Going Down

We are going to the biblical town of Bethany which today is known as al-Eizariya (place of Lazarus).  The map shows that its pretty close to Jerusalem and Jesus would have walked over the Mount of Olives to get to it.  

I talked a little bit about the wall yesterday.   The Israeli government has constructed part of its West Bank border wall along the main road, so you have to take a detour to get to Bethany.  The border barrier is about 400 miles long and was built after the Second Intifada to deter terrorism.  The wall has caused the area to become less Christian since its difficult to travel back and forth between the territories unless you are an Israeli or a visitor like us.  Israeli cars can travel back and forth between Palestine and Israel but Palestinian cars cannot come into Israel.

Tomb Entrance

Bethany was the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus who were friends of Jesus. For Jesus their home was a place of rest. John's gospel tells us of the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. When Lazarus was dying, his sisters sent word to Jesus that he was dying. Jesus did not travel there right away and by the time he got there, Lazarus had died and was in his tomb for 4 days. Jesus told them that their brother would rise and said:"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live." Jesus asked them to roll back the stone and commanded Lazarus to come out.

Inside the Tomb

A week before Jesus crucified he had dinner at the house of Simon the Leper in Bethany in the company of Lazarus and his sisters and Mary poured an expensive bottle of perfume over his feet, an action that Jesus saw as anointing of his body for burial.

Like the other sites we have seen, as soon as Christianity could be practiced in public, pilgrims began coming to see the tomb of Lazarus.   Churches were built on the size and destroyed with the entrance to the tomb becoming a mosque.  Another entrance was cut into the tomb by the Franciscans in the 16th century and pilgrims go down well worn stairs into the tomb.

Catholic Church, Mosque and Greek Orthodox Church

Nearby the modern Catholic Church of St. Lazarus, designed by Antonio Barluzzi, was built in 1954. He designed the church without windows so it feels like a tomb, but the dome has a flood of light.  There are rich mosaics here as well like the other churches he has designed.

Adjacent to the church are a mosque and a Greek Orthodox Church.

Church Interior

We are also going to one of the oldest cities in the world, the city of Jericho, 22 miles east of Jerusalem and 3,700 feet lower. Jericho is administered by the Palestinian Territories just like Bethlehem, and it currently has a population of about 18,000.

The first traces of civilization here date from about 9,000 B.C. with archeologists finding evidence of some 20 different civilizations residing in the area. The area has natural springs so in the largely arid area of the Middle East, water was an important resource. Ancient Jericho was known as Tell as-Sultan. The remains of the early Neolithic settlement have round houses built of mud brick and surrounded by a wall and a round tower, representing the earliest preserved piece of a fortification system.

Herod's Palace

The oasis of Jericho is below sea level and has warm and pleasant winters. It was, therefore, chosen as the site for the winter palaces of the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty, and of King Herod, in the Second Temple period. King Herod had to lease the land from Cleopatra of Egypt since Mark Antony had given the land to her as a gift.  When she died it passed back to Roman rule and Herod built three palaces there over time each more extravagant than the previous one.  

In the Old Testament, the book of Joshua tells the story of the Battle of Jericho.  God had promised the Israelites the land of Canaan.   Upon crossing the Jordan, they came to the walled city of Jericho.  Following instructions from God, they marched around the city for six days with the Ark of the Covenant.  On the seventh day they march around the city blowing rams horns and then shouted in loud voices.  The walls of the city came tumbling down enabling them to enter.  They destroyed all in the city as an offering to the Lord.    Most scholars do not think that the story is actually true, but I found this video interesting.

Sycamore Tree

There are stories of Jesus in Jericho in the gospels.  Matthew, Mark and Luke describe how Jesus restored the sight of two blind men.   The gospel of Luke tells the story of how Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see the Lord and the Lord and he reformed his evil ways.   The sycamore tree he climbed is still said to be here some 2,000 years later.   

Finally, the road between Jerusalem and Jericho is the location of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  Here's that story according to Luke:

Van Gogh Painting of the Good Samaritan

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”  He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

I love this 1890 painting by VanGogh.  It's a mirror copy of Delacroix's Good Samaritan, but much lighter in coloring and with VanGogh' style.

In Jesus time, the road between these two cities was notoriously dangerous and known as the Way of Blood because of the many robberies that occurred there.  So, this would have been something the people could relate to.  The fact that a Samaritan was the one to help would have also engendered strong reactions since Jews and Samaritans did not get along.    Loving your neighbor as yourself is a commandment we all should learn to respect more.

Father will say Mass at Good Shepherd Parish, a small parish located in Jericho. It’s the only parish in the Jordan River Valley.  There are 53 families, numbering around 250 persons, in the Parish. All told, there are 500 Christian inhabitants in Jericho.

The Franciscans are the Custodians of the Holy Land holy shrines, and are responsible for missionary activities in Jericho. They established Good Shepherd Parish in 1925 with the Church being designed by Antonio Barluzzi, and later established the Terra Sancta School there in 1950. There is also an attached Convent for the Sisters of St. Francis.

Monastery

The summit of the Mount of Temptation rises sharply, 350 meters above sea level, commanding a magnificent view of the Jordan Valley. The 30 to 40 caves on the eastern slopes of the mountain have been inhabited by monks and hermits since the early days of Christianity. It is the site where Jesus spent 40 days and nights fasting and meditating, after which he was tempted by Satan. A monastery was built in the sixth century over the cave where Christ stayed. 




About 15 kilometers south of Jericho on the western shore of the Dead Sea, is the site where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found. A Palestinian shepherd who was looking for a stray goat made the discovery of the scrolls in 1947.


The scrolls consist of copies of biblical and apocryphal literature, the writings of the sect, including the Commentaries, the Rule of the Community, the Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness, and the Damascus Document. The dates of these scrolls range from the second century BC to 68 AD, but they date mainly from the first century BC. The study of the scrolls developed into an academic discipline known as Qumranic studies. It provides us with valuable information about the history of Judaism and the early phase of Christianity.

Qumron Caves

Next we travel to Qasr Al Yehoud, the traditional site of Jesus Baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.  The other side of the river which is not very wide here is Jordan and its Baptismal site is Al-Maghtas.  From 1967 to 2011, visiting here was not possible because the Jordan river became the border between Israel and Jordan and it heavily mined and militarized.  Only after a 1994 peace agreement did they consider opening the area again.  The traditional site reopened  in 2011.  The Israelis operate another Baptismal site further away, but I am so glad were coming to the traditional site.


We will renew our baptismal promises here. 

According to tradition, this spot is also where the Israelites, led by Joshua crossed the river to enter the Promised Land following the Exodus from Egypt; and where approximately 300 years later, the Prophet Elijah crossed the river in the opposite direction, to be taken into heaven by ‘fiery chariots’.

Finally, we drive to the Dead Sea, where we will be 1,355 feet below sea level, the lowest land area on earth.  This formation was caused by movements of the African and Arabian plates.  It's named the Dead Sea because its a hyper saline lake, about 10 times saltier than the oceans so its a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot survive.  About 4 million years ago, the area was frequently flooded by the Mediterranean Sea which left deposits of salt and then 2 million years ago the land rose so that the area was no longer flooded creating the landlocked lake or Dead Sea.

The only source of water now for the Sea is the Jordan river.  Since its so hot here, the water evaporates making it more salty over time.  Its been shrinking as well and efforts are underway to help slow or reverse that trend.

Did you know that the word, salary, comes from salt.  It was such a valued commodity for the Romans that they paid their soldiers in salt rather than currency.



The salt content makes it much easier for you to float on the water, so we're all supposed to don bathing suits to experience this effect.   The high mineral count of the water and mud are also known for their therapeutic effects as is the air which has a low pollen count, higher oxygen content, and higher atmospheric pressure.