Via Dolorosa is the name of a street through the old city of Jerusalem. It has also become known as the, “Way of the Cross.” With a guided map (or some rambling around in the city) a tourist can stop at 14 different stations depicting the journey Jesus took from the time he was scourged by order of Pilate until he was removed from the cross. Several of the stations are based on tradition rather than scripture. This is a downloadable map I found online, but several people sold maps for $1 along the route.
Category: Israel Land Tour
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is controlled by Palestine, and we entered a checkpoint before arriving in the city. How much of the land known as Israel belongs to Israel and how much belongs to Palestine is still a contentious subject. Our guide is a resident of Israel, a Palestinian by nationality, and a christian by choice. We found all the Palestinians we encountered to be kind and friendly toward us. Of course, we stayed in the tourist areas, otherwise we possibly could have met others who would have acted differently.
Wadi Qelt
Also known as the, “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” from Psalm 23, this valley is covered in darkness most of the time due to the narrow opening between two very steep cliffs. I said many quick prayers as several members of our group walked right up to the edge of the cliff to get a closer look at the monastery below. The terrain from our vantage point was composed of loose rock, small pebbles and some larger rocks. In the states, there would be signs posted everywhere for people to watch their step, or caution signs not to venture close to the edge. I kept thinking, “Will our travel insurance pay to airlift someone out of here?” Klutz as I am, I kept my distance from the edge. Continue reading “Wadi Qelt”