A fenced in history
The Holy Land – sure, it’s a nice name, but if stop and think about it (after all it is the holy land of all three major monotheisms in the world today), we get the feeling there might be a bone to pick there. The tie of these three religions is the city of Jerusalem: where there was the temple of King David (destroyed centuries ago, but the western wall is still the holy of places for Jews around the globe); Christ was said to be crucified only a few hundred feet further on; and on the very spot where there used to be the temple of King David, the profit Mohamed received the Koran (the holy book of Islam), which is in a single sentence written book that takes years of studying to be at least superficially understood.
The state of Israel today has 20.770 squared kilometers – which places it just in front of Slovenia (size-wise). Despite its relatively small size the country has a population of 7.2 million people, three quarters of which are Jews and the rest are mostly Arabs of Islamic faith. A significant number of Jews (about a million) has migrated from Russia into Israel during the nineteen nineties and some old inhabitants of Israel have severe doubts about the Jewish roots of these immigrants. Israel is namely a country that offers hospitality to every Jew regardless of his (or hers) place of origin. Because of a large number of Russian immigrants you will notice (in addition to Hebrew and Arabic which are the official languages, and English which is widely used) many signs written in Russian Cyrillic alphabet.
And now let us welcome you to Israel!
First off I would like to ensure everybody that Israel is actually a very safe country, but it’s true you meet more armed military personnel there than in any other country around the globe. The reason is very simple. The military duty in Israel lasts 3 years for men and 2 years for women. Unlike the military duty in Slovenia (when we still had it) or in the former Yugoslavia, where all the armaments had to be left behind in the army barracks, here the soldiers are responsible for their weapons and must carry them around all the time – even if in civil clothes. At all the museums, shopping malls, and other places where huge crowds go to, are equipped with metal detectors, and also the occasional checkpoints on the roads are there just for your personal safety. To prevent the suicidal attackers, a huge security fence has been installed on the boarder with the West Bank (where the Palestinians have their autonomy).
Despite its small size Israel can boast with the Youth Hostel network of the highest quality in the world. The hostels with double bedded rooms are on the pair with 3 star hotels. And the educational program they offer, as well as the friendly staff, make sure these establishments differ from the sterile hotel sleeping accommodations, for they are after all a proud member of the international hostelling chain IYHF (www.hihostels.com). In accordance with the IYHF tradition the price (even for the highest quality) is still acceptable even for travelers on budgets!
How to plan to see the most of Israel?
For those who don’t mind to drive, I of course suggest renting a car straight off at the airport and have your stays in Youth Hostels reserved in advance. This way you will be able to spend most of your time discovering the country and not wait in lines for public transport.
And now for the must-see sights:
1. The Red Sea and Eilat
At the very south of Israel there is the city of Eilat. The city flourished in the last sixty years. It is located on the coast of the Red Sea wedged in between Jordan and Egypt and tourist visas, for both countries, can be obtained at the boarder crossings (at least for Slovenian passport holders, others please check before departure). The city itself is a real treat for all who love the marine life. It has many diving centers, where among other things you can swim with the dolphins, it has an underwater conservatorium, an aquarium and many other attractions. But instead me talking about it, let me show you what I mean:
Eilat.
2. The Dead Sea and Masada
The Dead Sea is a geological phenomenon at the bottom of a tectonic rapture. Through the centuries the water has been evaporating and the salt has concentrated. Today the Dead Sea depression is the deepest in the world, for its shore lies 420 meters below the sea level. Because of its tremendous concentration of the salt (and due to that the water density), it is suitable for non-swimmers also. With 33,7% of salt (that’s eight times saltier then the Atlantic Ocean) the water is so dense it’s impossible not to stay afloat. Unfortunately the shores of the Dead Sea hold many dangers. There are many sink holes on the shore, which are several meters deep and the sand covers them up, thus sealing the fate of those who recklessly didn’t care about the warning signs and were unfortunate enough to stumble into one of them. The water itself might be unpleasant, especially for the eyes or if you have an open wound. I also needn’t remind you, you should not try to taste it! On the other hand, however, it’s important to stress that the mud, the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea, have suitable effects on health, so there are many healt resorts and cosmetic factories which use these resources as a part of the health care.
Directly above the Dead Sea, on the east side of the Jordan desert, there is the Masada. It’s the second most visited attraction of Israel (right after via Deloroso). Quoting Josephus (a first century AD chronologist) Herod the Great made Masada into a well defended fortress between 37 and 31BC, as a fall back location for the Jewish population. When the war between the Jews and Romans broke out in 66AD and after the demolition of the temple in Jerusalem, Jews retrieved to Masada, from where they ambushed Roman legions. After several attempts to conquer Masada the Romans build a huge ramp in 70AD. Using this ramp they were able to reach Masada, where they found a sordid site. There were only dead bodies left, for faced with the fact of being subdued, all the inhabitants of Masada have killed themselves, preferring death to defeat. A day before the fall of Masada they have written down the names of the families and had a raffle to determine who will slay whose family.
Today Masada is a national park and a part of the UNESCO world heritage list.
There is a cable cart leading up to the fortress and at the entrance you can see a short documentary explaining what you are about to see. If the Youth Hostel Masada is one of your stops, then you will be able to reach the cable cart on foot. Youth Hostel Masada is a high ranking hostel with many luxuries to offer, including a swimming pool, which is more then welcome to refresh yourself from the high temperatures of the Jewish desert.
3. The city of Jerusalem
The history of Jerusalem dates back to 4th century BC, which makes it one of the older cities in the world. It also has a significant religious meaning. For Jews Jerusalem is the holiest city, for Muslims it’s the third holiest (right after Mecca and Medina). It also holds a special place in Christianity because of the passion of Christ and his alleged grave there. In the year 2000 there have been 73 mosques, 158 churches and 1204 synagogues in the City of Jerusalem.
The city is divided into four parts: Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Aramaic. The Armenians have had a much more influential role throughout the history as they do in the current day. After the holocaust (just a quick reminder: the Turks have committed ethnical cleansing during the years of 1915-1917 and in that genocide from 300.000 – Turkish records, to up to 1.500.000 – Armenian records – people have been killed), many remaining Armenians fled to Jerusalem. Many people in Israel comment that it was the Turkish holocaust over the Armenian people that lead Adolf Hitler to the idea for the “final solution” where he (unfortunately justifiably) counted on the bleak reaction of the global community.
Although personally I prefer to explore new locations myself, I heartily recommend you choose a guide for Jerusalem, for thus you will not only get to see the city, but you will also begin to understand it. It is a very complicated city and without a guide who knows it down to the last detail, you will miss most of it. Sometimes a small doorway leads to a huge yard, or even to an entire African village (like it’s the case with the Ethiopian church). The whole city is a maze of passages that you alone will not be able to make heads or tails of.
Just as a glimpse into the complexity of relationships between just the Christians in Jerusalem, here’s an article about the Basilica of the Holy Grave – a very interesting read:
click.
And if the walk from the Mount of Olives and down the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus supposedly carried the cross, is the most important sight for Christians (regardless if Orthodox, Roman-Catholic, or any of the numerous post-reformation denominations), then the Western Wall is the most important sight for the Jewish visitor. The holiness of this wall lies in the belief that it’s the closest point to the temple, where the holiest of all relics is said to have been kept and only a priest, completely cleansed, was allowed entrance, for otherwise he would have perished. So the priests entering the temple had a rope tied around their legs, so in case of their death, their bodies could have been pulled out. The most orthodox rabies still forbid to Jews walking on the hill, where the temple stood, for the exact location where the holiest might have been kept is unknown, so an accidental and un-cleansed person might stumble upon this holiest of places. Apart from the Western Wall (often seen on television) the Jews have also dug a tunnel under the mount, which reaches the actual closest point to where the temple’s sacred possession was kept, making it an extremely important and potent religious place, for praying there is considered the highest spiritual experience for a Jew.
Today in the place of the temple (demolished in the time of Romans) stands the Dome of the Rock (the oldest Islamic shrine from 691) and the mosque Al-Aqsa. This brings us to the forth and the largest part of Jerusalem, the Muslim part. There are numerous bazaars with different quality of textile, countless fragrances of oriental sweets, kebabs and nargilas (the water pipes). The Temple mount, with its Dome of the rock and Al-Aqsa mosque are also under the Muslim jurisdiction and non-Muslims may enter this area only by crossing a special bridge – and they may not enter the mosque.
To understand the country of Israel you must also visit the museum of the holocaust – Yad Vashem, established in 1953. It’s a living guardian of the remembrance of the greatest crime committed in the history of the humanity. The museum has been established with the purpose of keeping the memory, as an archive and as a place of research and education.
This concludes our short excursion of Jerusalem and more sights of Israel will be described in our next issue, where you’ll learn about the historic city of Akku, Tel-Aviv (the nation’s capital) and much more.
