At the Romanian Church
Christ raising Lazarus from the dead
St. George Monastery
Mosaic in the Church of the Nativity
Sunday my Physical Settings class touring the winding routes to Jericho via the
Ascent of the Adummim, where we stopped first at an overlook of the Wilderness
to the North, South, East and the Judean Country in the West with the towns and
vegetation. We discussed the wadi system
of the Qilt and also the geology of the hills with its Senonian chalk and the
Nari crust. We continued traveling to the St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery
that was down the Qilt wadi and on a ridge in a very oasis-type location. In
the monastery there was the dried remains of a saint who was so well preserved
that his body is thought to be so pure that its not decomposing. But on a
scientific view, the body was in a dry region where all the moisture was taken
out and thus dried and now encased. Continuing on we came down to Jericho where
we discussed one of Herod’s third palace, learning about the style of
architecture with the diamond shaped bricks to keep the plaster safe from
shifting incase of a earthquake. Also we talked about the sunken garden, the
pool, and the first only bridge built in the country that cross the Qilt wadi
and on the other side was the north-end of the palace with a column portico.
After the lecture of the palace we had the free time and opportunity to wade the
wadi, which many did.
We then enjoyed lunch then off again
to the field where we visited the Tel- es Sultan that is the Jericho’s Tell. We
discussed the overlook from the “walls” of Jericho and the lush green and rich
region around the city. Also we learned about the two walls, from the Neolithic
and the Middle Bronze with red mud bricks. The red bricks reminded me of the
famous red Roman bricks in a lot of ruins and architecture throughout the
former empire. We learned about this stone pyre that was inside of the walls of
Jericho, which we think it’s a religious site that is separating the profanity
of the earth from the “holy site”. We drove on a saw the sycamore tree, which
was the tree that in Luke 19:4, Zaccheus climbed the tree to see Jesus Christ because
he was as short man.
Driving through the Wilderness again
to the Central Benjamin Plateau region we stopped at the hill of Nebi Samwil.
This hill is the supposed site where the prophet Samuel w is buried and this is
called the Tomb of Prophet Samuel. But this is not so there is no proof that
Samuel is buried on this hill or anything that points to it. But on this hill
is the ruin of a Byzantine and then Crusader fortress, which overlooks then
entire region from Gibeon, Ramah, to Gibeah and then to the east. Also, this
hill is the site of a mosque, which is shared in peace with a Jewish synagogue
around the corner. During the Second Infatada in 2006, the Muslims and Jews
prayed in the same building with peace and respect, even though CNN says there
is violence that is engulfing the Middle East.
The last stop was the ancient site
of the town of Gezer; this settlement is in the westernmost part of the
Benjamin right on the hills of the Shepalah (lowlands), which overlooks the
coastal plain with Tel Aviv, Joppa in the West-Northwest and Ashkelon and Gaza
in the Southwest. The region is lush with farms, field, and forest. Showing
that this region was a great importance to the Israelites for trade, which
Gezer was the “front door” of the Central Benjamin and thus the trade into the
Hill Country (Jerusalem). This location is very vulnerable from the coast; i.e.
Philistines, Egyptians, etc.
Shrine to Zaccheus in the Coptic Church
And on Saturday (Feb. 18) my class for Church of the East had a field study where we toured the different eastern churches and monasteries. We first traveled in the rain of the Judean Hill Country to the sunny slopes of Jericho where I was able along with the group visit a Romanian Orthodox Church/Monastery. The monastery is runned by a dozen nuns and a couple of monks, this site was attacked many times and also is rebuilt so its beautiful and still not done. But the main chapel is complete and once you walk in the 4 seraphim angels are guarding the doors and around the chapel is life size saints around the walls with the apostles on the dome and the portrait of Christ in the middle of the dome. We learned that the paint is a special paint that will last hundreds of years. We were greeted by a young nun to enter the crypt of the chapel, where on the walls there was the main stories of Christ doing miracles and the birth and resurrection of Christ on opposite sides with another huge portrait of Christ on the ceiling showing the sign of blessing. the sign of blessing is where the thumb and any other finger touches and then the other three fingers are up meaning blessing. We then traveled down the road to the Coptic Church, this church was much more , dare I say, trashy and more poor than the Romanian Church. But these people are very hard working and are quite content on their postion. But what is really sad is that this church, the Coptic Church is very heavily persecuted in Egypt and here in West bank, and other Middle East nations. But as the farmer-monk in rubber dirty boots said that he follows what Moses said to "be still and know that I am God" and this just made us all feel content that these people value the most poor and insignificant land and the people are so persecuted , while at the same time being very trusting in God.
Walking up to the Mount of Temptation
The Sycamore Tree
We continued on to the Mount of Temptation where its is said that Christ sat on the mount and where the devil tempted Jesus to worship him in exchange of ruling all the nations that can be seen from the mount. This site is also the supposed site where John the Baptist got executed. We climbed up to the midpoint of the Mount where there was a Greek Orthodox Monastery an it was really Lord fo the Rings like. Where the monastery was in the cliffs and overlooking the Jericho region. We were able to touch the stone where Jesus sat , which was so awesome and real. Afterward the Abbott Gerosimus gave each one of us, students, a blessing. He prayed by placing a golden cross with red stones on our head and touching the five points of the head which represents the fie openings of the body: the mouth, the eyes, and the ears to get rid of the evil of temptation. Professor Petra Heldt said this was the first time in 20 years where she had a group individually blessed. What a great honor and privilege to get blessed this way on such a sacred site. We continued down the road to the Ethiopian Church, where we learned that the Ethiopians just built the church, before it was just a hut on the land. The Ethiopian church is known for adapting its church buildings to the region round them. So in the Middle East the domes are used and also pews, but in the States a more protestant look is used. From there we went on to the Church of St. Gerosimosus where it was another large Greek Orthodox Church in the middle fo the Rift Valley near Jericho. We had lunch at a rest stop where there was a border patrol, the IDF troops were looking at our food and saying they have better food than us, which was kinda funny. We then drove on to Bethlehem and visited the Church of the Nativity to visit the oldest part, owned by the Armenian Church. But the monk wouldn't let us in even though we got permission form his superior the Bishop of Jerusalem, so that we almost the end, we got back to Jerusalem and went to vespers at Abu Ghosh Monastery. This was an amazing vespers, with the monks and nuns singing and the ritual of bowing at the cross and very sincere and paying great respect to out Lord Christ, Jesus. Well that was the day and the night and on Sunday was another field trip then on Monday was Exam three for Physical Settings class.
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