Philosophy and Photos

There is a question that philosophical types like to ask that goes something like this: "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to see it, did it really fall?" Now, I like to amend that question a bit to go more like: "if a tree falls in the forest, and no one took a picture of it, THEN did it really fall?" I happen to place a lot of value on the photo. I honestly do not remember how I lived before I owned a camera, and I suppose I could ask, Did I truly live? :) When Ryan and I travel, we spend a lot of time taking pictures. It is actually difficult for me to enjoy myself until I have the required photos for wherever we are. For instance, when taking a trip to Paris, we needed to get the shot in front of the Eiffel Tower, the shot at the Louvre, and a good picture of gargoyles at Notre Dame - all while wearing a beret. In London there is Big Ben, a shot in a phone booth, a double decker bus and a good pub. When we went to the Arches National Park in Utah we raced from rock formation to rock formation just to get the photo. I dont actually remember seeing most of them, but I have photos to show for our race through the park. We have the picture of the family car going through a tree in the California Redwoods, one of Ryan in front of the Statue of Liberty, one of all the baseball stadiums we have seen to date. Okay, you get the point.

But the small tragedy of all of this - or perhaps comedy? - is that not only does the photo make the trips a reality, but it creates a NEW reality. As long as there is a picture, it doesnt really matter what actually happened. Let me explain. This last week, our family went to En Gedi and the Dead Sea - both close to home here in Jerusalem. The spectacular views, the sweet moments with our boys, the awe inspiring history of the places...these were not the focus for me. I wanted a picture of me floating in the Dead Sea, a picture of me with mud all over me, and a picture of my boys swimming under a waterfall. Our first stop was En Gedi, an area known for its beauty and described in the Bible in Song of Songs. We hiked up to the first waterfall, and I wanted to stop and get the boys in the water for their picture. Of course Ryan insisted we actually do the ENTIRE hike (which was only about a mile). Again this was not nearly as interesting to me as the photo op, but we marched on. Finally we got to the top, and while I fed Benja (the baby), all I could think about was the waterfall photo - the one consolation of course is that the photo of me feeding the baby was a photo op as well. When we got to the waterfall the boys were not in the least interested in getting in the water, as it was windy and quite chilly as well as in the shade. But we forced them in, and got our picture - it matters not that they both have little colds now. Because in 10 years we will look back at that happy moment when they were able to frolick under a cascading waterfall in En Gedi.

Then it was on to the Dead Sea, where upon walking into the water, my two older boys and I all cut up our feet on the sharp and very salt-crusted floor. We were not aware that we needed aqua socks but for future travellers, be warned. It was also very cold and the waves were fairly strong. My second son immediately jumped out and my first was a bit more of a trooper and went in for a minute. I had pretty much sliced open the top of my toes fairly deeply, but persevered despite the not so pleasant combo of salt water on my wounds. Again, I got the photo and thats all that matters. In 10 years we will look back at that idyllic afternoon, floating weightless in the Dead Sea.

And finally, we got our mud shots. Not to matter that the salts in the mud and the sulphur showers burned our eyes and exacerbated the cuts on my feet. I smiled and all that will remain of our time there are happy memories of therapeutic minerals and soft skin.

I really do love good photo ops. And the truth is, I was truly happy despite the pain and misery, knowing that I had my picture and therefore our pain would not be for naught. And I look forward to the many more photo ops that life sends our way.

The Week in Photos

The theme of the photos for this week is archaeology. We have been exploring some of the sites in Jerusalem and some outside of Jerusalem so here are some photos.

This is an aquaduct built by Herod the Great just before the birth of Christ. It had a precise slope to allow water to move 17 KM to the town of Caesarea.

This is a stadium also built by Herod in Caesarea. This particular one hosted chariot races and various gladiator games.

These are the pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed the cripple man in John 5. A pagan temple once stood here followed by a 4th century Byzantine church followed by a Crusader church from the 11th Century followed by dirt. The remains of all of the eras still stand here today.

This is part of the Crusader church at the pools of Bethesda.

These are part of the ruins from the temple mount during the second temple period. In year 70 AD the Roman Empire razed the temple and many of the stones from the destruction lay here today.


Outside the wall of Herod's temple mount.

These were actual storefronts on a street right outside the temple mount that were in use during the time of Christ. Jesus might have purchased tourist souveneirs from this very spot.

This is my son walking out of an acient "Mikveh". It was used for ritual purification in the Jewish tradition. This mikveh is right outside the temple mount so would have been used to cleanse those wishing to enter the temple. This is most certainly the predecessor to the Christian tradition of baptism.

These are kittens and they are not ancient but they are wild and found everywhere in Jerusalem.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving here in Israel. Since it is an American holiday it is just a normal day here for everyone with classes and work (I actually went to one class and skipped another in order to get home and be with the family). The local stores do provide turkeys this week due to the high number of Americans living here so we will actually have a fairly normal Kosher Thanksgiving meal. Tonight we will host 3 American students and 2 German students who want to see what this tradition is all about. We really don't care who comes, it is just a joy to be the host and to remember all the things to thank God for.
Perhaps this year we will borrow a prayer from the Jewish culture when they give thanks each week to God who provides the bread (or all their needs).

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'olam hamotsi lekhem min ha-arets.
Blessed are You our Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Bless The Name

One thing that I love about Jerusalem, is that every Friday morning when I go for my run (or walk to the coffee shop), the town is bustling with activity in preparation for the shabbat meals. People are filling the markets picking up last minute bottles of wine and bunches of flowers. And down every street you can smell the aroma of roasting meat and fish, garlic and vegetables. On Friday after sundown, the sounds of singing and laughter fill the night. This past Friday night, our family had the privilege of sharing a Shabbat meal with our landlord and her family. This was our first opportunity to be active participants in this age-old Jewish tradition. Our landlord lives near us so we walked to her house and were met at the gate by her husband and four children. Inside the long table was set with white linens, and on each end of the table was challah bread - set out on boards, with a cloth on top. It was explained to us that the challah represents two things - one, it represents the manna that God provided for the Israelites in their forty years wandering in the desert. On the morning before the sabbath, God would provide a double portion for them so that they would not need to gather on that day. That is why there are two plates of bread on the table, to represent the double portion. The coverings over the bread represented the dew that fell on the manna, and again is a reminder of Gods perfect provision for them each morning. The other thing that the bread represents, is the offering to God. We were told that since the destruction of the temple, there are no longer animal sacrifices to God, and the bread stands in the place of the sacrifice. They salt the bread at the beginning of the meal in the same way that animal sacrifices were salted in the temple.

Before sitting down, a blessing is said over the children - first the boys and then the girls. Then the father (head of the house) reads the last portion of Proverbs 31 to his wife - the part about a noble wife being worth more than rubies, etc. It is a beautiful beginning to the meal and a great reminder of the value placed on family in this culture.

The first thing that happened after sitting down is the wine/grape juice was poured into a kiddush (blessing) cup and the father of the house prayed and said a blessing over the wine. Everyone sang a song and then the cup was poured into smaller cups and everyone drank. After that we went and did hand washing. Our landlord explained that all week we bring forth the fruit of our hands. On this day, we wash our hands to symbolize that it is not ultimately us, but God who provides. On this day we are washing away the works of our hands and consecrating them to God. No one speaks after the hand washing until the bread is blessed and no one had a good explanation of why that is. We all mostly did a good job except for my 7 year old and 5 year old sat shaking with the giggles which I think hastened the father's blessing of the bread a bit. :) Next the bread is blessed, with salt shaken over it to consecrate it as a sacrifice, and then it is passed to eat and we all ate.

After the bread is passed, they do a blessing of God. Again it was a bit vague on what we were doing, since who are we to bless God? But ultimately, they said that to start a meal, they do not ask Gods blessing on the meal, but instead give blessing to God. They turn back praise and blessing onto God. After the meal they thank him for the meal, but they never ask for a blessing. I thought this was interesting since every night we say something to the affect of "bless this food to our bodies...".

The meal then goes about as normal - it is kosher, so roasted meats and lots of vegies and grains(no dairy). They have been on a warmer since the shabbat has begun, since they are not allowed to heat anything up anew once the sun goes down. During the meal we had great conversation, with the father asking the children to talk about what they had learned at synagogue that week. They definitely ask a lot of questions in this culture and force you to think! Again in this culture (typically), the abba (dad) is expected to be the spiritual leader of the family and to ingrain the teachings of the bible and torah into the children.

The meal ends with several readings and songs, extoling God for who He is and all He does. They asked my oldest son to read parts of the blessings, and I was able to read as well. One twist to the story though, is that although FULLY Jew, both the host family and their other guests, are also believers in Yeshua (or who we westerners would call Jesus). That is another story, but they believe Yeshua is indeed the One God promised to them as messiah. Most good Jews will not say the name of God, and so have other names for him. Tonight they referred to him as "Hashem" or "The Name." All night long we referred to "The Name." To finish off the evening, the abba asked my son to sing for us his favorite song, which he did. His favorite song has a verse in it that goes "Blessed be The Name of the Lord...Blessed be His glorious Name..."

Our first Shabbat meal was a good one. I hope to be a part of more of them (and not just because of the free food). I think there is a lot to learn from the traditions here. And what a wonderful thing it was to hear my son lift up his voice to Bless The Name!

Sabbath Made for Man?

Today is the beginning of the Sabbath for us here in Israel. From around 3:30 PM on Fridays through 6:00 PM on Saturdays most of Jerusalem comes to a stop as people take the day to reflect on God.
In Mark 2:27, Jesus speaks of the Sabbath and says, “Sabbath was made for man”. After taking a look at the customs on the Sabbath, I have come to the conclusion that this verse should read, “The Sabbath was made for teenagers”. Allow me to explain some of the customs to help illustrate my point.

• Beginning Friday afternoon, no one is allowed to work or even acquire any new knowledge. In other words, homework, studying, and even reading to gain knowledge is technically prohibited (Although you can learn from Synagogue).

• Friday evenings usually include hanging out with friends over dinner and an abundance of wine is often involved.

• On Saturdays, it is the norm to sleep in as long as one desires. It is the day of rest.

• No work can be done on Saturdays. This means no washing dishes or clothes, no “taking out the trash”, no “cleaning your room”, no washing cars, no cooking, and no yard work can be completed.

• No one is allowed to go to work on Saturdays or Friday Nights. These times are reserved for spending time with friends.

• Finally, to prove that the Sabbath is for teenage boys, a truly observant Jew will not shower or brush their teeth on the Sabbath.

So, all of you parents out there who struggle to get your teenage son or daughter to do any work, make sure they do not read the Talmud which gives the Rabbis explanations of how one is to observe the Sabbath. This will only give them a spiritual argument for laziness on the weekend. For all of you teenagers out there, just tell your teachers and bosses that it is against your belief in God to work on the Sabbath so you demand some religious tolerance. Shabbat Shalom.

For deeper thoughts on what the Sabbath means, please Click Here to read my more philosophical blog.

The Week in Photos

This week the photos are a bit less cliche' as these photos show things that most tourists would not take the time to see.

This is a view of Herodian located in the Negev Desert. It is a palace built into the cone of this mountain built by Herod the Great around the time of Christ. In order to build this palace on the mountain. Herod had to build the mountain. In other words, he moved a mountain so he could have a palace higher and more prominent than the temple in Jerusalem. Was Jesus referencing this palace when he said a small amount of faith will allow you to do greater things than moving mountains?

This is just one of many old cemetaries that are left scattered througout town. In this particular one they have discovered several "Iron Age"' tombs.

This hill is what is now called Mt. Zion but is not the Mt. Zion from King David's time. It is located on the Western edge of the old city and is now the location of the "Church of Dormition" and Jerusalem University College (an American Bible Institute).

This is the valley of Ge Hinom. During the 1st Temple Period it was the place of human sacrifices made by the pagans. Steep cliffs on each side mark the location of these sacrifices. The name of the valley became known as the valley of Gehena (which became a metaphor for hell). In other words, this is an actual photo of hell.

One of the cliffs in Gehena.

Olive trees are abundant here. Everywhere you walk, you will find olives growing.

I stumbled upon this film crew from India filiming a documentary in the city. See, it is just like living in L.A.

This is the inside of the "Shops in Mission Viejo". Oh wait, it is actually the inside of Jerusalem's largest shopping mall that includes three levels of shops, cafe's, and it even has a KFC, a Kosher Pizza Hut, and a Burger King. Despite what most of the images portray, Jerusalem is a modern city with several shopping malls, high rise buildings, and flushing toilets.

Finally, this is the view from a cafe at the shopping mall located right outside the Jaffa Gate in the Old City.

The Case of the Shoe-Napper

Living in Jerusalem has its advantages. One advantage is that the weather is roughly the same as in Southern California except that, I am told, it rains here. Other than that we experience a very similar weather pattern. This time of year the daytime temperatures get up to 20 degrees Celsius and at night it drops to 10. (Okay, I am still American so the temperatures are 70 during the day and 50 at night in Fahrenheit).
Back to the point, the advantage of weather like this is that one can wear shorts (if you want to look American) and you can wear sandals everyday, which is very common here. This week someone stole my boys' shoes from outside our front door (in a locked building) so they have been reduced to wearing their sandals. Now on to the real point of this post.
Shoes. Someone who lives in our building of 12 units stole my boys' shoes. It is amazing how shoes can feel so personal. How can shoes being stolen make us feel so violated and disappointed? I honestly spent a day or two thinking about how awful it is to have shoes stolen. To make it worse, we just bought those shoes when we arrived in Israel so I feel that someone took 150 shekels from me. As I consider who lives in this building, I can assume (understanding what assuming will probably do to me) that these shoes were not stolen out of need but rather out of spite. Only 4 units in this apartment have children and ours is the only one with a boy over 7 years old so it is unlikely that someone needed a 7-year-old's pair of shoes. Also, we are the only ones in the entire building who are of a different religion than the others. Having said this I am sure we will find the shoes under a bed this week and I truly will fulfill the etymology of the word "ass-u-me", but if not, here is the lesson.
For several weeks now we have attended a Christian church here in Jerusalem that embraces the Messiah Jesus. This church and the people of this church face weekly dilemmas in following Christ. In the past month, the building was burned, one associated member was murdered in Gaza, and another person has his life under a serious threat in the West Bank. Each week we pray for these people, but more importantly, we pray for the ones who are doing these things. The church has made it clear that we will not hold grudges and that we will love and forgive those who burn our churches and take our lives. Nobody mentioned loving and forgiving those who take our shoes but after giving this some thought (and after examining the feet of every kid in the neighborhood) I decided that shoes probably apply in this scenario.
So, if someone stole my boys' shoes because they needed shoes, praise God that we could help them with their need. If someone stole our boys' shoes because they do not like those who follow the Messiah Jesus, then praise God that we are considered worthy of facing these challenges. If no one stole the shoes and they are lost under a bed, then praise God that we looked under the bed. And Praise God that we can wear sandals!

Ode to the Pita

I think I am starting to get the hang of grocery shopping and cooking in Israel. Some simple rules are: you go to the fresh produce stands once a day and get the bare minimum that you need so that you waste nothing. But if you can go to the large downtown souk (pronounced "shook") you can get food at about half price. You dont buy bakery items at the grocery store...only at the bakery down the street or at the souk. You only buy your meat at the souk or at the very large supermarket near the mall, called Mega. Cheese is not really a good price anywhere, unless you want feta or goat cheese. "Salty cheese" is their funny version of chedder but it doesnt taste anything like chedder. You can go a couple miles downtown to the Russian Markets where they sell real chedder like we are used to in the states. Blue is for unsalted butter, and Red is the salted. There is one percent and whole milk only. There are about 100 types of yogurt. And if you see an American brand item that you like, make sure that you buy all of it that is in stock because you may never see it again. Oh, and most packaged goods here have been expired at least 9 months by the time it gets to us. You need to plan on paying a higher price for everything for a smaller quantity, and you have to just stop balking everytime you see a 30 as a price for cereal (30 shekels equals about 7 USD).

There are some things things about shopping and eating here that I really love. One of those things is the fresh juices. There appears to be only one brand of juice in the entire country and they only provide fresh squeezed juices at high prices. But they are sooo yummy. I also love that I can get huge tubs of hummos here for just a few dollars - and I am talking HUGE tubs. And I love that most everything at the souk is fresh and inexpensive. And I really, really love the pita here.

I can get a big bag of hot, piping pita bread for less than two dollars - 6 of them costs about 75 cents or 2.50 shekels. Because pita is such a good deal around here, we use it for everything. Below is a list of the great things you can do with a pita:

You can fill it with peanut butter and jelly
You can fill it with eggs and cheese
You can fill it with leftover salmon, or with tuna and tomato
You can use it for sloppy joes
or hamburgers (they call it a McKabob here)
You can fill it with hummos and tomato-cucumber salad
You can put cheese in a pita, grill it up and have it be a grilled cheese pita (creative name, ehh?)
You can cut it in half, broil it and tell your 5 year old that it is a very large English muffin (with jam)
(have I mentioned that all of this is authentic Israeli cuisine?)
You can make it into croutons
You can make it into pizza (kosher of course, with sauce and salty cheese)

You can probably get the point - since we are sort of on a budget here (retirement income) the economy of the pita is incredibly appealing to me. Not sure yet if the family has joined in my little love affair, but I am sure they will come around. If you have any other good pita recipes, please send them my way. We will try them (just so long as any other necessary ingredients can be found at the souk.).

The Week in Photos

Morning is the time to beat the crowds in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.

Morning prayers at the Wailing Wall

Empty street on edge of Muslim and Jewish Quarters in the Old City

You can skate in Jerusalem

Before skating, make sure you stop by the Kippa man and get a proper head-covering.

The Russian Orthodox Church on Mount of Olives seen from Haas Promenade near our house.

Spice bins at the Mahane Yehuda Market. Make sure you make a good "phlem" sound when pronouncing the "h" in Mahane.

Cheese... as if you can't read the signs

The gate and the car that Jesus used to enter the city. Actually this is the Zion Gate in a portion of the wall rebuilt in the 1540's. Notice the bullet holes throughout the wall that are remnants from the 1948 war between Jordon and Israel.

Jesus.... okay, this really isn't Jesus

Don't Sweat the Big Stuff

My kids have incredible imaginations. They truly never cease to amaze me in how they can make something out of almost nothing. At home in California, I have witnessed bunk beds turn into castles, sand turn into Egyptian pyramids, and couch cushions turn into tunnels. The boys can go for a hike along the creek near our home, and turn into real scientists on a quest for a new archeological find. Even a peanut butter sandwich, if bitten in the right pattern, can turn into a pumpkin, or a bat, or part of the solar system. It can be a bit exhausting trying to keep up with them, but it is also a great joy to see their creativity run wild. When Ryan brought up the possibility of this move to Israel, and the world travel that comes with it, I had several concerns. (I wont list them all here but you can probably guess some of them!). One of my concerns was that the boys imaginations might be lessened a bit by the magnitude of the real sights that we would see. Suddenly, the boys are standing in the courtyard of a real castle, are travelling to Egypt to touch the pyramids, are actually making a playground out of a real archeological sight. Will they still be able to make a tunnel out of couch cushions, when for fun Ryan is taking them to a tunnel built by the biblical prophet Hezekiah some 2600 years ago?

Are we making it impossible to enjoy the small things in life when we are exposing them to the biggest things?

My concerns were first diminished some when we reached London, and I saw my second oldest son rolling on the grass in front of Westminster Chapel. And then when we got to Tel Aviv, and although yes, it was the Mediteranean sea, the boys were digging for pirate treasure and jumping in the waves the same as always. By the time we got to Jerusalem, I was definitely starting to feel better. We didnt bring any toys with us, and shortly after arriving here, I found the boys sword-fighting with clothes hangers, and wrestling with....couch cushions. Every day at the park, the boys first run around trying to find litter (plastic spoons and paper cups to be precise), to dig and build with - to build things like pyramids, and to dig things like tunnels that will lead them to underground chambers with new discoveries. Our craft time includes searching for twigs and leaves to turn into masterpieces, and my oldest son can still travel to the solar system and beyond with only a pen and paper.

This week we celebrated Halloween in Jerusalem (I think we were the only ones). I went to the market and bought some Israeli candy. My oldest son dressed up in cargo pants and a skateboarding t-shirt, and cut out some round medallions from a cereal box - he was an archeologist who discovers pirate treasure. My second son, draped towels over each arm, and cut out a mask with pointy ears from the same cereal box - he was a bat. My youngest son sat on his bouncy seat with some candy on his legs - and got to be one of the trick or treat stops for the boys. So I guess as a four month old, he got to be a house for Halloween! Ryan went to one room in the house with his candy, I went to another, and Benja to another (he didnt actually go by himself...he cant walk yet). The two other boys knocked on doors and we oohed and ahhed over their costumes, and gave them candy. They were just as excited (and loud) as they are at home doing trick or treating. Afterwards, we had our kosher cheese pizza and apple cider, and our second son said "this is the best Halloween Ever!" So I am thinking it is safe to say that the Big stuff cannot keep our kids from enjoying the small.

Although one of our children is planning an "Egypt" themed 8th birthday party...on location. That just might ruin future birthdays for him...but probably not.

Buses, Bricks, & Books

After a few weeks of living in Israel certain things become routine and familiar.
At first, I found myself intrigued by every ancient-looking structure and overwhelmed by the lack of any familiar writing on signs and storefronts. The first week here I would ask myself things like, “Where is the safest place to sit on the bus in case of a suicide bomber?” And I would make clever observations such as, “There seems to be a lot of Jewish people here”.
Now I am quickly beginning to feel like a local. Each day I head to the bus stop and manage to get on the correct bus in route to the University. I am able to understand the Israeli bus system and schedule. A basic rule of thumb in Israel is go to your bus stop anytime of the day and you are guaranteed to wait 20 minutes for your bus. No schedules are published because in Israel the bus comes when it comes and that is the schedule. So I get on my bus and drive across town past the old city and on to Mount Scopus.
Driving across Jerusalem I see what have now become quite familiar sites; Wine and cheese shops on every street, fruit markets located within each neighborhood, outdoor café’s, an incredible number of book stores (Israel is known to read more books per capita than any other country), and a consistent and comforting presence by Israeli police and military personnel. I even can read every sign (although I do not understand everything I read). The ride that once captivated my every thought has already become a 25-minute period of time that I can use to read and prepare for class.
En route to the University we pass piles of bricks that form the structures of some of the world’s most famous buildings. We pass sections of the city wall that were built around the time of Christ with the remaining wall being rebuilt in the 1500’s. Once passing through the city I come across another pile of bricks that make up Hebrew University. It is my oasis in a bustling city. After passing through strenuous security checks I enter a world of brick buildings among manicured green lawns and tall shade trees. Students from all over the world stroll the halls and relax in the courtyard. I almost feel guilty while enjoying the serenity of the college campus knowing that below the hill just south of here is the busy city of Jerusalem and a very short distance east is the entrance to the West Bank.
I spend my days in a combination of intense courses focusing on the historical setting of the bible and the world of early Christianity and in full immersion Hebrew classes. I realize that if I didn’t use the Hebrew language to study the Bible my efforts would be somewhat useless. With Israel being the only country in the world speaking Hebrew, this intense language study is all for the purpose of communicating with a population roughly the same as the state of Mississippi. Can you imagine putting forth the effort it would take to understand the language of the people in Mississippi just for one year of study? (Mississippi-English doesn’t even have any classic texts to study so that is one language I am not intent on learning.)
Back to the point; my impression of the University and level of scholarship I am immersed with is one of awe. The intellect of the people in my classes and the knowledge of the subject matter by the professors is considerably higher than anything I have experienced in the states. I will face a challenge this year to keep up and to produce a high level of acceptable academic work but this is why I am here so the challenge is appealing. The question becomes what will this year of intense academic and social study lead to? That is a question better left for a later time but for now I will sit outside on the campus while I wait for my next class (Biblical Archaeology) to begin.