Today we check out of the Ron Beach Hotel and head back to Jerusalem.
We have lots of stops planned on the way and it will be a full day.
First stop will be at a Baptismal place on the beginning of the River Jordan operated by a local kibbutz. Per our guide the water is cleaner here than the next stop where Jesus was supposed to have been baptised.
https://www.yardenit.com/about-us/
This Baptismal center is very clean and well organized- offering rental garments, changing rooms and showers. It also had a gift shop and could provide videos of the baptisms.
His Eminence led us to an area by the river and blessed us with Holy Water. We were then able to dip our feet in the water if we wished.
Being to go into the Jordan River was something I really wanted to do if I ever go the chance.
It was a wonderful feeling to be in the river where Jesus was baptised many many years ago.
I brought my water shoes on the trip just for this. I was one of the only ones who waded in the River.
Afterwards we were able to have some free time before boarding the bus for our next stop.
Our next stop was at Beth She'an National Park where we visited the ruins of the old city.
The ruins are wells preserved and our guide took us for a walk around them. He showed us some floor mosaics as well as a theater, hippodrome and ampitheater.
After our tour we had some free time to get a soda before boarding the bus.
Our next stop was the original site where Jesus was baptised. We past a Greek Orthodox Church that was being restored on the way to the river.
Because the faithful here are on the old calendar, today was a celebration of Epiphany and there were many buses and lots of Christians going into the river and many Baptisms. I could not believe how many people were here.
We have lots of stops planned on the way and it will be a full day.
First stop will be at a Baptismal place on the beginning of the River Jordan operated by a local kibbutz. Per our guide the water is cleaner here than the next stop where Jesus was supposed to have been baptised.
https://www.yardenit.com/about-us/
This Baptismal center is very clean and well organized- offering rental garments, changing rooms and showers. It also had a gift shop and could provide videos of the baptisms.
His Eminence led us to an area by the river and blessed us with Holy Water. We were then able to dip our feet in the water if we wished.
Being to go into the Jordan River was something I really wanted to do if I ever go the chance.
It was a wonderful feeling to be in the river where Jesus was baptised many many years ago.
I brought my water shoes on the trip just for this. I was one of the only ones who waded in the River.
Afterwards we were able to have some free time before boarding the bus for our next stop.
Our next stop was at Beth She'an National Park where we visited the ruins of the old city.
http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/BeitShean.html
Our next stop was the original site where Jesus was baptised. We past a Greek Orthodox Church that was being restored on the way to the river.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasr_el_Yahud
This is a very good article about the site http://www.wsj.com/articles/at-site-of-jesus-baptism-mine-clearing-unlocks-holy-ground-1463346000
http://allaboutjerusalem.com/article/qasr-al-yahud-jordan-river-epiphany-baptism
Near the river a soldier was stationed for security. I looked at the river and it had a rope down the middle to separate Israel from Jordan. Across the river was a beautiful Church. It is too bad there wasn't a bridge for pilgrims to cross and go to the Church on the other side.
I asked the soldier if I could have a photo with him and he agreed. Once I got my photo everyone else wanted their photo taken with him.
We walked down to the river but did not go in. Our guide said the water here was not very clean. We had some time to take photos and sightsee before heading back to the bus.
It is now 11:15 am and we are on the way to visit the Monastery of St. Gerasimos.
It was founded by St. Gerasimos and he is portrayed in icons with a camel and lion. There is a main Church and then an underground crypt with the remains of Monks slaughtered by the Persians in 614 as well as those killed in an earthquake in 1837. In the crypt is a rare icon of the Virgin Mary breastfeeding Jesus.
We were able to get some souvenirs at the gift shop. In front of the Monastery was a cafe and it must have been operated by people of Greek descent because Greek music was blasting out over the loudspeakers.
This website has good information and beautiful photos of the church and crypt.
http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/StGerassimos.html
I really enjoyed the visit here- it was very peaceful and the Church very inspiring.
Our next stop was to visit the Monastery of the Mount of Temptation. Our guide announced at the stop that the group would be taking an aerial cable car up to the monastery.
Here is an article about the monastery and some photos my wife took when she went up there.
http://www.seetheholyland.net/mount-of-temptation/
Since I do not like heights I declined to go and stayed by the bus with several others. We went and had an Arab coffee at the nearby restaurant gift shop and then went back to the area next to the cable car station. There was a man with a camel nearby who would give camel rides for a fee.
We sat here and chatted with our bus driver until the group came down from the monastery- one hour?.
It is around 3pm and our guide announced that we would be stopping for lunch at a traditional Palestinian restaurant called the Al Rawdah.
Our waiters took our orders and then served us some appetizers before our lunch was served. I had the chicken pita and fries and salad. The fries, salad and appetizers were served family style.
The food was good and tasty, the restaurant was clean and the service good. It was good to have a meal and some down time before we resumed our trip to Jerusalem.
We then were driven a short distance to the Church of St. Elijah where Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus.
I had a hard time searching for an internet article/ reference to this site but found this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckCZTyksHwY
The guide explained to us that so many people came to see the tree and were taking parts of it as a souvenir the decision was made to cut the limbs off and encase the trunk in a plastic enclosure.
A beautiful church was built close to the tree. The Priest came out to greet the Metropolitan and our group. We then went inside to venerate the icons, light candles and view the iconography which was partially completed. The Priest made an appeal for donations to pay for the balance of the iconography and everyone did donate money.
Here is an article about the monastery and some photos my wife took when she went up there.
http://www.seetheholyland.net/mount-of-temptation/
Since I do not like heights I declined to go and stayed by the bus with several others. We went and had an Arab coffee at the nearby restaurant gift shop and then went back to the area next to the cable car station. There was a man with a camel nearby who would give camel rides for a fee.
We sat here and chatted with our bus driver until the group came down from the monastery- one hour?.
It is around 3pm and our guide announced that we would be stopping for lunch at a traditional Palestinian restaurant called the Al Rawdah.
Our waiters took our orders and then served us some appetizers before our lunch was served. I had the chicken pita and fries and salad. The fries, salad and appetizers were served family style.
The food was good and tasty, the restaurant was clean and the service good. It was good to have a meal and some down time before we resumed our trip to Jerusalem.
We then were driven a short distance to the Church of St. Elijah where Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus.
I had a hard time searching for an internet article/ reference to this site but found this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckCZTyksHwY
The guide explained to us that so many people came to see the tree and were taking parts of it as a souvenir the decision was made to cut the limbs off and encase the trunk in a plastic enclosure.
A beautiful church was built close to the tree. The Priest came out to greet the Metropolitan and our group. We then went inside to venerate the icons, light candles and view the iconography which was partially completed. The Priest made an appeal for donations to pay for the balance of the iconography and everyone did donate money.
We are now headed towards Jerusalem and on the way we stopped for a short photo op of the view of the Monastery of St. George Chotzevas (Wadi Kelt).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George%27s_Monastery,_Wadi_Qelt
https://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/the-holy-monastery-of-saint-george-of-hazeva-and-st-john-jacob-the-hodzebite/
https://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/the-holy-monastery-of-saint-george-of-hazeva-and-st-john-jacob-the-hodzebite/
Per our guide there is no road to drive to the monastery and it can only be visited by going on foot which may take 4 hrs approx to get to it from where we stand.
Back on the bus for one last stop in Bethany before we go to our hotel. When we reached Bethany it was getting dark (late in the day 5PM). The Convent was locked up like most of the Churches and Monasteries we visited so far. Researching the convent I found this newspaper article which I am including for review.
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/62933.htm
Our stop in Bethany was at the convent of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It was here where they lived and Lazarus was buried and then resurrected from the dead.
A relic of Lazarus is embedded in an icon here.
The church is beautiful and tended to by nuns.
http://www.seetheholyland.net/bethany/ Based on the info on this site not many tours stop here because of the time it takes to reach Bethany from the Mount of Olives. We were very fortunate that our guide arranged this visit.
I guess it was 6 pm when we got on the bus and went to our hotel in Jerusalem- The Grand Court.
We were assigned our rooms, dropped off our luggage and headed downstairs to the buffer.
This was a very busy but important day because of all the places we visited. I think we went to places that other pilgrims did not go because of the time it took to drive to them. I was so happy to have gone and waded in the Jordan River and to visit the Monastery of St. Gerasimos.
So far on this trip I got to see and experience the lessons from the Bible and see where Jesus walked, where Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus better and where Lazarus was buried and resurrected.
Tomorrow we start our tour of the sites in Jerusalem. We have 3 days and on the fourth we leave for home.
No comments:
Post a Comment