Our Journey to Jerusalem, Part I

As the calendar turns to 2017 Alison and I are eagerly anticipating our most ambitious adventure to date. In November 2017 we will be heading to Jerusalem. This trip has been many years in the making. 

It really all started while Alison was studying at BYU. She was accepted to study abroad at the BYU Jerusalem center. This was a significant event in her life. I have often heard her talk about the influence it had on her testimony. During her time in the holy land, she made lasting friendships that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. 

We have often discussed returning to Jerusalem. I don't really remember when we actually made the decision, but after much planning, we decided this year is the perfect time to go. Alison will graduate with her MBA in August, we will have moved into our house, and we don't have any kids.

We did a lot of research into different tour groups we could use. We decided we want to go with Daniel Rona. We chose his tour because of his background (Jewish and LDS) and the itinerary. We particularly love that we will be able to spend a sabbath at the Jerusalem center and have a free day in Jerusalem. He also had lots of tour dates available so we were able to choose the perfect dates. 

I don't think I have ever been so excited about a trip in my life. I am already so excited that I am counting down the days. I also have a list of books I am going to read and movies I am going to watch before our trip.  I have just finished the first one:

The Source by James Michener

Synopsis: In his signature style James Michener weaves a family saga, reaching back thousands of years, to provide insight into the history of the holy land. The focus of the story is Makor, a fictional town in Galilee. This story begins in 1960s Israel with the excavation of Tel Makor. Archaeologists uncover artifacts in each level (time period). Michener then provides the colorful stories behind each excavated artifact. With tales ranging from cave-dwelling men to the founding of the modern state of Israel. In great detail, he describes the creation of and life in an ancient city. We follow the rise of the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The main focus, however, is the history of the Jewish people and their struggles in and around the Holy land. We follow the persecution of the early Hebrews, their subjugation by various empires, their scattering, persecution in foreign lands, and eventual return. At its heart, The Source is an epic tale of faith encompassing the religious ideas shaping Western civilization.

My takeaway: I downloaded and listened to this book on Audible. At 54.5 hours it is easily the longest audiobook I have listened to. Overall this is a fantastic book. The stories were entertaining and it felt like I really got to know the characters. There were so many things I loved about the individual stories, but my main take-aways were broad themes:

Conflict in the Middle East: One of my main takeaways was a slightly better understanding of the conflict in the Middle East. More than anything this book gave me a better appreciation for how often this area was warred over, conquered, and resettled. The roots of this conflict were planted millennia ago. These stories also gave me a feel of the cultural clashes of the major religions, and how these clashes have driven the conflict. Ultimately walking through thousands of years of history gave me a feel for the ancient and complicated nature of the conflict.

Evolution of the Jewish religion: The most interesting theme running through The Source is the development of the Jewish religion. Nearly every story is focused on a Jewish character and their relationship to the religious ideas of their time. You get to watch the development of the religion starting with their relationship to one God, their belief in the law of Moses, and ultimately the development of rabbinical law. I have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Jewish faith. At one point, a Jewish character is explaining a particularly confusing (and possibly outdated) tenant of Jewish law when he says something along the lines of the Jewish people having a strange law because they are a strange people. I have developed a new appreciation for the traditions of this ancient religion.

Persecution of the Jews: Throughout the many stories in The Source the persecution of the Jewish people is consistent. As a people, they were often outcasts, attacked, or punished for their beliefs. Surprisingly, The Source chooses not to discuss the holocaust. It does, however, go into great detail about the many massacres that occurred in the holy land. It also discusses the many times Jewish people's ability to worship was rescinded by a conquering power. Perhaps more surprising to me were the Jewish massacres that occurred in Europe during the crusades and the atrocities committed during the inquisition. The Jewish people were driven and persecuted people. These stories held nothing back as they talked about the evil acts that occurred. I was deeply saddened by many of these events. I also considered the result of this persecution. The Jewish people are particularly resilient people and I am sure that is influenced by their history.

“We seek God so earnestly, Eliav reflected, not to find Him but to discover ourselves.” 

― James A. Michener, The Source