Israel and Jordan

by David Whiting

I was really looking forward to my tour of Israel and Jordan. Perhaps it was due to many months of hard, dirty work, but I felt ready for a terrific holiday. The hostilities between Muslims in southern Lebanon and Israel made me all the more excited; unfortunately (from the point of view of depriving me of some memorable photo opportunities), a ceasefire came into effect just a week before the tour began, on 28 April.

The tour began in Tel Aviv, a modern city and holiday resort on the Mediterranean coast. Its ancient past is recalled in the Haeretz Museum, by fine archaeological and historical collections from across Israel, based on the 7000 year old tel (artificial mound), which bears traces of the many civilisations which have existed on the site. A short visit was made to Tel Aviv's southern suburb, Jaffa, whose narrow medieval streets transport you back in time.

Then it was north along the coast via Caesarea, a mined Roman city with a magnificent Crusader fort, to Mount Carmel (origin of the Carmelite monastery), which overlooks the city and port of Haifa, to Akko (Acre). All the time, I was amazed by the fertile valleys and fields we were passing, fed by an advanced and enviable system of irrigation.

My idea of Nazareth was a small ancient village. Wrong. We arrived to discover a large modern city of around 500,000 inhabitants. A few rocks denote the traditional site of Mary's house, where the archangel Gabriel told her she would be the mother of Jesus. But these are covered by the modern Church of the Annunciation, with its octagonal roof. Many countries around the world have contributed splendid pictures, mosaics etc. to this church and Germany donated a complete chapel.

The Sea of Galilee lies in a very picturesque area, adjacent to the Golan Heights We stopped at Yardenit, a place of ritual baptisms amongst palm forests on the river Jordan, where it flows into the sea. We passed ostrich farms, too, before driving into a kibbutz - where there was no sign of life, although the agricultural and horticultural activities of the community were quite apparent - from where we crossed the sea to Tiberias.

Brief visits followed to Capharnaum, where Jesus lodged in John the Baptist's house (adjacent to an ancient synagogue, now lying in impressive ruins) and nearby Tabgha with its modern church on the site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

In central Israel stands the sparse, mined Armageddon Castle at Megiddo. I never knew there was such a place but, having seen it, I dread such an event ever being repeated. An unusual lunch stop was made at a riverside resort called Gan Hashlosha. Hardly Butlins, but an attractive park, shady trees, a restaurant and shop lured hundreds of Palestinians to take advantage of the facilities (apparently, it was a Muslim holiday). It was fascinating to watch them swimming, diving and splashing about in the river; what struck me most was that, while the Arab men and boys wore Western style swimming costumes, the women and girls bathed fully clothed. They were all thoroughly enjoying themselves, without a care.

Further inland, we visited Beit She'an, an important and thriving Roman city, badly damaged many centuries ago in an earthquake, but now gradually being restored to its former Roman glory by archaeologists. It is a massive task and I would be surprised if it is ever completed. Although the ruins are magnificent, I began to wonder why we were visiting Roman cities in Israel; of course little is left of pre-Roman civilisations in the area, but I had already seen enough of them in Italy and other countries and I would have preferred to visit more genuinely Israeli sites.

However, we were now entering deserts close to the River Jordan and the barren countryside was more typical of what I expected to see. After half an hour in Jericho (under Palestinian administration), where we stopped basically for refreshments, we continued to Jerusalem for three nights. One morning was devoted to sightseeing in the Old City. However, except for some Roman remains, most of the city is medieval or later.

In fact, the Dome of the Rock (on the site where Abraham sacrificed one of his sons and from where the prophet Mohammed ascended to Heaven to receive the Koran) is very modern and outstandingly beautiful. Its gold leaf roof is visible from far outside the city The Western (or Wailing) Wall is hugely impressive; a boy celebrating his bar-mitzvah added the mystery and magic of the location.

Also, I shall never forget that, outside the city wall, I encountered a Jewish harpist singing Waltzing Matilda. Our group comprised Americans, Canadians and Britons so, if the Australian favourite was meant to welcome us, none of us appreciated it!

An afternoon excursion to Bethlehem took us to a Palestinian city with not a hint of biblical habitation. The Church of the Nativity is an old building with a modern appearance, standing on the traditional site where Jesus was born. A lively and colourful folklore show in the evening demonstrated the music, dances and costumes of Israeli and Arab.

More sightseeing in Jerusalem followed, featuring the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which were written in characters 0.5 mm tall. The art of miniature writing was well developed 2,000 years ago and these particular scrolls are only legible through a magnifying glass. Then the Hadassah Memorial Hospital, world-famous for its advanced medical technology but also for its series of stained glass windows by Marc Chagall - partly as a memorial to his Jewish faith.

We also went to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, a grim reminder of the fate suffered by Jews throughout history. It seemed more than coincidence that there was a storm while we were there. After lunch in the suburb of Evi Karem, where John the Baptist baptised many Christians, we visited the Church and Gardens of Gethsemane.

We left Jerusalem and headed for the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the Earth's surface. First stop Qumran to see where the 1,900 year old Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Then it was on to Masada, a rock overlooking the Sea, the scene of a mass ritual suicide when the inhabitants were on the verge of conquest by the Romans. Before leaving the Dead Sea, we spent some time in a beach resort there, being roasted by the sun and trying not to float in the water. We then had to return to Tel Aviv as some of our group were returning home the next day and others would be spending the next week at a seaside resort.

Eight of us continued to Jordan, which meant extensive border formalities, two changes of coach and (what a relief!) a different escort. The first thing to strike me about the Hashemite Kingdom was the poverty. The people didn't look after their homes or possessions; although petrol costs around 10p per litre, wages are low (average the equivalent of £250 per month). We visited the impressive Roman ruins at Jerash before arriving in the capital, Amman; a modern city built around a small ancient village. I recall lazing by the hotel swimming pool, being covered in cotton balls, blown from the fields outside the city.

Heading south, we visited a village called Madaba, where a 2,000 year old mosaic map of the Middle East was recently discovered on the floor of a church. We crossed Jordan's answer to the Grand Canyon and spent time at the magnificent Crusader castle at Kerak. Then came the highlights of the tour - Petra, where 2,000 years ago an entire city was carved out of the red sandstone rock. It's one of those magical places which can't be described -it has to be seen to be believed. Further south, beyond more inhospitable desert, we arrived in Aqaba and crossed the border at Eilat.

I went on a day trip to south Sinai, where Israeli shekels are widely accepted. The main purpose was to visit the ancient Greek Orthodox St Catherine's Monastery in the heart of the desert mountains near Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. We took tea and bread with bedouins in their camp. I suppose in one sense I can now say that I have visited Egypt - but the pyramids, the real Egypt, were far away! Back in Eilat, I spent some free time exploring the coral reef for which the resort is famous.

After a drive across the Negev Desert (including a stop at the home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion), the "mystery tour" came to a close - leaving me with the distinct feeling that I needed a holiday to get over it.

First published in VISA issue 24 (spring 1997)