Yesterday we left Tiberias to go to Bethlehem. We drove south from the Sea of Galilee through the northern part of the West Bank - the Judean Wilderness. We could see how the landscape got drier and drier as we came south. We made a brief stop, where we saw the camel parked next to the bus!
Our drive to Bethlehem took us through Jerusalem, and we got our first look at the famous view.
Going through the checkpoint to enter Bethlehem from Jerusalem, we were interested to see the large signs saying "peace be with you" and "Jerusalem and Bethlehem - love and peace" on the Israeli side of the wall. Today we spent time along the Palestinian side. Here, the walls had messages that said things like "walls don't bring peace" and "fear builds walls". It was really hard to understand how two people can live right next to each other on the same land yet be universes apart.
Yesterday afternoon, we visited Herodion. This was Herod's summer palace, and the only one of his constructions to be named after him. The ruins are on top of the man-made mountain, and there is a fascinating collection of huge water cisterns and tunnels throughout the mountain. Some of them are Herod's, and others were built during the 66 Jewish revolt against Rome.
We also visited one of Bethlehem's three refugee camps. We had a long discussion with some residents while standing in the streets. One of the neighbours brought out tea for all of us. This was beautiful hospitality.
Today, besides seeing the wall, we visited the Tent of Nations. The Tent of Nations is an organization whose goal is to work towards understanding, reconciliation, and peace between people. It was hopeful to listen to the people there. Little by little, they are making a difference. They told a story about a woman who had lived in a settlement for 9 years without realizing that she had neighbours outside the settlement. She joined in a discussion at the Tent of Nations, where she met her Palestinian neighbours, and is seeing them in a completely new way.
Our final stop for the day was the Church of the Nativity. The church was full of tourists, all wanting to see the grotto, so the line stretched across the sanctuary. The church itself was beautiful, with gold mosaics on the walls, and gold icons at the front.
We are staying with host families in Beit Sahour, which is adjacent to Bethlehem. There are pairs of us with each family. The family that we (Becky and Alison) are staying with has four daughters. We've enjoyed playing cards with them, even though we don't speak Arabic, and only the eldest can speak English.
We leave Beit Sahour and Bethlehem on Sunday, making our way to our final stop in Jerusalem.
Becky and Alison
No comments:
Post a Comment