Lazarus Tomb in Bethany

25/12/08
This was the last place in Jeruselam we visited before leaving for Eygpt. We drove to Bethany which was where the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary was. It was here that Jesus restored Lazarus to life (John 11 1-44). Here we had the chance to visit the traditional tomb of Lazarus.
We had to climb uphill to reach the tomb and then at the site of the tomb we had to go downwards through a narrow staircase to reach a hole. Oh gosh .... do I feel claustrophobic in that hole!

Dead Sea

25/12/08
On Christmas Day in the afternoon we were at a resort by the Dead Sea. Here is the lowest point on Earth, about 400 m below sea level. Even though it was suppose to be winter time, but the weather here seemed fine enough for some to take a swim, a dip or even a mud rub in the mineral rich waters of the Dead Sea. Many even floated on water without any effort.
Bishop James was all eager and ready to dip, float and rub mud all over in his simple singlet and shorts. Even though he is 82 years old, he is a strong fellow.

Qumran

Thursday 25/12/08
After breakfast we drove through the Jordan Valley to Khirbet Qumran. This is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. These scrolls include books of the Hebrew Bible, the most famous of which is the Book of Isiah. These documents were found hidden in jars in the caves and preserved in good condition for nearly 2000 years. Near these caves are the ruins of the Essenes Monastery, belonging to a Jewish religious sect, who were responsible for copying the Dead Sea Scrolls.

We however did not visit any caves at the National Park but instead went into the museum to watch a video presentation on the history of the Qumran caves and the Essenes Monks.

Christmas Eve / Manger Square

24/12/08
It was after Mass at Shepherds' Field that we drove onto Manger Square to soak in the festivities of the season. I heard that many were standing around waiting for the mid-night Mass to start in the churches around the area. Here I let the pics do the talking .....

Christmas Eve / Shepherds' Field

24/12/08
So we arrived at Shepherds' Field to celebrate Mass in a cave that was booked in advance for this purpose. The place was crowded with people as there were many such caves for pilgrims to celebrate Mass here. Our Mass at our cave was celebrated with an incident that marred the spirit of the joyous ocassion. Our tour director Tom Fernandez had the unhappy experience of encountering a meanie German Priest .... however by the grace of God, the incident was resolved with our Mass being celebrated first in good time.

We were tired as we had a full day ... Megan and Justin zonked out during Mass LOL

Christmas Eve

24/12/08
When we entered Bethleham, these are the high walls we first faced at the military checkpoint.
I heard that Bethleham is a walled up city and here I saw the gigantic concrete walls and the graffiti on them. Many locals are not happy with the walls being erected but they have to accept it. When these gigantic concrete walls were erected, I heard that many ancient olive trees were also destroyed.
Not all tourists are able to visit Bethleham freely cos' I heard that certain groups were turned back because of the absence of a Spiritual Director with the group.

This evening being Christmas Eve, we had a surprise from the military personnels that came on board to check the bus. This is the usual practise that whenever a tour bus enters Bethleham on Christmas Eve, the military personnels passed out Christmas pressies to us tourists. It is a nice gesture on the part of the Israeli government to give sweets to visitors in the Holy Land.

A sweet package pressie from the Israeli Government containing .... lollipops, chocolates and sour candies .... and a tag wishing visitors a Merry Christmas!

Wailing Wall N Church of the Visitation

24/12/08
After lunch we visited the Wailing Wall which is also called the Western Wall. This wall was part of the temple built by King Herod in the first century B.C. The Jewish people gather here and do their pilgrimage by offering prayers for the peace of Jerusalem and also for the coming of the Messiah.
When we were there, we can see the peace keepers all over the area and there was very tight security check on anyone visiting this place.

Later on in the afternoon, we went on to visit Ein Karem which according to tradition is the "City of Judah" associated with the life of John the Baptist. It was here that John's father Zacharias had his summer home and it was also here that the Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth.

The church is situated up on a steep hill and the architect Barluzzi designed the beautiful Church of the Visitation situating it on the site of the home of Elizabeth and Zacharias. Inside the church shows the fresco depicting The Visitation.