Trips

 

Mon., 2/6/23 - Tel Aviv, Israel, to Bethlehem, Palestinian Authority

Today we left Tel Aviv to begin the post-trip extension in Palestine. Ilan rode with us on the hour long drive to meet our post trip guide at the border with the Palestine Area. Our new guide, Ahmad, is Palestinian. Ahmad explained his version of the A, B, and C designations for Palestinian territories from the Oslo Accords. Area A is under Palestinian control and contains only 20% of Palestinian territory; Area B includes all border areas and is 18% of the territory where Palestinians live under Israeli civil control; Area C is 60% of Palestinian territor and Palestinians can’t build houses or farm in C areas. This means that only 20% of the “Palestinian land is livable by Palestinians under their laws and control). There are numerous Israeli laws restricting the movement of Palestinians. There are road blocks and check points. Israeli Jews are building Jewish settlements in the C areas, an activity prohibited by the Oslo Accords. We see many construction sites - being built ready for Jews to move in. Many American Jews are moving in because the Israeli government is giving them free housing and money. Since 1967 the number of Jews in C areas has grown from 100,000 to 800,000 and soon will be 1 million. Cars with Palestinian license plates cannot be driven in Israel.

Flag of Palestine	Palestine License Plate
Long Live the Messiah or Messiah is Here Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson Chabad-Lubavitch movement. These signs are all over the country and are also found all over NYC.	Interesting sign
Mar Saba monastery - the oldest continuously inhabited monastery in the world was the first stop we made. The monastery overlooks the Kidron Valley halfway between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. Mar Saba was a hermit from Cappadocia, Turkey, who lived in one of the many caves in these cliffs. In 482 CE, 5,000 monks came to the area and built the large monastery on the face of a cliff. The Persians massacred the monks in the 7th c., but it was reestablished in the 8th and 9th c. with 200 monks housed there. There are 15 monks living there now with no electricity or conveniences and surviving on rain water. Only men can visit while women must remain outside or in one of the two towers. It is now a Greek Orthodox monastery.
Land around the Saba Monastery
Saba Monastery	Saba Monastery
Saba Monastery	Saba Monastery
Saba Monastery	Next was the “Shepherds’ Field” which is possibly where an angle came to the “shepherds abiding their flocks” telling them that the savior was born near by and they went to see the baby Jesus. We entered the cave where sheep could have been kept. It felt possible. In 1954 Canadians built a small chapel on the field. Inside are three nice murals: the angel and the shepherds, the shepherds at the nativity manger, and the shepherds joyous return with their flocks.
	Entrance to the Shepherd's Fields site
Fountain commemorating the location of the Shepherd's Fields	Shepherd's Fields grotto
Shepherd's Fields Chapel	Shepherd's Fields Chapel
Shepherd's Fields Chapel	Shepherd's Fields Chapel
After checking into our Bethlehem hotel, the group walked along a pilgrim path to the Church of the Nativity.
Bethlehem street scene
Bethlehem street scene
Bethlehem street scene	Bethlehem street scene - love the purple doors!
Bethlehem street scene - lots of steps
Mosque of Omar
The Church of the Nativity was originally built by Constantine for his mother, St. Helena, in 339 CE. It is purported to be over the cave where Christ was believed to have been born. The church was destroyed and rebuilt in 530 CE. It remains as a three section church - for Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Roman (French) Catholics. The grotto of the Nativity is in the Greek Orthodox section. We entered the Greek Church with its gaudy, gilded mosaics and 14 hanging lanterns (and many others) for the 14 Stations of the Cross or the 14 generations from King David to Jesus. Ahmad was able to get us past the very long line to enter the grotto/cave and manger to see the 14 pointed silver star marking the manger site.
Church of the Nativity	Church of the Nativity
Basilica of the Nativity - Greek Orthodox inside the Church of the Nativity	Basilica of the Nativity - Greek Orthodox inside the Church of the Nativity
Basilica of the Nativity	Basilica of the Nativity
Basilica of the Nativity	Church of the Nativity - Manger location
Church of the Nativity	Church of St. Caherine
On the way back to the hotel we were directed to an olive wood and souvenir shop.We each were given a Christmas tree ornaments cut out of olive wood. I also bought a Bethlehem spoon because nothing will say Palestine since the Israelis say it does not exist as a country. A shop keeper drove us to our hotel because the wind was getting worse outside. Our lights keep shutting off in the hotel and the heat is off as well! It started to rain at 6:30 PM.

Continue on next page