A Testimony

"Yes, I have walked where Jesus walked. I have bathed my feet on the shores of Galilee...I have prayed in Gethsemane, and I have worshipped silently at the garden tomb. Each place stirred my soul and made me feel his holy presence. But I have not seen him in this life, nor have I spoken with him face-to-face. I know, however, that he lives and that he loves me. Through the power of the Holy Spirit I can testify that I know him."
-Elder Carlos E Asay

Dead Sea

The ocean has 3% salinity; the Great Salt Lake has 10%. The Dead Sea topples them both with a whopping 30% salinity. "Doesn't that burn?" you ask. Why yes, it does. We were advised not to shave our legs the day before our dip in the Dead Sea, and yet I was still surprised at how uncomfortable the highly-salted natural broth is. It's as hot as a bathtub, and the rocks are all encrusted with a thick layer of salt crystals. But certainly worth the buoyant swim.

Finals

I have beed dreading Professor Chadwick's Ancient Near Eastern Studies final since our first class quiz (which I failed in a most uncharacteristic manner). Dates, names, archaeological periods...whew. I love history, but sometimes our Carta textbook is just too much to handle. I was not at all comforted when Professor Chadwick sent a full page of dates to memorize and a map with 50 places to be able to identify.

But would you believe that when I studied for this final, the Holy Ghost took all of the little bits of knowledge that I have been wrestling to understand and created a wonderful mosaic of history, culture, and gospel doctrine? Questions were answered, and questions formed. I can whip out those dates and locations like you wouldn't believe, and I am thrilled to view Jesus Christ in his historical/cultural context. I nearly cried before the test--not because I was scared to take it, but because I realized for the hundredth time that Heavenly Father loves me enough to give me wonderful challenges and great instructors. He understands my hunger for knowledge, and He satiates me.

Ramadan

I fasted for 2 meals today, typical monthly Mormon style. I ate dinner with relish, and it made me think about my Muslim neighbors who are celebrating Ramadan this month. They don't eat or drink until the sun goes down at night. Our poor Palestinian chefs have been cooking for us every day this week, handling our food and drink without being able to have any of their own until approximately 7:35 when the sun goes down and the Ramadan cannon fires. The shopkeepers are unusually sluggish, and they complain of the heat. It might not be the best month to bargain for souveniers (especially if they are as cranky as I am when I don't have food). The streets are full of neon lights when the sun goes down, and the falafel shops have traded their pita for palm-sized pancake/crepes. I don't fully understand what a fast means to a Muslim, but it was nice to feel like we had something in common for 18 hours today.

Last Supper

John 13-17; Matt 26

When I read about the Last Supper, I think of it as Jesus' goodbye to his disciples. He knew that his sacrifice was coming near, and he planned in advance to have a final Passover seder with his disciples. His counsels were to say goodbye, and to prepare them for the impossibly hard reality of his death. He washed their feet, and they sat down for a meal. It would have included the traditional seder foods (pita, bitter herbs, roasted lamb, etc), as well as other non-ritual foods that overwinter well (dates, nuts, apples, boiled eggs, olives, bean dips, etc). The "sop" that he dipped for Judas would be a dip like they still serve with pita today--probably hummus or various marinated salads. They reclined at a Roman-style triclineum table (a low, floor-hugging three-sided table that they would have leaned on with their left arms while they ate with their right hands), which explains why John was leaning against Jesus' chest.

During a traditional seder meal, one peice of bread is hidden and then brought out at the end of the meal to be broken into olive-sized pieces and shared with everyone present. The usual prayer on bread is uttered, with the addition of "in remembrance of the sacrificial lamb." The third glass of wine is drunken and the same prayer is said. When Jesus gave the unleaved bread and the glass of wine to his disciples, he changed the prayer to make it clear to his disciples that he was the sacrificial lamb. "This do in remembrance of me," he said.

Touchstone

I sat on the steps that led up to the temple complex, and it was one of the few times that an archaeolical excavation actually meant something to me. That "touchstone" feeling of a genuine closeness to the Savior snuck up on me quietly as we sang "Nearer, My God to Thee" on the pathway ascending to the temple that Jesus loved.

I'm not the only one who loved the place. When Neil Armstrong visited the Holy Land, he asked his Jewish guide to take him to a place where Christ surely would have been. His guide led him to these same stairs that lead to the Huldah Gates, near hundreds of mikvahs (ritual immersion baths) on the way to Herod's temple. Armstrong stopped and prayed, and when he had finished praying he commented to his guide that standing there meant more to him than it did to stand on the moon.

Christian Quarter

Did you know that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is jointly owned by 6 different Christian churches? A Muslim family acts as the gatekeeper to prevent disagreement between the various churches. Amazingly, we got a picture with the man who opens the doors to the church everyday!

Another interesting feature about the church that your tourguides might not point out is an old wooden ladder that has been leaning on the upper facade of the church since the mid-1800's. It was placed there to make repairs, but it was never removed because no one can decide who has the responsibility to remove it.