Jesus' Tomb

Excavated Houses Oh, well. So I dashed, minus my time for writing (God help me if I ever lose my digital recorder). All this dashing was a bit frustrating because I tried to see all three sites the day before, but all Christian sites were closed because it was Sunday and all Jewish sites were closed because it was a major day of Passover week (this was Sunday, the last day of it was Monday).

Took me awhile, but finally I found my next destination, which I've been wanting to see the whole time I was here. This was my third try. Closed! Was I ever disappointed. It's a bunch of houses they've excavated from Christ's time that were occupied by the very wealthy and, quite possibly, the pseudo-high priest Annas. (You know when it says in Luke "when Caiaphas and Annas were high priests"? Actually the high priest position could only ever be occupied by one person, but Annas had so much power that it was effectively him and son-in-law Caiaphas running the show. Actually 5 of Annas' sons were high priest. The high priesthood at that time was bought and sold, and essentially controlled by 4 families. etc etc. Anyway.)

So one of these houses had an extra-lot of mikveh - ritual baths - making scholars think that maybe it was the high priests house. There are actually six houses, I just wanted a little glimpse, anything would have helped, even just ten minutes (and twenty photographs!), but - closed! ah,well. I'll just have to come back! ;)

Jesus' Tomb
So, desperate search for a taxi, who promises to put the meter on and doesn't, sucks to be him, he gypped himself 5 shekels instead of ripping me off. I even protested in the middle of the ride. He didn't have a clue where he was going anyway.

Finally I said just drop me off here, I'll walk! A couple minutes, I found it, 15 minutes, I'm out and racing for my hotel. It was one of my favorite sites though and I wish I had time to spend there. The Garden Tomb, where Christ was allegedly buried and most definitely not buried. It was found by this British guy, Gordon, who determined that you could see the shape of a skull (think Golgotha, the 'place of the skull') in the city from there. The Protestants got all excited because it was their one claim on a Holy-Land place - this was in the late 1800s - but later research proved that that type of tomb was last used in the 700s BC or something, I forget exactly.

Anyway, it was in such a nice pretty garden, with benches to sit and meditate (rather out-of-place to meditate on the tomb yesterday anyway, as it was Easter Day!) I could have meditated on the Resurrection there anyway though. It was just such a lovely spot. The tomb was as tomb-like as the other tomb I saw and the prison-cave I was in, not much difficulty writing that one regardless of whether I was there.

Homeward Bound
Well, then I dashed, flew, ran back to my hotel, in whatever miscellaneous location it might be in. Close by, I knew, and there were no taxis around. Half an hour later, I made it back, and was ready 15 minutes early! Now how about that?! I thought that was pretty good.

The day got worse from there, a shuttle to the airport to rent a car, then a trot around the airport with a cart that only goes left, waiting for elevators that don't work, signs going all the wrong ways (you can't get from one half of the second floor to the other without going down to the first floor. There the elevators are broken so you take the escalator back up, which then tells you the rent a car is on the third floor (odd), it is actually on the Ground floor, once I get to it the guy tells me to go find the office (there is one back in the building). I told him tell me where, becaause I've had it, and was trying hard not to just lose it entirely. He took my suitcase and personally walked me the 100 yards there.

Gracious. What a messy day. Finally I got in the car, and spent two hours trying to get out of where I was without crossing those dumb wicked terrifying Judean mountains. (All the Israelis find it mildly amusing that I am so scared of them.) After lots of circles I headed backwards entirely, then went north and cut across the very pretty and flat Jezreel Valley. (thing Megiddo, battleland. Zillions of battles have taken place near Megiddo over the millenia, because of the geography, and Revelations actually says that the last battle will take place at Har Mageddon - 'Mountain of Megiddo.' Everything in Israel lays claim to something biblical, and this place lays claim to Armageddon. )

Well finally I made it to my hotel, this room is about 50 degrees and the heat doesn't work and the room stinks like it hasn't been aired out in seventeen years. The computer is disastrous and doesn't tell me how much time I have left, so I might just end mid-sentence. Oh, well. Today I am off to see Peter and Andrew's house, then back to the hotel to write and transcribe yesterday and today's stuff.

Got to run! ciao!


I also saw the Temple today.