"A Breeze Through the West Bank"

Today we slept in a bit; our bus left at 9 am. We road north on route 90 past Masada and then drove past Qumran, the site of the Essene community (50 BCE - 150 CE). It was here that the first Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

The most curious thing of this drive is that we drive from the Southern Dead Sea - under Israeli control - to the Palestinian Controlled lands, passing by the lush greens of Jericho - through small Palestinian towns, past kibbutzim (Israeli communal farms), past Jewish 'settlements,' and then back into Israeli controlled territory. Despite what you may see on television, we passed through only two checkpoints; only at one did we stop, where and a 19-year old guard and her sargeant at arms made a polite pass through the bus. Now we were all white Americans traveling with a well-known Israeli guide with a reputable tour company, but except for two soldiers driving along the border fence parallel to the Jordan River on routine patrol, the soldier and her machine-gunned assistant were the only soldiers we saw the entire time. People live side-by-side here, making their living in whatever ways they can, no matter what they feel about one another.

We then made it to the ancient synagogue at Bet Alfa, from 550 CE. Here we saw a beautiful temple uncovered during a dig at a kibbutz founded in 1929. Reflecting the multicultural influences this region has had for centuries, the synagogue's mosaic tile floor depicts a Zodiak wheel, biblical scenes, pagan goddesses of the seasons, and the ark of the covenant. This place could be an early UU church!

(http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~440441034)

 

From here we went to the ancient Roman City of Bet She'an (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Betshean.html). This was a well-to-do Roman city on the major caravan routes between Jerusalem, Damascus, Haifa, and points beyond. It is a marvelously well-preserved city, with a Theatre, Gladiator Amphitheater, Bath houses, Cardo (wide avenue where the shops were), etc. It was abandoned after a massive earthquake ravaged the area in 749 CE. The big 'tel' or hill called out to Anya and I, so we climbed it even though we might make our tour-mates late. But she and I are the youngest and most sporting of the group, and we made it back to the cafe while folks were still eating.

This was a good thing, because we got the best falafel sandwich yet (the national snack food of Israel). Anya being a vegetarian, and me being a good sport, we have had lots of falafel so far.

Our last stop before Kibbutz Lavi (our hotel for tonight) was Kibbutz Yardenit. This kibbutz specializes in dates - and Baptisms. It is written that John the Baptist lived on 'locusts and honey," and the honey he ate was date honey. So we bought some date honey to bring home. But the real attraction at Yardenit is that this is where many believe that John baptized Jesus (Mark 1). This was when God first spoke to Jesus directly, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Matthew and Luke say John is Jesus' cousin, and that John the baptizer hears God speaking to Jesus.

So Anya, her parents Ben and Laraine, and I went down to the Jordan River to pray, and to get washed by the holy waters. I did not do 'full immersion' - I am not a Baptist, and indeed it is from the Baptist church that I fled as a youth. But we waded in the water, and I splashed it on my head, face and chest. I have attached a photo of our feet in the Jordan. It felt so refreshing in the 95 degree heat, and the water felt particularly sweet after the heavy saltiness of the Dad Sea (only 119 miles to the south!). Indeed, the Jordan River feeds the Dead Sea. The distances here are so close, as I've shared before. We went from the wasteland of the Dead Sea to the most fertile place in all the Middle East, the area around the Sea of Galilee, known as Genarret to the locals, in 2 1/2 hours driving time! (See map) No wonder Israelis are always vigilant and on the watch.

So here we are, at Kibbutz Lavi, founded in 1949. This modest but smartly appointed hotel in this old Kibbutz is where we will spend the next two nights. Lavi means 'lion cub," and it refers to the "Kinder Transport," the coming to Israel of children without their parents during the 1930's when it was becoming clear Hitler had awful plans for the Jews. Most of those children never saw their parents again, and it was some of those children, when they got older, who founded this collective farm (and many others like it) called Kibbutz Lavi in 1949. Today, even though they are still organized loosely around socialist principles, they are very good at making money, including the hotel in which I write this morning.

Tomorrow, however, we will tour the Golan Heights. What treasures lie in store?

Shalom,

Rev Scott