Nazareth, Israel
Wow. It is absolutely unreal to actually be standing in places I learned about in CCD. Today we drove to Nazareth, the town where Mary and Joseph were from and Jesus grew up in. It is a very Arabic town, by Israeli standards, so even without
the amazing history here it was still quite a cultural experience for me. I got to hear the call to prayer for the first time! That's when a loud speaker (from a mineret) begins broadcasting the prayer five times a day for all the city to hear. We went to the site where Catholics and Protestants (Orthodox Christian disagree) believe that Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel to be told she'd conceive. We also went to a basilica built on top of Mary's old house. There is an old synagogue we saw that Jesus was said to have preached in.
Another cool thing was the Nazareth Village...this is a replica of what life
was really like in Nazareth during the time of Jesus. It was hard to find, though, and we only found it with the help of several nuns. (We knocked on the door of a convent and they took us right in!)
After a lunch of falafel Laura, Lily and I (Shane had to stay at the hostel and study - step 1! I feel his pain) drove to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.
It was gorgeous! This is where (as I'm sure all CCD-alums remember, of course) Jesus walked on water. What an amazing feeling to put one's feet in that same water! It's just really cool to know how much history is flowing within its banks.
I am at the hostel (an old Arabic mansion!) now after a great Arabic feast...the food is great here. (A French woman even baked an apple cake for all to eat here at the hostel.) I'm on the hostel's internet, though, so I will have to add pictures tomorrow to this entry.
Speaking of tomorrow, we will do a bit more around here and then head back to Be'er Sheva.
Wow. It is absolutely unreal to actually be standing in places I learned about in CCD. Today we drove to Nazareth, the town where Mary and Joseph were from and Jesus grew up in. It is a very Arabic town, by Israeli standards, so even without
the amazing history here it was still quite a cultural experience for me. I got to hear the call to prayer for the first time! That's when a loud speaker (from a mineret) begins broadcasting the prayer five times a day for all the city to hear. We went to the site where Catholics and Protestants (Orthodox Christian disagree) believe that Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel to be told she'd conceive. We also went to a basilica built on top of Mary's old house. There is an old synagogue we saw that Jesus was said to have preached in.Another cool thing was the Nazareth Village...this is a replica of what life
was really like in Nazareth during the time of Jesus. It was hard to find, though, and we only found it with the help of several nuns. (We knocked on the door of a convent and they took us right in!)After a lunch of falafel Laura, Lily and I (Shane had to stay at the hostel and study - step 1! I feel his pain) drove to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.
It was gorgeous! This is where (as I'm sure all CCD-alums remember, of course) Jesus walked on water. What an amazing feeling to put one's feet in that same water! It's just really cool to know how much history is flowing within its banks.I am at the hostel (an old Arabic mansion!) now after a great Arabic feast...the food is great here. (A French woman even baked an apple cake for all to eat here at the hostel.) I'm on the hostel's internet, though, so I will have to add pictures tomorrow to this entry.
Speaking of tomorrow, we will do a bit more around here and then head back to Be'er Sheva.
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