Jerusalem (Israel)

Jerusalem! Where to begin? Our 10-hour tour barely skimmed the surface but was a great introduction to this magical place. I told my wife it's my favorite destination of our adventure. What impressed me is the walled old city is every bit as historic as the ruins we've seen elsewhere, but there's nothing ruined: It's vibrant, thousands of years old, with an unparalleled mix of cultures and religious sites. We approached from the highway from Tel Aviv and I was surprised to see groves of trees lining Judean hillsides, beautiful yet varied from what I've seen in Israel or Jordan. Our home in Amman is less than 60 miles away but may as well be on the moon, it was that different, Arab villages are close to the highway as the West Bank pinches the highway from north and south. Our first stop was atop the Mount of Olives with a commanding view of Jerusalem. At our next stop, a store we ditched (we're not shoppers) we went outside and 2 cars pulled up, one filled with plain-clothes officers, the other military troops in full combat gear (including automatic weapons). They ran to a building but that's all we saw because our driver hustled us away (Terry got a great photo) and we took a few deep breaths. We passed the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed and was betrayed by Judas.

We entered the old city on foot through Jaffa Gate, through the Armenian quarter, to the Jewish quarter (interestingly, the newest quarter since much was destroyed between the 1948 War of Independence when Arab nations controlled Jerusalem and the 1967 Six Day War when Israel returned). We saw the room of the Last Supper, then King David's tomb, then rounded a corner to the Western Wall, the most sacred site in Judaism. As we approached, men and women were separated, as is the custom. Men were given head coverings (yamulkes) I didn't need, thanks to my omni-present anti-cancer hat. The plaza near the Wall was extremely interesting as Orthodox Jews in tradional garb, soldiers, and tourists (including Muslims en route to Al Aqsa Mosque) mingled easily. Looming overhead was the golden Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, flashpoint of political tension. A minaret broadcast the noon azan (call to prayer) as we stood in the plaza at the Western Wall. Utterly fascinating! We walked through the Muslim quarter, similar to Jordan, and heard familiar Arabic phrases and saw familiar Arab foods. Of interest, there is a synagogue in the Muslim quarter and Israeli families reside in apartments above Arab stores. Covered women, Orthodox Jewish or Muslim, nonchalantly all stroll there. Terry stopped for "zatar" spices and in Arabic said we live in Amman; our hands were pumped by friendly handshakes.

Finally, the Christian quarter and Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows), the narrow pedestrian street through which Jesus carried the cross upon which He was crucified. The first 10 stations of the cross are marked by plaques in Roman numerals (how fitting). We followed them to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the final 4 stations are located, atop Calvary (Golgotha). Station 11, inside, is the crucifixion site depicted by a beautiful gold mosaic. Station 12, a few feet away (the death), is the most elaborate and moving. We saw an Eastern Orthodox Service with monks in ornate robes waving incense. Worshippers were in line on their knees to kiss the spot where He died. Station 13 is the slab of stone where his body was washed. Many knelt to kiss the stone. Finally, station 14 was the tomb with a long line waiting to enter the structure now there. We then descended stairs, each level an earlier time period, until a level dating to the 4th century AD, the first Christian Church in Jerusalem (prior to this time Christians here lived in secret communities for fear of persecution). We briefly toured the new city then arrived at our final stop, Yad Vashem, self-described as "Jewish people's living memorial to the Holocaust." I was struck by how many people were there, its physical enormity, and the horror of Nazis murdering 6 million Jews. According to our guide there had been only 7.5 million Jews total in the world (our guide said Israel now has 8.5 million people, 6.5 Jewish). It was my favorite day, very long but deeply moving.