Tel Aviv – Travels with Lori

November 10th

We didn’t want to leave Jordan but it was time to go to Tel Aviv. Back over the border again and to the brand new airport in Eilat.

Our hotel is the Intercontinental David in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is on the Mediterranean Sea and is a very modern new bustling city, what a difference from Jordan!

November 11th

Today was the first day of our conference and everyone was excited.

Dad and I had a really nice dinner at the hotel.

November 12th

This was a morning I will not forget. I was eating breakfast in the hotel and my dad was still upstairs. I heard the sirens but didn’t know what it meant. Then hotel staff made everyone go downstairs to the shelters and knocked on every room door. Many people were in their hotel robes because they were asleep.

Israel killed a militant leader with strikes before dawn yesterday. They retaliated and launched missiles to Tel Aviv, where we are. Israel shot them down but they are continuing. This picture was taken by someone outside our hotel. Two mussels were shot down over our hotel.

It was very scary but we are all okay. They closed all non essential businesses and schools. Our tours in Tel Aviv were cancelled and it was very quiet all day.

Two days ago we were in Jordan and crossed back over into Israel to fly out of Eilat. We were on the plane sitting on the tarmac for over an hour with 4 other planes and none moving. Then they told us to all go back to the terminal because the Israel Military closed all Israeli airspace for 3 hours for drills. We didn’t think much of this at the time and eventually took off for Tel Aviv. But now we know why.

That afternoon we went to explore Jaffa, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Jaffa, the ancient port town, has existed for thousands of years, but today it is one unified city with Tel Aviv, which was founded in 1909. Both Jews and Arabs live in Jaffa, and that’s reflected in the flavors of the neighborhood. There are old narrow streets, ancient buildings and a beautiful beach. We decided to explore Jaffa’s famous flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim and see if anything was open.

A perfect sunset over the Mediterranean.

Today’s security alert email I received this morning.

Thankfully the restaurant we were going to tonight re-opened. Our dinner with the ASTA group was in Jaffa at Hazaken Vehayam or Old Man and the Sea.

It is a popular restaurant known for their 20 dishes that they put out on the table with a delicious freshly made flatbread.

Next was an amazing grilled sea bream that I ate with more of the toppings!

The waiters loved putting on a show, they all tried to out do each other with stacks of dishes and who could carry the biggest one and the crowd cheered! It was a great evening.

November 13, 2019

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dome of the Rock has been called Jerusalem’s “most recognizable landmark”. It is located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. You can see it as the golden dome in across the valley from us on the Mount of Olives. This was our first introduction to Jerusalem today, so excited to explore this city!

Next stop was the Israel Museum, you will notice an urn-shaped building with the Israeli Parliament behind it, this is the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and artifacts discovered at Masada. It was amazing to actually see the Dead Sea Scrolls right in front of you, no pictures were allowed.

Mahane Yehuda is also known as the Shuk, it is a great market in Jerusalem that sells everything and smells wonderful. There is a great atmosphere in the market and I happily ate my way through!

A neighborhood in Jerusalem

The Western Wall, or “Wailing Wall”, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people.

It is in the Old City of Jerusalem and is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. It is a small segment of a much longer ancient retaining wall. Also of the four original retaining walls, the western one is considered to be closest to the former Temple, which makes it the most sacred.

November 14, 2019

The Church of Christ’s birthplace is in Bethlehem, it was a welcome respite in the bleak city. Thanks to our guide who knew all the police and guards in the Church, we were able to skip the 3-4 hour line to see and touch the birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Star of Bethlehem. The Church has three sections, the main section is Greek Orthodox and is cool and dark with no pews and open sections of the floor showing original mosaics from 395 AD. To the left and front, and the way to the Grotto, the place of Christ’s birth, is Armenian Orthodox. The Catholics have the site of the manger and the adjoining altar next to the Nativity Grotto. It was humbling to be amongst so much history and standing in one of the oldest continually operating churches in the world. I found it surprising that it only became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

The entry to the Church was lowered in the 1500’s to stop looters from driving their carts inside.

Parts of the original mosaic floor from the original church.

The chapel at Shepherds Field marks the place where, according to Catholic tradition, angels first announced the birth of Christ. It adjoins the remains of a 4th-century church and has three beautiful painted murals. They depict the annunciation of the angels, the shepherds and their flock and the Christ Child in the manger.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” Luke 2:8-10

Below this room is the Tomb of King David. It is important because according to the New Testament, Jesus is considered to be a descendant of King David’s dynasty.

Masada is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Israel but by King Herod in 30BC.

It was the Jews last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The 960 people living at the top of Masada chose to commit suicide rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans alive. Their deeds left behind a saga of courage, heroism, and martyrdom.