Israel Study Tour Diary 2012

This is an excerpt from a daily journal I had to write (for a grade) on my study abroad trip to Israel for my study tour class. I originally had the text littered with my photographs, but formatting won’t allow me to upload all of those in the right areas. Anyway, you’ll get a sense about what I thought about everything I saw.

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary July 30’th 2012

            Today we went to see Tel Megiddo, Bet She’an, and Bet Alpha (Scythopolis).  At Bet She’an we saw the remnants of crusader constructions as well as very impressive Hellenistic ruins. I was surprised that the evidence of an earthquake was preserved by excavators and even more surprised by the huge scope of what was uncovered. I enjoyed the hypocaust and mosaic floors (see image 3) because of studying them in earlier classes, but I thought the sculptures around the excavated areas were a little absurd.

                  In Bet Alpha, we were able to see the floor of a synogogue (see image 4) which was contemporary with the site of Bet She’an.  Surprisingly, the temple floor includes a zodiac with the Sun God Helios at it’s center. I thought this was odd for a synagogue to put a pagan god at the center.  After the movie at Bet Alpha pointed it out, I was struck by the comical proportions of some of the images. However, I thought the naivety of the design and the desire for a contemporary feel was very cute.  (See site analyses for Megiddo)

Sarah Reese                    Trip Diary July 31’st 2012

            (see site questionnaire for Umm al Kanatir)

 

Today we went to see the sites of Umm al Kanatir and Katzrin.  I thought Katzrin was very fun to visit.  It was also a reality check for what life would have been like in Katzrin in the 4’th century (see image 1). It almost felt like a half-step up from living in a cave (it was so dark inside).  I was impressed by how spoiled we are nowadays.  They all slept in the same area and cooked most of their meals outside (see images 2 and 3). Previously I’d been a little dubious as to how much reconstructions could help public understanding of sites without confusing them as to which buildings belonged in which time periods.  I was also a little dubious about the idea of building “guesstimated” reconstructions built directly on the archaeological features.  Now I’ve had to rethink my position a little.  The reconstruction at Umm al Kanatir didn’t harm the original parts of the house, and it provided a fun and educational experience to tourists and visitors.  

 

Sarah Reese                           Trip Diary August 1, 2012

            Today we visited the sites of Safed, Capernaum, and Horvat Minyah.  (See Site Questionnaire for Capernaum) I really enjoyed the neighboring sites of Horvat Minyah and Capernaum. However, at Horvat Minyah the ruins looked a little more like a trashed campground than an important archaeological site. The garbage and refuse really surprised me, considering that it is supposed to be a national park. Though the overall neglect of the site gave people the opportunity to be disgusting and dump their garbage, neglect was also what I found most alluring.  It makes you feel adventurous walking around Horvat Minyah because the site feels so undiscovered          (see image 1).   It was a very liberating visit when compared to other sites like Capernaum where everything is outlined and labeled and enshrined already. I had similar feelings at Safed. I was extremely impressed with the Crusader and Mammuk constructions, but I was disappointed by the amount of graffiti and trash inside the water cistern that we descended into. Despite this, going into the water cistern still felt like being inside an Indiana Jones movie!  I also thought the buried lintel and passageway would be exciting to explore (if it were open).  Another feature of Safed that I thought particularly cool, was that most of the modern houses have the ancient houses beneath them (see image 3).  I think it would be exciting to dig down under your house and discover another living space.

 

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary August 2, 2012

            Today we went to visit the sites of the Temple of Pan and Panis Cave at Banias, Tel Dan, and the Nimrod Fortress. (See Site Questionnaire for Tel Dan) The Cave of Pan in the Nature Reserve at Banias was very impressive and I thought the walkways were well done and tourist friendly (see image 1).   I learned today that Arabic speakers can’t pronounce their (P)s very well (which is hilarious) and that is why Bania starts with a B and not a P for Panyon.  Thousands of years of people visiting the same place is always a little haunting (especially caves for some reason).  For me, seeing such old buildings, it is still difficult to realize how old they really are, because we don’t have sites like them in the United States, no ancient castles or temples anyway.

 

 

            At the Nimrod Fortress, everything was spectacular! The paths were well marked and well mapped and the whole site was very safe and accessible (see image 2).  The Nimrod Fortress was like something would expect to see in Scotland or France, which was why I too thought it was a crusader castle.  I was very surprised to learn that it was not built by crusaders (see image 3).  In fact, it was built in 1227-1275 to protect against the crusaders.  I think this may be my favorite site thus far, and it was absolutely stunning!

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary  August 3, 2012

Today we went to visit the sites of Caesarea, Maresha, and Lachish. (See Site Questionnaire for Lachish)  Out of all the sites we have visited thus far, Caesarea is by far one of the most beautiful (see image 1).   The entire area felt very ritzy and tourism centered in a sophisticated way.  Their informational videos were well done and they really helped me understand how the site was oriented as well as the chronology of events there. I found it extremely impressive that King Herod was able to muster the funds and resources to build there.  The cost must have been staggering!  At the tourist center the actors playing historical characters with the tourists was fun and very informative.  I thought they did a good job.  However, I was surprised that they took out an entire archaeological layer from the Bosnian Village. It’s almost as though they didn’t think that counted as an archaeological layer.  At Maresha, the sites were fantastic! (see image 2)  I loved how cool the caves were (both literally and metaphorically!)  I’d watched a documentary about the networks of caves in Israel with the olive oil presses and pigeon holes, but it’s more exciting in person. It’s also exciting to know that there are chiseled out caves under abandoned houses out there, perhaps still undiscovered.  The tomb paintings were beautiful as well. (see image 3) I did wonder how far that painter had to travel to know what an alligator looked like. 

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary August 4, 2012

Today we went to see Masada, the Dead Sea, and Qumran. (see Site Questionnaire for Masada).  My first impression of the Dead Sea (see image 1), was that it was very much like Southern California.  To the west of San Diego, there is a place called the Anza Borrego Desert and they have their own Salten Sea.  The Dead Sea was almost an exact enlarged replica of it!  I was a little sceptical about how salt water could possibly be good for your skin.  Actually, I’m still a little sceptical, but I felt pretty good after our dip.  The thick silkiness of the water reminded me of the glacier streams I’ve seen in Washington.  My favorite part hands down, skin benefit or no skin

benefit, was floating around in the water.  I never usually go to the beach, etc. because I swim like a rock, so going out in deep water and not having to worry about drowning was super amazing!  I was a little surprised by the site at Qumran.  The museum/ visitor’s center was really pushing an agenda!  I was absolutely shocked by the video inferring that John the Baptist had been a member of  an isolated sect of Judaism called the Essenes which may or may not have settled in the site (see image 2)  or written at least some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Is a visitor’s center really allowed to blatantly mislead the public like that?  Where else do they feed false suppositions to tourists? I thought it was a little shady of them.  Also, Cave Number 4 (see image 3) wasn’t really as remote as I expected it to be.  I don’t know if I buy the Shepherd story now either.  

 

Sarah Reese                                                        Trip Diary August 5, 2012

Today we went to visit the sites of Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David, Herodian Jerusalem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  (see Site Questionnaire for Hezekiah’s Tunnel) I think I was most impressed with Herodian Jerusalem at the Wall of the Temple Mount.  The ashlar blocks that made up the wall were extremely huge (see image 1).  I was also impressed that the Roman’s had taken the time to actually dismantle some of those blocks.  It seems like a lot of effort to go to.  I’d always wanted to see the remains of the giant archway with the stairs which went up to the Temple Mount.  However, after Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the pool of Saloam, and the Herodian Wall, I was a little disappointed with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (see image 2).  I don’t know how to describe my feelings toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, other than to say it had a bad vibe.  There was so much rushing about, and crowdedness, denominational animosity, and opulent gildedness around, it felt like the meaning behind what the church was supposed to be about was lost somewhere along the way.  I also didn’t like the griminess or the darkness either (even though it is a cemetery).  To me, the place was just a miserable mish-mash of stuffy opulence and it stunk to high heaven of the value of piles of stuff (even if it is archaeological) over faith and the meaning of what happened at Calvary.  I just felt very depressed with the whole place and it is probably my least favorite site thus far.  My own Christian background could be one reason why I feel this way. While I enjoy being able to visit the places where Jesus was or perhaps seeing what he may have touched or saw (walking in his footsteps so to speak), I don’t think that you can somehow contact God at these places more efficiently than you could anywhere else.   To me, they are still just places and things and enshrining them and holding such veneration for stuff is flirting with idol worship.  I just found the whole setup disgusting.  I thought the architecture, the so-called Joseph of Arimathea Tombs (see image 3), and the Crusader graffiti (see image 4) interesting, but that is all.

Sarah Reese                           Trip Diary August 6, 2012

Today we went to visit the sites of King David’s Tomb, the Givati Excavations, and the Western Wall Tunnels.  (see site questionnaire for King David’s Tomb)  I thought the Givati Excavations were pretty impressive (see image 1).  What struck me most was how deep the layers of human occupation go!  It’s amazing how people construct so many layers without even realizing it!  I probably didn’t understand the site as well as the students who had done fieldwork already.  I was a little lost when it came to figuring out which walls from the site were on the posters our guide showed us (see image 2).  However, my favorite part of the day by far was walking around with our reconstruction guide.  She was extremely informative and funny. I enjoyed hearing what challenges reconstructionists face, like the invasive trees and destructive plants (see image 3).   I also had no idea that sewage water and waste could be such a big archaeological problem in modern Jerusalem.  It was pretty gross walking through the areas where it was dripping down from the ceiling. When we went into the tunnels along the Western Wall, I could believe how huge those Herodian blocks were!  Those are definitely the largest blocks of stone I have ever seen!  Maggie, Julie, and I got lost a few times finding our way back to the academy, but it turned out to be a very nice and unique day!

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary August 7, 2012

Today, we went to visit the sites of the Garden Tomb, the Lions Gate, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Mount of Olives, St. Anne’s Church, the Jerusalem Walls, the Burnt House, Zedekiah’s Cave, and the Dome of the Rock. (see site questionnaire for St. Anne’s Church) At the Dome of the Rock today, I had heard that security was tight and that people would be watching your every move up there, but it still surprised me.  Going through security, I had my bible confiscated.  I hadn’t even realized, I’d just been carrying it around all week in my bag.  After dinner today, I’ll definitely be going on Mission Bible Recovery.  I thought the Dome of the Rock was beautiful architecturally, but I wish I could have seen the supposed rock where Abraham killed Isaac.  I think my favorite spot on the temple mount was seeing the Golden Gate (see image 1).  The Lion’s Gate was impressive (as were all the other gates we’ve seen up to this point.)  and the terraced hill just outside the eastern Temple Walls were very much how I pictured the Garden of Gethsemane in my head. When I think of the Garden of Gethsemane, I just envision terraced groves of olive trees (see image 2).  At the Burnt House Museum, the mosaics

 

with rosetta and wave patterns were beautiful.  My favorite thing however, was the burned area of the mosaic floor where they think the Romans burned the house (see image 3).  The movie at the museum was like watching a soap opera.  Half the time, I was a little confused as to what was going on and I thought it was trying terribly hard to be nationalistic and failing miserably to do so.  How do the zealots burning food stores make them patriotic heroes? It obviously supported the Jewish return to Jerusalem, but the movie was absolutely over the top.  The Russian Orthodox Church was beautiful!  I’d seen it in the distance and wondered what it was earlier this week.  Now I know. I’m a Baptist, so we don’t worship Mary or other Saints, but I thought the walls with pictures of Mary Magdeline and Jesus were gorgeous. I also didn’t know before today what the lower bar on the Russian Orthodox Cross was supposed to mean.  Zedekiah’s Cave (see image 4) was nice and cool after the hot weather we’d been walking through. I was impressed that they were able to pull any type of block out of that quarry.  The Garden Tomb (see image 5) was so soothing (even if it can’t be the real tomb).  I thought it was a very nice garden where people could come, stop, and think about Jesus.  I wish that was the case with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The clamor and bickering and rush were not in evidence at the Garden Tomb and I really loved it so much more than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Sarah Reese                  Trip Diary August 8, 2012

Today is super super busy.  I did enjoy the Israel Antiquities Preservation Lab, especially the textiles rooms and the glass room. However, I thought that their work looked extremely tedious. I was surprised by the scope of the museum beside the dead sea scroll museum. In the Dea Sea Scroll conservation lab, I thought the scrolls were absolutely amazing!  It’s hard to believe that they’re really that old.  I just about died when the flash went off on my camera, though. Whoops.

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