We arrived in Tel Aviv on March 8, 2014. It was a beautiful, temperate Spring-like day. I was immediately taken by the lushness of the landscape. I had always envisioned the shifting sands of the desert. What a surprise! I was interested to learn that there are many different climates in Israel, caused by the diverse topography of the country. They really only have two seasons - the cool, wet winter that runs from October - April, and the hot, dry summer from May - September. The country is considered to be subtropical, given it's location some 30 degrees above the equator. The northernmost Golan Heights, where Mount Hermon is located, receive heavy snowfalls each year. Snow in other regions is a rare occurrence. The amount of precipitation varies by region, with the highest concentrations in the North and central regions.
I was surprised to see vineyards in Israel - but upon further thought, there is a lot of wine mentioned in the Bible, along with references to vines and vineyards. Why didn't I make this connection? Israel's wine industry is making a comeback. For most of it's history, Israeli wines were kosher, and used for sacramental purposes. In the late 1980's the Israeli wine culture enjoyed a renaissance, importing vintners from Europe and California, with a resulting improvement in the quality of Israeli wines.
I was comforted to see that most signs we saw were in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. Like many other aspects of life in Israel, language can be a hot button issue. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel, with English having a semi-official status. In the Knesset both languages are approved, but Arabic is rarely heard. We found English to be very prevalent on our visit, and encountered no language barriers. Interestingly enough, it was the Jewish Zionist immigrants who came to Israel in the 1880's who revived the use of spoken Hebrew.
I didn't expect to encounter a McDonald's on the way to Bethlehem! That definitely made me feel at home. I guess some things are truly universal!
As we near Jerusalem, we get our first view of the settlements. This brought on a strange feeling. This was an issue that I didn't fully understand, and the more I study it, the more confused I get. Israeli settlements are built on land that Israel claims to have won in the 6 Day War. Others refer to them as the occupied territories. The international community considers these settlements to be illegal. Israel continues to expand these settlements. Many believe that the settlements are a significant obstacle to peace in the region. Our teacher, Willis Britt, told us that many of these areas were beautiful lush forests, before they were razed for the construction of the settlements. We have to pass through Jerusalem on our way to Bethlehem. It is Shabbat, and the the streets are deserted. Orthodox Jews do not drive on Shabbat. What would normally have been a slow trip due to big city congestion, was eased by the lack of traffic. I feel confused by the convergence of the metropolitan big city Jerusalem, and the the Jerusalem that Jesus knew.
The sun sets as we leave Jerusalem, headed to Bethlehem. When 3 small stars appear in the sky, Shabbat will be over.
To get to Bethlehem, we have to enter the West Bank. I had heard about it on the news for many years, but had no conception of how it would look and feel. As you can see from this picture, it is surrounded by a 25 foot security fence that was constructed by the same company that is building the border fence between the US and Mexico. We had to stop at a checkpoint (where photos were not allowed) before we could enter the West Bank. There is razor wire all along the top of the fence, and the checkpoint is manned by armed Israeli soldiers - not the Palestinians that I had expected. I assumed that the checkpoint would be manned by Palestinians, but it was not. Israeli law does not allow Israeli's to enter, and Palestinians are not allowed leave. Palestinians believe that this territory should be a part of their sovereign nation.
I was at times confused about the dirty unkempt condition of the Palestinian areas. Then I began to think that they do not have pride of ownership, they do not have money for infrastructure, then do take pride in land they can't consider theirs. Do we blame them? We did see evidence of some US Aid going to the occupied territories, but it was very little compared to what we saw in the rest of Israel.
Shortly before reaching our hotel, we passed the home of the Kando family. He was the first to sell one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Antiquity meets the modern world. My head is spinning!
I had expectations about how Bethlehem would look, but somehow this wasn't it? How does this make me feel? I've been up for many hours and I've got a lot to process. The juxtaposition of ancient and new, Christian and Muslim, sacred and secular, rich and poor is all too much to think about.
After dinner at the hotel we went straight to bed. I was awakened at 4:00 a.m. by the Muslim call to prayer. There were several minarets surrounding our hotel. At first I was content to lie in bed and listen to it through our open sliding glass door. It was beautiful, yet eerie. It was dark. The lights of Bethlehem sparkled, marked by the green glow of the minarets. Suddenly I felt I had to be out in it. Our room had a small balcony. Somehow when I was surrounded by the sound - coming from all different directions - it touched me. The notions of personal piety and communal worship seemed at odds. What is the resolution between a want/need for uninterrupted sleep and religious freedom? The call continued for about 45 minutes, with shorter bursts at 5:00 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. As the skies began to lighten, traffic noises picked up. Birds began chirping loudly and I even heard a rooster crow. What had seemed so eerie and exotic gave way to the noises of a modern city waking up. When cultures collide what is the right answer?
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