Off on another short jaunt

Yesterday (Friday) was a free day, and it was marvelous! The weather was beautiful, with breezes and clouds floating by to give shadow, but also warm sunshine. People took advantage of the great weather and studied for today's exam out in the garden. I was reading outside and was entertained by a clarinet player from across the Hinnom Valley, playing traditional Jewish music. Looking across the valley to the Menachim Begin Heritage Center, there was a party in progress (possibly a wedding), with music, people dancing, and wonderful male vocalists singing Jewish songs. It was delightful! We also were invited to the home of the dean of Jerusalem University College, Dr. Paul Wright. He and his wife, Diane, have a beautiful home at the top of the JUC main building, overlooking Jerusalem. They provided us with cookies, punch, and caramel popcorn. They also shared how they came to Israel (15 years ago) and how it has been living in this country. We were blessed to get to know them a little and ask questions about JUC.

Today (Saturday) is a low-key day, prepping for the exam. One of the students (Rachel) and I took a walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. A man sitting by the wayside offered his services (for a price, of course) to be our guide around the church. That was helpful, since we weren't sure what we were seeing. So, he told us about the different Stations of the Cross, where Jesus was stripped of His clothing, where He was nailed to the cross, and where the cross actually stood. We bent down to actually feel the depression where the cross was dropped in. There was a large line of people waiting to see the tomb, but our resourceful guide persuaded some people to let us in towards the front of the line. Rachel and I were reluctant to cut in line, but he assured us there was no shame in doing so. So we stepped in, but felt like the Ugly Americans! The church is overseen by five different Christian sects: Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian, and Coptic. Each Christian sect has authority over certain sections of the church. But, the keys of the church are held by a Muslim family and have been the keeper of the keys since the mid-1800s. Each morning a member of this family opens the door to the church and then closes it at night. The church was built by Helena, the mother of Constantine, who had the hill (Golgotha) removed in order to build the church around these holy sites. The Byzantine church was destroyed and what we walked through today is from Crusader times.

Tomorrow (Sunday), we set out on a bus tour of Galilee. This one will be for four days, returning to JUC on Wednesday, June 30. I heard that internet access is very expensive in Galilee, so I will refrain from blogging until we return to Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Shalom,

Bev