Holy land 2

The areas known as Israel and the Palestian terrorities have been occupied, conquered and disputed since before the time of Christ. People world wide have an understanding of the significance of the area for religious groups but they have little empathy for the conflicts that occurred and continue to impact on the daily life of individuals. There is silence over the Armenian Genocide that occurred from 1915-17, little is discussed about the civil war that erupted after the United Kingdom abandoned the terrority in 1948 or the 6 day war between Israel and the Arab nations in 1967.  There were closed eyes and covered ears as the West Bank Barrier, aka, the wall of apartheid, racial segregation wall erupted on stolen land in the 2000's to reduce the risk of terrorism, to today, where even our own country, who wishes to be the lap dog of Trump and his 'make America Great' flagellation seeks to recognise Jerusalem as the capital.

We witnessed the disgust of this decision first hand when we were in the lobby of our hotel; we were asked by an elderly woman where we came from? Our reply was Australia.  She responded by spitting at our feet and telling us that she does not like Australians due to their contemplation of Jerusalem as the new capital of Israel. She then turned and casually walked away.  The butterfly effect was in full swing.

With so much conflict and sadness, there also exists a richness in culture and history.  From the religious icons of the Western Wall, the Dome of  the Rock, Mt of Olives, the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Nativity, to the fingers of God caressing the Sea of Galilee, to the Rock where Jesus told Peter to build his Church, all merge into a tapestry of man's interpretation of a personal spiritual journey.

Away from the tensions and religious paraphernalia, lsrael and the Palestine terrorities are awash in natural wonder.  From the Dead Sea, whose level of salinity is so high that buoyancy becomes natural and life guards do not resuscitate but rather provide eye wash to the many tourists and where instagram moments are made as mud smeared bodies pose on the shore-line.  To luna landscapes that carpet vast sections of the nation which unleashes ancient artifacts and ruins at will.  Such as: the Masada Fortress,  Hisham's Palace in Jericho, to the Hospitaller's fortress with its knight's hall and Templar tunnel in the Old City of Akko.

Israel and the Palestine terrorities are a kaleidoscope of religion, history, culture and tension.  It is truely a melting pot of diversity.

The wall

The Israeli West bank barrier aka Wall of Aparthied or Racial Segration wall was erected by the Israeli government as a security barrier against terrorism. The amount of suicide bombings in the holy land has indeed decreased but in reality this concrete snake has achieved so much more. Reduced freedom, loss of land, restricted access to water, medical services and education for the Palestine population.

A section of the wall is a dedicated protest to this oppression. Banksy, an anomymous street artist painted 9 images in recognition. Another heartbreaking section tells stories from Palestinian women.

A visit to this border is a truly a raw emotional experience. Will mankind ever learn?

Masada's ultimate sacrifice!

There are various versions of the survival game, with all of them exploring one's psyche on what they would be willing to do or not to do to survive.  We call it the $50 million game - would you cut your little finger off or drink your own urine for $50,000,000? Such games, often pop up after a few bevies, hypothetical in nature, but what if the choice was a survival reality?

The rebels of Masada faced a life and death choice as the Roman Tenth Legion lay seige to the fortress of Masada.  This majestic fortress etched upon the top plateau of Mt Eleazor, sways in the clouds as it looks down at a moonscape arcing towards the Dead Sea.  Ruins display an array of churches, synagogues and palaces and it is here that the occupants chose death over slavery. Having been under seige for three months, with the gates breached, little or no food left and the knowledge that the new dawn will bring raping and pillaging, the Masada rebels threw the rules of the survival game out the window.  Like a great 'Death before dishonour' tattoo, 960 rebels took the lives of their families before surrending their own. A big call on their behalf, makes one wonder what would be going through the mind of the last man standing!

The Greenies guide to the Holy Land!

Spirituality is a personal faith journey; organised religion is a man-made industry - welcome to the Holy Land, an oxymoron on steroids. Old Jerusalem city with its wall rampants and its multi-cultural melting pot of quarters: Muslim, Armenian, Christian and Jewish; all combine to give differing narratives on Jesus.

The Via Dolorosa - The Stations of the Cross is a diorama of history swept up in a story of betrayal, brutality, sacrifice and resurrection.  Each station is surrounded by touts offering religious icons to pilgrims and travellers alike as they progress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where according to the teaching of Catholics, Armenians and Greek Orthodox, Jesus was crucified and  then rose from the dead.

Within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, each religious order has its own place of worship with the only common area being the tomb of Jesus.  So complicated is the status of worship within in the Church that the keys are held by a Muslim family who pass the keys down from  generation to generation.

A feeling of omnipotence can engulf you when you stand in the place where the birth of Christianity occurred and you are reminded of the importance of Jerusalem to each religion here, when you are surrounded by military packing fully automatic assault weapons and barking commands to stay away for this gate or that entrance because it has some sense of religious significance which you are not part of.

Whilst this is occurring, the call to prayer reverberates through the narrow alleyways as it has done since 691AD from the Dome on the Rock.  This cacophony mixes with the rampant wailing and rocking that occurs at the Western Wall.  The holiest of all Jewish sites sees devotion divided by gender and by symbolism of prayer and dress; prayers are stuffed into cracks so that Yahweh will hear one's prayer over anothers.

No sojourn would be complete without crossing the apartheid wall/security border that forcefully separates Israel from Palestine, to visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  The grotto is the oldest site continuously worshipped in Christianity. The Church is the oldest, major church in the Holy Land.  At our time of visiting, the baby Jesus was competiting with a large Christmas tree set up next to Santa's village and Santa's guzzled down Coke on covered billboards, whilst pilgrims and travellers alike, popped down a few steps  to see an ornate manger and the best decorated stable one would ever hope to see.

Once again, organised religion has dictated how one is to view their own spiritual journey.

In the Holy Land!

After a long but uneventful 35 hours in transit, we finally made it to Jerusalem!

The taxi journey; however, took us on an impromptu tour of a residential Jewish quarter, making wrong turns and a back up into a street pole. Getting a tad worried, we convince the aggreived driver to ring the hotel and ask directions. After translating between the hotel owner and the taxi driver we finally reached our destination 'Hotel Azzarah'. This hotel built in 1900 and a stones throw away from the Old City is to be our home for the next four nights.


Four quarters make a whole. The old city, surrounded by the 'Jerusalem Wall' is divided up into the Christian, Muslim, Armenian  and Jewish.


The city innards takes you on a labyrinth trail; following the many pathways throughout the remnants of this ancient world can bring you to an abrupt stop with heavily armed guards encouraging you to retreat to another option or ushering through security xrays to allow entrance to the next pokemon level. No photographic evidence exsists of these great men and women of enforcement as we desire to live and tell tales. It does bring up the debate of safety though, at one check point, there was two photos in memorial of guards who gave their lives in the name of duty. This has a sobering effect and the reality heightens the seriousness of our position. No larkin antics for Brad here!


Our first day in the Holy Land was spent meandering, soaking up the culture and atmosphere of a world so different to our own!

Shalom🇮🇱

Oath!

Dear Blog,

We deeply regret our neglect of you over the past year. We do solemnly swear to be diligent and submit reports of our adventures more regularly.

Bloody Oath, we will!