An Unexpected Adventure

Our day began with Dave and I puzzling over our map of Jerusalem, trying to find out how to get to the City of David.

Now, to get the picture straight in your mind, think about D.C. traffic...to the 10th power. Now imagine all that traffic in a little town like Annapolis, with its narrow roads. Add passionate Mediterraneans intent on getting to where they're going by any means possible. Any. Means. Possible.

Yes.

Now add two befuddled tourists.

So a guy calls out to us, "Hey, where are you going?" And we met Yusuf, an Arab Christian, born in Jerusalem, who acts as a tour guide. He took us places we never thought of going!

First we went to the Church of the Ascension, and saw the stone traditionally attributed to where Jesus rose up into heaven.

Next was a panoramic view of the temple mount where we saw the Dome of the Rock, and the beautiful Church of Mary Magdalena. And Absolom's tomb!

As we came down the hill we went to the Church of the Pater Noster where Jesus is said to have looked out over Jerusalem and prayed about His longing to gather them as chicks under His wings. The stone where he stood praying has a cross chiseled into it marking the place where, if you look just right, the cross of the Pater Noster and the cross on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre align.

Next was a trip to the Garden of Gethsemane with a 2,000 year old, living olive tree. Inside the Church of the Agony, right next door, was a great limestone rock traditionally seen as the place where Jesus prayed.

Then off we went to the West Bank, through the Arab/Israeli checkpoint to see Bethlehem. While there we visited a Greek Orthodox church built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth. The 'Smiling Madonna' is uniquely associated with Bethlehem because it's where Jesus was born. The 'Sad Madonna' is associated specifically with Jerusalem because that's where Jesus died.

During an earthquake some of the paving stones were tumbled around and a much more ancient church with lovely mosaics was revealed underneath the current building.

Next was the Church of the Nativity where the yearly Christmas service is broadcast around the world. Dave stood next to the depiction of King David in bronze of Jesus' family tree.

Afterwards we went to the Shepherds' Cave, where it is said the angels sang 'Peace to All People,' informing them of Messiah ' s birth.

We also spent some time with Yusuf and his friends in their co-op of nearly sixty Arab Christian families who now carve olive wood, and produce other arts and crafts for their livelihood. We were glad to do all our Christmas shopping there, and contribute something to their well-being.

We heard first hand how hard it has been for them, once "The Wall" was erected, abruptly cutting them off from family and friends in Jerusalem, as well as their jobs. Very few people are allowed through the check point, and the guards gave Dave and I a good long hard look before they waved us through.

We headed on from there back to Jerusalem and completed our day at the Garden Tomb. This is a different site than the more traditional Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A couple hundred years ago two reverends / archeologists saw what they were convinced was a skull motif in a low hill. The looked for and found an empty tomb nearby, chiseled into the living rock and were sure they'd discovered Golgotha and Joseph of Aremathae's tomb.

It was a sweet place and we're glad we went.