last touring day in Israel, so we checked out of the Spa Club Hotel.  Most of the group participants had homebound flights scheduled for tomorrow from Tel Aviv.  However, five of us had arranged to continue this journey into Palestine.

This morning, we left the hotel and drove north to “Ein Gedi”, which means “spring of the goat.”  The bus drove quickly through the lush botanical gardens of Kibbutz Ein Gedi then continued to the archeological site of the Old Synagogue complex.

There had been a Jewish community at this location since the 7th century BC.  The mosaic floor of the “Old Synagogue” which was built during the 2nd century AD, was well preserved.  It included an inscription warning residents to keep the method of preparing balsam a secret.  Balsam was the most expensive fragrance in the ancient world and its preparation generated great wealth for the community.

Afterwards we went to the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and National Park.  The reserve is a sanctuary for many types of plant, bird, and animal species, including the Nubian Ibex.

We walked along the path through the desert to a lovely waterfall.  The landscape was incredibly striking and beautiful.

Or bus drove along the shore of the Dead Sea providing us with incredible views:

Our next stop was the Qumran Caves, the archaeological site in the West Bank where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.

The scrolls were found in eleven caves around an ancient settlement and were probably hidden sometime between 66-73 AD.  It had been exciting to see the Dead Sea Scrolls in the museum in Jerusalem and now, here I was at the place where they were discovered.  Unbelievable!  I had read about the scrolls over past decades but never dreamed I would see the place where they were found.  Amazing!!

About a dozen scrolls as well as fragments of scrolls were found in earthenware jars hidden in the caves in Qumran.  The scrolls included copies of all the books of the bible, except the Book of Esther.  Scribes wrote on parchment sheets that were sewn together into scrolls and placed into large jars.

On our way back to the Cinema Hotel in Tel Aviv for our last night, we stopped in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.  It was named for olive groves that once covered its slopes.  The Mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years.

And so, we ended our Israeli trip the same way it began, with a panoramic view across a valley of the Old City of Jerusalem.  What an incredible view it was!  The gold Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount shone in the brilliant sun shine.  Towers of old and new Jerusalem stood out against the clear Israeli sky.

At night we enjoyed a delicious farewell dinner at a restaurant in Tel Aviv.  Our group sat outdoors and we had a lovely evening talking and remembering highlights of our shared experiences in Jordan and Israel.  This had been an extraordinary adventure filled with amazing sights and experiences.  A special thank you to Rafi Rozanes, our tour guide, for a wonderful and unforgettable adventure!!!

Saturday – October 14, 2017

We got an early start for our “Judean Desert off-road Adventure.”  The jeeps were waiting for us and we hopped on and took off down the highway.

We were quickly off-road and our caravan bumped along the rocky road through no-man’s-land.

Driving through the Judean Desert was so much fun!  The only things missing were camels coming over the horizon.  The scenery was spectacular!!!

We bumped along on a well worn trail following the jeep ahead of us.  Much of the land looked like pictures on the surface of the moon.  It was unbelievable!

The jeeps stopped to give us a break and the leader explained the geography of the region and how the hills and mountains were formed.

After a while, the jeeps climbed to the top of a hill and parked. We looked out over the desert and across the Dead Sea salt and mineral collection areas, to Jordan on the other side.  Incredible views!!

At about mid-day, the jeeps drove the group to a nature preserve and the leader spoke about conservation. We had an outdoor picnic in the preserve.

After we returned to the hotel, we met Rafi and walked down to the shore of the Dead Sea.  Rafi brought packets of Dead Sea mud and explained to us neophytes how to schmear mud on ourselves.  (Ugh!  Is all I could say!)  There are supposed to be health benefits and healing properties.

Then we went into the very salty water to “wash off” the mud.  It didn’t come off that easily.  The most surprising aspect of the Dead Sea water was that it felt slimy.  The added floating ability made getting upright more difficult because my feet wanted to float.  It just took a little practice.  I think I’ll stick with pools and the ocean.

It was strange to see people walking around with their bodies covered with brown mud.  Fortunately, there were warm showers on the beach and then we joined the bathrobe brigade to walk back to the hotel.  It was a unique and fun experience!

The sun set behind the mountains and cast an incredible red glow on the Dead Sea and the Jordanian mountains.  What a day!!!

Friday, October 13, 2017

We checked out of the Dan Boutique Hotel in Jerusalem and drove a short distance up and down hills  to the Mount of Olives.  We were on a hill opposite the wall surrounding the Old City and we had a great view across the valley.

We entered the Garden of Gethsemane and admired the ancient olive trees. Gethsemane means “oil press” in Hebrew.  This is one of four locations claiming to be the biblical place where Jesus prayed before the crucifixion. 

The Basilica is also known as the Church of All Nations because it was completed in 1924 with donations from different countries.  It was built on the foundations of two earlier churches from the 12th and 4th centuries.  The current church is known for its magnificent mosaic on the facade above the pillars.

The interior was awash in soft lavender light from stained glass windows.  A large rock in front of the altar is preserved as the place where Jesus prayed.  Arrangements of stones under an olive tree in the garden:

We drove out of Jerusalem and it was amazing how quickly the terrain changed from green trees to dry desert.

On our way south along the Jordan Valley, we stopped at a shop called Ahava, to stock up on lotions and other cosmetic products made of minerals from the Dead Sea.

We continued driving south to Masada.  This is the ancient fortification located on top of an isolated rock plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea.  In my photo below, which I took from the bus, you can see the zigzag walking trail (known as “the Snake Path”) on the side of the mountain.

There’s a cable car system which runs from ground level all the way up to the top providing spectacular views of the surrounding region.  We looked down on people walking up on the path.

The view is breathtaking across the Dead Sea and the mountains of Jordan on the other side.

We ascended and walked among the ruins of the hilltop fortress which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  King Herod the Great built the palace for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada in about 35 BC.  The model below shows what historians believe Masada was like during this period.

After the destruction of the Second temple in 70 AD, a group of Jewish rebels, called Sicarii, settled on the mountaintop.  Three years later, the Roman legion surrounded Masada.  They built a siege ramp against the western side of the plateau.  The Romans breached the wall of the fortress to find all the food storerooms set on fire and 960 dead people.  They had committed mass suicide or killed each other as a better alternative to being captured and enslaved by the Romans.

The Masada site is huge and it was very helpful to have Rafi describe and interpret the historical ruins.  Among the many buildings, there were two palaces, a swimming pool, bath houses, barracks, many storerooms, water cisterns, and residential areas.

We descended via the cable car and had lunch in the cafeteria at the tourist center at the base of Masada.  We drove to the Spa Club Dead Sea Hotel for the evening.

This is a resort area for tourists who want to bathe in the extremely salty waters of the Dead Sea.  The hotel was located along the beach and there were two pools for guests: one with salt water and the other with fresh water.  Many tourists are attracted to the Dead Sea for its health and healing properties.

I thought it was strange to see many people walking around the hotel in bath robes.

Wednesday – October 11, 2017

We drove slowly around the  wall of the Old City in rush hour traffic.  It was a glorious morning with a bright sun and cloudless sky.  Although my brain was focused on history and archeology, modern Jerusalem was always there reminding me that the city is vibrant, fresh and continuing to evolve and very contemporary.

The bus parked on the road under the silver-domed Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the southeastern side of the Old City, near the entrance to the City of David excavation site.  We began our tour high above the ruins overlooking a large Palestinian neighborhood.  The City of David is controversial for its location in the Arab territory and is seen as an attempt to establish an Israeli presence in East Jerusalem.

I remembered the geography of the site from our visit yesterday to the Israel Museum.  The Model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period showed buildings in this area.  The City of David is the walled strip of buildings leading down from the Temple Mount in the center of my photo below.

The biblical City of David is supposed to be the original ancient settlement in Jerusalem attributed to Judean kings.  Excavations have found shards of pottery and other early artifacts from about 4000 BC.  It is an important archaeological site which provides more historical information about the early development of Jerusalem.

After we climbed around the excavation site, we crossed a street to another dig which had been the former Giv’ati parking lot.  Among discoveries at this site was an ancient building believed to have been a first century palace, a hoard of 264 gold coins minted during the Byzantine period, and a Roman onyx cameo.

We walked carefully around the dig and entered the Central Drainage Canal which dates from the end of the 1st century BC.  This is an underground tunnel connecting the west side of the Temple Mount with Shiloah Pool (a ritual pool).

When Herod rebuilt and enlarged the Second Temple, this drainage facility was constructed to drain runoff rainwater.  Today, tourist can walk the entire 650 meter length of the tunnel.

The tunnel wasn’t too creepy, except for the damp moss-covered walls.  That’s Alon, the tour guide, behind me as we carefully walked through the tunnel.

The tunnel actually continued to the foundations of the Western Wall.  We recognized King Herod’s beautifully crafted blocks of stone.  A sign said the Wall was set on natural bedrock.

Surprise! Surprise!  I was surprised to recognize the location of where we were when we climbed the stairs up to ground level.  We were inside the wall of the Old City.   I remembered it from the model at the Israel Museum when I took photos of the Temple Mount.  Also, Rafi pointed out the arches on the model.

We were just under the Temple Mount facing another part of the Western Wall which was just beyond a high barricade.  Opposite was the modern Jewish Quarter.  

Notice the arches in the center of my photograph.  Today we were standing just under the Temple Mount wall near the place where the arches had been 2000 years ago.

There had been a wide walkway above the place we were standing to allow people, horses, and wagons access to the Temple.

Rafi explained details of the site and then we walked around the corner to the southern side of the Temple Mount wall.  As you can see from the silver dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, we were almost back to where we started this morning

A little further on and we came to the “Southern Steps” also known as the Ophel Ascent. This is a set of stairs which led into the temple and an open space with ritual baths where pilgrims entered the Temple Mount 2000 years ago.  Rafi said it was a holy place to some Christians.

We walked toward the modern Jewish Quarter and out through the Dung Gate and back to modern Jerusalem traffic.  We drove to Machaneh Yehuda Market for an interesting lunch.

Larry caught a ride on a small beer delivery truck near the market:

The market, also known as Mahane Yehuda or The Shuk, was established on Jaffa Road in 1887 and named after one of the founder’s brothers, Yehuda.

Most of our group had lunch with Rafi and Alon and then took the bus back to the hotel.  We had a free afternoon.  Doris, Ruth, Cathy and I stayed in the market to explore and have lunch on our own.  I love these outdoor markets, so this was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Many locals were shopping for the Sukkoth holiday.  We walked around the crowded market and explored the alleyways and interconnecting streets.  Ruth had several restaurant recommendations and we found one of them: Azura.   There was a long line but our patience was rewarded by a delicious lunch.

After lunch, we shopped for some munchies for a picnic supper tonight with our group members.  Then walked through the busy market back to the main street and back to our hotel.  It was a long walk and it took a while, but it was fun seeing modern Jerusalem on our own.

This had been another amazing day in Jerusalem!