tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75952366036254943032024-03-13T20:32:06.715-07:00To the land of milk and honey flowingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243101749455793162noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7595236603625494303.post-66398091812507039512014-05-04T03:35:00.001-07:002014-05-05T06:41:41.529-07:00Jericho Oldest and the Lowest City on Earth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="References of sheep in Bible is common. Old testaments reads Abraham was given large herds of sheep, oxen, asses and camels for the sake of his fair and beautiful wife Sarai. (Gen 12: 14-20) View during our journey" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8890590_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">References of sheep in Bible is common. Old testaments reads Abraham was given large herds of sheep, oxen, asses and camels for the sake of his fair and beautiful wife Sara. (Gen 12: 14-20) View during our journey</span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>sraelite were crossing from the east to the west bank of River Jordan on their way to Canaan the land promised to them from God. Miraculous event narrated in Bible reads the water in River Jordan stopped flowing before the Ark of Covenant of Jehovah and the river remained dry until all the 40,000 people and the priests carrying the Arch had crossed the river (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Joshua 4:10-18</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fall of Jericho to Israelite</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">sraelite after crossing the river camped at Gilgal, place closer to the Canaanite city of Jericho. God said to Joshua, the leader of Israelite after Moses, to fight against the inhabitants of Jericho and occupy the land for them. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Further, God assured Joshua "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I given it, as I spoke to Moses" (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Joshua 1:3</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">). "Be strong and courageous there shall be not any man be able to stand before you all these days of your life" (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Joshua 1:5</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">)."Your wives, your little ones and your cattle shall abide in the land which Moses gave you beyond Jordan" (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Joshua 1:14</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">)</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Another beautiful sight at the planes of Jericho. Jericho is known as the oldest and the lowest town in the world" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8890674_f496.jpg" height="229" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Another beautiful sight at the planes of Jericho. <br />Jericho is known as the oldest and the lowest town in the world</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Walls of the fortified city of Jericho collapsed and came tumbling down at the sound of Israeli trumpets. Entire city was burned, except Rehab a prostitute who favored Israelite, all the inhabitants were killed (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Joshua 6: 20-25</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Believe it or not, according to archaeological survey the remnants of the </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cmdl4Cqdo" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-cmdl4Cqdo" style="background-color: white;">ruined city of Jericho </a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">and its fallen down walls still exist in the deserts of Judea even after a period of 3000 years.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Inheritance of Jericho an interesting story</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">L</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ater, during the height of Roman Empire, Mark Antony gifted the land of Jericho to his Egyptian lover Cleopatra. In a civil war with Octavian who became Augustus Cesar after the assassination of Julies Cesar, Antony got defeated and fled with </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Cleopatra </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">back to Egypt (Alexandria) where they both committed suicide (You may watch the most celebrated movie of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Cleopatra </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">acted by Liz Taylor and Richard Burton for viewing this pivoting point of Roman history). </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="My daughter Asha who accompanied me on a ten day journey to the Holy land. Here our journey descends through the Judean desert from Jerusalem to Jericho." src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890671_f496.jpg" height="226" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">My daughter Asha who accompanied me on a ten day journey <br />to the Holy land. Here our journey descends through <br />the Judean desert from Jerusalem to Jericho.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jericho was then leased to Herod, the Judean King and he kept the city as a private hide out for him away from Jerusalem. King Herod instituted an excellent irrigation system and converted Jericho to a beautiful garden with lots of vegetation which is continued until today though the city is now in Palestine territory.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Journey to Jericho</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">J</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ericho claims to be the lowest and the oldest inhabited city on earth and it locates about 55 km away from Jerusalem towards the east. Jerusalem is situated 400 meters above and Jericho is about 250 meters below the sea level. Jericho's moderate climate makes it a favorite winter resort. It is an area for agriculture, producing fresh fruits and vegetables year around. Our journey from Jerusalem to this beautiful ancient land in a multi axle Mercedes bus on steeply descending modern high way was a journey to remember.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We drove through the west bank, a Palestine administered area where we could however see many Israeli settlements on the terraced slopes of mountain on to our left. The settlement contained aesthetically built concrete villas having terracotta tiled roofing located in the middle of beautiful small gardens and the individual villas were compounded by white stone walls. Well arranged lush green trees on the sides of the winding roads going up to the villas were adding immense grace to those hill top settlements.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Inn of Good Samaritan located on the ancient road to Jericho off to new high way. It has the museum seen in the front and a church seen behind the museum" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890615_f496.jpg" height="240" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Inn of Good Samaritan located on the ancient road to Jericho <br />off to new high way. It has the museum seen in the front <br />and a church seen behind the museum</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was enjoying drive in the company of my daughter watching pine trees on the side of the road running backward one after another as the bus was speeding up through the high way until I was put to a cat's nap by the cool breeze entering through the little opening of the bus window.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Good Samaritan Inn</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">19 century Turkish building called the Inn of Good Samaritan is located on our way but little off on the ancient Roman road between Jerusalem and Jericho. Some Christians like to believe the parable of Good Samaritan (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Luke 10: 30-37</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">) told by Jesus Christ is a true story that took place on this road so they built the Inn of Good Samaritan here in the Judean desert. Crusaders after the period of Jesus Christ built a fortress in this area and maintained a garrison of army to protect the road from desert robbers who frequently attacked the travelers as said in the parable of Good Samaritan.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Close up view of St. George Monastery belongs to monks of Greek Orthodox order." src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890645_f496.jpg" height="208" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">High above the Inn on the other side of the road are the remains of the crusader fort. Beside having a church here built by the Greeks, there is also an archaeological museum with large collections of ancient mosaics retrieved from Judean area.</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">St. George Monastery</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">A</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">nother amazing place of interest on the way to Jericho is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLLS73hw8XE" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLLS73hw8XE">St George Monastery</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> that clings to the rocks of Wadi Qelt (Valley of the Shadow of death) in the Judean desert. King David ran in to Judean wilderness when Saul was after him, Jesus Christ came out here for solitude and to get away from worldliness before starting His ministry. Monks of Greeks origin continue to live in this place of solitude and extreme isolation right from 5th century. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">The road newly built connects the monastery to the civilization now, otherwise it used to be reached by walking across the Judean desert. A beautiful stream of water flowing through the valley makes inhabitancy possible at this totally isolated location</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Mount of temptation, 5th century Greek orthodox monastical caves where christian monks lived for their life time and died. The cave is cut on to the face of the mountain of temptation." src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8890692_f496.jpg" height="227" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Mount of temptation, 5th century Greek orthodox monastical <br />caves where christian monks lived for their life time and died. <br />The cave is cut on to the face of the mountain of temptation</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Mount of Temptation</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">W</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">e have reached the mount of temptation in the Judean desert where Jesus Christ believed to have stayed in a cave on the mountain for 40 days fasting to overcome the temptations from Satan. Greeks have built a monastery here and few monks lives here from 5th century.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are steps cut from the plains to the cave for the visitors to reach the monastery and a modern cable cart system enables to go on to the summit of the temptation mountain. You will have an extremely beautiful panoramic view of old Jericho by standing at the monastery.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Journey to Jerusalem from Jericho</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">D</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">riving back to Jerusalem was through the banks of Jordan River before it falls in to Dead Sea. We had the river flowing on to one side of the road while other side was covered by cliffs of yellow colored Brimstone (Phosphorus rich lime stone). I stopped the bus during our drive and shot some beautiful pictures here out of excitement.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">People believe a portion of the lime stone standing above is the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><i><b>Pillar of Salt</b></i> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">belongs to the wife of Lot. Geographically speaking the place of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Sodom and Gomorrah </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">is located around this area at the plains of Jordan River and the Dead Sea. Therefore reasons to believe the story of Lot's wife transforming in to the Pillar of Salt has taken place around here (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Genesis 19: 1-26</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Lime stone (Brimstone, yellow colored) cliffs above the Qumran site. People beleive the portion of lime stone standing is the pillar of salt belongs to the wife of Lot." src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890735_f496.jpg" height="209" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Lime stone (Brimstone, yellow colored) cliffs above the <br />Qumran site. People believe the portion of lime stone <br />standing is the pillar of salt belongs to the wife of Lot.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Dead Sea</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">O</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">n our way back another interesting place we visited is Dead Sea. The Sea of Salt also known as Sea of Death is 377 meter deep and it is the deepest hyper salt water lake in the world. Because of its hyper salinity no living organism can live or flourish in it hence the name Dead Sea.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the most interesting situation is you remain floating in the sea water, however you try to get below the water surface, you will be pushed upward because of the high density of water due to hyper salinity. So you can be sure that you will not be drowned in Dead Sea even though it is dangerously deep.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Dead sea mud bath - the mud of the Dead Sea has health and cosmetic uses." src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890887_f260.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="229" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dead sea mud bath - the mud of the Dead Sea <br />has health and cosmetic uses.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">It is learned more than 35 different types of minerals are found in the Dead sea water;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> <a data-mce-href="http://geography.howstuffworks.com/oceans-and-seas/dead-sea-dead2.htm" href="http://geography.howstuffworks.com/oceans-and-seas/dead-sea-dead2.htm">Mud bath in Dead Sea</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> is famous for health and cosmetic reasons. There are many expensive hotels on the sea shore where people from different parts of the world arrive to get treated by the mud bath and to lie down on the sea shore because of the high oxygen level in the area. You need not have to stay in hotels or in private resorts around, there are well organized public amenities provided for enjoying the Sea floating and for the mud bathing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also you can buy Dead Sea mud in small gift bottles for nominal price or you may as well collect some fresh quantity direct from the sea for giving out as present to friends back home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Qumran Caves</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">O</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">ur journey continued and we reached Qumran on our way back. This is an archaeological site in the west bank of Jordan River closer to the Dead Sea. It was the settlement of Jewish people who ran away from Jerusalem during their persecution. They carried many of their records and documents along with and kept them safe in the caves around here. Numerous scrolls written on papyrus and copper sheets were found from Qumran caves and most of them were well preserved in side sealed earthen pots and Jars.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="This is Qumran cave no. 4 and it is famous because numerous scrolls were found from this cave and most of them were well preserved inside sealed earthen pots" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8890647_f496.jpg" height="278" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Qumran cave no. 4 and it is famous because numerous <br />scrolls were found from this cave and most of them <br />were well preserved inside sealed earthen pots</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Dead Sea scrolls</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> are collection of over 970 texts consisting of biblical manuscripts from what is known as the Hebrew Bible and extra biblical documents. Scrolls were found between 1946 and 1956 from 11 caves in Qumran located in the west bank. Qumran scrolls after finding were scattered at different places in the world with different people. However they are bought out by Israeli government at the cost of large sum of money and presently exhibited at the Shrine of Books in Israel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sycamore fig tree of Zacchaeus. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">he last leg of our journey was visiting the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.arkive.org/sycamore/acer-pseudoplatanus/image-A8078.html" href="http://www.arkive.org/sycamore/acer-pseudoplatanus/image-A8078.html">Sycamore fig tree</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> - Jericho. Bible narrates since Zacchaeus, the tax collector was short he climbed on to a Sycamore fig tree to see Jesus while He was moving in a crowd of followers passing the streets of Jericho. This is one of such trees and location is believed to be the same where the original tree stood (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Recommended to read Luke 19: 1-10 for the interesting story</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Qumran scrolls written on papyrus and copper sheets were well preserved in earthen pots when discovered. " src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8890894_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Qumran scrolls written on papyrus and copper sheets were well <br />preserved in earthen pots when discovered.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having a little background knowledge, a drive in Judean deserts and back to Jerusalem through the banks of River Jordan and Brimstone cliffs is an experience of a life time. It takes a full day to visit the places as explained if you are staying in Jerusalem or at near by places.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><img alt="Brlmestone (phosphorous rich lime stone) cliffs at the bank of river Jordan. On our way back to Jerusalem from Jericho" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8890702_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></i></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">Brimstone (phosphorous rich lime stone) cliffs at the bank of river Jordan. </span></span><br /><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.009260177612305px;">On our way back to Jerusalem from Jericho</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243101749455793162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7595236603625494303.post-6218140635862508842014-01-04T08:15:00.000-08:002014-01-21T09:01:13.130-08:00Road to Jerusalem<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Google map of Road to Jerusalem </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">(the narrow black line on the right side shown as Road to Mount Olive) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Notice how it reaches the lions gate on the Jerusalem city wall.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.59375px;">There is an old narrow road steeping down from Mount Olive, passing through the valley of Kidron and going until the Stephens gate, also known as the Lion gate, of the old city of Jerusalem. The road is fairly broadened now and controlled under tight Israeli security. Many historical events have taken place around this road according to the old and new testaments of Bible. I am making an effort in this episode to walk you through the road where Jesus Christ once believed to have walked many times to Jerusalem when He arrived from Galilee.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoKFeezGNvM5wJsMoPNqHVp9hV-3DJOu_jwkoxLa4Ng2PFSeewHgbFf59BeYLjoRpJzZx1qtyl3IcU_IPk16KjVV49gO5bw0_gclUPrhldk19n59IE9rUqHzSIEM65m7Ldk6zk2FEpzM/s1600/299+Road+from+Mt.+Olive+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoKFeezGNvM5wJsMoPNqHVp9hV-3DJOu_jwkoxLa4Ng2PFSeewHgbFf59BeYLjoRpJzZx1qtyl3IcU_IPk16KjVV49gO5bw0_gclUPrhldk19n59IE9rUqHzSIEM65m7Ldk6zk2FEpzM/s1600/299+Road+from+Mt.+Olive+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Road to Jerusalem, steeping down from olive mountain.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">I feel it is worth including a small spell of history here enabling all of my readers to understand the background. Judea (Major portion of present day Israel) was a princely state ruled by King Herod under Roman Empire during the time of Jesus. Jesus was arrested and crucified; Practicing Christianity was getting forbidden, Christians were persecuted severely they were arrested, tortured, mutilated, burned, starved and condemned. Frightened Christians assembled in caves and mountain hide outs for praying. Similar situation went on for over 300 years until freedom of worship was granted to Christians in Israel by the Roman Emperor Constantine I.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Ascension Church at the summit </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">of Mount Olive</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> Through a deceleration (Edict of Milan) issued by Emperor Constantine in AD 313 Christianity was granted official tolerance in Roman Empire. It was during Emperor Constantine period Christianity became the dominant religion of Roman Empire. So this deceleration of Milan is referred to as mile stone to early Christendom. Constantine as the first Christian Emperor of Rome sent his mother Queen Helene to Jerusalem for finding out the tomb of Jesus. She found the cross used for crucifying Jesus and reclaimed the entire quarry of Golgotha to establish the </span><em style="line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://www.3disrael.com/jerusalem/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulcher.cfm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Church of Sepulcher</a></em><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">the spot where Jesus was crucified and buried. She built number of historical monuments in and around Jerusalem such as</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><a href="http://www.virtualtourcustodia.org/betlemme/virtual_eng.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; line-height: 1.4em; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><em>Church of Nativity in Bethlehem</em> </a><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">where Jesus was born, Mary's tomb where Mary the mother of Jesus was laid etc. History also revels Queen Helene searched out Mount Olive for the place from where Jesus was finally ascended to heaven and the cave where Jesus taught His disciples how to pray.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.4em;">Point of Ascension</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Minaret of Muslim Mosque at the Ascension </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;">Before getting down on to the </span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;">Road to Jerusalem </em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em;">let us halt for a while at the point of ascension located in the summit of Mount Olive. As I explained, this place was originally built by Queen Helene but after continued Islamic domination the place now looks like a mosque with minaret constructed in the same compound. Treasure of this church until today is a stone marked with foot prints of Jesus, the point where Jesus Christ believed to have lastly touched the earth prior to His ascension to heaven. </span></span></h2>
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There were two of such stones but one of them is removed and placed in <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Aqsa_Mosque" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Al- Aqsa Mosque</a></em> on the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Mount" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">temple mount</a> </em>since Muslims also acknowledge the sanctity of Ascension.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> Closer to this location there is also a place, according to Russian Orthodox Christians this is the place from where Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after the resurrection. </span>They also believe the head of <em style="line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beheading_of_St._John_the_Baptist" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">John the Baptist</a></em><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">, beheaded by</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> </span><em style="line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Antipas" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">King Herod Antipas</a> </em><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">was found here in a jar. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;">John the Baptist is an important character in Christianity; he was the forerunner and elder cousin of Jesus who baptized Jesus and proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. In the compound of Russian location there is a convent and a 64 meter high bell tower which is supposed to be the tallest monument in Jerusalem. Church is located in the center of the compound and there is a venerated point near the church where Mary, mother of Jesus believed to have stood at the time Jesus ascended to heaven. Also there is a cemetery dedicated to John the Baptist.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Pater Noster</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Walk down a little on the main road before getting on to the </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Road to Jerusalem, </em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">you come across another important place at the corner. Queen Helene located this place on the Mount Olive as the cave where Jesus Christ taught His disciples how to pray. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Lords prayer "Our father in heaven" encrypted </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">on marble slabs in various world languages at Pater Noster Church.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">A beautiful church is erected above the cave and it is known as the church of "Pater Noster". The prayer "Our father in heaven" encrypted on marble slabs in various languages are exhibited in the compound.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGhoOtKEkMhMNzXGrrubXBaYaUIUbksxCriidSxrhp3A9r8YRjl37uBVNGap2bpQCOfGbBjajHytsJyHfcYQdJlBTfRX3eCZHrlMZDcXmZYBtaUG1vDM87yiJrS-taLEkb29f8FVVP04/s1600/8604666_f496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGhoOtKEkMhMNzXGrrubXBaYaUIUbksxCriidSxrhp3A9r8YRjl37uBVNGap2bpQCOfGbBjajHytsJyHfcYQdJlBTfRX3eCZHrlMZDcXmZYBtaUG1vDM87yiJrS-taLEkb29f8FVVP04/s1600/8604666_f496.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Gold topped "Dome of the Rock" located on the "Temple Mount". </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Old Jerusalem or Mount Moriah in the back ground.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Panoramic View from Olive Mountain</span></div>
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Now you enter the road to Jerusalem and take the panoramic view point on to the left side of the road. I assure that you will be transported to a new world of ecstasy by the sight you are going to see standing from here. Jerusalem, <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Zion" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Zion</a></em>, Temple mount where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><em>King Solomon</em> </a>built the first temple, Kidron Valley and hundreds of such historical monuments all that you probably have learned from the child hood are suddenly opened to you in one single frame with out any obstruction. To me such all in one exposure, with my daughter Asha standing beside me on the cliff of Mount Olive was truly a dream, all of a sudden came true. For a live experience, you may spend hours together sitting under the shade of an Olive tree here by relating the places that you see in front with the incidents that are explained in the Bible.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_EGeKILMS5T9GR9Rd4BPAXzNGkQ7kADDjr_Z0_zpzr5z6GJsVE4AgzZjxWQYcXNCkUZCsuD1OtTAQwDpW_c0thFOiAYHoLLXZuNOvqCtaetwmmhtYeJ0EGmSfmqVdE7iI4kxE5xRG8c/s1600/302+Absalom+tomb+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_EGeKILMS5T9GR9Rd4BPAXzNGkQ7kADDjr_Z0_zpzr5z6GJsVE4AgzZjxWQYcXNCkUZCsuD1OtTAQwDpW_c0thFOiAYHoLLXZuNOvqCtaetwmmhtYeJ0EGmSfmqVdE7iI4kxE5xRG8c/s1600/302+Absalom+tomb+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Valley of Kidron. On the left is the Jews cemetery </span><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">and grave of Absalom </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">is like a conical pillar in the center. </span><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Area where Olive trees are standing on green grass </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">used to be deeper and water flowing. The ascend on the right reaches to Jerusalem wall.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Kidron Valley</span></div>
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An important location you see from here is the Valley of Kidron. This is a place I always wished to see for its very name and the place being a valley attracted me every time I read the old testament of the Bible. Kidron is a valley located in between Mount Moriah and Mount Olive where you are standing. As per records Kidron used to be much deeper than the present time, a stream of water used to be flowing here so it is referred as "brook" in the Bible. The valley once upon a time used to be a dumping place of blood and other impurities collected from the sacrifices performed in the Israeli temple. So also obscene idols collected from idol worshipers used to be burned over here.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx5TB8RekGch7jatHchtGRAZKs_zrTitCIQsH6We8xrayb4UK8h46rDhekJUnHojDWwF8AMjXjXaRjH19-VwsiNtirsLzZt9YbGCQ-FMRFqWSP1eqmwnfr6zm-gN7el1pKAcdQAu8NkQ/s1600/DSC_0747_mount_of_olives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx5TB8RekGch7jatHchtGRAZKs_zrTitCIQsH6We8xrayb4UK8h46rDhekJUnHojDWwF8AMjXjXaRjH19-VwsiNtirsLzZt9YbGCQ-FMRFqWSP1eqmwnfr6zm-gN7el1pKAcdQAu8NkQ/s1600/DSC_0747_mount_of_olives.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Jews Cemetery a close view</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Jews believes when their Messiah comes on the day of judgement, He will descend from the Mountain of Olive and He will judge their dead ones in the valley of Kidron and the righteous will be taken to the "temple mount" (Joel 3:12). Worlds oldest probably the largest Jewish cemetery there fore is located here waiting for the Messiah to arrive and resurrect the sons of Israel.</span></div>
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Mount Moriah</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #333333;">When you stand at the panoramic view point on Mount Olive what you see right in front across the valley of Kidron is the Mount Moriah. I am little bit brushing up the memories for some and narrating Biblical history to others. <em></em>Mount Moriah was the place where </span><em style="color: #333333;"><a href="http://bibletimeline.net/biblehistoryblog/biblical-timeline-abraham/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Abraham</a></em><span style="color: #333333;"> was asked by the God to sacrifice his only son Isaac (Sacrifice of Isaac is the Christian belief, while Muslims believes it was </span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_in_Islam">Ishmael</a>,</i><span style="color: #333333;"> also the son of Abraham, was taken for the sacrifice)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedlsVWLwE1vQhyphenhyphenQrcr4heeFVpC8WiROVHcZOD6KK4DiAaJ1sOQdLo6ll1p4a7qbCl03SEAbkYz9tKc8SPb1jsyzucnWBI-_qBA4FWQn_BjojVLWa7ZpSxSk54Ewobza5JmKDWkS-BVB0/s1600/mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedlsVWLwE1vQhyphenhyphenQrcr4heeFVpC8WiROVHcZOD6KK4DiAaJ1sOQdLo6ll1p4a7qbCl03SEAbkYz9tKc8SPb1jsyzucnWBI-_qBA4FWQn_BjojVLWa7ZpSxSk54Ewobza5JmKDWkS-BVB0/s1600/mountains.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Location of three mountains - 1 Mount Olive, 2 Mount Moriah, 3 Mount Zion. </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Temple mount is marked on Mount Moriah. </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Between Mount Olive and Mount Moriah Valley of Kidron located</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul_LEpGZMoW2nrsLutlpvJuPj9iE2eqo97mhkJcPALdRQdNsXjyvsyiYnu3P8oBFezh9z4DJhKo98srS6N6cfkMOkayS3x8FA7js0zIL7npHJjm2WoAv3vLMddi_OpmUyhnlvZdoMKn4/s1600/8604671_f260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjul_LEpGZMoW2nrsLutlpvJuPj9iE2eqo97mhkJcPALdRQdNsXjyvsyiYnu3P8oBFezh9z4DJhKo98srS6N6cfkMOkayS3x8FA7js0zIL7npHJjm2WoAv3vLMddi_OpmUyhnlvZdoMKn4/s320/8604671_f260.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">"Dome of the Rock" above and the wall </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">below is the western wall, remains </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">of the old temple. Notice Jews praying </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">by hitting their head on to the wall</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Moriah was a large property of land King David had purchased from </span><a href="http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/20020112.htm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; line-height: 1.4em; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><em>Ornanan the Jebusite</em> </a><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">for a price of 600 shekels of gold and it was here on the grain threshing floor where King David erected an alter and offered sacrifice to God. It was the place where King Solomon, son of King David built the original temple of God. It was also the location where many events have taken place during the ministry of Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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To day, Mount Moriah or the Jerusalem is divided in to four quarters between Muslims, Jews, Christians and Armenians. The temple Mount where King Solomon built the temple for God is now under the control of Muslims. The gold topped "Dome of the Rock" built on the temple mount is a Muslim monument. Jews prey by hitting their head on to the western wall, the remains, of their temple. Jews are not permitted to enter the premises of the temple mount now, but they do believe their third and the final temple will be built and it will be built on the same temple mount one day. We are viewing the eastern side of the Temple mount standing from panoramic view point, western wall of the temple sacred to Jews, cannot be viewed standing from this point as it falls on the directly opposite side.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyk8XzXTP62EUbLGFlqK7NCbjMuBlhuibTqyWm5xx0EBn2ojElLQOFTvqaK53JhlLtWp-nRxj6gd_RCs1-sA5MbDh8knXJXnpa8LCEzNiqKCfAdcPagl7ZrDZYeGTvU01n071bXgXQeyk/s1600/317+Jerusalem+view+through+the+window+of+the+church+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyk8XzXTP62EUbLGFlqK7NCbjMuBlhuibTqyWm5xx0EBn2ojElLQOFTvqaK53JhlLtWp-nRxj6gd_RCs1-sA5MbDh8knXJXnpa8LCEzNiqKCfAdcPagl7ZrDZYeGTvU01n071bXgXQeyk/s1600/317+Jerusalem+view+through+the+window+of+the+church+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Temple Mount and the Dome of the rock is seen </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">through the Altar window of "Church of the tear drops"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Church of the tear drops</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">From the panoramic view point we cross the </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">Road to Jerusalem </em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">and get in to a beautiful Roman Catholic Church on the Mount Olive is "Dominus Flevit" or the "Church of the tear drops". This is the place Jesus wept by looking at the temple of Jerusalem. The church is located in such manner so that you can look at the temple mount through the Altar window and pray while worship is in progress. After the fall of Jerusalem to the Turks, a Mosque existed here according to Jerusalem history. The view of Jews cemetery from this spot is also beautiful. A large ancient tomb excavated is exhibited here in the compound of the church.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroTg1ilG8AgyXPyl0WFrTuErWXLaIeRs-FiJuHUQLZKq9RbZj5ATsUgZvOAkC9oWPZPVsfmuWJBEQdRdqRs6VMHciaK6T6h_6fMYqBF7j8hT9ZllbiY1wn5mLPZ0-La0Ahxu9fqmI5lM/s1600/320+Tomb+close+up+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroTg1ilG8AgyXPyl0WFrTuErWXLaIeRs-FiJuHUQLZKq9RbZj5ATsUgZvOAkC9oWPZPVsfmuWJBEQdRdqRs6VMHciaK6T6h_6fMYqBF7j8hT9ZllbiY1wn5mLPZ0-La0Ahxu9fqmI5lM/s1600/320+Tomb+close+up+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">An ancient tomb opened in the premises of "Church of the tear drops" . </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Favorite personal belongings of the person also buried along with body. Notice the boxes</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Bethany</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">When we walk through the </span><em style="line-height: 1.4em;">Road to Jerusalem a </em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">little further we reach at the cross road and from here a road used to lead to Bethany (Bethanya), a favorite place of rest and refuge for Jesus Christ. Jesus' friend Lazarus and his two sisters Martha and Maria lived here and now they have the </span><em style="line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Lazarus,_Larnaca" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Tomb of Lazarus</a></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;"> located in Bethany. When Jesus traveled from Galilee for coming to to the temple of Jerusalem, He believed to have taken this narrow </span><em style="line-height: 1.4em;">Road to Jerusalem</em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;"> and rested at His friends' house before entering the temple.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Lazarus tomb in Bethanya</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Though Bethany is located close to Mount Olive, it is a town now under Palestine control and separated by a huge wall; there is no direct access to Bethany from this road now, however you can go there and visit </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethphage" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Beth phage </a></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">the village close to Bethany and the "Lazarus Tomb" by hiring a taxi form here or from Jerusalem.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">In commemoration to Jesus' ride on the donkey, decorated donkey placed </span><br />
<span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">at the cross road to Bethany in front of Mary Magdalene monastery, Kidron</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;">Jesus was taken in a procession riding on the donkey through this road from Beth phage to Jerusalem during His triumphal entry to the temple. It is a tradition, now they keep a decorated donkey at this junction of the road in commemoration to Jesus' ride on the donkey through this road.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Church of Mary Magdalene in Kidron Valley, Jerusalem</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;">Mary Magdalene Monastery and Church</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">According to the gospels of Mathew and Mark, Jesus' feet were anointed by </span><a href="http://www.360cities.net/image/mary-magdalene-ortodox-monastery-olive-mountain-jerusalem#0.00,0.00,70.0" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; outline: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><em>Mary Magdalene</em> </a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">at the house of </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_the_Leper" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Simon the leper</a></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"> in Bethany. Though Bethany is just on the other side of the Palestine wall, Russian Orthodox have built a church and a monastery dedicated to </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.3disrael.com/jerusalem/church_magdalene2.cfm" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Mary Magdalene </a></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">on either sides of the </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">Road to Jerusalem </em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">where we are now standing. This is one of the most beautiful monuments Russian Tsar Alexander III built in Jerusalem to honor his mother. Its seven onion shaped domes are covered with pure sheets of gold.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Age old Olive trees in the garden of Gethsemane</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Garden of Gethsemane</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">It is on this road to the left where the Garden of Gethsemane situates. We will be amazed when we learn the age old Olive trees we see in the garden could have been much younger trees when Jesus entered here with His disciples for praying on the fateful night after His last supper (Mathew 26:36) They say the Olive trees never dies, new shoots keep coming as the old one dies.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">All Nation Church in the garden of Gethsemane</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">A beautiful church built here is by the donation of all nations in the world so it is called All Nation Church. The slab exhibited in the garden will attract your attention, so did mine. It reads "My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but thou wilt" (Mathew 26:39) It also reads underneath "Jesus, in deepest night and agony you spoke these words of trust and surrender to God the father in Gethsemane. In love and gratitude I want to say in times of fear and distress, my Father, I do not understand you, but I trust you"</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Entrance to the tomb of Mother Mary in Kidron Valley</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Mary's Tomb</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">Mary's tomb originally built by Queen Helene during 4th century is located on the </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">Road to Jerusalem </em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">in Kidron Valley at the foot hills of Mount Olive near Gethsemane garden. According to Orthodox Christians this place is regarded as the burial place of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary, as per tradition was ascended to heaven and the tomb there fore became the shrine for assumption.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Crowd of visitors at the tomb of Mother Mary</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">The place is a large cave below the surface cut in to the rock like the shape of a cross keeping the tomb in the center of the cross. There is a wide stair case leading down in to the tomb. The tomb have been destroyed and expanded at different periods and now it attracts visitors from all over the world.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Visitors comes out after kissing the tomb of Mother Mary</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.4em;">Monastery of Stephen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">After Jesus' crucifixion there happened a great persecution of Christianity. People ran away from Jerusalem and went in to hide outs. </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_of_Paul_the_Apostle" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Saul</a></em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; text-align: justify;">, who later became the soldier for Jesus Christ and spread Christianity far and wide among gentiles under the name of Paul, was one of the chief architects of these atrocities. He ravaged the church and the people by entering house after houses and dragged off men and women and closed them in prison.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Monastery of St. Stephen located in the Valley of Kidron</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen by the apostles to help them in the ministerial activities. During the time of Christian persecution Stephen was caught and stoned to death out side the city gate, in the condemned Valley of Kidron. The city there after known as Stephen gate or the lion gate. Orthodox Christians established a very large monastery in the name of St. Stephen where 10,000 monks lived once upon a time. As the time passed it was destroyed and now exist comparatively a smaller monastery and a Bible college just at the end of the </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;">Road to Jerusalem</em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em;"> closer to Stephen gate in the valley of Kidron.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Stephen Gate also known as the Lion Gate</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"><b>Note</b></span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">: I am attaching some 3D virtual tours relating the holy land tours. Keep watching one by one by clicking on to the link given below. It will be a great experience for those who have already made the visit as well for those who intend to visit. Have a blessed time.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.360cities.net/image/the-church-of-all-nations-jerusalem-entrance#174.71,-16.17,90.2" rel="nofollow" style="color: #551a8b; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.360cities.net/image/the-church-of-all-nations-jerusalem-entrance#174.71,-16.17,90.2</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243101749455793162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7595236603625494303.post-48481686100371833022013-11-16T01:23:00.000-08:002014-03-04T03:21:08.017-08:00Cana the place of Miracles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painting of wine pots - Franciscan Wedding Church, Cana</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Location of Cana </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Closer to the town of <i><a href="http://www.google.co.in/?gws_rd=cr&ei=s7lqUsX_G8OLrQfnnICYAQ#gs_ssp=eJzj4tDP1TcwTasyBgAKYAJW&q=nazareth+israel"><span style="color: blue;"><span id="goog_1607327706"></span>Nazareth</span></a></i><span id="goog_1607327707"></span> in the northern region of <span id="goog_1975742451"></span><i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://geophil70.blogspot.in/2013/11/sea-of-galilee.html"><span style="color: blue;">Galilee</span></a>- </span></span></i>Israel there is a small village exist and its name used to be "Cana" and presently it is known as <a href="http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Discover%20Israel/Cities/Pages/Kafr%20Kana.aspx"><i><span style="color: blue;">Kafr Kanna</span></i></a> meaning "village of Cana". </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Passage to lower level of Franciscan Wedding Church</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">First Miracle</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During Jesus' time there took place a marriage and Jesus' mother Mary lived in Nazareth was already attending to it and Jesus was also invited to the marriage. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">During the feast wine that being served ran out and the host was in difficulty. Realizing the embarassment, Mary told her son "they have no more wine". Why do you involve me Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come". Mother instead of pleading to son asked the servants "Do what ever he tells you".</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">One of the six big stone jars that converted water in to wine - Site Excavation</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/earlychurch/a/041511-CW-Wedding-at-Cana.htm"><span style="color: blue;"><i>six big stone jars</i></span></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">placed near by and Jesus said to the servants to "Fill the jars with water" so they did and he then asked the servants to "draw some out and take to the master of the banquet" </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old vessels of various dates - Excavation findings at Franciscan Church</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The master of the banquet tasted it and realized it was wine but he did not know from where it had come, however the servants knew about it. The master said to the bridegroom "Every one brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guest have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now " such was the quality of the wine the master had tasted. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old cisterns and other remnants excavated - Franciscan Church</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This turning water in to wine was the first miraculous signs Jesus performed in Cana. He thus revealed his glory and his disciples put their faith in Him.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excavation findings - Franciscan Church, Cana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story is said in the Bible (John 2: 1-11) but the exact location where the event had taken place is disputed, but traditionally the most accepted and venerated place is in Kafr Kanna. A narrow gully branching from the main road that leads to Tiberius, takes you to a beautiful Franciscan church.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Franciscan Wedding Church, Cana</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wedding Churches</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inspired by the miracle of wine couples from all over the world reach here for getting married or for renewing wedding vows to strengthen their existing marriage. The church has a lower level where the excavations are exposed and articles derived from excavations like wine press, cisterns and vessels of various dates are preserved here. An old stone jar said to be one of the six jars used to transform water in to wine is also exhibited there. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbvNqZDCqPSm_34IIAy46ADxWS6IthouQ-BlK3mg-0J0agvy5DAjcaJNBaHodKw8pz6z25EP2_46z_iLpL3hBhxbaUzhccbeU5tzqXkclRaoMt7bZk-zLSt5MNlJvTEdIGe4aAU19An0/s1600/198+Orthodox+wedding+church-+Cana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbvNqZDCqPSm_34IIAy46ADxWS6IthouQ-BlK3mg-0J0agvy5DAjcaJNBaHodKw8pz6z25EP2_46z_iLpL3hBhxbaUzhccbeU5tzqXkclRaoMt7bZk-zLSt5MNlJvTEdIGe4aAU19An0/s1600/198+Orthodox+wedding+church-+Cana.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. George Orthodox Wedding Church, Cana</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, Cana is located in the same site just opposite to the Franciscan Church. Orthodox Christians from different parts of the world arrive here to get married as well. Both of these churches are known as the "Wedding Churches of Cana". Two large stone jars believed to be the jars used during the first miracle are also exhibited here. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The narrow gully separating Franciscan and Orthodox Wedding Churches</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both the Franciscan and Orthodox Churches are located on the same place on either sides of the small gully. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Excavations and geographical evidences stand in favor of this site where the first miracle took place.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. George Orthodox Wedding Church, Cana</span></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wedding wines<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Tourists in large number visit here in Kafr Kanna (Kafr Cana) every year. On the streets there are plenty of shops selling "Wedding wines" to take home for the friends and family. It is sweet red wine bottled in regular and small bottles. They sell varieties of good quality wines. Wine making is traditional business in Cana and nearby places.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Second Miracle </b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">in Cana</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Healing of the son of a noble man (Roman centurion) was the second miracle Jesus did in Cana. (John 4: 46 -54) Noble man pleaded to Jesus for saving the life of his son who was at the point of death. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Jesus upon seeing the belief of the noble man said to him "go home your son lives". The man believed the word of Jesus and reached home to see his son lived. The noble man along with his whole house there after believed in Jesus. This is not to be confused with the second miracle of Jesus but this was the second miracle Jesus performed in Cana. These two signs given in Cana created a new nation of believers for Jesus in whole of Galilee</span><span style="text-align: justify;">.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bottle brush flowers - on the pavements of Cana </span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243101749455793162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7595236603625494303.post-62557197532269288932013-11-05T21:01:00.000-08:002013-11-16T07:43:52.966-08:00Sea of Galilee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=""Sea of Galilee" at dawn from the balcony of hotel Solomon, Tiberius" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405057_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">"Sea of Galilee" at dawn from the balcony of hotel Solomon, Tiberius</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-size: 14px;">t used to be my food for thought why did Jesus choose the sea of Galilee (</span></span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaum"><span style="color: blue;">Capernaum</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">) to start his ministry when he was brought up in </span><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth"><span style="color: blue;">Nazareth</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">. I am now convinced after seeing Galilee with my own eyes there could have been no better place on earth than Galilee for launching a mission that changed the history of the mankind.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="View of "Sea of Galilee"" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405072_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">View of "Sea of Galilee"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">Galilee is peaceful and tranquil; it attracted me the most because of its rustic nature existed until today. Even though there are several high mountains in the region including </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tabor"><span style="color: blue;">Mount Tabor</span></a> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">and </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><a href="http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/5814/Israel/Mount-Meron"><span style="color: blue;">Mount Meron</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">, the sea of Galilee is surrounded by gentile lower hills. We visited the place in April; the climate during the time was very pleasant with a mischievous breeze blowing on to your face almost continuously. The sea was relatively calm, looking deep blue in color and making small ripples over the water. Strolling through the sea shore and resting for a while on the rocks at the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/tabgha-church-of-primacy-of-peter"><span style="color: blue;">Primacy of St. Peter</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"> in a tranquil atmosphere transported me altogether to a new world of ecstasy. </span><br />
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"Sea of Galilee" from Tiberius. View at dawn</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">True, Sea of Galilee is not a sea; it is a lake at 209 meters below sea level and it is the lowest fresh water lake on earth. Jordan river which begins with several streams of water flowing from </span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hermon"><span style="color: blue;">Mount Hermon</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;"> in Lebanon, fills the sea of Galilee and flows down to dead sea at the south end of Israel. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=""Sea of Galilee" viewed from the balcony of hotel Solomon in Tiberius at the dawn" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405207_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Sea of Galilee" viewed from the balcony of hotel Solomon in Tiberius at the dawn</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">North shore of the "Sea of Galilee" is important for a Christian visitor where <i>Capernaum</i>, </span><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes">Mount Beatitude</a></span></i><span style="color: #333333;">, <i>Tabgha</i> and <i>Primacy of St. Peter</i> are located. The so called sea is also quoted in Bible as the Lake of Gennesaret or Sea of Tiberias, Ginnosar, Sea of Chinneroth etc.</span></span></span></span><br />
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Capernaum - entrance to the synagogue and the house of Peter.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><b>Capernaum</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">lso known as </span></span><a href="http://www.bibleplaces.com/bethsaida.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Bethsaida</i></span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> was in existence long before Jesus Christ chose the place to establish his ministry here. It is located on the shore of Sea of Galilee and a huge population lived here once upon a time, most of them were engaged in fishing from "Sea of Galilee". </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Peter statue near the "house of Peter" - Capernaum" src="http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8405162_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Peter statue near the "house of Peter" - Capernaum</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">According to Bible this is the place where Jesus healed the centurion's son (Mathew 8:5), the noble man's son (John 4:46), Simon Peter's mother in law (Mark 1:31) and the paralytic (Mathew 9:1), cast out unclean spirit (Mark 1:23)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Ruins of Jesus' Synagouge" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405151_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Ruins of Jesus' </span><span style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Synagogue</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">Probably it is here Jesus raised Jairu's daughter to life (Mark 5:22). While here in the Synagogue Jesus delivered the discourses on the bread of life (John 6). When Jesus finally departed Nazareth, he spent most of his time here in Capernaum.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="House of peter locates beneath the new church seen near the ruins of the old town ship " src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405171_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">House of peter locates beneath the new church seen near the ruins of the old town ship</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">There could have been many other activities during a period of 3 years he lived here but I am quoting only few of the important incidents that I remember. Considering to reading of gospels Capernaum was a city of considerable importance. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Red domed white color Greek orthodox church on the bank of "Sea of Galilee"" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405139_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Red domed white color Greek orthodox church on the bank of "Sea of Galilee"</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">This vast area of land is now owned by two churches. Franciscans control the west with ruins of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Jesus' Synagogue</i></span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">and the house of Peter. Greek Orthodox owns a large area with a church that has red domes. It is believed this was the large fisher men village as it remains closer to the sea, however the area still remains unexcavated.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Beatitude church is built at the down hill closer to the bank of "Sea of Galilee". Shot from the church side" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405177_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Beatitude church is built at the down hill closer to the bank of "Sea of Galilee". <br />Shot from the church side</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><b>Mount Beatitude</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 20.6875px;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">esus started his ministry at this point by delivering the sermon on the mount as per gospels of Mathew 5 and Luke 6. Sermon on the mount has become the focal point for understanding principals of Christianity. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt=""Church of Beatitude" - Garden" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405117_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">"Church of Beatitude" - Garden</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Church of Beatitude, spot from where "sermon on the mount" was delivered " src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405089_f248.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Church of Beatitude, spot from where <br />"sermon on the mount" was delivered</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">Byzantines built a church at the foot hills in close proximity to the sea and the present church is a make over of the older church. The view of the sea of Galilee from this vantage point is unique and breath taking.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">Whole Capernaum is shaped like a bowl, the sea of Galilee being in the center and surrounding lower hills gradually ascending upwards. This could have been a favorite phenomenon for the fisher men living on the banks of the sea to climb up the open hill and attend the sermons given by Jesus.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">My personal opinion upon seeing the area is the natural </span><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphitheatre">amphitheater</a></span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> effect existing in the area even today would have been enough for Jesus to audibly orate </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">to the large number of people (4000 to 5000) with </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405080_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Roman amphitheater- similar to the Ariel view of "Sea of Galilee" the arena being the lake and the gallery seats being the terressed hills of Capernaum. Internet download" border="0" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405080_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Roman amphitheater - similar to the Ariel </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">view of "Sea of Galilee" the arena being <br />the lake </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">and the gallery seats being <br />the terressed </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">hills of Capernaum. <br />Internet download</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">out any modern speaker system. It is true, if you moderately sound from the Beatitude church you can hear up to the bank of the sea which is over 200 meters below. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">This is what the people have heard from Jesus as the sermon on the mount (Mathew 5)</span></span></span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 20.6875px;">Sermon on the mount</b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405084_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Jesus delivering the "Sermon on the mount" an internet download" border="0" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405084_f248.jpg" /></a>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called sons of God.</i></li>
<li><i style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.</i></li>
<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">lessed are ye, when men shall revile you persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">falsely on my account.</i></li>
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<li><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">B</span></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">e glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is- great, for in this same way people </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">persecuted prophets who were before you.</i></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Church of Multitude at Tabgha" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8405132_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Church of Multitude at Tabgha</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 20.6875px;"><b>Church of Multitude at Tabgha</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Symbol of two fish and 4 loaf of bread at the church of multiplication in Tabgha " src="http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8405086_f248.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Symbol of two fish and 4 loaf of bread at the <br />church of multiplication in Tabgha</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">Tabgha is not far from Capernaum, it is the place where Jesus fed 5000 people with 2 fishes and 5 loves of bread. The church located here is known as the Church of Multiplication, a simple beautiful church. one of the main high lights of the church are its restored 5th century mosaics. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">The symbol of the church is a </span><i><a href="http://geophil.hubpages.com/hub/The-city-of-Mosaics"><span style="color: blue;">mosaic panel</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;"> showing 2 fishes and 4 pieces of Arabic bread in a basket. The miracle of the multiplication is written in all the </span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel"><span style="color: blue;">four gospels</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;"> alike. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405179_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mensa Christi - the "table of Christ" in side the church Primacy of St. Peter " border="0" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8405179_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Mensa Christi - the "table of Christ" in side <br />the church Primacy of St. Peter</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><b>Primacy of St. Peter</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> rock projected inside the Altar of the church of the Primacy of St. Peter is venerated as Mensa Christi; Latin for "table of Christ". It is believed this is the rock on which Jesus prepared the break fast for his Apostles on the third day after he had resurrected. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">Another beautiful event we enjoyed was the ship cruise we took from this shore through the Sea of Galilee. The cruise gave us ample chances to glance through the spectacular landscapes in the surroundings of the sea.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405317_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Our ship ready out there waiting for us" border="0" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8405317_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Our ship ready out there waiting for us</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;"><span style="color: #333333;">The Sea shore mostly were the fisher men village. Fishing used to be the occupation of the people here. </span><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTzJdF5dtFo"><span style="color: blue;">Sardines</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;"> and </span><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia">Tilapia</a></span></i><span style="color: #333333;"> are the two main fish found here. Tilapia is said to be the </span><i><a href="http://www.keyway.ca/htm2003/20031015.htm"><span style="color: blue;">Peter's fish</span></a></i><span style="color: #333333;">. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20.6875px;">Visiting "Sea of Galilee" was a dream come true experience. We continued our tour from here to another location and on the way we ate our lunch in the neighborhood having Peter's fish as our main menu.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Peters fish (Tilapia)" src="http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8405338_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Peters fish (Tilapia)</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11243101749455793162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7595236603625494303.post-35527442604089262142013-11-05T02:25:00.001-08:002013-11-05T08:20:49.647-08:00Madaba the Mosaic City of Jordan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Completed Mosaic panel at the work shop displaying Jesus in company of children " src="http://s3.hubimg.com/u/8391730_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Completed Mosaic panel at the work shop displaying Jesus in company of children</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> have learned through friends while in Jordan I shouldn't miss visiting </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madaba" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Madaba</i> </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the Mosaic city and the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra"><span style="color: blue;">Petra</span></a></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Well, now I am in Madaba and first leg our journey to the holy land start from here. The city lies in the east bank of river Jordan. Madaba is well known for its Byzantine mosaic art. It has a long history, according to the bible at the time of the Exodus it was an Amorite town close to<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bibleencyclopedia.com/m/moab.htm"><span style="color: blue;">Moab</span></a></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> border (Numbers 21:30; Joshua 13:9) Madaba was then occupied by Israelite and later it was frequently changed hands. The city was ruined by war and natural calamities over thousands of years. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="An out standing wall hanging work of Mosaic craft" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8394169_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">An out standing wall hanging work of Mosaic craft</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later during 5th century when Christians started occupying the city they excavated early mosaics remnants from the ruins. It was then understood mosaics were lavishly used on the building floors and walls as decoration during the time. Making of mosaic there fore was an ancient art and existed in Madaba from the time immemorial. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Social set up of Jordan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>J</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ordanians live in a relatively <i><a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_secular_society"><span style="color: blue;">secular society</span></a></i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">.</span> </span>I have quite a few Jordanian Muslim friends, majority of them identify them selves as liberals. They consider religious practices should be a private matter that must be differentiated from social and political life. Majority of Jordanian population is <i><a href="http://islam.about.com/cs/divisions/f/shia_sunny.htm"><span style="color: blue;">Sunny Muslims</span></a></i>, though there are few other minorities and Christians forms a sizable percentage. Unlike other states they live in harmony in the neighborhood with mutual respect and I was given to understanding they even marry inter religion particularly between Muslims and Christians.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Young olive trees flowered in Madaba " src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8394256_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Young olive trees flowered in Madaba</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jordanian Olives </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>O</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">live is easily grown in Jordan and they have a saying Olive trees are planted for the children just as the ancestors did for the present generation. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8394220_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mosaic map of Holy land on the cathedral floor" border="0" src="http://s1.hubimg.com/u/8394220_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Mosaic map of Holy land on the cathedral floor</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://homeguides.sfgate.com/life-span-olive-trees-60048.html"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Olive trees seldom dies</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;"> </span></a></i>easily, there are very many trees in Jordan ages one thousand years and above. The oldest trees I have seen are the olives of <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKBkUhatFJ8"><span style="color: blue;">Gethsemane garden</span></a></i>. Older the trees better is the quality they say because best quality olives and oil come from the trees 40 years old and above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mosaic Map of Madaba</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>A</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> large 6th century <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire"><span style="color: blue;">Byzantine-era </span></a></i>mosaic map of Holy land was discovered accidentally in 1897 while renovating the old church for <i><a href="http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8032/"><span style="color: blue;">Greek Orthodox Christians</span></a></i>. The map measuring about 25 square meter (according to church authorities the present panel is only one fourth of the original which was of 94 square meters in size) is a unique piece of art. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It represents a topographical view of the biblical land from Egypt to Lebanon, including Sinai, Palestine and Jordan keeping Jerusalem as the center of attraction of the map. The mosaic map still serves as floor of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I2uxhqad7M"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span id="goog_1887302179"></span>Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Madaba<span id="goog_1887302180"></span><span id="goog_833681406"></span><span id="goog_833681407"></span></i> </span></a>which is closely situated to the Madaba visitors center.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mosaic workshops of Madaba</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394171_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Resurrection of Jesus, my favorite mosaic panel" border="0" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394171_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Resurrection of Jesus, <br />my favorite mosaic panel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>W</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e then visited a mosaic workshop where the artisans painstakingly add mosaic stones one after other to a sketched outline. These multicolored stones are expensive and they come mostly from Petra. The artisans cut the stones with cutting pliers and paste them rough side up on to the cotton. These are then set in concrete and flipped over so that smooth surface faces up. The artisans have undergone at least three year training on how to set these panels. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mosaic school of Madaba</span></b></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>M</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">adaba known as the city of mosaics, runs a regular <i><a href="http://www.jordanjubilee.com/hcrafts/schoolmos.htm"><span style="color: blue;">Mosaic school</span></a></i><span style="color: blue;">,</span> started by the Italians for training local Jordanians to restore ancient mosaics found in Jordan as well as to train them in traditional and computer aided modern methods of mosaic production.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Mosaic pottery on display" src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8394265_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Mosaic pottery on display</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>T</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he students of the school are able to take university bachelor degree in archaeology with a two years extended study (lately I am given to understanding this opportunity is withheld for the time being, interested personnel are advised to contact school directly). We have been able to visit one of their workshops and watch their exquisite skill of craftsmanship in mosaic making. They produce mosaic panels smaller to very large ones and you can buy them at the workshop or at so many souvenir shops found in Madaba if you do not consider the cost. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Blue wall hanging plates on display - Hand painted " src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/8394229_f496.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Blue wall hanging plates on display - Hand painted</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Foods of Jordan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>I</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f you do not leave Jordan heavier, there is something wrong with you, such irresistible is their food. Multi cuisine extravaganza is the spread; you really cannot be bothered if you are a weight watcher.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordanian_cuisine"><span style="color: blue;">Hummus</span></a></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordanian_cuisine"><span style="color: blue;">, Falafel, Tabouleh, Mautabel, Kofta, Mixed grill </span></a></i>are some of my favorites. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Grilled mixed meat" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394247_f248.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Grilled mixed meat</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A green drink of lime in mint is refreshing. Wine is also available in plenty. Well, thinking of fruits, they are in abundance. We eat three meals in Jordan, dinner and breakfast at Hotel Tulip where we stayed located close to Queen Alia International Airport and the lunch of course in Madaba itself. No words to explain the quality of these foods. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394275_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The green drink - lime in mint, an internet picture" border="0" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394275_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">The green drink - lime in mint, <br />an internet picture</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, I am an ardent lover of Jordanian,Turkish and Lebanon foods; habit formed because of my long stay in gulf countries. Do not leave Jordan with out picking few packets of authentic Jordanian sweets like <i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/camilleandwilliam/7396314416/"><span style="color: blue;">Kunafa, Baklava</span></a></i> etc for the home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394243_f248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hummus - olive oil and lime in chikpeas paste, an internet picture" border="0" src="http://s4.hubimg.com/u/8394243_f248.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">Hummus - olive oil and lime in chickpeas paste, </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px;">an internet picture</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Madaba is a must see place while in Jordan and it lies close to <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo"><span style="color: blue;"><span id="goog_833681434"></span>Mount Nebo</span></a><span id="goog_833681435"></span></i>, a place of great religious significance from where Moses first glimpsed the promised land and is said to be his final resting place although it is controversial. </span><br />
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