Camera pics and conflicts.

There has been some unrest here the last couple days; nothing that the security is not used to, but we’ve had to stay inside yesterday and today. With Israeli Independence Day on Monday, many Palestinians have taken yesterday and today to protest the Israeli State and everything that’s going on here. Some dumpsters have been lit on fire, some Molotov cocktails have been thrown, some loud bands, and police blocking off parts of the city to stem any unrest. We were actually warned about it before it happened and told to stay inside; I suppose the security people at the Jerusalem center get tips and have a good idea when something is going to be an “incident” in the city.

There is a sharp divide between the Israelis and Palestinians. This divide was illustrated to me Monday night. Before we left, I went outside and listened to what I thought was the call to prayer. However, it had a much different rhythm and was recited in an extremely mournful voice. Turns out it was to remember catastrophe of the Arab nations being defeated by Israeli. The Palestinians blared it from their loudspeakers. However, while this same tone was coming through several loudspeakers around the center, in the distance, in west Jerusalem, the Israeli part, was the sound of trumpeting ram horns, blown in celebration of Israeli Independence Day that night. They actually sounded quite beautiful together, but also very thought provoking.

At the festival for Israeli Independence on Monday night, there were lots of people, several concerts at several different places in the city, and lots of little booths; kind of like a big outdoor fair. Lots of the teenagers had this silly-string like stuff that they called “snow.” Basically they sprayed on you and you were covered in white foam. Some of the girls in our group got attacked by one or two such ruffians. I got a shwarma, basically like a wrap with lamb, and we got some ice cream. At the end we all met up and watched fireworks go off. They were like 40 minutes late shooting them off. Our Hebrew teacher, who is Jewish, says Jews have their own time zone; a.k.a. they start everything late. Sounds like another religion I know of…. (Mormon Standard Time.) Overall it was a fun night!

The next day we had lots of free time as well so several of us decided to visit some “required” places we need to visit for a class. One of them was Zedekiah’s Cave, a huge cave beneath Jerusalem covered up in the time of the Ottomans, and rediscovered in the 19^th century. Not much is known about it, though rumors of it being a secret meeting place for Masons, as well as being a cave that King Zedekiah escaped through to Jericho in his flight from the Babylonians. It’s a sizeable cave/ tunnel (not to be confused with Hezekiah’s tunnel) that goes right underneath the old city.

Another thing we did is we walked on the old ramparts of the city (built by King Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman) and took lots of pictures. It took longer than you might think, stopping for photos and all that. There was an Australian couple taking pictures with a little bunny rabbit for their grandchildren (kind of like a Where’s Waldo kind of thing with pictures.) Also, there were several sports courts built up against the wall. At one point some Palestinian youth threw us a basketball and we all tried to make it from the old wall really high up. Most of us missed. However, there were also some courts for soccer built at the level of the wall on top of other buildings so we watched through the fence at some of them for awhile. We eventually tired or it, and went home for dinner!

We had Elder Piper of the Quorum of the Seventy come talk eat with us. He was here in the Holy Land reorganizing the branch in Tiberius, I believe. He talked a little about his family. He lived around the world as an adult and his children speak tons of languages. One is even involved in translating the Book of Mormon into some language I’ve never heard of.  He also gave us some counsel which I’ve recorded elsewhere.

Wednesday we went down to grab some American dollars for our trip to Turkey from Aladdins, and we stopped by the Garden Tomb. From the small Evangelical garden and complex they have around it you can also see what may have been Golgotha. (see picture) This spot could have been Golgotha because 1) the place looks like a skull 2) it’s outside the walls of the city (unlike the Church of the Holy Sepulture) 3) and it’s by a main road (where they would have crucified someone). Anyway, there was a big line to get into the tomb, so we actually didn’t go in, we had to get back for a class, but it was memorable.

The last couple days here have mostly been spent inside. Thursday and Friday we had 5 and 6 hours of class (one day would have been 7 hours of class but two hours cancelled, thank goodness). I spend a whole lot of time reading and doing homework between that, which means I often have to go study rather than “hang out”. However, doing all my homework is one of my goals while here, so I’m not frustrated. Several of our classes have focused or talked about Turkey or the Ottoman empire the last several days since we’ll be leaving for a week to Turkey. I can’t wait to tell you call about it. We’ll be the first group in like 20 years to go to Turkey rather than Egypt, which is a good thing since there have been riots in Egypt this week.  We’ll get back in a week so hope I’ll have lots to tell.

I also want to say that we had a real treat Wednesday night when a member of the Palestinian Parliament came and spoke to us. He was Christian, which is rare for a Palestinian (most are Muslim.) He was an incredibly amazing individual. My impression of him was that he was humble, very Christian, and a very wise man.  We got to learn about the conflict from the Palestinian point of view. 

On the walls of the Old City.

Twilight: Jerusalem.
 (In Zedekiah's Tunnel).

Ridding Jerusalem of some Infidels.

A view from the wall.

With some friends (mount of Olives in Background)

A likely site for Golgotha (See the skull?)

A very brief history of the Palestinian conflict: In WWI, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and Britain occupied the area now known as Israel and Palestine. Britain eventually decided to create a national homeland for the Jews. (One reason was to have a friendly country near the Suez Canal in Egypt). To do this they kicked out a ton of Palestinians from the area now known as Israel, and encouraged immigration. In 1948, as soon as Britain left Israel, the neighboring Arab countries invaded. Israel repelled them. Also, later, in 1967 (the six day war) the Arab countries around Israel invaded again. Outnumbered 3 to 1, Israel survived and took over parts of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. This area is now known as the West Bank, and mostly Palestinian Muslims live there, although there are some Israeli settlements. Israel doesn’t want to give all of it up for defense purposes, (the original Israel was 20 miles wide at one point- easily cut in half by invading forces.) The West Bank is under Israeli military control, but Israel allows a local government, the PLO  or Palestinian authority, to regulate most workings of the West Bank. Israel has now built a wall between the West Bank and Israel to quell violence but it’s also divided the country even more. Israel is mostly Jewish, with the exception of Jerusalem, which contains Palestinians in East Jerusalem and Jews in West.