{postcards from Israel-Nazareth and Galilee}

Well,  Jerusalem feels like it was ages ago, but the memories are still rather vivid and it's the kind of place that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
This will be my last post on my trip, and it covers the excursion to Nazareth and Galilee. If you recall, in my first post I included an extract from my Grandpa's book on the life of Jesus Christ:
The story begins at Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, in the land of Palestine, concealed in the hollow of the hills at the head of the busy Plain of Esdraelon. A climb up the hill that hides and shelters the town gives a rewarding view on all sides. To the north, beyond a richly fertile plain, on a clear day, snow-tipped Hermon can be seen. Westwards towards the Mediterranean, the purple of Mount Carmel is an inviting reminder that just beyond are the busy ports and ships. In the days of which we are writing, winding caravans carrying commodities of the famous city of Damascus could be seen. One of the three trade routes from Accho on the seacoast to Damascus passed six miles south of Nazareth. 
It was in this small insignificant town of Nazareth that Mary lived...

Nazareth is where Christ grew up and where his mother and father lived. His most famous and numerous miracles happened nearby around the Sea of Galilee, where he turned water into wine at Cana, fed the 5000, and walked on water, to name only a few. I have to admit that the tour we went on wasn't very good but it did pack in a lot and it was neat to see these historic places, even though tourism has really taken over in some areas. In the case of Nazareth, I was sorely disappointed by the choice of architecture around the humble structure that is reportedly the site of the Annunciation--a modernist concrete monstrosity, which detracts from what would have been a rather beautiful, simple stone structure, in keeping with Christ's humble origins.

We woke up early to catch the coach, walking through the quiet streets of Jerusalem as the sun began to rise:

{Damascus gate at dawn}

 We drove to Nazareth, where we visited the Church of the Annunication

{the possible site of the Annunciation shrouded in modernist concrete architecture}

The driving in this area takes in stunning views:

{Mt Tabor, believed to be the site of the Transfiguration}

 We then went to the Church of the Multiplication, where ancient mosaics depict bread and two fishes, to convey the miracle of Christ feeding 5,000 with five loaves & two fishes:

{detail of mosaic with fish & loaves, at the altar}

 We then travelled to Capernaum, right on the Sea of Galilee, where ancient ruins are all that is left of a once important city.

{the remains of the Great synagogue still stand}

{touching the Sea of Galilee}

and then we drove to the River Jordan, taking in breathtaking scenery:

The River Jordan is where Christ was baptised by John the Baptist:

Today it is heavily commercialised and the hoards of people getting baptised seems a bit phoney, but the setting is stunning if you can block out the mass religious tourism.

{my feet in the River Jordan}

 The drive back to Jerusalem was absolutely beautiful. Arid landscape, dotted with crops and farmers, and at a pitstop we even came across a camel named Pistachio:

{Pistachio, the camel}

Alas, that ends my blogs on Jerusalem and Israel. A fantastic place filled with so much culture and history--a place I think everyone should go, at least once in their lifetime.

xo, 

L

{postcards from Israel-Church of the Holy Sepulchre}

Hopefully you'll have been following my posts on Israel, but if not, you can find them here on the Holy City and here on the markets & here on our arrival...
I've decided to dedicate a whole post on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre just because it is a really unique building and it was quite an experience.

{on the rootfops of the church}

The door to the complex is  through a tiny unassuming hole in the wall from one of the souks:

{exterior architecture}

Once inside, you are overwhelmed by the glitter of gold from the mosaics and the flickering of candles:

To orient yourself, you might find this map useful: 

Upon entering the church, you find the stone of unction, where Christ's body is said to have been prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea:

 

From here you can take steps up to the chapel, where an altar, a gift from the Medici grazes one corner, and Byzantine mosaics glitter above.

Here at the centre, the main altar is said to be directly above where Christ was crucified.

From here you descend again into the main church, where you can circumambulate the side chapels, and visit the tombs of Jesus' contemporaries, as well as enter the Holy Tomb of Jesus.

{the stunning dome}

{side chapels}

 
Everywhere you look, you can see traces of centuries of worship...from different architectural styles, to faded frescoes, to pilgrims' graffiti...

{layers of architecture over time}

{signs of pilgrims over the centuries}

 Down the steps to Helena's chapel:

 What is the most striking thing you can do, and the most moving, is to join in one of the processions held every evening at 4pm or 5pm depending on the time of the year.
Holding candles, you process through the church, saying prayers, and following the stations of the cross, as well as accompanying the monks as they sing. For me, this made the significance of the space much more real, rather than a tourist attraction. It is still a church used by these holy men, but of different denominations. At one point the Franciscans chanting were in competition with the nearby Orthodox chanting, underlining how many different denominations of Christianity call this site holy.

 The monks chanting:

{orthodox procession}

 

{in procession with candle (Franciscan procession)}

The striking thing about Jerusalem is the evidence everywhere you look of co-existence between the various religions. Right outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a mosque, and while we were standing there we heard the muezzin call for prayer:

Stay tuned for one last instalment on Galilee and Nazareth!
xo
L