Our Journey to Jerusalem, Part VI
This will be my last Journey to Jerusalem post. Before you know it our journey will be over and we will be there! Over the last year, I have done a lot to prepare. I read 18 books (including listening to 234 hours of audiobooks), watched 12 movies, studied the scriptures, and relived Alison's memories from her time in the Jerusalem center. I have probably spent as many hours preparing for this trip as we will actually spend in the holy land. These hours of preparation have deepened my understanding and respect for the land of Israel - its history and its people.
Pictures:
When Alison was at the Jerusalem Center she took around 2,000 photos. She meticulously captioned each one so that years later she would be able to remember the significance of each photo. We have spent some time the last few weeks going through all of her photos and reading the captions. Here are just a few of my favorites:
 |
| Me with my new dress! |
 |
| Me and the baby I got to feed at Red Crescent Hospital |
 |
| The dome of the Rock. This is sitting on Temple Mount where the first and second temples were built. The second temple was expanded by Herod and then later destroyed. The temple mount was desolate during the Byzantine period and then the Muslims build the Dome of the Rock. They tried to entice Christians to convert by making it even grander than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and by putting engravings about Christ on the inside. Muslims believe that Christ was a prophet, but not the Savior |
 |
| A sign at the Gardens. When President Hinkley saw this sign he said that he prays for the peace of Jerusalem every day |
 |
| Me at the Great Pyramids |
 |
| Me with the sphinx and the pyramids |
 |
| Me in front of the giant statues. They were huge! I keep saying that because everything about Ancient Egypt is seriously larger than life! Everything is giant! |
 |
| Me riding a camel - it was so much fun! It kind of felt just like riding a horse, but a little less comfortable |
 |
| Me being Egyptian. The symbol above my hands is called the ankh and it's the “key of life” or the symbol of eternal life. It's my favorite Egyptian symbol |
 |
| Me with the Church of All Nations - I stole this picture from Victoria because I liked it better than mine |
 |
| Me reading in the Garden Tomb. It's really peaceful |
 |
| Me at the Western Wall |
 |
| Kelsey, Chelsea, Steph, Madeline, Corinne, Tess, Ali, Sara, and I growled with our mud on - it made our skin ridiculously soft! |
 |
| Me, Kelsey, and Jordan admiring our handiwork. It's harder than it looks! |
 |
| Me by the Olive Press |
 |
| More of me with the Citadel on top of the walls. The citadel is so gorgeous! This shot really characterizes Jerusalem, at least the Jewish part |
 |
| The treasury |
 |
| A camel drinking a water bottle |
 |
| The Monastery - this was even bigger than the treasury! |
 |
| Me and the Bedouin on the alter |
 |
| Me with ancient and modern-day Amman |
 |
| Me at the Dome of the Rock |
 |
| The Dome of the Rock - view from the Church of the Redeemer. In the background, there's the Jewish Cemetery and the Augusta Victoria tower |
 |
| Me on the bow of the boat |
 |
| Me in the Sea of Galilee |
 |
| The Old City of Jerusalem |
 |
| The Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdelene on the Mount of Olives |
 |
| Me with East Jerusalem |
 |
| Me and Victoria at Peter in Gallicantu |
 |
| Me at the Jerusalem Center |
 |
| Me at the Dome of the Rock on the last day in Jerusalem |
Books:
A Day in the Life of Israel by David Cohen, Lee Liberman, and many talented photographers
Synopsis:
This book is a collection of photographs taken in one day. Talented, world-famous photographers spread out across Israel and captured pictures of all kinds of people from all walks of life. I think the synopsis found on the front cover of the book summarizes it best: It is such a small country, yet it occupies such a large place in the hearts and souls of so many diverse peoples. To Christians, it is the Holy Land. To Moslems, the lost land of Palestine. To Jews, it is Eretz Yisrael, the ancient homeland heroically reestablished after 2,000 years. This scrap of the desert - center stage for many of the world's miracles and spiritual struggles for 5,000 years - was a rich subject for the world's top photojournalists during one 24-hour period in May 1994.
My Thoughts:
1. This was an easy book. It was mostly comprised of pictures with short captions that at most ran two or three paragraphs. It only took a couple of hours to read. Even though it was relatively short it was packed with information. The saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, that was very true with these books. As I spent a couple of hours pouring over these photos I felt like I learned so much about the land of Israel and became so excited to get to experience a piece of the vibrant cultures and rich history of this special place.
Egypt: History & Civilization by the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Synopsis:
In modern Jerusalem, an Arab boy steals from an American tourist. As she attempts to retrieve her stolen property they come into the possession of a coin that belonged to King Herod. This coin had been uncovered by the Arab boy's grandfather during the archeological dig at Masada. Emil Saber, a crazy individual who believes he is Herod reincarnated, attempts to kill them to retrieve the coin.
My Thoughts:
Synopsis:
This book covers two main topics - the history/culture of Egypt and the historical sites and cities throughout Egypt. The first portion of the book discusses Pharaoh, Egyptian Gods, life in ancient Egypt, mummification, geography, and much more. The second half of the book goes through current cities and highlights the sites that would be of interest to the modern tourist.
My Thoughts:
1. Alison bought this book while she was in Egypt from the Egyptian museum in Cairo. They don't allow photography in the museum, but this book contains pictures of many of the artifacts that can be found in the museum. This book had quite a few pictures. I learned a lot about Egypt. I am really excited to go. There are some truly incredible buildings and artifacts that we are going to get to see.
2. Going to Egypt was not something that Alison wanted to do again. She told me that once was enough for her. I really wanted to go (since I have never been) and Alison is a good sport. I have heard a lot about the terrible parts of Egypt. Many of the people there live in abject poverty and the food and water can make a tourist very sick if they are not extremely careful. I have been a little nervous about going to Egypt. Reading this book reminded me why I want to go. I am so excited to see the Pyramids and visit the Valley of the Kings. Ever since I was a little kid I have been fascinated by Egypt. It will be interesting to see the shrines and the artifacts from one of the great human civilizations.
Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women's Stories by Michael Gorkin and Rafiqa Othman
Synopsis:
This is a cultural study comprising of the interview of three mothers and three daughters all of Palestinian descent. The book is a collaboration between Michael Gorkin, an Israeli Social Worker, and Rafiqa Othman, a Palestinian school teacher. The book shares personal stories from the lives of these Palestinian mothers and their daughters. Among discussions of their daily lives, they recount the impact Israeli occupation, the wars of 1948 and 1967, and the changing political climate has had on their personal lives. They also discuss topics such as courtship and marriage, education, religious obligations, and the role of women in society. These linked accounts illustrate the evolving dynamic in Arab society.
My Thoughts:
1. Many of the books I read slanted toward the Jewish perspective. This book focused 100% on the Palestinian perspective, and not only the Palestinian perspective but through the eyes of Palestinian women. This was a perspective I did not get from any other book I read. There were a few that shared the Palestinian perspective, but it was always from a male point of view.
2. I loved how personal this book was. It read as if you were sitting in the room listening to these women tell about their lives. They shared deeply personal experiences and beliefs. This style of narration allows the reader to see life from a new point of view. It was also interesting to read portions of the mother's section compared to the daughter's section. The book was set up in a way so that it would flip between the two stories. This emphasized the changes that are occurring and have occurred in Arab culture and society. There were stark differences between the mothers - many of whom did not obtain an education, choose their own husbands, etc., and their daughters who for the most part had some education and had a different courtship experience than their mothers.
Prisoners: A Muslim & a Jew Across the Middle East Divide by Jeffery Goldberg
Synopsis:
Jeffrey Goldberg, an American Jew, relates his experience with Israel. His story focuses on his experience serving as a guard at Ketziot, A prison camp in Israeli during the first Palestinian uprising in 1990. During his time as a guard, he becomes friends with a prisoner - Rafiq. Throughout the book, he follows their friendship and dialogue over more than a decade.
My Thoughts:
1. This book was excellent. Jeffery Goldberg is now an award-winning journalist. It was well written and shared a balanced opinion. I think my favorite thing about this book is how it showed the Israeli - Palestinian conflict as what it is - a complicated, messy, gray conflict. It emphasized there are no easy solutions. Goldberg himself is very conflicted. He is a zionist, but he also has problems with settlement and the Jewish treatment of Palestinians. I liked the way this book emphasized that it is possible to both love and hate Israel. While it is easy to see the conflict as black and white this book emphasizes there are many nuances and conflicting views that are difficult to reconcile.
Movies:
Israel Revealed with Daniel Rona
Synopsis:
Daniel Rona details an overview of the land of Israel. The overview roughly follows the course a tour with Daniel Rona will take. Within the overview, he tells scripture stories and emphasizes the importance of various areas.
My Thoughts:
1. These DVDs are a little slow. Fortunately, we were given these DVDs for our willingness to bring Daniel Rona some batteries with us in our luggage. This series was filmed before Alison and I were born. As you can imagine the quality was somewhat dated. The information though was good and it did help us get excited about our upcoming trip.
The Seventh Coin
Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women's Stories by Michael Gorkin and Rafiqa Othman
Synopsis:
This is a cultural study comprising of the interview of three mothers and three daughters all of Palestinian descent. The book is a collaboration between Michael Gorkin, an Israeli Social Worker, and Rafiqa Othman, a Palestinian school teacher. The book shares personal stories from the lives of these Palestinian mothers and their daughters. Among discussions of their daily lives, they recount the impact Israeli occupation, the wars of 1948 and 1967, and the changing political climate has had on their personal lives. They also discuss topics such as courtship and marriage, education, religious obligations, and the role of women in society. These linked accounts illustrate the evolving dynamic in Arab society.
My Thoughts:
1. Many of the books I read slanted toward the Jewish perspective. This book focused 100% on the Palestinian perspective, and not only the Palestinian perspective but through the eyes of Palestinian women. This was a perspective I did not get from any other book I read. There were a few that shared the Palestinian perspective, but it was always from a male point of view.
2. I loved how personal this book was. It read as if you were sitting in the room listening to these women tell about their lives. They shared deeply personal experiences and beliefs. This style of narration allows the reader to see life from a new point of view. It was also interesting to read portions of the mother's section compared to the daughter's section. The book was set up in a way so that it would flip between the two stories. This emphasized the changes that are occurring and have occurred in Arab culture and society. There were stark differences between the mothers - many of whom did not obtain an education, choose their own husbands, etc., and their daughters who for the most part had some education and had a different courtship experience than their mothers.
Prisoners: A Muslim & a Jew Across the Middle East Divide by Jeffery Goldberg
Synopsis:
Jeffrey Goldberg, an American Jew, relates his experience with Israel. His story focuses on his experience serving as a guard at Ketziot, A prison camp in Israeli during the first Palestinian uprising in 1990. During his time as a guard, he becomes friends with a prisoner - Rafiq. Throughout the book, he follows their friendship and dialogue over more than a decade.
My Thoughts:
1. This book was excellent. Jeffery Goldberg is now an award-winning journalist. It was well written and shared a balanced opinion. I think my favorite thing about this book is how it showed the Israeli - Palestinian conflict as what it is - a complicated, messy, gray conflict. It emphasized there are no easy solutions. Goldberg himself is very conflicted. He is a zionist, but he also has problems with settlement and the Jewish treatment of Palestinians. I liked the way this book emphasized that it is possible to both love and hate Israel. While it is easy to see the conflict as black and white this book emphasizes there are many nuances and conflicting views that are difficult to reconcile.
Movies:
Israel Revealed with Daniel Rona
Synopsis:
Daniel Rona details an overview of the land of Israel. The overview roughly follows the course a tour with Daniel Rona will take. Within the overview, he tells scripture stories and emphasizes the importance of various areas.
My Thoughts:
1. These DVDs are a little slow. Fortunately, we were given these DVDs for our willingness to bring Daniel Rona some batteries with us in our luggage. This series was filmed before Alison and I were born. As you can imagine the quality was somewhat dated. The information though was good and it did help us get excited about our upcoming trip.
The Seventh Coin
Synopsis:
In modern Jerusalem, an Arab boy steals from an American tourist. As she attempts to retrieve her stolen property they come into the possession of a coin that belonged to King Herod. This coin had been uncovered by the Arab boy's grandfather during the archeological dig at Masada. Emil Saber, a crazy individual who believes he is Herod reincarnated, attempts to kill them to retrieve the coin.
My Thoughts:
1. This movie was not good. It also taught me very little about Jerusalem. Other than taking place in Jerusalem there is nothing factual or educational about this movie. It was on Daniel Rona's list of movies to watch and I think he included it for two reasons. First, you do get views of the city throughout the movie. Second, the villain is played by Peter O'Toole. Daniel Rona has got to be a big Peter O'Toole fan - many of the movies he suggests star Peter O'Toole. This was a low-budget Independent film. So the quality is not great and the story is very cheesy. I would not recommend this movie to anyone I know.
Jerusalem
Synopsis:
National Geographic provides an overview of Jerusalem. They touch on the history, different cultures, and modern life in the Holy City.
My Thoughts:
1. This was the third time Alison and I have watched this movie. We went twice (both times with friends from her time in Jerusalem) when it was playing at the Planetarium in SLC. We really enjoy this show. It does a great job of giving a brief overview of the city. It also has beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed it the most this third time because I was able to recognize some of the locations throughout the city.
The Ten Commandments
Synopsis:
This film is based on the scriptural account of God leading the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt through Moses his Prophet.
My Thoughts:
1. I watched this film a few times while I was growing up, but it has been a few years since I saw it last. This is a great show. It has really withstood the test of time. It is still as grand and epic as ever. I can see why it was so popular when it came out and why it won an academy award. It is an epic retelling of the story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
2. This was a great movie to watch because it shows so much of what Egypt might have looked like in its glory days. Ramses II, who is believed to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus built many of the marvels of Egypt. Watching this movie made me very excited to see those marvels for myself.
Jerusalem
Synopsis:
National Geographic provides an overview of Jerusalem. They touch on the history, different cultures, and modern life in the Holy City.
My Thoughts:
1. This was the third time Alison and I have watched this movie. We went twice (both times with friends from her time in Jerusalem) when it was playing at the Planetarium in SLC. We really enjoy this show. It does a great job of giving a brief overview of the city. It also has beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed it the most this third time because I was able to recognize some of the locations throughout the city.
The Ten Commandments
Synopsis:
This film is based on the scriptural account of God leading the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt through Moses his Prophet.
My Thoughts:
1. I watched this film a few times while I was growing up, but it has been a few years since I saw it last. This is a great show. It has really withstood the test of time. It is still as grand and epic as ever. I can see why it was so popular when it came out and why it won an academy award. It is an epic retelling of the story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
2. This was a great movie to watch because it shows so much of what Egypt might have looked like in its glory days. Ramses II, who is believed to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus built many of the marvels of Egypt. Watching this movie made me very excited to see those marvels for myself.
Comments
Post a Comment