Southern Adventuring

The last three days we have been to the valleys in the Shephelah, and the ancient cities that controlled them, including the Elah fortress, Beit Shemesh, Azekah, Maresha, Lachish, and a Roman ampitheatre. That was just Tuesday. Two nights ago we camped out at Mizpeh Ramon on the edge of the Super Bowl, which is exactly what it sounds like- a gigantic bowl-shaped valley in the Southern highlands. Hiked down to the bottom and up again Wednesday morning. Then went to Avdat, which was a Nabatean and then Byzantine stronghold in the middle of nowhere. Hiked up Nahal Zin, which is one of the most gorgeous places on Earth. Visited Tel Beer Sheba, Tel Arad, then camped out in modern Arad. I was exhausted.
Today we first visited Masada. It was so incredibly hot, but so incredibly worth it. Masada was one of the places I was looking forward to most in Israel, and is one of my favorite archaeological places. To get there we hiked up the Roman siege ramp in the front and then after visiting the site hiked down the Snake trail down the back, facing the Dead Sea. That was intense. So hot, so much sweat. Nearly 100 degrees F then.
Then we went swimming in the Dead Sea, or should I say, bobbing. So much salt in the water you can't really swim, just bob around. It was such an odd experience. Saved a water bottle full of the water. Then went to En Gedi, a gorgeous series of springs in the middle of nowhere, where it was still very far below sea level and very, very, very hot. This was likely my third favorite natural location. Waterfalls there were breathtaking. Afterwards went to Qumran and saw the ruins from the settlement and the caves that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found- we couldn't go inside the caves but could look from a distance.
Got back to Jerusalem in time for dinner. I hadn't realized I was so hungry- the last three days I had been more preoccupied with staying hydrated than staying fed. As it was over 90 degrees F most of the day and even well over 100 degrees F at the Dead Sea, it is good I did so.
Checked out a book on the Crusades from the JUC library an hour ago and read the first chapter and a half on the origins of the Crusades. Just thinking- if I ever study history it would be the Crusades- because they deal with European AND Middle Eastern civilizations, and had such a long historical preface and have influenced modern geopolitics so much. Then I would have an excuse to learn French  AND Arabic. Which sounds incredible.
Going to bed. Exhausted. Exam on Saturday so tomorrow will be uploading pictures, writing field study reports, and studying for the Negev/Dead Sea exam. And reading about Pope Urban II.

Weekend Jazz

Didn't really do much this weekend. Other than Saturday of course. Yesterday we went to a Lutheran church. It was alright. I didn't know what to do during communion- I didn't know I had the option of dipping the bread into the wine the pastor was holding or taking a sip from the little cups of juice instead. So I did both. You know me, never wanting to cut corners. Then met a guy at the church who was my friend from Malone's youth pastor a while back. Definitely a small world.
After the service we took a "leisurely" walk on the ramparts, which didn't quite turn out leisurely. It took an hour and a half to get from the Jaffa gate, North, around the New gate, the Damascus gate, and all the way East and South to where the rampart walk ended at the temple mount (where the Dome of the Stone is). Then we proceeded to walk all the way around the Kidron valley (dowwwwn in it) and then hike back up along the southen section of the wall back to the JUC, where we are staying, past the Zion gate. Needless to say I took a shower afterwards.
Today is our first exam. I guess I should be studying but I really feel like I've got it down. All it is is geological, geographical, and historical stuff. Shouldn't be hard. Breakfast sounds like a good option too. I'm still trying to soldier through The Brothers Karamazov. Not quite on the right pace to finish it by the time I get home in late June, unless I suddenly at some point find loads of time to read, which sounds at this point very unlikely.
Ho-hum. better study and eat. Shalom.

Saturday Things

Wellllll today was a lond day. Went to Bethlehem and visited the Church of the Nativity. It was really fancy and done up for the most part so I had a hard time seeing through all the crap and experiencing it for what it was worth. Also the people inside (just like in the Holy Sepulchre) treated the place like it was an amusement park. The tourism here is so stupid. There's all this Jesus merchandise and it makes me sick. Israel's religious sites all come together to make what I think is a Christian Carnival. Thankfully the Jewish and Muslim sites aren't obnoxious, although there are still at least 50 menorahs per tourist junk shop. Between all the crap and all the tourism I'm having a rough time enjoying some sites for anything more than a history lesson. Maybe that's all that can be learned here for me. Going to church tomorrow though so that may be good.

Day 3 Adventuring

Today was a very eventful day to say the least. We started the day off at 7:30am at Dormition Abbey, what used to be co-German Lutheran/English Anglican but is now Benedictine. It was built on the ruins another abbey and was recently renamed after that one, the Hagia Maria Sion Abbey. This started our first excursion to the Christian quarter. Next we went to the Tomb of David, which is currently venerated by Jews but used to be a Christian church and at another point an Islamic mosque. It is really uncertain whether or not it is really David buried there but most archaeologists would say no. After that we went to the Upper Room. Unfortunately the building was built in the 13th century by Franciscans so it is probably not the actual Upper Room. However, like many holy sites here, it doesn't really matter to the people worshipping at holy places that the historicity of the site is maintained as much as the veneration of it. Bear in mind that these places are all within a few blocks from each other.
Next we went to the platform the Dome of the Rock and the Masjid el Aqsa, a mosque, are on. It was incredible being up there. Where the Dome of the Stone (as I like to call it) now stands the Jewish Temple used to stand way back in the day. Just imagining there it was so ethereal, so abstract. Like it takes every bit of my imagination to work up a mental picture of it there.  It was funny that there was a man exerting his authority over us by getting in a fuss about girl's shirts not covering their shoulders enough (I let a girl borrow a buttoned shirt I was wearing) and while we were still there a high-school aged guy who had a shirt that had "Pornstar Queen" on the back tried to sell us postcards. Really? Modesty? Some people did speak English that worked there so I'm still trying to figure out what happened. Like I said, it is funny.
Then we went to the pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed the paralytic and the Churhc of St. Anne, a crusader-built church, next to it. There was a Byzantine chapel built on top the place where it is likely Jesus healed the paralytic, as there were 5 small ritual cleaning pools at the time. A crusader chapel was built atop the ruins of that and was in ruins by the time I saw it today.
Later on a few of us stopped in an antiques store our program director knows the owner of. We talked with him for quite some time and he told us of how difficult it is being a Christian Arab. He is Palestinian and is not a citizen of Israel but is such a great guy. I don't know if I've ever heard firsthand of affliction bore so well by someone. Some of us then stopped in the Holy Sepulchre down the road but didn't know what anything was and they were kicking us out as they had to close up for the night, so we left at 9pm. We are definitely going back.

Intro To Jerusalem

Today we had orientation to the program here and all of the rules and stuff. I woke up at 4am because of jet lag so i just read The Brothers Karamazov and hung out. We took a several hour tour through Jerusalem and saw most of the big sites, minus the Holy Sepulchre. I guess we're seeing that later on this week. Also we're going to going to visit the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock is, but tourists aren't allowed in. Today we saw the Western/Wailing Wall and that was very interesting. The Dome of the Rock is in the background. It's just crazy to see all the Abrahamic religions coexist in such a small space. A little bit ago a few of us ventured to the Jewish quarter to see the first night of Pentecost festivities in the courtyard beside the WW and the WW itself. We saw most everyone leave at 9pm exactly, and then at 9:05pm we heard the Islamic call to prayer over the speakers. It's just mind blowing to think that each Abrahamic religion considers a very small amount of space in a fairly small city a holy place for them. Even i think about 7 Christian denominations worship in the Holy Sepulchre together.
Seeing ancient ruins is also amazing. If a building in Canton was built in 1850 I would consider it an old building. However, today I saw Roman ruins from 2,000 years ago. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt so many times that the Roman ruins are at some points at least 20ft down below where current roads are. The people that lived in this land so long ago saw a very different city than what we now see, and it is incredible to see how it has changed.

In Jerusalem

Just arrived in Jerusalem. Traveling was rough... 11hour4minute flight. Most of the movies in the In-Flight entertainment thing sucked. Slept maybe an hour tops. But its so great to finally be here. We landed in Tel Aviv around 5 and took a bus here. Other than lugging our luggage up half a mile (by what was I think the East wall) to the Jerusalem University College (where I am now) its been great. Just ate some awesome dinner. I need a shower and to brush my teeth. Badly. Later.

It Is Becoming Very Real

As of now, I won't even be in the country five full days. The plane takes off Sunday night. I feel as though I am running out of time. Not enough of it to get packing done, get the things I need, make money, spend time with family and a few friends.
On Saturday I went to a feast (that's the best word that came to mind- I did eat a whole styrofoam cup full of baked beans- delicious! I got a lot of weird looks...) at Camp Gideon near Mechanicstown, Ohio, and on the drive there and back I couldn't help but soak in all of the natural beauty of my home state. For all that we Ohioans complain about our weather, we really do have it good. Just drive around for ten minutes in Southern Ohio. Or, preferably, hike in the wooded hills and go fishing for carp with chicken guts. I really am going to miss home a lot when I leave Sunday. On Saturday it became very real to me that I am going to be gone for 45 days.
Tomorrow (technically later today) is going to be a big day. I'm doing my final shopping trip at Walmart and Salvation Army. I have lots of loose ends to tie up. Then England in the fall. I've got a lot to look forward to. I'm just trying not to get too anxious.

10 Day Countdown

So I leave in ten days. I'm fairly terrified, as there are about 5,403,745 things I need to do before I leave. May 16 I'm going to Israel for a month with a Malone group led by Dr. Phinney, and then shooting up to Frankfurt in June and touring Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria with the Malone Chorale led by Dr. Donelson.
I've never been out of Canton for longer than two straight weeks before. I feel like Frodo when he leaves the Shire after living there his whole life. I guess Canton is kinda like the Shire. Except  that the Football Hall of Fame is way less awesome than Mathom-house at Michel Delving.
I'm definitely procrastinating. But health insurance is a good idea. I think I should go get some.
-JL