Eye On Israel

GIL ZOHAR
Travelujah

While Roman Catholics and Protestants in Israel and across the world celebrated Easter Sunday on 31st March this year, for hundreds of millions of Eastern Orthodox in Russia, Ukraine, Greece, the Holy Land and elsewhere the highlight of Easter 2013 came on Saturday, 4th May, when tens of thousands of the faithful packed Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher to witness the Holy Fire ceremony marking the resurrection of the Christian messiah.

The pageant, observed according to the Julian calendar which the Orthodox cling to, was already established in the ninth century when Bernard the Wise was told that an angel lit the fire on Easter night, explained Armenian historian George Hintlian. By Crusader times it had become a famous miracle. In Ottoman times horsemen stationed in the church courtyard carried the flame to Bethlehem and Nazareth. By the 19th century the fire was transported by steamer from Jaffa to the Greek Orthodox churches of the eastern Mediterranean.

Like the Olympic Torch, today the flame is taken by chartered jet to the monasteries on Mount Athos near Thessaloniki, and to Russia. As well, the colorful ceremony is broadcast live in countries like Serbia and Bulgaria, and throughout much of the former Soviet Union.

During the annual ritual carried out in the presence of many thousands of Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Coptic and Assyrian faithful, top clerics enter the Aedicule - the tiny chamber in the rotunda of the Holy Sepulcher marking the site of the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea in which Jesus’ body was placed on Easter Friday following his crucifixion. As the tension mounts in the darkened medieval basilica, a flame of “holy fire” - said to be miraculously descended from Heaven - was thrust out one of the portals of the shrine. Details of the flame’s source are a closely guarded secret. The “divine” spark was then quickly passed from candle to candle in a wall of flame while the faithful literally bathed in its glow and passed their hands unharmed through the fire.

For Frieda Batarseh, born in Old Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter but today living in London, UK, this year marked the first time in 45 years she has returned to her homeland. “It was never like this. Less people. More religious spirit,” she recalled while lining up on Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road in front of St. James Cathedral to march to the Holy Sepulcher one kilometer away accompanied by an Armenian boy scout troop playing bagpipes and drums.

“Witnessing it (the ceremony and sacred fire) is a beautiful sight,” said Avo Semerjiam, also born in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter and now living in Santa Barbara, California.

A heavy police presence locked down the Old City Saturday frustrating many pilgrims who were disappointed in their hopes of witnessing the miracle. Inside the Holy Sepulcher, the Crusader structure was slightly less crowded than in previous years - a reflection of the economic crisis gripping Cyprus and Greece which kept many of the faithful at home.

Unlike in previous years, this ceremony this Easter was free of violence.

Simon Sebag-Montefiore in his recent bestseller Jerusalem: The Biography recounts the bloody riot of 3rd May, 1834, when Egyptian leader Ibrahim Pasha came to the Holy Sepulcher. The Greek patriarch, in ‘magnificent procession’, entered the aedicule. The crowd awaited the divine spark. Lord Curzon saw the flicker then the flame of the Miracle which was passed to the pilgrim ‘who had paid the highest sum for this honour’, but ‘a furious battle’ broke out for the Fire; pilgrims fell to the floor in ecstatic faints; blinding smoke filled the Church; three pilgrims fell to their deaths from the higher galleries; an old Armenian lady died in her seat. Ibrahim tried to leave his seat but could not move. His guards, attempting to beat a way through the crowd, started a stampede. By the time Curzon ‘got as far the place where the Virgin stood during the crucifixion’, the stones felt soft under his feet.

“There was actually a great heap of bodies on which I trod. All dead. Many of them quite black with suffocation and others all bloody and covered with brains and entrails, trodden to pieces by the crowd. Soldiers with their bayonets killed a number of fainting wretches, the walls splattered with the blood and brains of men who had been felled like oxen.”

The frenzied stampede became a ‘desperate and savage’ fight for survival. - Curzon saw people dying all around him. Ibrahim only just escaped with his own life, fainting several times until his guards drew their swords and sliced a path through human flesh.

Bodies were ‘lying in heaps upon the Stone of Unction’. Ibrahim stood in the courtyard ‘giving orders for the removal of the corpses and making his men drag out the bodies of those who appeared to be alive’. Four hundred pilgrims perished. When Curzon escaped, many of the bodies were actually ‘standing upright quite dead’.

More recently as documented on YouTube, Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests have scuffled and fought with brooms over the right to clean certain areas of the church.

While impressed by the ceremony, Mike Ney - a material science engineer with Boeing Aircraft in Seattle currently stationed on contract in Tel Aviv - was skeptical of its miraculous nature. “It’s an easy trick we used to do in Gr. 8 chemistry,” he explained. “You mix phosphorus with an organic compound. As the organic solution evaporates, it leaves the phosphorus behind which spontaneously combusts with water vapor in the air. Imagine that someone in the 13th century didn’t know that. They didn’t know chemistry like we do today. They would have thought it was a miracle.”

Gil Zohar is a Jerusalem-based licensed tour guide, journalist and regular contributor to Travelujah-Holy Land tours, the leading Christian social network foocused on travel to the Holy land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah. He can be reached at gilz@rogers.com

RYAN JONES
Travelujah

Huddled in a hidden alley in East Jerusalem, hundreds of Christians from all corners of the world waited quietly in the crisp pre-dawn air to enter the idyllic Garden Tomb. They had come to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, and they would not remain quiet for long.

Having attended the Garden Tomb’s long-running “SonRise Service” in the past, though admittedly not for a number of years, it was striking how much it has changed. While still a solemn and reverent gathering, there was an undeniable freshness, even a youthfulness that lent itself to a truly celebratory atmosphere.

The setting couldn’t have been any more perfect. Garden Tomb director Richard Meryon reiterated something he has said several times in the past: “Some believe this to be the authentic tomb of Christ. But the truth is that it doesn’t matter, because the tomb is empty, and that is what we are here to celebrate.” Meryon has stressed before that whether or not it be the authentic location, the Garden Tomb serves as a visual teaching tool to bring worshipers closer to the reality of what Christ did for them.

As the sun crested the nearby Mount of Olives, the Christians filling every corner of the Garden Tomb’s peaceful sanctuary sang out “Christ is risen.”

And it wasn’t only the residents of the neighboring streets that heard this high praise. Thanks to the efforts of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), this year’s SonRise Service was broadcast around the world.

Why do Christians make such a celebration of this day, some of them traveling thousands of miles to do so?

In delivering the morning’s sermon, Pastor Wayne Hilsden of King of King’s Assembly in Jerusalem touched on that topic.

“We know the cross was necessary to pay for our sins, but what role did the resurrection play,” asked Hilsden, before answering his own question, “If Christ had not been raised, we would have no guarantee that God had accepted the payment.”

Keeping with the light and happy tone that characterized the service, Hilsden added, “The resurrection is the best news that ever came out of a graveyard.”

Attending the Garden Tomb’s SonRise service has always been a worthy pursuit for any Christian visiting the Holy Land. But it was clear that Meryon, Hilsden and all those involved were determined to make the event increasingly relevant for a new generation of believers. It is this writer’s recommendation that the younger generations of believers heed the invitation.

Ryan Jones lives in Jerusalem and writes regularly for Travelujah-Holy Land tours, the leading Christian travel network connecting Christians to Israel. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

Travelujah

Lina Makhoul, became the first Christian Arab girl to win Israel’s popular televised talent show, The Voice, which completed its second season last weekend.

The 19-year-old girl from Akko sang Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah beating a young Orthodox girl from Ashdod.

Israel’s reality show, The Voice is a franchise of the international version of The Voice, based on the singing competition launched in the Netherlands.

The show features renowned popular performing artists who initially hear the singers in blind auditions where they cannot see, only hear the auditioner. If selected as part of their group, the artists then train the contestants who are then judged by the audience in a number of rounds until one is eventually selected as the winner.

As the winner, Makhoul receives a record contract and a scholarship to attend music school.

BEATA ANDONIA and ELISA MOED
Travelujah

For the first time ever, Herod the Great has become the subject of an extraordinary exhibition at the Israel Museum entitled The King’s Final Journey. The exhibit, which opened to great fanfare yesterday, includes over 250 artifacts collected from the archaeological remains of several buildings and palaces constructed by Herod the Great including pieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The display features reconstructions and artifacts from Herod’s edifices at Herodium and Jericho. Starting with his funeral procession of Herod, which began at this third palace in Jericho, the visitor first arrives in Herod’s reconstructed throne room completed with restored frescos. As the visitor walks from room to room within the exhibit he is taken through many of Herod’s major building feats including Caesarea and Masada and artifacts from these sites and others along with digital restorations are on display. However, it is the newly excavated (as believed) Herod’s tomb, which takes center stage. The reddish sarcophagus of Herod, discovered outside the palace at Herodium in 2007, was found shattered in hundreds of pieces and was meticulously restored for the exhibit. It is pm display in the last room of the exhibit, adjacent to the magnificent royal room.

Why did Herod build his tomb on the northeastern slope of Herodium? While no one really knows the answer it is believed that he wanted the tomb to be seen from Jerusalem. As to why it was not within the palace grounds, speculation is that Herod, with his vast knowledge and respect of Jewish culture and its rules regarding impurity, understood that should his tomb be within the palace complex priests would not be able to visit. He therefore constructed the mausoleum on the highest possible spot ouside the palace.

The exhibition is dedicated to Professor Ehud Netzer, a prolific archaeologist who devoted much of his professional career to searching for Herod’s tomb. In fact in 1972, Netzer came within one meter of the tomb’s location during a dig at Herodium. However, it was another 40 years until he finally discovered the tomb in 2007. Knowing that this find would require a professional restoration team in order to protect and restore the significant artifacts discovered, he conceived the initial idea of Herod’s exhibit and brought in the Israel Museum to assist. Unfortunately, during the initial site tour at Herodium accompanied by members of the Israel Museum’s restoration team, Netzer fell from the theatre site and died from his injuries three days later. The Israel Museum team, led by co-curators David Mevorah and Silvia Rozenberg, and designed by Iddo Burn, spent the last three years planning the exhibit, which contains over 30 tons of material from Herodium and 250 artifacts from the site and other related sites throughout the region, as well as related artifacts on loan from other museums worldwide.

The exhibit plays tribute to Herod the man and his achievement as a regional imperial ruler with an obligation to be loyal to his imperial mandate het with an understanding that he was presiding over a magnificent golden age of Jewish life. According to museum director James Snyder, the exhibit “explodes this moment” of Jerusalem’s golden age by showcasing the grandeur of buildings constructed by Herod during this period. The exhibit “brings into context remote imperial rule during a pivotal time”, says Snyder. Which is, he explains, why this exhibit is of great interest, not only to Jews but to Christians as well. While Herod the Great may have died four years prior to the birth of Jesus, he ruled during a pivotal period in history, and his death and the subsequent rise of his son and the turmoil which began during his reign, paved the way to early Christianity.

Herod the Great
Herod the Great (73/74 BC – 4 BC) in 39/40 BC was appointed the client king Roman province of Judaea, consisting of geographical regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea. He the second son of Antipater the Idumean, a high-ranked official of Hyrcanus II, and his mother was Cypros who was a Nabatean.

After the conquest of Idumea by John Hyrcanus, all its residents were obliged to convert into Judaism or leave the area. Thus Herod as well followed the Jewish faith, however due to his Idumean blood, religious Jews of Judea did not considered him Jewish.

When Herod was 25, his father appointed him a governor of Galilee, but it was his brother Phasel who governed in Jerusalem. In the middle of the 1st century BC, Hyrcanus’ nephew Antigonus took his uncle’s throne by force. At that time, Herod escaped to Rome to ask for help in bringing him back into power.

Herod with the support of the Romans managed to win the kingdom from Antigonus – the Hasmonean dynasty came to the end giving the way to the Herodian one.

In the Bible, Herod is mentioned as the ruler at the time of Jesus’ birth. “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod” (Matt 2:1) The ruler was so obsessed with the wish of power and domination that when he heard from the Wise Men from the East that they are looking for the newborn King of the Jews, he decided to kill all the babies of Bethlehem and its surroundings.

Herod the Architect
In the early years of his reign, still before he became a mad man, Herod conducted multiple construction projects, which impressing results can be seen until today.

One of his great architectural achievements was expansion of the Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which was however tremendously destroyed, as predicted by Jesus, by the Romans in 70 AD. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Mark 13:2)

Other projects of the king include the advancement of water supplies for Jerusalem, imposing fortresses such as Masada or Herodium, founding new cities like Caesarea Martima or expanding the existing ones, e.g. Sebastiya. Herod built also the enclosure over Cave of the Patriarchs (Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi) in Hebron etc.

Death
Modern scholars commonly agree that Herod had a mental disease which resulted in paranoia and constant depression. As well, after basing their theories on the writings of the ancient historian Josephus, they suppose that in the last days of his life the king suffered from serious gangrene, which he tried to cure in the waters of the Dead Sea.

Herod died in his winter palace in Jericho. While on his deathbed, he became afraid that no one would mourn after his death, so he ordered to execute a large group of important personas, so the feeling of grief and loss would hit the country. However, finally this wish was not carried out.

After his death, Herod’s kingdom was divided between tree of his sons. Cesar Augustus apointed Herod Archelaus to rule over Judea, Samaria and Idumea, Herod Philip I to rule the northern part of the kingdom and Herod Antipas to take care of Galilee and Perea districts.

Burial
The location of Herod’s tomb is also described in the writings of Josephus Flavius as being at Herodium. Those documents gave a hint to the archaeologist Ehud Netzer, who focused his search in the area atop the tunnels and water pools.

Finally, after decades of search, on 7th May 2007 the archaeology team of Professor Netzer announced the discovery of the sarcophagus with no body inside. Scholars assume that it was destroyed during the first Jewish revolt against Rome (66 – 72 AD) in an act of hatred or revenge towards the tyrannical king. (Likely part of the reason why he had tomb hidden.) The reddish limestone sarcophagus was found shattered into hundreds of pieces on the floor of the tomb, unlike two other whitish limestone sarcophagi found at the site, which were found broken into many larger size pieces, indicating that they had been dropped.

Israel Museum
The mysterious tomb of King Herod and many more interesting findings can be now seen on display within the temporary exhibition entitled Herod the Great: The King’s Final Journey Exhibition in the Israel Museum.

The museum contains an impressive permanent exhibition of archaeological findings in the Near East, Jewish Life and Art, and an international Fine Arts collection.

The exhibition and its publications was made possible by a grant from the William Davidson Foundation of Detroit. other generous support was provided by Bank Hapoalim, Tel Aviv, Ingelborg and Ira Leon Rennert, New York, the Leon Levy Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, Sara and Avie Arenson and Dr David and Jemima Jeselsohn.

For more see the museum’s website www.english.imjnet.org.il/HTMLs/Home.aspx.

Beata Andonia and Elisa Moed write for for Travelujah - Holy Land Tours, the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

LAURA NICHOLS
Travelujah

Bethlehem is more than just the birthplace of Jesus Christ and a destination for Christian pilgrims. The city is a living, breathing piece of history both ancient and modern. Biblical architecture that spans eras is placed side by side with modern constructions resulting from decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Bethlehem’s small size make it easy to walk around and, contrary to salacious headlines, the city is relatively peaceful and an important destination not to be missed.

Getting in and getting out
A quick Google search explains getting into Bethlehem is immensely easier than trying to compromise on a two-state solution. The Jerusalem light-rail runs along Jaffa road for NIS 6.60 to the Damascus gate stop. When you exit the train the Arab bus station is behind you. The number 21 bus runs every 15 minutes and is NIS 7.60. The bus ride takes around 30-40 minutes and makes around 3 stops before it alights at the Bab al-Zqaq stop along the Jerusalem-Hebron Road in Bethlehem. From here, most main centers are walking distance but taxis are lined up with negotiable prices.

To leave Bethlehem to return to Jerusalem, take the same number 21 bus, on the same side of the street where you originally got off. If you’re nervous about the direction of the route, just double check with the driver that he is heading back to Jerusalem, he’ll say yes. The only difference on the ride back to Jerusalem is a stop at an IDF checkpoint. Sometimes the bus overcrowds with passengers standing and when the bus stops at the checkpoint, these passengers must get off and stand outside so a soldier can come on and check ID’s. Make sure to have your passport, the process is quick and painless and there is no reason to feel scared.

Bethlehem accommodations
Couchsurfing.com is a great way to meet expats or locals living in Bethlehem. Registration on the site is free and you can peruse profiles and send messages to potential hosts. People offer up couch space or spare rooms for free to backpackers or anyone traveling through. The community in Bethlehem is small and most of the couch surfers know each other. It’s not uncommon to meet someone you had previously emailed with while staying at the house of another host.

On the other side of the price spectrum, the five star Jacir Palace, part of the Intercontinental Hotel chain, is only a five-minute walk from the Bab al-Zqaq bus stop and it is the lap of luxury. Rooms start from around $US140. Even if you’re not staying there it is worth a moment to explore the building. The palace dates back to 1910 and the Palestinian Jacir family. In renovations and decoration, great care was taken in the furnishings and interior décor to reflect this time period. The impressive façade rises above the Jerusalem-Hebron road and one could easily mistake it for a museum if not for the “Intercontinental” signage on the front.

Bethlehem sites to see
Manger Square is the reason to visit Bethlehem with the Church of the Nativity its centrepoint. Church fatigue, exhaustion resulting from numerous trips inside holy houses of Christianity, is a common affliction. But it’s worth rising above to explore this historical site. The basilica was commissioned under the rule of Constantine in 327 AD and was built on the site believed to be where Mary gave birth to Jesus. The crypt is accessible through the church and during the Christmas season, pilgrims gather en-masse for the chance to experience such divinity. It is deceptively massive, a combination of the original Basilica and the more modern era Roman-Catholic Church of St Catherine. The holy site impresses upon the visitor a curious mix of modesty, in comparison to European Cathedrals, but an intangible sense of greatness in the scope of its sheer history.

Another not-to-miss sight is the Milk Grotto church. The entrance descends into a renovated hollowed out cave dating back to the Crusades. The story goes that the Virgin Mary hid in this cave to flee the massacre of the male children of Bethlehem ordered by King Herod. While nursing her newborn child, a drop of her milk fell on the rock she was sitting on and became a source of many miracles. The unique space is impressive enough just by virtue of its architecture and design. Marble pillars rise up into the natural arc of the cave. Tourists kneel in front of altars dedicated to the Virgin mother and kiss her portrait.

Walking through an alley out of Manger Square, many steps lead up and into the Old City of Bethlehem. Here, a new-age market has evolved in an ancient surrounding. The souvenir shops, fashion stores and housewares are for sale. An unspoken evolution of the needs of Bethlehem’s community is reflected in the goods but bakeries, fresh falafel and the fruit and vegetable market are as necessary today as they were in Biblical times.

The separation barrier, the contested concrete wall dividing Israel and the West Bank, is a short walk from the Jacir Palace and is as much a border marker as a canvas for political art. One of the walls most famous visiting artists was anonymous British guerilla stencil-artist, Banksy. Visiting the West Bank in 2005, Banksy created nine murals based on some of his most popular and notable sketches. Arrows and advertising on the wall point to the “Banksy giftshop” where prints can be purchased and a registered tour guide also offers up his service to point out some of the famed murals.

On the Bethlehem side of the wall it is hard to tell if any original Banksy’s remain but other contributions make the wall an impressive and moving site. Additionally, an initiative to publish first hand stories by Palestinian women hang on the northern side of the wall. According to one of the posters, the stories were chosen to reflect suffering, oppression, inner strength and steadfastness. An anecdote posted by Banksy on his website said that a Palestinian man approached him and told him his art made the wall look beautiful. When Banksy thanked the man he replied, “We don’t want it to be beautiful, we hate this wall. Go home.”

Bethlehem places to eat
Cafes and restaurants are plentiful along main boulevards in Bethlehem but street food and small snacks allow for eating and sight seeing in a short time span. For coffee on the go, the Stars and Bucks café looks eerily similar to another popular North American coffee chain. Ice cream is in the display case and all major styles of caffeinated drinks are made and travel ready. Even a simple cup of black coffee is dressed up with whole coffee beans dropped in. It’s worth it to patronize this coffee spot if only to acknowledge Palestinian entrepreneurship. The familiar green and white logo is hard to miss on the road up to Manger Square.

While site seeing in the bazaar of the old city, meals can be grabbed on the go from fruit and vegetables stand, fresh pita and falafel or even a personal pizza. Across from the Syrian Orthodox Church in the Old City a stand alone oven bakes fresh pizza for NIS 10. Without any instruction the pizza comes with a heap of green and black olives or can be made margarita style if specified. Tea is hocked through the streets and its fun to sit and enjoy while people watching.

If you’re more in the mood for something sweet, the small café of Oriental & Sweets DA’NA serves up quality pastries, coffee and tea in unpretentious settings. The café capitalises on its prime location just steps away from Manger Square but it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Trays line the counter with any and all sugar soaked philo dough pastries. The most important pastry to order is Kanafeh. The traditional Palestinian cheese pastry originated in the city of Nablus and is traditional Middle Eastern white brine cheese sandwiched between layers of philo dough and soaked in sugary syrup. A traditional cup of Arabic coffee with cardamom completes the Levant dish.

Laura Nichols writes regularly for Travelujah-Holy Land Tours, the leading Christians social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah. For more information on touring Bethlehem, please contact info@travelujah.com.

Travelujah

Hanukah is celebrated this year from sunset Saturday, 8th December, until sunset Sunday, 16th December. The festival commemorates both the 164 BCE rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the ruling Seleucid (Syrian Greek) Kingdom, under Antiochus IV - and the re-establishment of religious freedom for the Jewish people after a period of harsh repression.

The success of the popular revolt led by Judah Maccabee and his brothers has, ever since, symbolised the Jewish people’s fight for, and achievement of, its liberty and freedom as a nation against overwhelming odds. Hanukah is not a legal holiday in Israel; offices, shops and public transportation operate as usual.

In 200 BC, the Seleucid King, Antiochus III, conquered the Land of Israel and incorporated it into his kingdom. While neither he, nor his son and successor, Seleucus IV, forced their Hellenistic culture on the Jews, his second son, Antiochus IV, who acceded to the throne in 175 BC, instituted - with the active acceptance and support of many Jews - a policy of forced Hellenisation and enacted harsh policies against those Jews who refused to adopt Hellenistic culture. Under Antiochus IV, Jews were forced to eat pork, and Sabbath observance and circumcision were made punishable by death. In 167 BCE, the Temple was defiled and dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, and became the center of an idol-worshipping cult.

In 165 BCE, a popular revolt - led by Mattathias, an elderly priest from the town of Modi’in (east of Lod), and his five sons - broke out against Seleucid rule. Mattathias died soon thereafter, and was succeeded by his third son, Judah, also known as Judah Maccabee. Following a brilliant guerrilla campaign - as well as several victories over far larger, regular Seleucid armies - Judah’s forces liberated Jerusalem in the winter of 164 BCE. The Temple was cleansed and, on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, rededicated.

At that time, according to rabbinic tradition, when Judah’s men sought to relight the Temple menorah, or candelabra, only one day’s worth of pure, undefiled olive oil was found, but the limited quantity of oil miraculously burned for the eight days required for new oil to be pressed. Thus, the holiday of Chanukah commemorates both the liberation of Jerusalem and the rededication of the Temple, and the miracle of the oil. In one of the blessings (see below) recited each night, the Jewish people praise God “who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this season.”

Observing Hanukah
The main element of Hanukah observance is the lighting of the eight-branched menorah (or chanukkiah) in the late afternoon, but not before the sun has begun to set, or at night. On the first night, one candle (or oil lamp) is lit, with another one being added on each successive night until the eighth night when all eight candles (or oil lamps) are lit. One extra light (the shamash) stands apart from the others and is used to light them. Special blessings are said when lighting the menorah, which is traditionally placed in a window or doorway where it will be visible from the outside - in order to publicize the miracle of the oil. It is customary to eat foods fried in oil - typically jelly doughnuts or potato pancakes - during Chanukah.

In addition, children are given four-sided tops as toys. In the Diaspora, the sides bear the Hebrew letters that form the acronym: “A great miracle happened there.” In Israel, the sides bear the Hebrew letters that form the acronym: “A great miracle happened here.” In the State of Israel, Hanukah is marked by a torch relay from Modi’in to Jerusalem and giant menorahs are also lit in public squares.

Hanukah is marked by special prayers and scriptural readings in the synagogue, as well as by a special addition to the regular blessing after meals.

Interestingly the Book of the Maccabees is not found in the Hebrew Bible. Rather, it was preserved by being canonized by the Catholics.

Hanukah in Film
Clips from three films (courtesy of the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive) that depict the various ways in which Chanukah has been celebrated:
• Tomorrow’s A Wonderful Day (1948) (from 39:04 min to end);
• Jerusalem My City (1950) (from 13:19 min. to end);
• As Long As I Live (1961) (from 15:44 min to end)

Travelujah - Holy Land Tours, is the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

GIL ZOHAR
Travelujah

More than 2,000 Roman Catholic pilgrims gathered at Capernaum last Saturday (13th October) amongst the ruins of this 2,000-year-old Galilee fishing town in a joyous yet solemn multilingual sunset service commemorating the life and work of Jesus at this site. The pilgrimage is planned as the first in a new annual tradition to be held on the second Saturday in October, according to Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land - the highest ranking member of the Franciscan order in Israel.

The ceremony began at the lakeside of the Sea of Galilee, and then moved past the House of Peter to the site of the ancient syngogue where Jesus preached. The mass celebrated the sacraments instituted by Jesus during his three years in Capernaum: the eucharist, reconciliation, and anointing of the sick.

The collection taken after the mass was designated for the Christian community in Syria, which is suffering great hardships in the grinding 20-month long civil war which has cost more than 32,000 lives in that country.

The decision to rededicate the Franciscan shrine at Capernaum was taken during the Franciscan Discretory meetings held in July 2011 when, at the recommendation of the Secretary of the Holy Places, three new annual pilgrimages to the site were fixed: The Feast of the Promise of the Eucharist, on the 3rd Friday of Easter; The Solemnity of St. Peter the Apostle, on June 29th; and The Solemnity of Capernaum, the City of Jesus, on the 2nd Saturday in October. The three new annual pilgrimages to Capernaum, “The City of Jesus”, commemorate three different salvific events: after his Baptism; after the arrest of John the Baptist at Machereus in Jordan; and before his departure for Jerusalem where he was crucified and resurrected.

The accounts in the New Testament regarding Jesus’ activities at Capernaum can be summarized into three stages: the preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God; the calling of the first apostles; and the miraculous healing of disease and forgiving of sins.

These Gospel passages are particularly linked to the Synagogue, the house of the Apostle Peter, and to the lakeshore.

“Through our celebrations, we intend to memorialise precisely this: faith in the Gospel, the call to follow Christ, the Sacramental life of the Church,” said Father Silvio de la la Fuente, secretary general of the Holy Land.

“In addition, the solemnity occurs at the season marking the end of agricultural work; and for this, then, one should include thanking God for the fruit of the last annual harvest.”

According to Luke, Capernaum was the home of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew.

In Matthew 4:13 the town was reported to have been Jesus’ home. One Sabbath, He preached in the synagogue and healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil. Notably this story is the only one common between the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke but not contained in the Gospel of Matthew.

Afterwards Jesus healed a fever in Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. According to Luke 7:1-10, it is also the place where a Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant.

Capernaum is also mentioned in Mark 2:1 as the location of the famous healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof to reach Jesus. According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus selected this fishing village as the center of his public ministry in the Galilee after he left the mountain hamlet of Nazareth (Matthew 4:12-17).

Capernaum had no obvious advantages over any other location around Lake Kinneret, so he probably chose it because it was the home of his first disciples, Simon (Peter) and Andrew. He also formally cursed the city, saying “You shall be brought down to Hades,” (Matthew 11:23) because of their lack of response to his teaching.

Indeed the town fell into ruin and was never rebuilt.

Gil Zohar is a licensed tour guide and writes regularly for Travelujah - Holy Land tours. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah.

ARIEL BEN AMI
Travelujah

“Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’” (Matthew 24:1-2)

During the excavations that took place in the Jewish Quarter after the Six Day War in 1967, archaeologists discovered the ruins of a house that had collapsed and been burnt by a fierce fire.

Welcome to Beit Katros - the home of an important family of priests who served in the Second Temple and are mentioned in the Talmud. Visitors to the restored ancient site are in for a unique experience: a gripping multimedia, sound and light show dramatically recreates the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Second Temple against the backdrop of the social strife and fraternal division that undermined the foundations of the Jewish nation.

The drama makes every visitor a part of the Katros family and of Jerusalem during those last tragic days of the city that Jesus knew and loved.

Entering the small museum, as one walks down towards the remains of the house, panels along the stairs bear sobering inscriptions from the Talmud and from the first century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius attempting to explain the destruction of the city and its sanctuary: “Why was Jerusalem destroyed? The first time because of idol worship; the second time because of unqualified hatred. Woe to the children because of whose sins I destroyed my home and burnt down my sanctuary and cast them into exile among the nations of the world.”

The excavations have uncovered the full fury of the catastrophe: collapsed walls, stones seared by fire, charred wooden beams, soot, and shattered household utensils beneath heaps of fallen stones.

An iron spearhead found leaning against the wall in a corner of a room and the bones of a young woman’s arm found in the kitchen are further evidence of the fierce battle that took place here.

Numerous stones vessels remain in the various chambers, as well as stone tables, basalt mortars, cooking pots, measuring cups, weights and containers. As is the case in the houses of the Herodian Quarter, the predominance of stone items is explained by the Jewish laws of ritual purity, which state that stone vessels cannot become ritually impure.

An engraving found on one of the weights says “(de) Bar Katros.” The House of Katros is known to have been one of the priestly families serving in the Second Temple.

In an instant, the scene of destruction comes back to life as a film is projected on a screen lowered over the ruins and we are transported nearly 2,000 years back into the villa of the Katros family.

The story, narrated by a young man by the name of Zadok, begins with a festive Passover meal in the Katros home. Pinchas, Zadok’s father, is the head of the family and a priest. As the family and their guests commemorate the Exodus and their freedom from Egyptian slavery, they are clearly preoccupied by the immediate danger of the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman army. The Jewish revolt that had begun four years earlier has taken a disastrous turn. Like most priests, Pinchas tends to favor conciliation with the Romans. But Zadok is distressed that people are being killed by the Romans down in the lower city while the Jewish zealots are leading active resistance against them.

Pinchas reassures those present: “We have nothing to worry about: we are a family of priests. Who would touch a family of priests?”

He even dismisses his wife’s worries and her suggestion that they leave the city: if worse comes to worse, says Pinchas, they will find refuge in the Temple. When she suggests that even the Temple could be destroyed - as it had already happened in the past - Pinchas is outraged: “The Temple…destroyed? Unthinkable!”

Then Pinchas finds out something about his son Zadok’s role in the resistance against the Romans that makes him livid with anger. He is just about to throw his son out of the house when the housemaid intervenes: “the Temple will not survive if you continue to hate each other!”

As the Romans break into the city, tragedy strikes - first the Temple, and then the Katros family. When Zadok returns home, in the midst of his grief he exclaims: “something tells me that we will one day return here, and that we will again inhabit the streets of Jerusalem.”

These words of hope are echoed by the words of the prophet Zechariah as the film transitions into images of lively families and children in the rebuilt Jewish Quarter of today:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets… Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness” (Zechariah 8:4-8).

Revisit and experience the last days of Second Temple Jerusalem with a visit to the Burnt House!

The Burnt House is located at 2 Hakaraim St, Jewish Quarter of the Old City, in Jerusalem. It’s open between 9am-5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm Friday, and 10am to 5pm Sunday. The entrance fee is $4.75 per adult, $3.75 per child. Phone 972-2-6287211.

Ariel Ben Ami was born in Canada and is currently a doctoral student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and writes regularly for Travelujah-Holy Land Tours. He is fascinated by the Jewish roots of Christianity and enjoys writing about Biblical and theological topics. He is the founder and director of Catholics for Israel, a lay apostolate dedicated to building bridges and fostering reconciliation between Israel and the Church.

GIL ZOHAR
via Travelujah

In 1918, towards the end of the First World War, when the British army’s advance precipitated the collapse of the tottering Ottoman Empire, the Samaritan population had been reduced to 146 souls. It seemed this ancient culture was on the brink of extinction.

The custom of endogamous marriage had led to dangerous inbreeding, resulting in a high percentage of genetic defects including colour blindness, congenital respiratory deficiency and deaf-mutism. Moreover, male births outnumbered females two to one, resulting in an acute shortage of potential spouses.

The Samaritans were rescued from ultimate oblivion by Zionism and the beginning of large-scale Jewish immigration to Palestine in the early 1920s. At that time, some 54 Samaritans left the primitive conditions of the Nablus ghetto to live in Holon, a new Jewish settlement near the then predominantly Arab port city of Jaffa and the newly-founded Jewish town of Tel Aviv.

Most of the settlers were members of two clans - the Tsedakah and Marhib. In 1924 one of these settlers - Yefet Tsedakah, met and married a halutza (a Zionist pioneer) who had recently immigrated from Russia.

Their union was the first between the lines of Israel and Judah since the time of King Solomon. A number of such marriages have taken place in the ensuing decades, all between Samaritan men and female Jews. There is no male conversion procedure.

Throughout the years of British rule, the enclave in Holon remained static numbering between 40 and 50. Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the War of Independence and Jordan’s annexation of Judea and Samaria (renamed the West Bank), the Samaritans were divided in two. Families left Nablus to join their kin in Holon, making the two communities roughly equal in number.

The Samaritans of Holon were recognised as Children of Israel under the Law of Return, Israel’s repatriation act, and became full-fledged citizens of the nascent Jewish state.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Israel’s second president, took a personal interest in their integration. Due to his efforts a self-contained neighbourhood- Shikun ha-Shomronim - was built in Holon in 1954. Nine years later a kinshah or synagogue and community centre were added.

The Samaritans of Holon gradually adjusted to the ethos of a modern Westernised society. The younger generation has become progressively more acculturated though so far resisting religious assimilation. In external appearance, the Holon Samaritans are indistinguishable from their Jewish neighbours and serve together with them in Zahal (the Israel Defence Force).

The 1949 truce secured in Rhodes, ending hostilities between Israel and its Arab neighbours, contained a proviso guaranteeing the Israeli Samaritans the right to visit their relatives in Nablus and to participate in the Passover pilgrimage to Mount Gerizim. However, the Jordanians honoured this agreement mainly in the breach, claiming it would infringe on security.

For the next 18 years, the Passover celebration was the sole occasion when most of the community was united. The paschal lamb sacrifice became an annual assembly for matchmaking. In consultation with the High Priest, prospective couples decided which partner would join the other to live in Israel or Jordan.

During this period the Holon community became progressively more established and prosperous, and the Nablus community more impoverished and persecuted.

With the Israeli victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, the two communities were free to meet all year long. A feeling of national renaissance took hold. Never faltering in their belief that they are God’s Chosen People and that the day will come when Providence will again favour them, the Samaritans interpreted the reunion of their divided community as a divine omen.

Israel’s Civil Administration has indeed proven to be a blessing. The Samaritan presence in Nablus dovetails with rightist Israeli desires to settle the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria, notwithstanding Israel’s 1996 withdrawal from the city of 130,000. That year the Nablus Samaritans were granted Israeli citizenship.

A settlement called Qiryat Luza has been built on Mount Gerizim, strategically overlooking Nablus, an-Najah University and the Balata refugee camp, all hotbeds of Palestinian nationalism and scenes of rioting during the first and second Intifadas. The settlement, now home to the entire community, provided a housing alternative to the hopeless overcrowding of the medieval ghetto. There are 72 families in Holon. Two synagogues have been constructed, one in Holon and the other at the ceremonial site of the Passover sacrifice. A community centre come museum and kindergarten have also been built with the assistance of a $US185,000 donation from the Vatican’s Pontifical Mission to the Holy Land.

A water pipe has been laid and a road paved to serve the new community on the holy mountain. The settlement has been connected to Israel’s national electricity grid.

Archaeological excavations were carried out for 18 years beginning in 1982, led by Yitzhak Magen - the Israeli Civil Administration’s chief archaeologist for the West Bank - as if to further strengthen the connection between past and present. In 2000 the Israel Antiquities Authority dedicated a 100-acre archaeological park comprising the Samaritan temple and other remains that reveal the ancient city had a population of 10,000 living in a sophisticated urban environment.But few tourists venture deep into the West Bank to see the ruins.

The once fierce controversy over the true Temple Mount has been put aside. Israel’s past president, Chaim Herzog, has assured Samaritan leaders, “Whatever the political settlement, I promise that the Samaritan community will never again be separated.”

The 3,000-year-old rift between Jew and Samaritan has been healed. The Samaritans today may be seen as the remnant of a once-sovereign nation whose system of religious beliefs has been seemingly arrested in time. But they are also an illustration of how ethnic and religious conservatism can safeguard a minority group that would otherwise have vanished almost without a trace.

If you go:
There are no regularly scheduled group day tours to Mt Gerazim, however, a tour to the area can be arranged using a licensed Israeli tour guide. The site is proximate to other Biblical sites such as Shilo and Nablus, all of which could be included in a private day tour of the area. For more information please contact info@travelujah.com.

Gil Zohar is a licensed tour guide and journalist and he blogs regularly for Travelujah - Holy Land Tours, the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travelujah. Gil can be contacted at gilzohar@rogers.com

GIL ZOHAR
via Travelujah

On 4th May, 2012, the Samaritans of the Holy Land will celebrate the annual Passover sacrifice. But who are the Samaritans? And how is it that this community continues to survive in the Holy Land?

In 722 BCE, 200 years after the split between Solomon’s sons Jeroboam and Rehoboam, the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Much of the vanquished population were deported as slaves to Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). Vassal peoples living in what is now Syria and the border between Iran and Iraq were brought in their stead to settle the barren land.

Jewish tradition maintains that the Samaritans are the descendants of these colonizers who adopted some Israelite rituals (II Kings 17:24-29), a charge adamantly denied by Elazar and his fellow Samaritans.

The enmity between the Jews and Samaritans continued for centuries. The Hebrew prophets continually upbraided the northerners for their sins. Isaiah delivered a tongue-lashing against “the drunkards of Ephraim” (Isaiah 28:1) and the name Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, has become a synonym for impudence and licentiousness.

The parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospels (Luke 10:2-37) obliquely refers to the acrimonious relations between the rival faiths. Jesus uses the Samaritans as a metaphor of despised, yet helping people, that is, the good Christian.

In the Talmud, the Samaritans are disparagingly called “Cutheans” after the Babylonian city of Kuthah, one of the places from which the Assyrians relocated settlers.

At the beginning of the Christian era, upwards of one million Samaritans were living in the hill country and plains of central Palestine, and Shechem had developed into a major city. The first-century Jewish historian Josephus recounts the ancient love story which led to the construction of the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim in 332 BCE. According to Josephus, a Jerusalem high priest named Menashe flouted Jewish law by marrying a Samaritan woman named Nikaso. Menashe was given the choice of leaving his wife or the Temple cult. Nikaso’s father Sanballat, leader of the Samaritans, promised to build him an exact replica of the Jerusalem Temple and make him high priest there.

In 170 BCE the Seleucid ruler Antiochus I converted the Temple into a shrine to Zeus. Both the pagan sanctuary and the city below were razed by John Hyrcanus in 113 BCE. (The zealous Hasmonean king also conquered Idumea to the south, the homeland of the biblical Edomites, whom he forcibly converted to Judaism.)

This tradition of persecution was continued by the Christian Byzantines - who built the Church of Mary Theotokos atop the ruins starting in 484 CE. Throughout the centuries the Samaritan population gradually dwindled, decimated by invasion and forced conversions.

With the conquest of the Holy Land by Islam in CE 632, the Samaritans became a pariah people restricted to their ghettos and compelled to wear distinctive dress.

By the time of the Crusades, they were reduced from a great nation to a scattered and broken sect - one segment in their ancient homeland, another in Damascus, and a third spread thinly along the coastal towns between Jaffa and Egypt.

By the middle of the 19th century, all settlements other than Nablus had been abandoned and their remaining members concentrated in the enclave at the foot of Mount Gerizim.

Gil Zohar is a licensed tour guide and journalist and he blogs regularly for Travelujah - Holy Land Tours, the leading Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. People can learn, plan and share their Holy Land tour and travel experiences on Travleujah. Gil can be contacted at gilzohar@rogers.com