Day 8 photos

From the Dead Sea to Jerusalem was dramatic, just as was the transition from the Galilee to the Dead Sea. It was hard to see the separation wall for the first time, so a lot of my photos focus on this today.

Ein Gedi wildlife

Ein Gedi wildlife

 The wall

 A settlement

 Bethlehem

 Church of the Shepherds, Bethlehem  (audio to follow!)

 Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

  Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

  Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

  The traditional site of Jesus' birth, Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

  Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

 Jerome's study,  Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

 Lunch at 'Two Mustaches'

 Beer commercial

 Gabriel, the owner of our tour company

 What did he say?

 Gabriel presented each of the priests with stoles, and everyone with a cross

 The wall

 Waiting to cross from Bethlehem to Jerusalem at the checkpoint

 The wall

 The wall

 Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

On to Jerusalem

We're leaving the desert today and making our way to Jerusalem. It's the last days. The minerals of the Dead Sea are sticking to my fingers.
The wilderness has been an interesting experience. I've always been moved by the concept of wilderness in my preaching, because I think it's something we can all relate to at various times in our lives - particularly our spiritual lives. But the thing is - there is real beauty in the wilderness. It can be harsh and inhospitable, but it can also be alluring. We might just find ourselves drawn to stay.
But the journey presses on.
Jon

Many layers of piety

It is fitting that on the Second Sunday in Lent we visited two different monasteries which were each built near caves where Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness.  Since there are so many caves in the Judean desert (which surrounds the city of Jericho and is near Jerusalem), it is hard to pinpoint exactly where it was that Jesus confronted Satan's temptations.

Each monastery was literally built around the cave.  And each was a Greek Orthodox monastery, one of which dated back to the 5th century.  The churches we visited in Galilee were built as shrines to honor an event.  The monasteries in the wilderness are prayer communities that make a continual witness to Jesus' life, ministry and the challenges he faced - especially from the diabolical one.

The piety at the Greek Orthodox monasteries is very different from the Roman Catholic shrines in Galilee.   So is the architecture, the art, the arrangement of the worship space - even the way people cross themselves (if they cross themselves at all).  But there is  no clear distinction among the Christians who visit the sites.  We are Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox and many who have not made up their minds yet.

Among other things, for me this pilgrimage is highlighting the diversity of ways that people experience the Christian faith.   All the Christian pilgrims are passionate about their faith -otherwise they would not have come to this holy land; but the expressions of that faith are  so very different.  I suppose those various expressions of Christianity compete for spiritual, theological or ecclesiastical supremacy - including those of us who are Episcopalians.  But there is no religious supremacy here, which is both humbling and comforting. And challenging.
Mark

Renewal in the wilderness

We have spent the last two days in a wilderness like no wilderness I had ever imagined.  Stark stone hills are pock marked with caves and covered with huge boulders that look ready to topple at any moment. The hills overlook a enticing yet lifeless sea that has left a beach of rounded globules of hardened salt as it has receded over time.  Jesus was drawn here to fast and to pray ... and to be tempted after his baptism.  Others before and after have fled here to escape enemies and simply to escape life. Some, like the Jews at Masada died horrible deaths here. But others found new life in the caves, the monasteries built into the hills, and kibbutzim like the one where we are staying. There is fresh water in this wilderness, hidden in the hills.  It gushes forth from the dry rocks in unexpected places and pools deep below in aquifers waiting to be tapped.  I didn't expect the wilderness to be such a place of renewal.
Anne

Day 7 photos

Today was a quieter day-- it included a visit to Masada and some time in the Dead Sea. Many in the group chose to hike the Snake Path down from the top of Masada. The afternoon was a time for reflection of a more playful variety-- the first break we've had from some of the challenging aspects of this pilgrimage. There were mud baths and massages for some, and just about everyone enjoyed discovering what 30% salinity does for buoyancy.

 Birds at Masada

 The view looking east from Masada

 Israeli Defense Force troops making their annual re-commitment at Masada

 Chapel at Masada

 The group (-1)

 The Snake Path down Masada

 Rock Hyrax, an adorable biblical pest (read about them here)

The Dead Sea

Day 6 a few photos

It was a day of contrasts-- from the green of the Galilee to the brown of the Jordan valley, from lush to stark.

 Jordanian border

 Jordan valley

 It's the real thing

 Outer cave at Temptation Monastery

 Key to the kingdom

 It's a long way down to St. George's Monastery

 St. George's Monastery

 St. George's Monastery

 Coming back up from St. George's Monastery

 Qu'umran

Dead Sea

Day 5 a few photos

 Sunrise at the Sea of Galilee

 Along the Syrian border

 Caesarea Philippi

 Renewal of baptismal vows

  Renewal of baptismal vows

 Wild clematis

Sunset (almost) from a boat on the Sea of Galilee

Be sure to check back for more photos after the trip is over. I'm finding it hard to keep up with sorting through 500+ photos from each day, so at this point I'm just trying to find a representative few to post.
Cynthia