Jerusalem is a rich mix of ancient and new
(Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Jerusalem)
On the fourth day of our trip, we ate lunch at a restaurant on the Sea of Galilee that specializes in meals of fish and bread such as would have been eaten in Jesus' day. The fish had been dipped in cornmeal and then fried whole. If one could ignore that dead fish eye looking up at you, the fish were delicious, although they really had little meat on them. The fish were said to be of the same variety as those which Peter and Andrew netted in the Sea of Galilee, but most of those served to tourists are raised in fish ponds, we were told.
Leaving Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee, we traveled along the west side of the Jordan River. Our next stop was along the Jordan not far from where the river flows out of the sea, at the spot where, tradition says, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. The river here is about 20 feet wide, and is fringed with grass and trees. Residents of a nearby kibbutz have built a series of ramps and steps down the low riverbank, so that anyone may get down to the water easily. Some people dip in their hands or feet and some fill small bottles with the water, but everyone takes pictures.
The remainder of that day was spent driving south toward Jericho, paralleling the Jordan River and with the higher bluffs of the modern country of Jordan always in view to the east. We bypassed Jericho, partly because it is one of the cities with predominantly Arabic populations which were recently turned over to Arab self-government.
Jordan River PicturesEven without stopping at Jericho, it was after 5 p.m. when we reached Jerusalem just in time for the rush hour, which is quite noticeable in the modern city which surrounds the ancient Biblical sites. Jerusalem is an amalgam of bustling, modem commerce and treasure house of ruins both ancient and almost ancient. The city is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 14:18, which says that Melchizadek was "king of Salem," Joshua and others called it "the city of the Jebusites," but when David makes the city his capital, the Bible refers to it as "Jerusalem."
Over the centuries, the city was fought over, knocked down and built up again, even before the time of Christ. Then, in 70 A.D., the Roman emperor Titus supervised his men as they leveled most or all of the city. For some years the ruins lay undisturbed, but gradually rebuilding began atop the rubble left by the Romans. Rebuilding has been underway almost ever since. Even in the centuries since the Roman era, Jerusalem has seen its share of fighting, as battles for territory or for religious reasons have surged over the city. Notable among the attackers were the Crusaders in the middle ages, and the Israelis and Arabs of the modem world.
All this disruption has left old Jerusalem as a hodgepodge of narrow crooked lanes, some of them roofed and many with steps leading up or down. Tiny shops line each lane, spilling their wares out onto the walkways as merchants try to gain the attention of passing tourists.
The modern part of Jerusalem was started less than 150 years ago, and it continues to expand. The city's primary industry is diamond-cutting, with the highly visible tourism business a close second. The city is expanding rapidly, with suburbs springing up to the north and west of the city. Most housing is in apartments, because the land is too valuable to allow single-family housing with lawns and the other suburban sprawl to which Americans are accustomed. Even the apartments are small and expensive, local residents relate. Apartments typically are sold, rather than rented.
Most people in Jerusalem do not own automobiles, although there are enough cars to make the streets seem crowded. But, we were told, the import duty on a new automobile is nearly equal to the price of the car. Gasoline sells for nearly $4 per gallon and city dwellers have almost no places to park vehicles. Fortunately, bus service is widespread and frequent, so that the locals do have the means for getting about.
Because the city is so tightly knit, it is possible to walk to many destinations. From our hotel near the main shopping center of Jerusalem, it was about half a mile to the Jaffa Gate, the closest entrance to the Old City. But we could buy groceries, used paperback books in English, souvenirs almost anything, including a MacDonald's hamburger within three or four blocks from the hotel.
Day 3 Return to Israel start page Day 5
