Sunday in Jerusalem

Our Shabatt was over on Saturday night.   We overlook the prime minister's offices and there are protestors outside, protesting the fact that they are getting rockets shot at them from the Gaza Strip by the Palisinians and want the Government to do something about it.  (It made the Jerusalem Post today, too.)

Our Sunday was wonderful. We walked around the walled city and went into about a dozen churches.   Some of the churches, very small, obscure sects of catholics, such as the Nigerian Church or the Coptic Church or etc., had a very small corner of, for example, the Church of the Holy Sepluchre that they claimed ownership to.  The big 3 or 4 fought over it so much (they each had probably had control at one time, or built part of it one time, that the Arabs then in control got mad and gave the keys to the 20 foot tall door to a Muslim family to control.  The same one or two families have done it for 150 years, and the christian churches stopped fighting over it.  They still follow the same protocol in opening it and closing it each day. The have huge keys, and high locks, so they use a big ladder to lock the top locks.  It is very interesting.

We heard lots of mass said, and even sang a song in the purported room of the last supper.  It was a wonderful day.  We went by the Arab dome of the Rock, saw the Pool of Bethesda, went down about 150 feet to the pool's origins.  (Cisterns have been built all over the place over the last 2000 years to store water.)

Jerusalem is so full of history.    We may post a picture or two in a bit.  (All are sleeping, its 11 pm here and 2 pm in Utah.)  Rich found a copper drum this evening when we went down town to see the night life and he ended up playing with a group of Israeli hippies.  He is bringing the drum home along with a Shifar, a ram's horn.

Well if we don't post pictures we will tomorrow.  Don't worry if you hear news about bombs in Gaza and 50,000 Hezbola troops on the Lebanon boarder.   We were at the border two days ago, and the Israelis don't believe there are even 10,000 Hezbola troops in all Arab states. They sort of talk about it like their joke about the Lebanon Air Force in the 6 day war.  Why didn't Lebanon use their Air Force in the 6 Day War?  Their pilot was sick.

The Israelis are a confident people.  (Understatement of the day.)

Dad