Collar trumps Beard

We got to the airport extra early but the Security people were extra nice so we got through extra quick. So nothing to report. I was worried that The Beard might provoke deeper questions as it had done for Mikey. "Did you have fun?" was the primary question asked.

No bag search for us (a first for me). We got a "White 2" sticker which is the best a non-Israeli could hope for. I suggest wearing a clerical collar and when they ask you your purpose say: Spiritual. Convenient of course that its true. Or maybe the two go well together: Beard emphasises holiness of Collar?

The Beard has fulfilled its vow, I expect it to leave quite soon. In the meantime, here endeth the Blog. Its been fun and useful for me to think through something for the day to share but the rest of the Sabbatical looks like this - a week reading Theology in Barcombe, a week in the Lake District (with family), a week at Houseparty, a family wedding, Camping for a week in Norfolk and then a week here before starting work again - my Next Sunday: 29th August.

Russian Orthdox Church

On the slopes of the Mount of Olives, there's a multi golden onioned, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, Church. It looks utterly fabulous on the outside. As if its saying to the Dome on the Rock on the other side of the Valley, we may not be as big as you but we're shinier!

Only open 10-12 on Tues and Thurs. I've never been in, the doors are open, its not where we were headed for but hey, seize the day. Inside it is quiet and modest and a place to pray rather than to be swamped with tourists.

Just above it is the Dominus Flevit, the Church where Jesus wept (well, he wept somewhere here and frankly you would too if you read these newspapers).

We queued to go up to see the Dome on the Rock. There's only one way up for non-muslims but you need to know who to ask to find out where it is and when it is.

There's a sign here from a chief rabbi saying (in a complicated way) Look, you're not Jewish, you're going up on a site we think is really holy and you might wander near where the Holy of Holies and you're just making the site unclean, think about it. By the time I had thought about it I was up.
This is a Muslim site but when you're up here there's no signs saying Non-muslims can't go into the mosque just a slightly tired man but its not as if their own website gives this info.

Its nice up here but I don't feel comfy enough to just sit down and have a think. There's a boy playing footy against the Dome itself. he can play footie against it, I can't go in it. (For a better pic see 30th June, that pic underneath the Dome is a pile of riot shields if you hadn't figured it out.)

This is a gorgeous glow-in-the-dark cross. No I didn't buy it.

Here's an evening view from Mike & Bettina's roof. Enjoy the bells, quite often they're interspersed with fireworks which is a little weird given the political tension.

Southern Wall of Temple Mount

Oh go on indulge me, I won't be writing this much longer on account of me not expecting to have daily adventures. Of course I'm still on sabbatical but only till the end of August. What? only a three month sabbatical - says one Israeli academic who's moving to London for his twelve month sabb. What? says the RC Priest from St Anne's: only three months! And so on. It turns out that lots of other jobs and nations do this all the time. Like the Australian Civil service (3 months).

In the Ha'aretz weekend paper (think Guardian) there's a story of a woman arrested for reading from the Torah (first 5 books of the bible) with other women at the Western Wall. She's part of a Women on the Wall prayer group. There's even a court order against women doing this.

Lucy & I walked to the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. You know the way some people like kissing icons, well this is as equivalently close as it gets for me.

This is exactly where Jesus walked. Another Ground Zero moment only more so. If we're playing Top Trumps then it would beat the Holy Sepulchre. I don't actually kiss the ground, too many pigeons have been here already, but this is it. So we sit and pray and look at the view which is similar and different to Jesus'. (Pic above of Lucy standing on the bedrock step for walking into the Temple in Jesus' day)

Then round to Gethsemane where some pilgrims are singing in Chinese the Taize Bless the Lord my soul. Suddenly the church is empty. We had the place to ourselves and a nice monk who wasn't shooshing us out.

This is a useful picture of what not to do in Church. They don't want flowers left and would rather you didn't cycle about in here. Pic below of Lucy alone in Gethsemane.

Up into the Old City for a posh Fallafel and Schwarma (£9 each). Its gone 5pm, all the Churches are shut except the Holy Sepulchre so in we go and now for the first time in 30days the queue for the Tomb is ok.

Today is a high scoring day for touching Ground Zero places. marvellous.

King of Kings

I heard one 40 min sermon on the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the main thing I took away from it was the call to Be Nice. I sort of hoped he'd tell the Parable of the Good Palestinian.

We went to the David Tower Musuem where I took this bit of footage from.

King of Kings Church is a full on, happy clappy, set in conference centre at the base of a shopping mall. Its slick and loud. We sang a chorus tune to "O for a thousand tongues" and there must be 300 here. Alas the projector didn't seem to have all the words.

The sermon (45mins) started off by saying how God wants us to prepare for the coming of the King (amen to that) and how the average religious family in Jerusalem has eight kids (I think I can see where this sermon is going). But then he goes off on a tangent saying how revival is around the corner (amen to that) and how we're going to see Ezekiel's Dry Bones (the Jews) brought together from all over the world and built into a State and then the Spirit will breathe through them, the people of God. Who said quality allegorising died out with St Augustine? His "In Conclusion" was come join the Prayer Rota!

Sataf

Its a bit of a crush in the Souk on Shabbat and makes me think about Jesus stopping suddenly to say 'Someone touched me'. Everyone's jostling each other!

The Garden Tomb is quiet and peaceful place to pray and over the air comes a lovely (Chinese?) version of "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow".

Sataf is a lovely place for a walk. At last somewhere that's not religious or political.

Or at least it is now. Back before 1948 this was a small muslim village with 100 houses and 500+ people here. But then the war and now this, homes that were wrecked and have now been turned into a beautiful olive grove. I've no idea where the original people now live but hey its a really nice park to walk in.

Ir-Amim

is the name of a free tour around the southern and eastern bits of Jerusalem that are this side of the Wall of Separation. Our Israeli guide prefers to call it the Fence. In part because quite a lot of 760km is fenced and because it helps him think about this being temporary even reversible.

The 4hr lecture in a nice air conditioned bus with 45 students, some of whom want to listen, took us to see: looking towards Bethlehem, an olive grove on the wrong side of the Fence (from the Palestinian owner's point of view). There's a law from 1949 that said If you ran away from your home during the 1948 war then you're clearly Enemy and that means we can confiscate your land. Its called the Absence Property Law. If you're clever you can use try and apply this law to this man's olives.

On the east side of Jerusalem there's a cream building (top photo) designed to be the Palestinian Parliament. But its on the wrong side.

And then if you're an Arab, living in Shu'afat (north jerusalem) on the plus side you get to pay Jerusalem taxes because you're a resident. On the downside Israel built the Wall through your neighbourhood so that you're on the wrong side of it. (next photo)

Ordinarily this shouldn't matter, after all you've got a pass that will take you through the check point when its open. On the downside the Binmen don't like coming here, and Firemen insist on having an army escort and you can forget about getting a plumber out here or an ambulance.

Bear in mind that this lecture was from an Israeli who is proIsrael and hopeful about the possibility of real peace and a two state solution.

Sorry about the lack of comic content today so here's a photo of a camel you can ride for £1 round the roundabout much to the annoyance of the Taxi drivers. No, we didn't.

Rampart Walk

For a mere £3 you can walk the walls of the Old City. This is a handy way to get used to the heat and for me to impress Lucy with all I've learned.

I expected to see little else but religious sites but here's a shot of a basketball (left) and a dusty football field (right) with the Dome in the not so far distant, as taken from the Muslim Quarter. I've got a similar pic from the Jewish Quarter. (trying to be even handed).

St Anne's was one of the many churches on a lunch break last time I walked past so I was a bit miffed to find it closing and walked in the exit. It works well to walk either as a stupid tourist who doesn't know any better Or as a Local who owns it all anyway and just keep walking until someone bigger than you says stop (see also local politics, oops).

There's a priest in the church, putting out chairs, and he invites us to sing, Go on Sing! So verse 1 of Tell out my soul. Marvellous, it slowly resonates all the way up, gathers itself and then booms it back like a hundred angels singing. Also here are the Pools of Bethesda (see John 5). Here Jesus healed a man who'd been an invalid for 38 years.

This is what's called Ground Zero by some pilgrims, a real spot, with real certainty: Jesus did that here. Right here, not making it up, not guessing of all places maybe here, not competing with other possible venues. Solid. Whilst the photo looks really dull, this sort of thing does something tingly funny to me, possibly even louder than a hundred angels.

Lucy's socks have been walked off. The Beard continues. Alas for Germany losing, I'm owed another packet of M&Ms.

Lucy Arrives

There's a sort of Taxi called a Sheroot, a minibus, (£10) vs taxi (£50) but takes quite a bit longer because (unlike a bus) they pick you up from your home, when they're full then off we go!

I sat next to Sonia who's a professor in America and about to publish a book on The Abuse of Women in the Holocaust.

She says Its easier to learn modern hebrew than Biblical hebrew - (today's English to Shakespeare). She said how usually the word "Jesus" is a conversation stopper as its often followed by "says you're going to hell" etc. I wonder what sort of Christians she tends to meet. She wanted to hear about the ethics of american creationism (see my Grand Canyon talk of last year).

Lucy has arrived. That's the Dome on the Rock behind her, the view from Mike's roof. In the sky there's a tiny white dot, a Police Blimp. It's watching the tension in the City of David below. Its not a good sign.

The Beard, She says it more impressive in the fluff than on film. But it must go. Its a small price to pay.

Sunrise

What do you do if you've already seen something marvellous before 6am? Does it make the rest of the day seem a bit down or does it mean you can relax and not worry about achieving so much? or what?

I went to the Wohl museum where grumpy officious men guard ruins that really posh religious sanhedrin (boo) types lived in. Quite likely this is where Jesus came when he was arrested and Peter too, before the cock crowed.

You're not allowed to take photos here. One of them even followed me about for a bit. Fortunately I took lots of pics last time I was here.

The interesting thing isn't the mosaics or the mikvots its the model and you begin to realise (a) how very corrupt these religious types must have been to have had this much cash and no wonder they weren't keen on Jesus for suggesting a review of their expense claims and (b) how very brave Peter was to get that far inside the house (the courtyard you see, in a Roman-style house would be in the middle, like a quad).

I wanted to join the monks at St James' Cathedral for 3pm vespers and then do the same at St Mark's at 4pm but alas they were both shut. Ho hum. This is not where I'm supposed to be today.

So I went to visit the Loo in Christ Church and bumped into Marie, who I met in 2007 on a Pilgrimage Tour. She seemed really chuffed that I remembered her name.

She remembered me from the Purim party - a sort of pantomime enactment of the story of Esther. Perhaps today is a day to be a blessing and there's at least half a blessing for me in that.

By popular request here's a close up of The Beard. Maybe tomorrow I'll let you see the other side.

St Andrews

Sometimes we have to go the long way round to get to where God wants us to be.

I exchanged what's left of my sterling at the Post Office and got the best rate ever (£1 = 5.76nis). So I thought I'd pray at the Garden Tomb which turned out to have closed for Lunch as was St Anne's as was the Dominus Flevit (after a 30min walk!).

I had cunning plan to write a blog about what I read in the papers this morning - a story about Methodists in UK deciding not to buy produce that comes from (illegal) Israeli Settlements.

This pretty much boils down to certain beauty products and tasty dates. The Israeli writer berates Methodists for being anti-Semitic (its actually anti-Zionist but that's a distinction that's lost and beside the moment that you throw that sort of mud around it sort of sticks). It berates the middle class Christians for being asinine in making parallels between Apartheid (oppresion of black people) and what's going on here (oppression of Palestinians). And so I was going to end my blog with Jesus wept and weeps still. (The "no gun" photo is outside a UNWRA girls basic school, good to see they teach one thing I think is fairly basic).

Alas, my water bottle fell out of the bag and clattered 200yards down the hill. Very funny. Unless you're hot and not in the mood. So I came home and stopped at the Scottish Church of St Andrews. Its a wonderful navigation beacon - if ever you get unsure of your bearings look for the scottish flag and you'll be fine.

Its not a tourist attraction and perhaps for that reason its a great place to pray in. Their prayer for the month, starts like this: Show us good Lord, the peace we should seek, the peace we must give, the peace we can keep, the peace we must forgo and the peace you have given in Jesus.

Christ Church

The sermon was 39mins but delivered by a tour-guide turned priest so its magnificent meat for me.

Its a call to be as passionate about the Kingdom of God as Jesus was/is. The word Kingdom might give you shivers re: power, control and position. But that's not Jesus' Kingdom which is about love and mercy and service. His And finally came 17mins before the end.

At the eucharist he says Those of you endeavouring to put Jesus first in your life are welcome to join us for Communion. Nice.

I went with Mike & family to the Mall which was so uninteresting that I sat down to read the Book of Esther. A Taiwanese man asks 'English bible?' His wife is trying on clothes, so he tells me how Jesus is coming soon to the Mount of Olives, how China is 10% Christian and South Korea maybe 50% and how most pastor's downfall is to do with money or women.

Someone asked me what I'm eating out here; so for breakfast a bowl of (hebrew transliterated) Kurnphlakes, pre-lunch we had slices of mushroom pizza in the car on the way to the Mall and then the most fabulous plate of Indian food and tonight we're making Sushi.

Beit Gemal

Shabbat today so Mike's neighbour drove me to a nearby Synagogue. Its the sabbath so no work, you don't take notes and you don't take photos.

She whispers to me a rough translation and that's why I know the sermon (12mins) was about how Moses and Jeremiah are remarkably similar. Not sure what you're supposed to take home from that but two days ago was the remembrance of the Fall of Jerusalem (70ad) so we read something depressing from Jeremiah which says God's not given up on you, even if life is tough.

Everything is sung unaccompanied, people arrive as and when and great each other and chat away if you're walking by. A baby is blessed and the family are danced around and now its their job to see to the catering afterwards (no tea or coffee (the kettle could involve work) but some wine or juice and cake. Total service time = 2hrs.

You won't find Beit Jamal (as its also spelt) in your guide books. Maybe Rabbi Gamaliel (see Acts) lived here and the story is that he allowed the body of St Stephen (1st Christian Martyr) to be buried here and maybe Nicodemus was also buried here.

They've hidden the Church round the back, past the basketball court, past the rear carpark. The artwork is fabulous.

There's a Nunnery here too. A Nun explains how she was working for an NGO in Asia until 3years ago and just didn't feel whole, but God has called her here and its a mystery but a good one.

Watching football in the evening in a hall full of Germans. This time, I'm owed a bag of M&Ms.

Shepherds' Field

Chuffed to bits with myself for getting a bus into Bethlehem. You have to flag them down, they don't just stop and wait but they come regular enough. And when you get off them you have to sort of jump as the bus doesn't completely stop.

In the Church of the Nativity a guide offers to give me a tour, so I tell him about why the star of David is 14 pointed and why Matthew starts his gospel with a threefold 14 dynasty, he didn't know that - "no charge" says I.

I walk 40 mins to where the Angels appeared to the Shepherds. So now you can guess how long it took fit shepherds to run to the manger. There are 2 churches that make this Angelic claim, they've both been here since 300ad-ish but this one was a shepherd's cave for long before that.

I walk the 40mins back to Nativity Church and then another 30mins, passed the Stars and Bucks shop, to find a shop I've been looking forward to coming to. Its closed. Unbelievable. "Open tomorrow" proposes a man guarding the car park.

So over the road I go to buy some stuff - I got 50% off because I'm a pastor who brings tour groups out here and he'd like me to bring the next group here. Its a gambit that works for me (50% off!) and it works for him (I bought way too much).

The guard at the Checkpoint can't find my airport stamp and gets all flustered but in the end he pushes me through the cattle market that they call security. The soldier manning the X-ray machine is away with the fairies, so I tried not to wake him up.

Aceldama

I've tried getting into this monastery twice already. Aceldama means 'field of blood'. It is allegedly here that Judas hung himself. I wanted to come here and think about sin and confess and pray and read my bible. But this is my 3rd attempt and its locked, it should be open but its locked. I buzz the buzzer. And then I buzz again, only longer. And then one more time, a really long buzz followed by five short buzzes and another long buzz. And then I start buzzing all over again. This goes on for maybe 10 minutes.

At last a grumpy babushka appears. "Please can I come in". Begrudingly she lets me into the chapel, a cave, dedicated to St Onuphrius. My guide book says he was a hermit famous for the length of his beard which was his only garment!

There's no where to sit and its too dark to read and I'm not able to feel remorse for my sins because I'm mildly euphoric for having finally got in. I shall have to meditate on my sins later, I'm too full of thanksgiving.

The babushka guards the garden (see photo). "Quickly, I have things to do" she waves me to go further down across the top of the quarry to some small caves. Finally I reach them. Only now do I remember, these aren't caves, they're tombs.

If it was ever a Potter's Field (jeremiah), its been a burial site since 900ad when they used to bury Pilgrims here. I leave as swiftly as I can, heaping blessings on the babushka as she shoos me out.

Dome on the Rock

No bible in my bag this time, but I did have a prayer in my pocket. Such a little token of rebellion is hopefully not what the pile of riot shields are for. I only got shouted at once by a security man, for climbing up the walls to take a photo of the Mount of Olives.

A spanish woman asks me "Is that the Golden Gate, that Jesus will come through when He comes again?" Her english and my theology aren't really up for a discussion on Millenialism of any kind. I say "Yes".

Its really wide up here (and free) and the Dome, whatever your faith, is fabulous to behold.

Whilst down below by the Western Wall, Jewish men and women earnestly read the Psalms, heads bowed in prayer. Up here, prayers will be held later and now is the time to just lean back and chat. Its pleasantly calm.

The Rockefeller Museum is free but dull. Unless you're slightly nerdy and up for appreciating Natufian skeletons (pre-canaanite residents) or enjoy looking at Canaanite fertility goddess models.

Here's a worship leader from 1600bc or as we say out here BCE.

I hate haggling so I found the only shop in the Souk that has price stickers and then into Christ Church bookshop where a wholesaler came in to haggle and haggle her enormous bag of crosses with the shop owner. He didn't like it either.

4 pints of milk costs 16.66nis, so I offered a 20note and she said Any smaller change? So I held out my hand with all my change on it, she took 15nis (£3) and said Thanks. In the supermarket! Try that in Tescos!

Yad Vashem

A friend of Mike's chauffered me. A policeman pulled us over (we had inadvertantly driven down a Taxi-only lane). He saw my silly-tourist look and waves us on. At last its paid off looking silly!

This a museum in part to the six million Jews who were murdered in the holocaust. But it also celebrates the strength of character - not just Look how we died but also Look how we survived. Its not very photogenic here, all a bit disturbing, here a person holds a child and screams heavenwards.

At first I lose my faith in God - how can God let this happen, its just inexpressably appalling. Then I lose my faith in humanity - how can people let this happen. And then I wonder if I'd been a Jew, at what point would I have tried to get out. Or if I was growing up with those prejudices, would I have shopped my jewish neighbour? And then you have to say hopeful brave things to yourself about how you'd have done something. And then you have to wonder who is getting away with legalised injustice today? And what will I say?

Having been pushed around from before the war and during the war and afterwards too, you can see why they are so touchy about Security and the Land here. It means everything to them.

Sorry I didn't write down who said it but there's a poignant quote here: "I know when I stand before God on Judgement Day I shall not be asked the question posed to Cain: Where were you when your brother's blood was crying out to me?"

Zedekiah's Cave

To get here I walked through Silwan (Biblical Siloam). There was a riot here last night because the State want to make some space for a Museum about King David here so they'd like to demolish a mere 22 Palestinian homes. 6 police and 22 locals were hurt.

Zedekiah's Cave is a breath takingly huge cave. It's also called Solomon's Quarry, King Solomon used stone from here to build the 1st Temple. Unusually there's no church here! Its a long 230m dark cave (even with the lights very spooky).

Zedekiah, last King of Judah, may have run from here (see Jeremiah 52) before being caught, seeing his kids killed and then having his own eyes put out. The cracks in the ceiling let down water into a pool, you now know why they call it Zedekiah's Tears.

I lost a bet with Bettina (german) that England would win last night's game. I owe her a bag of M&Ms.

Arabic Congregation

I have no idea what anyone is saying, its all in Arabic, they ran out of headsets, the projector laptop is playing up and they only project in Arabic anyway. But its bouncy and full of fun and they're praising the Lord so loudly I feel a tingle in my bones.

The minister here plays the Double Keyboard (top layer is guitar sound, next layer: a keyboard). The man with the djembe can't compete with the electric drum kit but he has a good go. I try la-le-la and then seeing if "Jesus" and "praise him" would scan, at last we sing a song whose English words I know so I belt that out till I'm hoarse.

I'm pulled into a circle of chairs so that I can put my head close to a translator, her earings are mini CDs. A woman gives her testimony about how she was a Sunni Muslim who was taught the Koran but decided she didn't like that god. She went on to study Islamic law and met some Christians at University. She says she didn't like the way she was only ever half a man in the eyes of her god.

The sermon, a meagre 40mins. The Preacher says in God's eyes, through Jesus, we're all equal. He says The Good Church isn't about buildings but people. A shocking thing to say in Jerusalem with its ancient heritage! And how we mustn't have infighting and we're all brothers and sisters, we are all the Eleven (which you might think is a football reference but actually refers to the Eleven apostles). He's not remotely nationalistic or political, Jesus' kingdom wasn't about conquering but about mercy and forgiveness. Amen to that.

Hebrew Congregation

Its Shabbat so I went to a 10am Hebrew speaking Service of worship. Its pentecostal which means they sing short songs again and again and again. In England I'd find this tedious but here its fabulous. Yeshua melek hamlachim = Jesus king of kings. The projector shines up the Hebrew song with English translation and English transliteration and Russian transliteration and Russian translation. Its vibrant and full and joyful and fabulous.

They gave me a headphone so I could listen to the translator telling me what the preacher was saying. Notices: More people needed for the Coffee Rota and more people needed to teach the Children's Groups.

The Sermon lasted 90 minutes. I kid you not. He said Yeshua loves you and stay close to Yeshua. Only he didn't put it that clearly. I listened to the Russian translation of the sermon for a while because it sounded heaps more exciting than either the Hebrew or the English version. When he said And finally I could no longer stifle my guffaws.

We blessed each other and then I fled. 1.30pm.

Ketchup

After the headiness of yesterday I thought I'd treat myself to a day void of religion or politics. So I went to the Post Office to pay Mike's parking fine (£50). The exchange rate here is even better than the Souk. Ho hum.

A soldier hears my English accent and stops me. He's a volunteer from London, his co-soldier is also a volunteer from Manchester. They spend 14months for which they get their ticket home and should they ever choose to move here properly then they'll have better housing rights and financial help with a degree course and, of course, they won't then have to do the compulsory service.

By Jaffa gate a happy newlywed Jewish couple are caught up in their own world oblivious to all but each other and their photographer. Beside them, a dreadlocked westerner is saying No to a policewoman who would like to see his passport. Its the wrong answer, they sit him down and go through his rucksack, teddybear and all.

My main aim for today was to get to the supermarket, Bettina asked me to buy some basil, an aubergine and broccoli. At least I know what broccoli is. By the ketchup, stands a man explaining to his friend how Jesus is the culmination of the ages and that English translations are so much better for writing songs from than a Hebrew bible.

Hebron

Bethlehem - the star, under the altar, marks the spot, pretty much, where Jesus popped out of Mary. Yes its about right. Ask me why it has 14 points.

I'm on a Tour Bus full of Alernative-seeking tourists. This trip takes us to Aida Refugee camp.

I've always presumed that the phrase 'Refugee Camp' meant temporary tents and barbed wire to keep you in. But these people were driven here in 1948 when some Zionists destroyed 35villages so they've built themselves houses but with almost 3,000 under 18s and only two schools. You do the maths. They can go wherever they like, within Palestine (actually they can't easily get to the West Bank or to Gaza).

A muslim woman who's telling us how she is part of Beautiful NonViolent Resistance: they teach dance and drama as ways of breaking up the stereotypical labels. She says the Two State Solution (reluctantly favoured by most Israelis) is No solution for her, she wants to be able to go back to her village and to worship at Al Aqsa Mosque.

The phrase 'Israeli Settlement' has always conjured up an image of temporary accommodation for a few squatters. But they're as big as towns and cities, attractive to live in because the housing is so cheap. Often they offer to buy up Palestinian homes and can offer big bucks. Shame on me, I'd probably take the money instead of the imminent hassle.

Banksy has done some graffiti on the Palestinian side of the Wall (not sure if this is one of his). One Restaurant has pinned up a huge white sheet on it so as to project the footie on to it.

The Mosque of Ibrahim in Hebron celebrates where the ancestor of three big faiths is buried. Rebecca and Isaac are in the Muslim side of this building whilst Sarah (picture below) and Abraham are in the Synagogue and its claimed even Leah, Jacob and Joseph.

Rachel, if you're wondering, died giving birth to Benjamin in Bethlehem. The Tomb of Rachel is surrounded by The Wall, I have no idea how to get to it. I think its behind the above picture (NOW), so close and yet.

On the bus, everyone has heard of Rachel Corrie who stood in front of a bulldozer in 2003 in Gaza to protect a Palestinian home and was killed. No one seems to know the Bible story of Joseph let alone Rachel. I waxed lyrically all the way home.

Garden Tomb

I was waiting for the washing machine to finish so I read Exodus 1. Reading the bible here is harder than at home. At home, I'd preach a nice sermon about the midwife heroes who apologise for their incompetence as a way of not implementing a culling of baby boys. Hurrah.

But here its a story of a mean ruler who has forgotten about the good that has been done in the past and now driven by fear activates this mad policy of oppression. Oh no Israel has become Egypt?

And look, here come the next generation alas they didn't grow up with Israeli / Palestinian friends so they will become each other's bogey man. ("Lazy, thieves, stupid" - I've heard - but they're all trilingual I suppose this means that I don't even meet the criteria for stupid.)

The Garden Tomb might not be historically quite right, though frankly there's enough places that hang on far looser threads, but this morning it was utterly peaceful and a great place to read and pray.

In the Soukh, if you tell them you're a friend of Russell from Christ Church, then the Exchange Rate is £1 to 5.3NIS (new israeli shekel). That's mildly better than Gordon can get me. (5.1)

Surprise find of the day: The Prison of Barabbas. Maybe. He was that murderer who got let off when the Crowd chanted for his release instead of for Jesus. Ooh looks like Substitutionary atonement. Thank God for it.

Bible Lands Museum

A powerpoint presentation on burn out tells me 3/4 of ministers in the US report severe stress, 1500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burn out or contention within their churches. 70% of pastors constantly fight depression. Top of the advice is Exercise.

So I went for an hour's walk to this musem. Here I found a new form of Virtual Worship. First make your god out of clay and put it in a temple. Then make yourself out of clay and pop him in too. Saves a huge amount of time. There's an 8ft version, this one's not a foot high.

I love the eyes. Try looking that keen next time you go to church, see how long you can hold it for. It'll really unnerve the minister!

There's a couple of Christian tombstones (356ad) that both end with the phrase "Be of good cheer, no one is immortal". Its a cheesy catchphrase, you might think something a little more faith-full would suit better.

Eastern Wall

Mike's advice about bending down as if to pick up a stone worked a treat when I came across the dogs again. I tried to go up the Dome of the Rock but they found a bible in my bag - No Ritual Objects - I was going to protest and say Its not a Ritual Object to me but the living word of the living God but if I had I might have missed the wonderful noise and dancing of a jewish boy on his way to his bar mitzvah. (its only a 7sec clip)

Round the corner to the Eastern Wall of the temple where at some point in history they concreted up the gate that Jesus rode in on a donkey and they've added a Muslim cemetery as well to make it really difficult (I think they think) for him to do it again. Bit confusing. So I sat and read my bible and from across the valley came the joyful sound of "Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (not sure what language they were singing but the tune was good).

Ein Karem

Two sermons - 9am Lutheran Church on St Paul "No longer Jew or Greek". He applied this today saying No longer gay or straight, nor Hamas nor Fatah, nor Israeli nor Palestinian. That's not the same as saying there are no differences but it is about saying that No one is More religious or less religious, all that's gone, its all about what Jesus has done for us, its about faith.

At intercessions, the pray-er said Lets all say the Lord's Prayer using the typed liturgy or in your own mother tongue. It sounded great.

11am Anglican Cathedral of St George (incense made me cough) preaching on Legion, he said We're all like Legion, we all have so many different stresses and voices and demands on our days, but Jesus gave him a new identity (calm and in his right mind) and a new focus (Go and tell).

At intercessions the pray-er said "I invite you to find a posture for prayer that you find comfortable".

Here's Mike breathing in deeply with Bettina at Ein Karem where Mary (slightly pregnant with Jesus) said her Magnificat to Elizabeth (heavily pregnant with John the Baptist). I'm not sure which is which in the photo.

Protestant tourists don't come here which is a shame because the birth of John happened somewhere and needs to be celebrated. And this place is credible. Its also a shame because there's a good ice cream shop here.

Elijah's Cave

Alessia (fluent in Arabic, an Italian) and Derek (fluent in Albanian, from Seattle) took me for a bob in the Dead Sea. (It was her (Alessia's) birthday party last night, we talked football - a dutch woman told me how they like chanting "Give us back our bicycles" at the Germans)

In Jericho we found The Sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbed. I thought Zacchaeus was supposed to be a little man, the lowest branches here are pretty high, but then the tree has grown in last 2,000 years. I don't know about trees but I'm not sure this one is that old.

A long steep walk down into a Wadi and then a long climb up and up to St George's Khoziba Monastery where they asked me to pull my hobbit trousers down a bit more (they already covered the knee). At the top here is laid out the body of a monk who is incorrupted. That is to say that apart from being dead these last 400 odd years, he looks quite good for it. Above this chapel is Elijah's Cave where he was fed by Ravens (and why not here, I say!). An american group of Greek Orthodox burst into singing a Psalm with extemporary harmonising. Key spiritual moment of the day.

Its been 41degC down here so we went for a cold swim at Fawar and then to Ramallah. I'd been expecting this place to be mostly full of bulldozers levelling houses but its a fabulous place, vibrant and full of culture and fun. I daresay its got more than its fair share of problems but the people are kind and helpful.

Bethany barred

I went to see where Mike works (Luther compound on Mount of Olives, to the East of the Old City). There's a really tall church tower (223 steps) from where you can take really hazy photos. Then a 20 min walk to the Mosque of the Ascension. Here's where Jesus footprint is still in the stone and here's where He ascended. Hmm. But hey it must have happened somewhere hereish.

Turning west towards Bethpage (where Jesus' donkey came from and the Palm Sunday procession started) I shook the gate until they let me in. What I really really wanted to find was the Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany where he lived with Mary and Martha. So past the demolished home, (see above) up a path marked Ancient on my map but signed "For military vehicles only". My map says just go straight but there's The Big Wall here now and it would take me miles to go round it. Miffed. But then I'm not Lazarus trying to get in to Jerusalem.

Later I walked down the dusty Kidron Valley, listening to the call to worship coming from the Dome on the Rock to see the Tomb of Absalom (no it wasn't) and then up to Akeldama (where Judas hanged himself and maybe this is the spot). Four wild dogs came charging at me barking furiously, stood my ground and growled back, Mike says I should have picked up a stone, if I was really calm I'd've taken a photo. There's a monastery here that closed at 12noon but I wonder which day that was.