Jerusalem, Days 1-3

This will be a sadly short post, entirely inadequate to describe the past few days. It's late, it's been a long day, and tomorrow will be longer still. A short post will suffice for now.

In Jerusalem we've explored the excavations of the Temple Mount (Robinson's Arch, the Western Wall tunnels), ascended the Mount (al-Aqsa Mosque and the breathtaking blue and gold Dome of the Rock), visited numerous churches (the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem [the oldest church structure in the world; constructed in the 320's by Constantine per request of his mother], the Church of Pater Noster [where Christ is said to have taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer], the Church in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of San Pietro Gallicanti [I got the name a little wrong, I know, but this is the church where Peter is said to have denied Christ three times], and a Church [name I cannot remember] where Christ mounted the donkey on 'Palm Sunday' and rode into Jerusalem.

We visited today the Shrine of the Book (a museum housing the Dead Sea Scrolls and other important scrolls and codices--- probably the most enthralling site for me, thus far), and cross several checkpoints on our trip into the West Bank to visit the aforementioned Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which is in the Palestinian Territory.

I've seen lots of guns and lots of soldiers. A soldier boarded our bus today on our first checkpoint stop. I haven't yet been scared or found this out of place. Some of my friends are incredibly disturbed and anxious when guns are around, but I haven't been. I can't figure out why.

I had a three hour conversation with Dr. Russell last night about traditionalist Christian traditions, gods, Vatican II, conceptions of the holy, cultural clashes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, abrasive and ignorant Americans, Morocco and Tunisia, theodicy and not liking God, fearing God, believing in all the potentialities and possibilities that exist. The discussion began after he and I explored St. George's Cathedral at dusk while the organist worked on tuning the organ. I cried in the church, the first time I had really shed some significant tears. (The Sea of Galilee, comparably, was more like a lone tear rolling down my cheek). I was emotional at various points throughout our conversation, at more or less appropriate times. I apologized for my melodrama, but the timbre of the conversation was so intense and heightened -- on another plane -- that the apology was unnecessary.

I had a likewise intense conversation with David Clifford tonight about Poland. He and Dr. Jones and I are doing a short 'presentation'/preparation for the group before we set off for the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. We spent three hours pouring over ideas as to what to say, and went off on numerous tangents about death camps, theodicy (a recurrent theme in my conversations, apparently; which is strange, because this doesn't figure nearly as prominently in my thought processes), horses with blinders, naivete, and silence. Towards the end of our planning, Dr. Russell joined us for a recitation of our planned presentation, and for a crash course in the history between the years of the First and Second Jewish Revolts against Rome (66-73CE, approximately, and the later 132-135CE). I have a long reading list and a new academic pursuit for the summer.

Developments: I want to learn Hebrew, I might take Greek, I'm worried about taking Arabic, I am fascinated by Jewish history and can't seem to shake it (that's not new), I love the Middle East, I feel drawn to studying ancient, old, and dusty or destroyed things.

And I miss Irish dancing, even though I attempted it in the lobby tonight. Made it through my slip jig and treble jig, and could do no more, as I had gained an Arabic-speaking audience, and who can pass up a chance to learn some more Arabic?

Love.