In Jerusalem, finally!
My first trip to Jerusalem took place over the weekend, and I will certainly remember the trip as one of the most memorable trips I have ever had in my life. What I have seen and experienced were far beyond what I have anticipated. I was thinking, I could possibly write a book just to document everything in these 2 days and 2 nights!
Roseanna, Hilla and I arrived in Jerusalem in the late evening, after taking 2 bus trips from Herzliya to Tel Aviv and then from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (By the way, those were the very first public bus trips I have ever taken here in Israel since my arrival.) The temperature there was much lower than Herzliya, as the city is at least 762m above sea level and much closer to the Judean Desert. We left the Central Bus Station and headed straight to Roseanna’s home in the Armon ha-Natsiv neighbourhood. We received a very warm welcome when we entered the apartment from Roseanna’s parents and their extremely hyperactive and lovely dog Shai. (There was also a cat is the apartment, but he was far more quiet than Shai. =P) After a late dinner at the balcony, we walked to the Haas Promenade, a vantage point atop a ridge overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City, and spent some time there with the magnificent view of Jerusalem at night. What a way to start my appreciation of the city! =)
(From Left) Hilla, Roseanna and I, with Yakov (the rubber duck!).
(Photo taken on Thursday, November 2, 2006. Copyright © 2006-2007 Lisa Bristol.)
Me taking pictures under the moon, which was shining very brightly that evening.
(Photo taken on Thursday, November 2, 2006. Copyright © 2006-2007 Lisa Bristol.)
Mahane Yehuda and The New City
The next morning we set off early to explore the city. Our first stop was Mahane Yehuda, the only Jewish food market in Jerusalem. It was really an eye-opener for me as this shuk (which means market in Hebrew) was the first shuk I have ever visited since I came to Israel, and it was so colourful there. The most tempting food there was undoubtedly the freshly-baked bread from the bakeries. I don’t know how I can describe about the smell of the bread in words… all I can say is that the smell was drawing my steps closer and closer to the bakery, and it was causing me to drool even though I have already had my breakfast earlier!!!
We had a short detour to the Anglican International School of Jerusalem, where Roseanna studied for her IB before joining IDC, before we went to Ben Yehuda Street (a pedestrianised street which has many shops selling souvenirs at reasonable prices). We continued to walk down the street to the Zion Square (a triangle formed by Jaffa Road, King George V Street and Ben Yehuda Street) and made our way to the City Hall, where you could find many colourful Statutes of The Lion of Jerusalem situated there, symbolises the city’s emblem. By now we were not very far away from the Old City of Jerusalem, with its recognisable Old City Wall built in the 16th century by the Ottoman Turks.
The Old City
The Old City Wall encompasses an area of barely 1 square km, but inside this Wall is like another country compared to Jerusalem outside the Wall. (As a matter of fact, Jerusalem itself is already like another country compared to the rest of Israel.) This one-square-km area is a gathering place of many cultures (as the Old City is divided into 4 Quarters: Jewish, Christian, Armenian and Muslim) and a large number of sights and attractions (due to its long history), but it is also a focal point of tensions and disputes, not only within Israel but also all over the world, between peoples, nations and religions. The State of Israel declared Jerusalem as an “eternal and indivisible” capital, after it took back East Jerusalem (the Old City included) from the Jordanian hands during the 1967 Six-Day War. Although the Jordanians have already withdrawn their claim of East Jerusalem in 1988, the Palestinians, however, insisted that East Jerusalem would become the capital of the future Palestinian state. Most countries around the world do not recognise Israel’s 'annexation' of East Jerusalem in 1967, and the UN Security Council Resolution 478 (United States abstained) declared that the Basic Law of Jerusalem passed by the Knesset in 1980 was “null and void and must be rescinded forthwith”, a violation of international law. Inside the Old City are some of the holiest sites in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Tensions and disputes are ever present between religions with their respective claims of the holy places, and between peoples with their different attitude towards other faiths and races.
We started our tour inside the Old City in the Christian Quarter after passing through the Jaffa Gate. All of us bought some products in the Christian Bookstore, the only one inside the Old City (Roseanna: a giraffe keychain; Hilla: a small plate with verses printed on it in Hebrew and English; Me: a small national flag of Israel which I can put on my desk). After that we walked through the alleys in the Armenian Quarter and reached the Jewish Quarter. We spent some time taking a look at the Third Temple Model in the Temple Institute, constructed according to the descriptions in the Book of Ezekiel. It looked really impressive as a model, and I was visualising in my mind how the Third Temple would eventually look like once it’s built in the future. We then went to the ruins of the Cardo Maximus, the main north-south street of the Roman Aelia Capitolina and, later, of the Byzantine Jerusalem, and were unearthed by archaeological excavations. Placed next to the Cardo Maximus was a golden Menorah, constructed by the Temple Institute and the first since the destruction of the Second Temple. After spending much time at the Cardo Maximus taking pictures (Ha!), we walked along the underground shopping arcade and I realised that there were many more excavations going on right now underneath the Jewish Quarter. They have even unearthed walls dated back to the First Temple period. The Old City today was built on layers and layers of ruins over thousands of years, and I couldn’t imagine how much more the archaeologists would manage to uncover in the years to come.
After chatting with a Torah scribe who has explained to us his profession and having a quick lunch, we set off to the Western Wall. The Western Wall is part of the Western supporting wall of the Temple Mount built by King Herod in 20BC which has still remained intact this very day. It is considered the most sacred to the Jews by virtue of its proximity to the Holy of Holies in the Second Temple, where the presence of God dwells. It is often referred as the “Wailing Wall”, implying the Jewish sorrow over the destruction of the Temple and wailing and moaning over the hardships they have endured through history. The Western Wall was THE highlight of my first trip to Jerusalem and the Old City, after I have heard many testimonies from my church friends about their experiences, encounters and feelings being there and praying at the Wall. We had to walk through many buildings within the Jewish Quarter before reaching the Wall, and I would never forget the moment when I caught the first glimpse of the Western Wall. The presence of God literally gushed towards me, and it was drawing my heart and my steps towards the Wall! We quickly took some pictures at the Observation Garden overlooking the Western Wall and Temple Mount, went through the strict security checks and reached the Western Wall Plaza which was constructed in front of the Wall and took even more pictures there. The presence of God was certainly in the air, and there was an indescribable feeling raging inside me which I couldn’t explain in words.
The Old City Wall near the Jaffa Gate.
The ruins of the Cardo Maximus excavated under the Jewish Quarter.
The Western Wall and the Western Wall Plaza, adjacent to the Temple Mount.
Rushing for Shabat
As the hour was drawing closer to the start of Shabat, our relaxed footsteps started to quicken and we began to rush. We passed through an Arab market and made our way out of the Old City. Both Hilla and I bought the popular ‘Israel Defence Forces’ souvenir tops along Ben Yehuda Street, and later all of us went back to Mahane Yehuda where Roseanna bought challah (the type of bread used by the Jews for traditional Shabat dinner) home. Unlike in the early morning, the shuk was very crowded and buzzing with life. Stall-owners were yelling their last-minute offers to the crowd to clear their stock, while most people were making their last-minute purchases before the shuk was closed for Shabat. We then took the bus (it was likely to be the last one before Shabat) and went back to Roseanna’s home.
Shabat Dinner
Roseanna’s family is a Christian family, but they do observe some of the Jewish traditions. An example would be the evening meal at the beginning of Shabat. The evening began with the lighting of Shabat candles by Roseanna’s mum Lisa. We followed through the Messianic liturgy with blessings, songs and prayers, and the sanctification of Shabat with the Holy Communion and the breaking of the bread. After that, Roseanna’s dad Richard shared with us the Word of God—the Parsha for that week (i.e. the assigned portion for the weekly Torah reading), before we started eating the food Lisa has prepared for all of us in the afternoon. The food was delicious, and we had a great time of fellowship over the dinner.
Birthday Celebration – I’m 23!
Towards the end of the dinner, Lisa and Roseanna suddenly started singing “Happy Birthday To You” to me, and brought a plate of many home-made chocolate cakes from the kitchen to the dining table! No wonder Roseanna asked me a few days ago if I liked chocolate or vanilla more. The family prepared a surprise for me as I celebrated my 23th birthday in the Holy City during my first trip here! Freshly baked by Lisa in the afternoon, the chocolate layer on the chocolate cakes was so thick and sinful and delicious! Yummy!!! (The celebration was actually a day early, but given the time difference between Jerusalem and HK, it became only a few hours early. =P)
My 23rd birthday celebration!
Fellowship in the Evening
The Shabat dinner was only the beginning of our fellowship in the whole evening. After the dinner, Richard took out 2 sets of 6-piece wooden puzzle for Hilla and me to try to solve it. We both kept trying, but still couldn’t solve it 15 minutes later. The wooden puzzle was made by the Arab Christians living in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, and the 6 pieces would eventually form the Star of David if they were put together properly. Hilla eventually solved it first before me, as I couldn’t get the clue until she put the pieces together and I followed suit. =P
Hilla and I attempting to solve the wooden puzzle.
Do note that we (Roseanna, Hilla and I) were all wearing the 'Israel Defence Forces' souvenir tops!
(Photo taken on Friday, November 3, 2006. Copyright © 2006-2007 Lisa Bristol.)
After that, we spent more than 2 hours in praise and worship. Richard took out a stack of music scores while Hilla took up the guitar in the apartment and started playing the songs. We sang and dance and cheered, and the tangible presence of God saturated the whole living room as we praised and worshipped Him with our voices. This was the first praise and worship I was involved in since I came to Israel, as I haven’t found a congregation to attend yet. Our fellowship only reluctantly came to an end when it was getting late in the night and time for all of us to go to bed. What an eye-opening, spiritually-fulfilling and joy-overflowing day! =)
The Morning Sunrise
Richard and I woke up very early the next morning (before 5am) to catch the sunrise over the city. It was really really cold in Jerusalem before the sunrise. It felt like it was lower than 10 deg C. I was wearing 3 layers of tops and 2 layers of bottoms, and added another thick jacket borrowed from Richard. We went to an observation point near the United Nations Observers’ Headquarter in the Armon ha-Natsiv neighbourhood. (The location is also known as the Mount of Evil Council, and it is rather ironic that the UN Observers’ Headquarter is located there.) When we reached there, we could still see the Israel-Jordan border checkpoint at the Allenby Bridge/King Hussein Bridge near Jericho and the Jordanian mountains inside Jordan. The sky has just started to change colour. From the observation point we could catch a panoramic view of Jerusalem from the South, stretching from the King David Hotel, the New City, Mount Zion, the Old City and Temple Mount, Mount of Olives, to the anti-terrorist security fence which separates Jerusalem from some of its suburbs in the East. Unlike most sunrises I have seen before, the sunrise I saw there was orange in colour. Interestingly, the city also changed its colour as the sun rose, and the view from that point was simply awesome and breath-taking.
The orange sunrise in Jerusalem.
Harvesting Olive Fruits
After the sunrise Richard and I took a stroll in the public park located next to the UN Observers’ Headquarter. Many olive trees were planted along the paths. Since October and November are the months for the harvesting of olive fruits, we could see many fruits on the branches of the olive trees. Richard showed me how to harvest the fruits, and explained to me the various practical and religious purposes of the olive oil. When I squeezed the olive fruit and pushed out the fresh olive oil using my fingers, the aroma was so soothing to the nostrils and there was a smooth, soapy feel on my skin. We continued to harvest more olive fruits from the trees, passed by the ruins of one of the ancient aqueducts built during the Hasmonean Period (1st Century BC), before we headed back to the apartment to wake Roseanna and Hilla up and had breakfast together.
Pledging for 2nd ‘Arise & Build’
The weekend was particularly special to me, and it was not only because my first trip to Jerusalem and my 23rd birthday took place in the same weekend. My church’s 2nd ‘Arise & Build’ also started this weekend and I took advantage of the internet connection available in the apartment to watch the service online in the morning and pledge for this round of Building Fund. I had the faith and confidence that I would be able to fulfill my pledge completely, and God would certainly multiply what I have given into many types of blessings in the next 6 months and beyond! =)
Praying at the Western Wall
Once I finished watching my church’s service online, I took my Bible and left the apartment for the Western Wall as I wanted to spend some time to pray there. As it was still within the hours of the Jewish Shabat, there were no buses available to take me from the Armon ha-Natsiv neighbourhood to the Old City and I had to take a taxi instead. Most Jewish taxi drivers wouldn’t be driving during Shabat and thus the taxi drivers in such hours were mostly Arabs. I got on the taxi that Roseanna called for me. Shortly after the start of the ride, the driver told me that he couldn’t bring me to the Western Wall using the main roads and had to take a detour. The driver drove through the Arab Muslim neighbourhood of Silwan, located south of the Old City. Unlike the parts of Jerusalem I have seen since Thursday, this neighbourhood looked very different—the streets were much dirtier and the buildings were poorly-maintained. The atmosphere was rather unfriendly and hostile, even to me as a non-Jew. At first I did have some concern over my safety going through this neighbourhood, but I knew my God would protect me and I put my trust both in Him and the Arab driver whom I sat next to in the taxi. Towards the end of the journey, the taxi passed by the City of David, before dropping me at the Dung Gate, the gate nearest to the Western Wall.
I spent about 1 1/2 hours praying at the Western Wall, for my family, friends, church, schools and myself and also went through the specific prayer requests many friends have sent me over the week via email and Windows Live Messenger. Since the Wall was facing the West direction (that’s why it’s called the Western Wall) and I was there in the afternoon, the sun was shining bright over me and I felt so warm standing there throughout the whole duration. (There’s not only a huge temperature difference between day and night, but also between light and shadows in Jerusalem.) Although I was disturbed quite a number of times in different ways, I was convinced that there’s nothing which could stop me from praying and the presence of God was with me. I felt a sense of indescribable joy and lightness after I finished praying, and if I wasn’t in the public, I would probably start to twirl and heap and dance there!!! =)
Return To Herzliya
Roseanna, Hilla and I left Jerusalem after a quick dinner with home-made pizzas. As we were on our way back to Herzliya, I kept on thinking about everything that has happened during the weekend in the Holy City. The word ‘memorable’ couldn’t summarise how I would like to describe about this trip. I would rather use the word ‘life-changing’ as I knew I left the city a different person from whom I was before the trip. It was a weekend well spent with great company, sights and food, and I couldn’t wait for my future trips to Jerusalem again!
No comments:
Post a Comment