Sat 20th
Palestine explanation from our guide on the 3 areas---
A- Palestinian Authority land
B- Israeli Jewish land
C- occupied territory- no control by either
1st stop- Mar Saba, an orthodox monastery where no women are allowed in but there is a beautiful view of it from the outside, hanging on a cliff with water flowing below. The Kidron Valley below srtetches to the Dead Sea. St. Saba was from Capadoccia, Turkey, a land with similar caves such as we see here in the mt.
Coffee break in the home of our driver. Tea and cookies, then strong Turkish coffee. Lots of family in houses all around, 9 in his house, 40 in his brother's house next door. We meet lots of kids but not his wife.
Shepards' fields is next and the (new) Church of the Nativity - we walk around the ruins with mosaic floors.
Next we drive to Bethlaham which means the House of Bread. We see the 8 meter tall concrete separation wall all around that restricts Palestinians movement into the rest of Israel.
We walked down Manger square through the markets to get to St. Catherine's Church and on into the (original) Church of the Nativity , 5th C., built by Helena over the grotto where Jesus was born. A Greek Orthodox Service is going on at this time. We have to duck through a very short door that was lowered to prevent people riding thru the door on their camels. The main hall has big marble pillars, mosaics on the walls sooted by incence, and lantens hanging all around. The old floor is uncovered in the middle to view the ancient mosaics. We lined up to enter the grotto of Nativity along with a group of young muslim girls who are cutting in line but later were very nice to help me pass them and a group of boys to get to our group. We see an alter with a silver star which we all touch and photograph and then more stairs down to 2 alters below. Took about 45 minutes to accomplish but worth it.
We drive to our hotel, a 100 year old Palace converted with a new addition, lovely but a little confusing.
Palestine explanation from our guide on the 3 areas---
A- Palestinian Authority land
B- Israeli Jewish land
C- occupied territory- no control by either
1st stop- Mar Saba, an orthodox monastery where no women are allowed in but there is a beautiful view of it from the outside, hanging on a cliff with water flowing below. The Kidron Valley below srtetches to the Dead Sea. St. Saba was from Capadoccia, Turkey, a land with similar caves such as we see here in the mt.
Coffee break in the home of our driver. Tea and cookies, then strong Turkish coffee. Lots of family in houses all around, 9 in his house, 40 in his brother's house next door. We meet lots of kids but not his wife.
Shepards' fields is next and the (new) Church of the Nativity - we walk around the ruins with mosaic floors.
Next we drive to Bethlaham which means the House of Bread. We see the 8 meter tall concrete separation wall all around that restricts Palestinians movement into the rest of Israel.
We walked down Manger square through the markets to get to St. Catherine's Church and on into the (original) Church of the Nativity , 5th C., built by Helena over the grotto where Jesus was born. A Greek Orthodox Service is going on at this time. We have to duck through a very short door that was lowered to prevent people riding thru the door on their camels. The main hall has big marble pillars, mosaics on the walls sooted by incence, and lantens hanging all around. The old floor is uncovered in the middle to view the ancient mosaics. We lined up to enter the grotto of Nativity along with a group of young muslim girls who are cutting in line but later were very nice to help me pass them and a group of boys to get to our group. We see an alter with a silver star which we all touch and photograph and then more stairs down to 2 alters below. Took about 45 minutes to accomplish but worth it.
We drive to our hotel, a 100 year old Palace converted with a new addition, lovely but a little confusing.
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