Qumran and Jericho

After toweling off all of the Dead Sea water, the day trip advanced along the coast of the Dead Sea to a place called Qumran.

Seriously, how does a desert nomad "wander into" that cave?

Qumran is the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.  The Dead Sea scrolls are a group of documents recounting the life of Jesus.  The writings were banned by the early church and considered to be heretical.  Most of the copies of them were destroyed.  It appears that some religious sects moved out to the desert near the Dead Sea and maintained copies of these works.  They put them into a cave in the mountain to hide them (back in the day, unless you were very good at fighting lions in the Colosseum, you didn't want to get caught with heretical writings, so hiding them made sense).  Then, apparently, they forgot about them and left.

Nearly two thousand years later, some local nomads were wandering around and found a cave filled with jars.  The cave was near the Dead Sea.  The jars contained scrolls.  Boom -> Dead Sea scrolls.

Mark found a sign.  If he had turned around, he would have seen the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.  Oh, well, maybe next time, Mark.

It is a well-established fact of Circle Pines lore that one of Mark's hobbies in high school was translating the Dead Sea scrolls.  He would sit for hours translating the ancient writings into English, an accomplishment made all the more impressive by the fact that he does not speak Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin or whatever other language the scrolls were written (astute observers will note that Mark barely speaks English, so the translation probably has problems on both ends).  So this visit was like Mark's "Graceland."

After seeing the caves at Qumran, the group piled back into the van and made the trip to Jericho.

Photo of an actual woman in Jericho.

Jericho bills itself as the oldest city in the world.  With the qualifier that we are talking about only the cities which have been continuously occupied (i.e. if we do not count cities that existed at one point in history but have since gone out of business), this claim may be true.  Jericho can trace its roots back for thousands of years.  Some of this age is demonstrated in the on-going excavation project in the city.

Anne circumvents the "Guard Duck" security system.

Inside the excavation area it is possible to view the walls that were constructed during various periods in the city's history and where the newer walls were built upon the ruins of the older walls.

Modern Jericho claims two major biblical sites.  First, it has the Jericho tree.

Popular climbing tree for tax collectors.  Ironically, in order to climb it now, visitors must pay a tax.

The locals claim that this is the tree that the tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed so that he would be able to see Jesus when he passed through the city.

The second major biblical site in Jericho is the Mount of Temptation.  Jerichoians Jericadians Jerichoese The people who live in Jericho claim that this mountain is the place where Jesus stayed for 40 days and 40 nights and resisted temptation.

On this site, there are two main buildings, one which you may expect, the other might be a bit of a surprise.  The first is a seminary.  Totally predictable: there are seminaries virtually everywhere in this part of the world.  The second building is a huge, high-quality restaurant.

Seminary on the left, restaurant slightly below and on the right.

Anne and Mark did not take the cable car to the seminary and restaurant.  It was getting late, so eating at the restaurant was a reasonable idea.  However, there was something uncomfortable about having a nice, expensive meal at a place that was revered because it was the place where Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights.  It would have been difficult to enjoy a nice falafel with that comparison bouncing around in the mind.

Beduins, Mosada and the Dead Sea

Been through the desert.  This horse had no name.

On their final day trip in Israel, Anne and Mark again headed south.  Their first stop was unscheduled -and mostly invisible.  The guide, Nadir, pulled to the side of the road and told everyone to get out of the van to look at the monastery.  This was quite a strange thing to say because there was nothing but large rock walls on either side of the road.  Nadir encouraged Anne and Mark to walk toward the peak of the rock on one side and after a few steps, they noticed a crucifix on top of the rock.  Nice crucifix, but a far cry from a full monastery.  But Anne and Mark soldiered on up the hill, anyway.  At the peak, they finally figured out what was going on - the monastery was hidden in the rock below, invisible to anyone who did not know where to look.

If the day had been less filled with other adventures, Anne and Mark could have hiked down to the monastery to check out the grounds.  Of course, at that point they would have had to climb out - not something Mark was anxious to try.  Luckily, there was a band of Beduin nomads who noticed that the taxi had stopped at this site.  The Beduins rode up to us on their donkeys and offered us a ride to the monastery for a pretty fair price (pretty fair for us and the Beduins - I bet the donkey who had to drag Mark's ample carriage up and down the cliffside would have failed to find it "fair").  But time was short, so we passed on the offer.  Anne did take the opportunity to try on the local headgear.

The stated purpose of this trip was a visit to Masada and then to the Dead Sea.  Masada was a fortress used by Jewish resistance forces after Rome started throwing its weight around.  Actually, the fortress has a history older than that - it was fortified by Herod and may have ties to Cleopatra and Marc Antony - and newer - it was used as a church in the 6th century or so - but the main story of Masada is of the siege by the Romans and the holdout there by the Israelites.

The cliffs of the fortress were fairly steep and rise about 1300 feet above the desert floor.  The options for getting to the top include (1) a steep, winding hiking trail along the side of the fortress or (2) riding in a cable car.  Anne and Mark selected option (2), but took the opportunity to imagine what it would have been like if they had chosen (1) - so it's basically like they hiked up there themselves.

The story of Masada is one of a determined siege made by the Romans and a long hold out against it by the Israelites stationed there.  Refusing to bend to the demands of the Roman emperor following an uprising, some Israelites fled to Masada.  The Romans eventually surrounded them there and laid siege (the square rock formation in the right foreground of the photo above is the remains of a Roman camp).  The siege lasted for several years.  Eventually, the Romans built a ramp and battering ram and attempted to force their way in.  When it because clear that the Romans would make it inside, the Israelites inside decided to go with a "death before dishonor" strategy.  When the Romans finally made it inside the fortress they realized that all of the Israelites had committed suicide rather than submit to the Roman religion and other demands.

For centuries the site was buried beneath sand and debris - basically lost or forgotten.  Not until efforts made in the early part of the twentieth century was it excavated to the extent it is today.  Now, visitors can walk in and around the cistern, banquet halls of King Herod, and the site where the wall was finally breached by the Romans.

Anne demonstrates how to not stay with the group.

Those readers who know Anne and Mark may recognize that if Mark had a super power, it would be sweating through t-shirts.  As you might imagine, wandering through the desert on a fairly warm day was prime time for Mark sweat.  To fend off unpleasant side effects of this phenomena, the group next headed for the Dead Sea.

Mark placed his toes under the water for the benefit of viewers of this photo.

The Dead Sea is unlike any other body of water that Anne and Mark had ever visited.  First, you would have to try pretty hard to drown in this Sea.  In fact, you would have to try pretty hard to even get your body under the water.  The Sea is so salty that swimmers' bodies basically float on top, rather than sinking (at least as far as you would in a normal pool or Sea - at least up to the torso).  It was difficult to even keep one's feet below the water in the Dead Sea.

Swimming in the Dead Sea is a unique experience and there is a significant amount of initial novelty in doing it.  However, after a few minutes splashing around, swimmers in the Dead Sea will notice a film building up on the skin.  It is a bit slimy.  After showering, the sea salts which had contacted the skin left it feeling very soft.  Quite a fun experience, but a slimy one (not one that Anne and Mark are in a big hurry to repeat).

The rocks in the foreground are covered in salt.  The mountains in the background are actually located in the nation of Jordan.

Away in a ... cave?

View of Jerusalem

Around Christmas time it is not uncommon to hear Christmas carols extolling the virtues of the town of Bethlehem.  Anne and Mark can now attest that nearly all of the claims about this city made in these songs are incorrect.  "O, little town"?  No.  "How still I see thee lie"?  Strike 2.  "Away in a manger"?  Oh-for-three.

Granted, Bethlehem may have experienced significant growth in the last 2,000 years or so, but the bustling metropolis Anne and Mark encountered was a far cry from the sleepy small town mentioned in carols.  It was much more like a city.  And a lively one at that.  "Deep and dreamless sleep"?  I'll give you dreamless, but how can you have a deep sleep with all that car honking going on?

Upon arrival in Bethlehem, our driver Nadir called in an expert.  A tour guide arrived and took us to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity.  This church is built upon what is traditionally held to be the actual spot where Jesus was born.  

The third faulty lyric quoted above, as well as the name of the square, talks about a manger.  In every nativity scene drawn in Sunday school or constructed outside of a church in the upper midwest, a manger is interpreted to mean a stable or small barn.  Generally, these are free-standing, wooden structures and have enough room to accommodate a full compliment of farm animals as well as three wise men and some shepherds.  You will usually seen some straw thrown about and notice that half of the barn is missing (which would make it pretty cold in there, but allows for a much better viewing experience by those visiting the nativity scene).

The reality was a bit different.  Our guide (officially licensed by the city of Bethlehem - no 'scab workers' for us) informed us that the inns would have been built on the hill and the manger, used to shelter the animals, would have been found in the caves beneath the inn.  No free-standing barn needed, none to be found.  If you want to visit the actual manger, you better be ready to go to a cave.

Built upon the site is a series of huge churches.  One is under the authority of the Russian Orthodox church, another under the Armenian Orthodox (those Armenians are all over the place), and a third under the control of the Catholics in Rome.  The original entrance to the cave has been closed, but an alternate entrance is available.  Visitors are welcomed to enter the actual cave where Jesus was born to Mary.

This is the spot.

Two two main attractions inside the manger cave are (1) the actual spot of Jesus' birth, marked by a silver star given as a gift by the king of France centuries ago and (2) the first place where Baby Jesus was placed and where the shepherds and wise men first admired him.

The space to the left of the candles is where Jesus was first set down in the swaddling clothes.

The Catholic church built on this site has been notably used several times in the years since Jesus' birth.  Almost immediately after Jesus' birth, King Herod found out that a new King of the Jews was coming and he ordered all of the male children of Bethlehem to be killed (Joseph, Mary and Jesus had, of course, already left for Egypt by this point).  These infant victims of Herod are called the "Holy Innocents" by the Catholic Church and their bodies are buried beneath the Catholic church at this site (St. Catherine's Church).

Grave of the Holy Innocents

 

Additionally, the caves where these tombs are found is place where St. Jerome first translated the Bible into several languages and there is an altar dedicated to him.

Another grave of the Holy Innocents in the area where St. Jerome translated the Bible 

Upon leaving the church our guide informed us of all of the different days that various Christian churches celebrate the birth of Jesus at this site.  The Catholic and Protestant date, December 25, is among the earliest.  Several different orthodox churches celebrate this holiday throughout January and even into February.  Our guide made special care to mention that the upkeep of the entire site is done cooperatively by all of the churches that hold services there.

St. Jerome in the foreground, St. Catherine in the background.

Finally, our guide explained that Bethlehem had its own style of cross.  It was designed to commemorate the five wounds of Jesus on the cross.  These were found all over the city (including in the flag flying over it in the photo at the top of this post).

Bethlehem cross

How the Other Half Live

Anne and Mark have gone on a few travels in the past year or so.  Usually, people who learn of their travel plans express excitement and wish them a safe journey.  Every once in a while, a person will express surprise or even dismay - why would you want to go THERE?  Fair enough.  But, never has anyone ever said, specifically and without equivocation, "You should not go there."  Until now.

After their first trip to Jerusalem, Anne, Mark and the other faculty members in Tel Aviv decided that their next trip would be to the West Bank.  The West Bank is a geographical area containing some areas that are controlled by the Palestinian authorities.  Jewish Israelis are not allowed to travel to portions of it, and Arab Palestinians who live in certain parts of it are not allowed to travel to other certain parts of it.  For information about why this situation is as it is currently, please find further information in any newspaper published between 1948 and today.

Upon arriving in Israel, Anne and Mark were under the impression that the West Bank would be "off limits" to us for visits from a legal perspective.  This is not the case.  Americans are able to travel freely back and forth, assuming they have a guide who can get them where they are going.  Our original guide was a Jewish man and an Israeli and was unable (and probably unwilling, even if able) to cross to the Palestinian controlled areas in the West Bank.  Through a friend of a friend, Anne and Mark were able to secure another driver who was willing and able to take them to the Palestinian controlled areas of the West Bank.

Our friends who knew a thing or two about Israel told us that if we were going to go to the West Bank, which was not recommended, we should be careful.  We could get robbed.  Further, if we were lucky enough to make it back unscathed, we should not tell other Israelis that we had gone there.  This would be very unpopular with the Israeli Jewish population.  

Or, make it easy on yourself and just do not go there.

Mark Twain wrote, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." (The Innocents Abroad)  The sentiment behind this admonition is certainly one of the motivating factors for the travels of Anne and Mark.  And lest any reader think that visiting the West Bank or not visiting the West Bank is a political action or an acceptance or rejection of the opinion of anyone who gave them advice, please remember what Mr. Clemens wrote in the quote above.  Anne and Mark are not intending to pick sides, just intending to try to get a 'broad, wholesome and charitable view' of the people on each side.

That being said, although Anne and Mark have been in what used to be the 'Communist Bloc' for months now and actually have offices assigned to them in what was the Communist Party of Bulgaria's headquarters merely a quarter-century ago, they have never felt as 'foreign' as they did on the first stop of this day trip: the tomb and memorial of Yassar Arafat.

Arafat's home, where he served his house arrest and was under siege from time to time, is visible through the window behind the beefier soldier.  Also - Romania forgot to type up their wreath measure.  Oops.

Yassar Arafat was the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization for years.  He died a few years ago and is placed in this tomb near his former home/compound (partially visible in the photo above).  Mr. Arafat asked to be buried in Jerusalem, but this request was denied by the authorities, so he is laid to rest in Ramallah.  Everything that Anne and Mark had ever heard about Arafat has been negative, and the fact that he is treated with such reverence by the people of Palestine was a surprise.  The fact that they were standing in a building within feet of the body of Mr. Arafat was quite a bit more surprising.

After this somewhat shocking first stop, Anne and Mark went into the city of Ramallah.  The driver and guide, named Nadir, let the passengers out and they wandered around the town square.  Anne spotted a familiar looking coffee shop, so Anne and Mark headed there for some java.  Upon closer inspection, however, it was not a "Starbucks," but rather a "Stars and Bucks."  Apparently, copyright enforcement in this part of the world is still in development.  After picking up an iced coffee from Stars and Bucks, Anne and Mark wandered around the town square and spoke to a few merchants.

Excuse me, sir, which way to the Stars and Bucks?

After spending a little time in Ramallah, the group loaded up the van again and headed to Hebron.  Along the way Anne and Mark were able to observe new Israeli settlements built in the West Bank and the wall that is being built around them.

The area within the wall is a settlement controlled by the Israelis.  The area outside the wall is controlled by the Palestinians.  These settlements and the wall are a tremendous source of conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians at the current time.  

Whether the wall is a wise move or not (several foreign governments appear to think it is not and have asked the Israelis to cease construction on it), construction continues.  Anne and Mark can personally testify to this fact as part of the wall actually passed them on the highway on the road to Hebron.

After passing by the settlement, the wall, and a portion of the yet-to-be-constructed wall, the group arrived in Hebron.  This city was among the more depressing places on the entire visit.  Not that it needed to be depressing: Hebron is the home of the Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.  According to tradition, Abraham purchased the cave for the purpose of burying his wife, Sarah.  Currently, the site is the burial place of not only Sarah, but also Abraham himself, as well as Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah.  It also has what is reported to be a cast of the footprint of Adam (some Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were sent to Hebron after being cast out of Eden).  So this should be quite the joyous, holy place.   The effect is quite the opposite.

There is a large structure built on top of the cave.  The structure has been fought over through the years and an uneasy peace now exists.  On one side of the building is the Jewish entrance.  Through this entrance, visitors (assuming they are allowed to enter) can view the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob and 

Leah.  The entire side functions as a synagogue.  The other side of the building has its own separate entrance.  This side, controlled by the Muslims, contains a large mosque.  Within the mosque are the tombs of Isaac and Rebekah.  Israeli Jews are not allowed to visit the tombs of Isaac and Rebekah except on ten specified holidays each year.  (tourists are allowed to enter either side every day)

At great risk of waxing philosophical, it was difficult to visit this site without thinking that the whole thing was a sad metaphor.  Two of the world's great religions sprung from the same source, Abraham.  The tomb of Abraham is a holy site for each of them and many of the devotees of each religions visit the site to pray.  But each must enter the building form a different side.  Each must view Abraham only from its own side.  And because of the conflict, each is separated from getting closer to Abraham by prison bars.  

After leaving the patriarchs and matriarchs, Anne and Mark visited a small shop outside.  Inside the shop, the shopkeeper was making pottery.  He had his potter's wheel going and he was throwing some pots while a small kiln was running at high temperatures nearby.  Just as the shopkeeper in Jerusalem had done, this merchant invited us all in and served us tea.

After clearing out most of this shopkeeper's inventory (as is the custom of Anne and Mark when on holiday), they left for Bethlehem.

The Holy Sites

Once in Jerusalem Anne and Mark visited some of the Holy Sites located there.  As the cradle of three of the world's major religions (probably several others), Holy Sites are plentiful there.  Some of them are easily identified and their histories are easily verified.  Others may be sites that are recognized as a particular place by one group or another, but questions about the accuracy of these sites may be raised by others.  For example, one such debate exists between churches over the place where Jesus was crucified.  Some churches believe that place is where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre now stands, while others believe it is the Garden Tomb.

Entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Some Christian churches recognize the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the site where Jesus was crucified as well as the site where Jesus' body was taken after it was removed from the cross.  The Garden Tomb is recognized by some Christians as the place where Jesus was crucified and buried, but no church has been erected over the site.  The claim by the Garden Tomb is based partially on the facts that there is a tomb cut into the rock and a nearby rock formation looks a bit like a skull (Christ was crucified at Golgotha, which can be translated to "place of the skull.")

Skull in the rock formation at the Garden Tomb

The Garden Tomb is also located adjacent to an area that archaeologists have identified as a place where executions took place.  Unfortunately, archaeologists discovered this after several new construction projects had taken place and the former execution site is now a parking lot for tour buses.

And there were a lot of tour buses.  While touring the Garden Tomb site, Anne and Mark encountered at least three distinct groups of Americans who had traveled there.  Large groups.  One of them was holding a service (in English with a twang - probably North Carolina?) right outside the rock formation above (near the bus lot).  Anne later attempted to enter the tomb cut into the rock and was pushed aside by one of these 'pilgrims' so that they could get a photo of one of their friends coming out of the tomb.  (WWJP - who would Jesus push?)  Needless to say the level of reverence at these sites was on a sliding scale.

But that was at the Garden Tomb, back to the Holy Sepelchre.  Immediately upon stepping inside the building, pilgrims and other visitors encounter the Stone of the Anointing (also called the Stone of Unction).  This is recognized by some as the stone where Jesus' body was placed after being taken down from the cross.

At the other end of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visitors can enter the Edicle of the Holy Seplechre.  Some churches recognize this as the tomb of Christ.

Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus was placed in a tomb cut in the rock.  The local church authorities determined that this was the site of the tomb and built the structure pictured above to mark the location and allow pilgrims an opportunity to pray there.  Now the site is jointly administered and cared for by the priests of several different churches.

Some parts of Jerusalem are clearly where certain Biblical events took place, with no corresponding debate.  Anne and Mark were both raised in the Catholic church and, as such, are familiar with the stations of the cross.  Obviously Anne and Mark were aware that the events detailed in the Passion occurred in Jerusalem and were aware that they would be visiting the sites described in the Gospels, but it was still a bit stunning to actually walk through the Garden of Gethsemane, visit the Church of the Agony, and see the path that Jesus must have walked with the cross up the hill through the gate and into the City of Jerusalem.

The trees in the Garden of Gethsemane are at least hundreds of years old and appear in various stages of growth in paintings made during the Middle Ages.

The city of Jerusalem is a major holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims and the close proximity of the holy sites of these three major religions is the source of conflict that has lasted centuries.  Anne and Mark were aware of this fact prior to visiting Jerusalem, but actually visiting the city really emphasizes exactly how proximate these sites are to one another.  The Western Wall (sometimes referred to as the "Wailing Wall") is a holy site for the Jewish people as it is a surviving remnant of the original temple.

Just beyond the Western Wall is the Dome of the Rock, a sacred place for Muslims.  The Dome of the Rock is built upon the Foundation Stone, which is a sacred place for both Jews and Muslims.  Jews believe this is where Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac and probably the place where the "Holy of Holies" was located within the original Temple of Solomon. Some Muslims believe that this same place is the place where where the prophet ascended to heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel.

The Western Wall is in the foreground to the right, with the Dome of the Rock beyond it.  The lights to the left were for a wedding that was taking place on the evening of our visit.

First Day Trip - Jerusalem

After a day or so in Tel Aviv, it was time for a day trip.  Anne and Mark, along with the faculty members with whom they attended the theatre production on their first night in Tel Aviv, journeyed to Jerusalem.  The group had the benefit of an experienced guide.  Solomon was a retired veteran of the Israeli military and was very knowledgable regarding all of the important sights, so his presence added quite a lot to the experience.

The drive took a little over an hour and the first place Solomon stopped in Jerusalem was a panoramic overlook just on the outskirts of the city.

Jeez, Mark, get a haircut.

Just over Mark's right shoulder, the walled city of Jerusalem is visible.  The actual walled city (the "Old City") represents only about 10% of the modern metropolis.  Anne and Mark are basically standing on the border between Israeli controlled territory and Palestinian controlled territory (Mark is on the Israeli side, Anne is on the Palestinian).  The elevated area over Anne's left shoulder is the Mount of Olives, where we later found the Garden of Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony, and the Garden Tomb... but we'll get to all of that later.

The next stop was the King David Hotel, which is the fancy-pants hotel in Jerusalem.  All the big shots stay there when they are in town (Anne and Mark did not stay there, as they are neither fancy-pants nor big shots).  In fact, the day we stopped in, Solomon spoke to the hotel staff and found out that the hotel was preparing for a lunch that day that would be attended by the Chinese commerce minister.  A real invite-only power lunch... Can't help but wonder what they had on the menu.

In any event, they had lunch there later that day (we assume).  Before leaving the King David hotel, visitors should look down.  The hotel has taken the autographs of the big muckity-mucks who have stayed there and placed them on the floor.

Example 1

Example 2

The next stop was the market in the old city of Jerusalem.   We entered through the Jaffa Gate - so named because it was on the side of the city which had Jaffa Road, which leads to - you guessed it - Jaffa (now contained within the city of Tel Aviv).  So, everyone remember where we parked.

Jaffa Gate is on the border between the Christian quarter and the Armenian quarter.  The other two quarters are Muslim and Jewish.  The reasons why each is controlled by who it is controlled by is a long and complicated story beyond the scope of this blog or the understanding of its writers.  That's the kind of question a person could major in.  That being said - the Armenian quarter?  Jewish, Christian and Muslim - Ok, those are big-time religions, millions of followers, that makes sense.  An entire quarter for the Armenians?  How did that happen?

While the Roman Empire allowed Christianity beginning in 312 A.D., the Armenians had already been running pilgrimages to Jerusalem by then.  Armenia had been declared a "Christian state" by its king a decade earlier.  So they basically had an early mover advantage over the other Christians, and they've managed to maintain the claim over the years.  Good for them.

Anyway, Anne and Mark entered through the Jaffa gate and hung a left to the Christian quarter.  They were immediately thrust into a lively marketplace.

Recognize anyone?

As you might imagine, Jerusalem gets its share of visitors, as it has for thousands of years.  The market here is set up strictly for the visitors, not for the locals.  If you are a practitioner of a major western religion, boy howdy, do they have a deal for you.

One significant difference between salesmanship in the United States and the Middle East is the level of involvement.  Anne and Mark were eventually led to a small shop by their guide Solomon.  Solomon introduced them to his friend, who was the shop owner.  The friend did not attempt to sell anything to Anne and Mark (well, not right away :-).  Instead, he brought tea.  Then, they sat and talked for quite a while.  Eventually, having learned that Anne and Mark are (fairly) recently married, the shop owner got out a traditional wedding outfit for each of them and had them try it on.

Mark models the authentic "cheap watch" that is essential to the traditional wedding ceremony.

Regular readers of this space may be aware of the fact that Mark is cursed blessed with an abnormally large cranium.  More than once this has been the source of ridicule dished upon Mark by his "friends."  And while Mark may put on a brave face on the outside, it is clearly tearing him up on the inside.  Sometimes, in fact, Mark has to cry himself to sleep on his huge pilla.  Anyway, to head off any unnecessarily cruel speculation, let's just get this out of the way: Yes, when Mark put the headdress on, the band popped off.  No, they did not have one large enough that it would fit.  Frankly, it was not even close.  Eventually, to get the picture taken, they had to just set the band on top of Mark's head and have him hold still.  These facts are not in dispute.  (We welcome your comments regarding this or any other portion of the blog post.  Please remember, creativity is appreciate more than accuracy, so put on your thinking caps.  The best comment regarding Mark's mega-cranium will receive a prize of ten internets (sounds like a lot)).

Anne's headdress, on the other head hand, fit perfectly, but was a bit heavy.  The shop owner informed Anne that this was because there was about $2,000 worth of silver coins hanging from the front of it.  This is all well and good for a photo, but wearing that for an entire wedding ceremony and related festivities?  Sounds like a lot of work.

Before leaving the market area, Anne and Mark picked up a few souvenirs and visited many shops.  The spice markets were particularly interesting and worth noting.  While in the U.S. the spices are packaged into small bottles to be placed in racks constructed by students in Intermediate Woodworking class in junior high schools throughout the land, spices in this part of the world are displayed in a way that makes them easier to see and smell, and that much more enticing.

Main attraction of Israel Disneyland: "Spice Mountain"

Lunch that day was falafel - which we can now report roughly translates to "heroin for Anne."  Once Anne got a taste for it, she wanted it for nearly every meal.  Nay 'wanted,' she Needed it for every meal.  Between meals.  Last thing before bed, first thing in the morning.  It soon became clear, Anne has a real problem.  A falafel problem.  Another person lost to the siren song of the chick pea.  Just tragic.

Nachalat Benyamin

One of the reasons that Anne and Mark decided to spend their break in Israel is that another faculty member, who had previously lived in Tel Aviv for several years, invited them to travel along with her as she returned to that city.  Two other faculty members accepted similar invitations and all of the sudden, it was a party.  One of the big advantages of traveling with a "local" is knowing where all the cool stuff is in a foreign city, rather than being limited to the "tourist" areas.

On Tuesday and Friday (until sundown, anyway), our 'Tel Aviv ExPat' colleague took the group to Nachalat Benyamin, where everyone attended an artist market/ street festival.

Now, sometimes when you attend a market like this, you think you are getting cool, locally-made stuff, but it is actually 'locally imported' stuff that was made in China or wherever.  This was not the case, here.  How could we know?  Well, first, our Tel Aviv ExPat told us.  And she knew, because she knew most of the vendor/artists at this market.

Our guide is in the blue on the right.  An old friend/artist/vendor greets her.

As we walked part of the way through the market with her, vendor after vendor greeted her by name and our guide described what this vendor's art was (and, often, how she had purchased some of it in the past :-)  The second way that we knew that the items at the fair were legit was because some of the artists were there working on the items.  Fairly convincing evidence.

A legit artist.  You can tell by the commitment to the mullet.

So Anne and Mark felt fairly confident shopping with the local craftspeople.  Especially Anne.  At one point the question was not "What did you buy?" but rather, "What did you leave?"

I'll TAKE IT!!!

But, this is not to say that the event was all about consumerism.  Quite the contrary.  This was a show.  As you often see at artist markets, there was a variety of street performers.  The range of acts was very broad: everything from musical acts to dancers to acrobats to a guy who claimed he was the messiah.  And the quality of the talent had a range that was equally broad from "How did he do that?" all the way to "Why is he doing that?"

Frog man in a blue tub.  I know what you're thinking: "Same old, same old."

The last thing that must be mentioned is the food.  Throughout the entire trip, Anne and Mark were treated to a wide variety of delicious meals from the cuisines of many different people.  On this day, Mark was able to have lunch prepared by a Druze family.

Kind of like a Mediterranean burrito

The entire family was in on the preparation.  At the far end of this 'assembly line,' a man is placing the bread on a large oven-type contraption.   After the bread is ready, he loads it up with hummus, spices and whatever else is in the Druze family secret recipe.  You can also see some other members of the family seating on left side of the photo (behind the guy making the bread).  These women were preparing the other ingredients (vegetables, chick peas, spices and what not).

After attending the market, it was time to head to beach for a nice sunset.

Whatever floats your boat.