Thorns

This small prickly bush in the middle has a special significance, it is the same plant use to make the crown of thorns put on Jesus’s head.

 

King David Citadel light show

Went to an exciting outdoor show last weekend in the Old City.

Inside the David Citadel has a huge collection of illusions done with projectors. Check out this video.

Think of the castle with audio recordings of some people from hundreds of years ago speaking and shadows of the people of the time moving around. Once a group of 15 of us had walked around the edges of building we sat down for the main part of the show, this is an stunning piece of illuminated theatre which shows the walls on three sides of us were covered by moving imagery of Jerusalem’s history.  It was thoroughly enjoyable and unique way to show history in a spectacular way.  Even with the large group of us as were there early we managed to secure really good seats on a balcony.

Mount of Olives wanderings

 

 

The Mount of Olives.   Some day this the stage where Jesus will return as documented in Zechariah 14 : 3

Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.  You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

Can’t remember the name of this Russian church, these shaped buildings always makes me think of the game Tetris for some reason    Wonder if someone has to polish those gold coloured domes.   Brasso anyone?

Obligatory camel rides offered to tourists by some Arab teenagers, as well as big Jerusalem wall charts and post cards you can barter for.

Right: This is apparently the tomb of Absalom, the rebellious son of King David.

Useful links

some interesting links I will update from time to time

Links

Bridges for Peace, the Christian charity I will be working for
www.bridgesforpeace.com

Pictures and blog of biblical locations
www.bibleplaces.com

Online bible in multiple languages and different translation
www.biblegateway.com

Walid Shoebat, an ex-Palestinian Terrorist who found Jesus.
www.shoebat.com

 

Caesarea

Roman Amphitheatre overlooking the Mediterranean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the distance you can see the coal power electricity station with pier for receiving fuel from ships.

That day the amphitheatre has some TV company filming some show.

Mount Carmel

Myself, my Dad and his two friends went to Mount Carmel after staying in Netanya.

 

This maybe the place on Mt Carmel where there was twelve stones mentioned in the bible – although I could just see ten of them plus the statue thing in the middle.

1 Kings 18
18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel……

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.”

 

 

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The tomb of Jesus

A few weeks ago on a Tuesday I got finish work at 4pm, as we are encouraged to take a hour of work to go and pray. Tuesday afternoon was not picked by anyone else so I used this time to go and visit the Tomb of the Rock.

After printing out a map I left work and headed towards the old city and follow around the edges of the city walls, I got to a busy Arab part which had a market in full swing outside, two Arab men suddenly run up to each other and kiss on both cheeks, no, they are not gay, this is just a symbol of friendship very different from the west, at the market there were people with children’s clothes on cars, a blanket with a big tangled heap of mobile chargers for sale, pirate DVDs of Dora the Explorer which had the covers done on a cheap inkjet printer were on a stand next to a Arabic CD of MP3s of Islamic teaching, the atmosphere is still one of being at the same frenetic pace that I have used to been seeing in Jerusalem.

Here I got a bit lost as I couldn’t see the street I needed, the market tents and stacked up boxes of fruit and pickup trucks had hidden the street signs, after going past an unassuming bus station and twice missing the road, I decided this was the right one, a short journey later and I see a sign post that takes me in to a alleyway to an attractive green painted door with a sign for the tomb, at the gate I am asked if I have been here before, I told the lady yes twice. I am given a leaflet which shows how to walk around in a methodical fashion to see the small park in its full detail, but instead I make a beeline directly for the tomb.

For some reason this journey today reminds me a DVD I have of U2’s Rattle and Hum music video, in this film Bono & co take a journey around America searching for their musical heros visiting the America’s fertile grounds that sprouted musical history, stopping off at Harlem in New York, Chicago and later the film kind of climaxes at Tennessee, at of course, Gracelands, the iconic home of Elvis Presley where the king of rock and roll was buried in his garden.

Here, I am looking for another legend who had a simple upbringing but almost everyone has heard of, this location was quite a costly prepaid burial site that was given by Joseph of Aramathea, as everyone knows the resurrection was only 3 days later, as a shrine to Christ himself there is a mixture of emotions that come from this place, I like the fact the garden is quite simple but well maintained and free of rubbish and there is plenty of seating for church groups to sit and have teaching, although there are wheel chair ramps, handles, and outdoor lighting, plus of course the ubiquitous gift shop although this is a modest affair with mostly tasteful souvenirs of biblical history.

This place is thought to be the most likely burial place of Jesus, as it does seem to match the details outlined in the scriptures, but who knows tombs of this kind could have been contemporary with this era. There is even a groove in the front which means a rolling stone could lock the front. A replica stone which is a lot smaller was on display elsewhere in the garden. There are some slightly ugly bricks in part of the door edge as it was repaired at some point. Inside there are some iron railings inside that split the tomb up and my understanding is part of the bed of the tomb was sawn and taken out and put in the church of the holy sepulchre.

After praying and contemplating for a while to look in the shop on the way back, this man asked me why I was still here, apparently the place had closed 10 minutes ago, and he was locking up and didn’t see me. I headed off back home.

…so that today you are as many as the stars in the sky…

This recent news story reminded me of this passage in the bible Deuteronomy 1 : 10

A 99 year old Jerusalem woman who recently passed away leaving 11 children who in turn, now each have many grandchildren, now has 1,400 descendants!

my back

Few days ago I played frisbee with about 10 of us in the park.   Has to be said I don’t really do sport.  If I engage in anything that might involve tackling or taking control physically of some item like a ball from someone else I tend to ending hurting someone.   Instead I took a leap to grab the spinning plastic disc about 6 feet away from me and try to do a goalkeeper type leap and later that afternoon I found that my back was sore.

This kind of worried me, but after some praying and sitting in hard upright chairs for a couple of days, the pain has gone.   Similar things healing has been happening with some other people I work with.  The Lord is good.