Wow, we did so much today, it feels like some of it was yesterday. I went to bed pretty early last night, breakfast was at 7:30, and we left the hotel at 8:15.
We started off our touring on a high note -- Qumran. They showed us a stupid video, then Browning led us around. From the site itself, we could see Cave 6 of the Dead Sea scrolls, another big cave (which Dr. B said had only bat poop), and Cave 4.
Then we drove out to climb up and see Cave 11. It stunk, literally. On the same hill was the cave where the crazy archaeologist Vendyl Jones (who is searching for the "ashes of the red heifer," which in turn will somehow lead to the discovery of the ark of the covenant) has been excavating. Someone had spray-painted, "Vendyl Jones is insane." Dr. B cracked up at that. He’s actually written an article on Jones’ work, and has talked to him.
From there we went to Jericho, which was kind of disappointing, though I got some pictures of the walls (not THE walls, for which there is no evidence). We ate lunch, then headed out for Jerusalem.
We passed through these winding roads right on the edge of a straight drop. It was so cool. We made a quick stop to see Herod’s winter palace, and another to stand on the edge of a cliff and see St. George’s monastery.
We drove through Jerusalem and stopped at Herodium, Herod’s nifty palace inside an artificial mountain. Underneath it, descening through one of the cisterns, are a bunch of tunnels used by Bar Kokhba.
Next on the schedule was the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which, though beautiful, was hot and boring. I lit a candle for MaMaw and PaPaw.
Adjoining the church was a tiny chapel, a memorial to the babies killed by Herod. Also, the living quarters where Jerome translated the Vulgate and was buried for a time. Okay "sacrilege alert" I thought this was WAY cooler than the silver star marking the "exact spot" where Jesus was born.
We’re at Jerusalem’s Tower Hotel now, and it’s so nice to be able to finally unpack -- we’ll be here for 5 nights.
Shannon and I went with Dr. B to get pizza. Funny, but the streets we walked along reminded me of New Orleans. We stopped at an internet cafe, where I finally got to check my email.
Dr. B kept asking us what certain signs said. He’s always quizzing me, Shannon, and Will on our Hebrew, which is pretty pathetic, I’m afraid. Alluding to the teasing comments we always make about "white pants tours" -- on which one sees old ladies in dresses, Sas shoes, and "I love Israel" baseball caps -- I told Dr. B that we’d had "white pants Hebrew."
Well, it’s 11:00, so I better get to bed.