Trips

Mon., 1/30/23 - Jerusalem and Abu Ghosh

Today was our OAT “Day in the Life…” at the Arab-Israeli village of Abu Ghosh. We were hosted by the past mayor of the village who is a well-educated and well - traveled man who has lectured at universities across the US. We met him at the village mosque, newly built (2014) with monetary help from Chechnya. The Russian Jews in Chechnya think they derive from the tribe here in Abu Ghosh. The mosque is beautiful. The Russians paid for the gold leaf adornments.
Our host explained about Islamic religion. He demonstrated the way men pray facing Mecca five times a day (supposedly) because Mohammad told the people the Lord, Allah, said that was the way. They pray on the ground because they came from the earth and will return to it.

Helpful signs	Chords Bridge also called the Bridge of Strings - Lite rail
Abu Ghosh - electric tower	Abu Ghosh - this is designed to keep people from climbing the electric tower
Road signs	Abu Ghosh - looking out over the town
Abu Ghosh - Statue of Mary and Jesus atop the Church of the Apparition	Abu Ghosh - Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque
Abu Ghosh - Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque	Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque - Sign: Put shoes in designated places
Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque	Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque - Sign - sort out rows in mosque for prayer
Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque - ceiling design	Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque
Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque - ceiling design	Lunch at the mayor's house - prepared by his wife - Excellent!
The day's last stop was at the Pantry Packers warehouse. They are a part of Colel Chabad, an organization that has provided food security to qualified families since 1788. Grand Circle donates to the operation so we got to "volunteer." We filled 123 bags with green coffee beans that will go to Ethiopian families. It was an assembly line process.
	Pantry Packers experience - packed boxes ready for delivery
Pantry Packers experience	Pantry Packers experience - places served in Israel
Pantry Packers experience - labels for bags	Pantry Packers experience - Green coffee beans go into the hopper
Pantry Packers experience - Bag is filled with coffee beans	Pantry Packers experience - Bag is sealed
Road signs	Sign on a market
Tues., 1/31/23 - Jerusalem We took the day off today while the group went to the Holocaust Museum and looked at the 12 Chagall glass windows, each an abstract Although it rained most of the day, we still walked to the Jaffa Gate and entered the old city to look for an Israel spoon for Gale's collection. After a bit of wandering in the Old City, we returned to our hotel via Mammila Mall, as upscale shopping street. When the heavens opened up again, we ducked under awnings and were able to get back to the hotel without needing to open our umbrellas. Our rain pants and jackets and our Gortex sneakers kept us dry. On our return we passed a couple of well-known Jerusalem landmarks: the YMCA Building and the King David Hotel.	Jaffa Gate
YMCA building	King David Hotel
Wed., 2/1/23 - Jerusalem, and the Herodium and Ein Karem The Roman scholar (a Jewish Israeli who sided with Rome during their conquering of the area), Josephus, wrote a description of the fortress King Herod built for himself and called Herodium (Latin - Herodion is Ancient Greek). It is a huge complex on top of a hill, the top part of which was man-made. Herod’s circular, double walled fortified palace was built from 24 to 15 BCE. The site is still being excavated but we were able to see the Roman baths inside the walls, the tower where Herod and later Pontius Pilot lived, and the large cistern that provided water for this desert dwelling. We walked through some of the tunnels that served to move water and later to become escape tunnels when the fortress was under siege. There is a small amphitheater from which you can look up to where the king would watch the entertainment, secure from the people, and look down to the large pools of water at the lowest level of the complex. We watched a movie showing how Herod demanded the palace be decorated extravagantly for a visit by Agrippa, the second-in-command of the Roman occupation, and then the destruction of the palace which became the tomb of Herod. The palace must have been magnificent and hopefully more will be reconstructed.
On the way to Herodium	Minaret on the way to Herodium
Views from Heriodium	Herodium
	Model of Heriodium
Model of Heriodium showing Herod's Tomb and surrounding structures	Herodium - Model - Staircase to Herod's Tomb
Balistic balls	Several links to additional sources of information about Herod's Herodium. From Bible Walks: Herodion From Wikipedia: Herodium
Herodium - Roman garden and pool with colonades - Old Byzantine village in foreground	Herodium - Bathhouse
View from Herodium	Herodium - Model of the site
Herodium - Drawing of the site	Herodium - Overview
Herodium - Remains of the eastern round tower
Capitals	Capitals

Continue on next page