Monthly Archives: May 2011

May 13 2011

Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israel indepedance day

On tuesday 10th of May I got the day off work as it was Israel’s independence day, 63 years since the modern state of Israel was formed.

Some people also call this national barbecue day.

Its not hard to see why!  The parks are very busy, this one, Gan Sacher park which is close to the government buildings has loads of people.

Here behind this yellow tape is a band playing middle east style music, there is a small flute that has an Arabic style sound to it, not sure what its called.

Lots people have flags tied onto their cars and houses.

I like the fact a lot of Arabs are out having parties as well as Jews, religious and secular and young and old.

There several lots of planes fly over from the military and from El Al, Israel’s national airline.

A Jew and an Arab friend, me and another friend from Germany learning Hebrew here in the park celebrating together.

On the way back from the park, I saw lots of people took time to show solidarity for kidnapped solider Gilad Shalit at this tent at the side of the road here.   He has been in prison in Gaza for over 4 years now.

About a week earlier there was a few minutes silence to remember the Shoah (the holocaust) during World War II.   This holiday though is a happy ocassion that the Jewish people have their own nation.

In the evening the high streets were packed with partying until late and live music and DJs all around the high streets.

As well as national barbeque day, I guess its also national parking violation day too!  You can’t walk up and down the pavements without squeezing past cars!!


May 8 2011

Nazareth – 10. The spice shop

This is one must see in Nazareth, its a 100 year old Arab business selling spices but also a lot of other food by weight, not only is there an exciting array of exotic smells of items generally absent from clinical western supermarkets..

..is watching the equipment used for making and processing the products they sell..

Left is ancient machinery that runs on steam for processing chick peas, on the right is a huge coffee roaster.

Where as this is more of a retailer in the traditional model here in the middle east, it got me thinking, in mid 1980s UK, various shops I know tried experimenting with pick and mix for all kinds of things, of course most people think of Woolworths for sweets sold by weight, but also my home city of Portsmouth, there was a store selling everything by weight including nuts, cornflakes, flour, etc in large storage bins which required amounts from customers are put into bags and weighed with minimal packaging.   This died out after a few years probably due to hygine concerns.

Here in this store you can buy all kinds of exotic spices, teas, coffee, nuts and dried fruit etc.    If you are used to the ‘Shuk’ (the outdoor market in Jerusalem, than this is not really a novelty, but this particular retailer seems to also sell things wholesale and get some items from abroad too (ie: from Turkey)

I got 200 grams of these brightly coloured sugared almonds which look quite old school.   Think the last time I had these in the UK as a lad they are often extremely hard and people have been known to break their teeth on them, but these are soft and very pleasant here.  Cheap too at 6 Shekels (£1 or s0)

Check out the store’s site at www.elbabour.com – Mostly Arabic, some in English so use http://translate.google.com

1. Arrival at the city – 2. Staying in the old city – 3. The modern day Nazarene carpenter – 4. Where Jesus first preached – 5. Religious vehicles in Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house – 7. The precipice – 8. On top of the Precipice hill – 9. More old city streets and market – 10. The spice shop – 11. Churches from A to Z or Alpha to Omega – 12. The Basilica church – 13. Easter service at the Basilica


May 8 2011

Megiddo – The end of the world?

Just taking a brief break from Nazareth, I thought I would share an important place on the way up….

This road looks actually quite exciting as it goes along a viaduct into a tunnel in the side of a mountain to Nazareth, but the bus took a left at these lights.

But before I came to here on the bus went through the town of Ha Megiddo, which in the Greek; Armageddon as mentioned in Revelation , the place of the end of the world.

Its mentioned in Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings and first Chronicles.  There has been previous battles here.

This is a prison in the town of Megiddo, I think it contains long term offenders, ie: terrorists.

A little while ago, some archeological remains were found underneath (hopefully not from convicts trying to tunnel out!)   showing some very significant history of early Christianity underneath the prison.  Check out this link:- http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/Megiddo+Prison+dig+yields+rare+3rd-4th+century+Christian+structure+9-Nov-2005.htm

Some people have said that this find is important enough to tear down and move the prison to somewhere else maybe.

These fields look nothing that special, but in the middle is where the last war will be fought it seems.

Petrol station if you want to get fuel, go to the loo, get a can of Tango and a choc-ice before the end of the world.

Revelation 16 : 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Now Revelation is a very symbolic book and probably the most difficult part of the bible to understand, but its quite clear this is the place outlined.

Many people I speak to think that Jesus’s return is not far away, I see more people slandering God, Jesus, Israel, Christians and the Jewish people today than in the past, here in Megiddo is a place where you want to be on the right team when that battle happens.

May 7 2011

Nazareth – 9. More old city streets and market


Heading back on the main road to Nazareth’s main city centre as it was very hot today and need to get another bottle of water.

This alleyway near one of the youth hostels I was staying has a drain at street level, this sounds primitive but this path is very old as its intended so donkeys can relieve themselves and can be flushed away into the drains.

On one of the city tours I was on, our guide told us that these diagonal sections on corners of streets are there so men cannot use the corner as a toilet, a design feature since the bible times!

In the week I was there between the Jewish holiday of Pesach (Passover) and Easter, there were quite a few visitors to Nazareth but it wasn’t that busy, being the wrong side of the country (ie: people are in Jerusalem)

On the left as well as more fruit and vegetables and familiar western food products, there is someone with 2 litre coca cola bottles with a different coloured liquid in them for sale, locally made olive oil.  One the right Nazareth’s famous White Mosque has some of it side entrances leading onto the market, I don’t now much about the typical building layouts of Islamic holy places, so this entrance for funerals was quite surprising!

This gent is the Imam of the mosque seems friendly and also runs a shop next door  to the White mosque.

A lot of butchers have a specially refridgerated van for transporting meat, here this Nazarene market trader brings in meat on the back seat of a beat up Renault 5.

Fluffy yellow chicks in a box!  can you tell its Easter?

Pork for sale? In Israel?   You can tell there are a lot of Christian Arabs and secular Muslims who visit this butchers shop!
Next the Spice shop, and the various types of churches around Nazareth…

1. Arrival at the city – 2. Staying in the old city – 3. The modern day Nazarene carpenter – 4. Where Jesus first preached – 5. Religious vehicles in Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house – 7. The precipice – 8. On top of the Precipice hill – 9. More old city streets and market – 10. The spice shop – 11. Churches from A to Z or Alpha to Omega – 12. The Basilica church – 13. Easter service at the Basilica


May 6 2011

Nazareth – 8. Ontop of the Precipice hill

After spending a while getting some pictures and pondering what it was like with Jesus had upset some people in the synagogue thinking he had said blasphemy, I thought I would climb up the side of the hill.

I always think of Jesus as being a strong and assertive young man, it didn’t occur to me before the crucifixion that he could get easily lynched and taken up to this hill by a mob.  I wonder if they were having a heated debate on theology whilst walking from the temple, and some of the folk got nasty.

At the foot of the hill there is a zigzag road which has been blocked off to stop people driving up there, on the other side is a road for coaches to take tourists up here.

The mast you can see in the distance is part of a peace monument.

I will mention this peace monument another time, as it has some similarities to the ones I have seen in Jerusalem and Sderot.

Up the top is a simple path that encircles to the top of the hill with plenty of trees and wild flowers here, there is a toilet block which was shut (oh well plenty of bushes!)  and a small kiosk that looks out to the view point that heads south.

This was definitely worth the long walk – the grey ‘field’ thing is actually a large water reservoir, there is another 3 small ones in view.   In the distance is mount Tabor, this hill is mentioned a few times in the scriptures and also is considered one of several locations of Jesus’s transfiguration.  To the right in the distance is Megiddo (Armageddon)   Wonder if this is a safe place to watch the final battle of the end of the world? 🙂

With this view it was nice to just stay up for an hour, I would of stayed longer but I only brought a small bottle of water and it was a hot day, the nearest petrol station is back in town about 3 or 4 kilometers away.

Looking eastwards.  I got chatting to some American Christians here, its easily to getting chatting with other Christians about the bible and Jesus’s escape from people who tried to throw him off the hill.

Down here is the building site next a large hotel and conference centre where I took pictures from the previous story.

More antics around Nazareth coming soon! Also Jesus’s first miracle in Cana, and Armegeddon the battle ground of the past and stage for the end of the world!

1. Arrival at the city – 2. Staying in the old city – 3. The modern day Nazarene carpenter – 4. Where Jesus first preached – 5. Religious vehicles in Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house – 7. The precipice – 8. On top of the Precipice hill – 9. More old city streets and market – 10. The spice shop – 11. Churches from A to Z or Alpha to Omega – 12. The Basilica church – 13. Easter service at the Basilica


May 2 2011

Nazareth – 7. The precipice

This was maybe 3 or 4 miles walk from the centre of town, the precipice was something I have read about, its the hill in Nazareth where people tried to throw Jesus off the hill after hearing him speak, thinking it was blasphemy.

The hostel was a bit boring, I got chatty to various people, including the staff there and mostly families staying and few other people who were on their way out, but there were no chances to go and explore places of the bible with any other Christians, as hostels are usually great places to make friends, especially when I have been to some in France, Iceland and US.

No matter, I left my iPod at home, so it was a good way to enjoy a week long break from work and see some sights.

I went off a road to a car park where there was some construction going on, hoping to get some good shots of the hill.

I walked towards this shed on the left, then I saw a couple of fierce guard dogs were there…

Taking pictures can be awkward on your own and without a tripod, I tried using this abandoned car to stand my camera on and do a timed shot…

I kind of got hidden by the wildlife though!

Here is some better pictures of the precipice:-

As below this passage talks about Jesus was threatened up here:-

Luke 4 : 28 -30  All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.  They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.  But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

I am next going to head up and see how much of the Galilee is visible from up there:-

1. Arrival at the city – 2. Staying in the old city – 3. The modern day Nazarene carpenter – 4. Where Jesus first preached – 5. Religious vehicles in Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house – 7. The precipice – 8. On top of the Precipice hill – 9. More old city streets and market – 10. The spice shop – 11. Churches from A to Z or Alpha to Omega – 12. The Basilica church – 13. Easter service at the Basilica


May 1 2011

Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house

The well sits right next to a busy junction and is close to the Greek church of annunciation.

Its meant to be the place that Mary was drawing water when the angel told her she was to be with child.   There isn’t anything in the scriptures that mentions this arch specifically though.

In fact Mary’s well is an iconic part of Nazareth as it appears on official government letterheads and logos, including this man hole cover 🙂

The back of the monument.

Imagine if you owned a small shop and you did some maintenance on the building to find an ancient bath house was underneath that may date from the time of Jesus?   Thats what happened the owners of this building!   I didn’t visit this place as its only by tour, so I would have to wait and find some other people to share the NIS120 fee to visit.   Looks interesting though!!  http://www.nazarethbathhouse.org/en/

1. Arrival at the city – 2. Staying in the old city – 3. The modern day Nazarene carpenter – 4. Where Jesus first preached – 5. Religious vehicles in Nazareth – 6. Mary’s Well and the Bath house – 7. The precipice – 8. On top of the Precipice hill – 9. More old city streets and market – 10. The spice shop – 11. Churches from A to Z or Alpha to Omega – 12. The Basilica church – 13. Easter service at the Basilica