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"WHILE HE WAS BLESSING THEM, HE WITHDREW FROM THEM
AND WAS CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN."
LUKE 24
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Are you intrigued by “heavenly Jerusalem?”
A great place to start your exploration is at the
Bell Tower of the Lutheran
Ascension Church located next to the
Augusta Victoria hospital on the Mount of Olives.
The story behind the site is this: In 1898 the
German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife Augusta
Victoria visited Palestine, making a triumphal entry
into the Holy City of Jerusalem. Wilhelm II
insisted upon entering the city by horseback with a
grand entourage, so the Turks breached the wall near
the Jaffa Gate and filled in the protective moat.
While he was liberally bestowing iron crosses and
other marks of honor on Turkish officials, Wilhelm
II hinted of prime properties he would like to
possess. He was awarded a large tract of land
stretching across the crest of the Mount of Olives
for the building of a hospice for missionaries
suffering from malaria and a church dedicated to the
Ascension.
The Bell Tower has a command view of Jerusalem, the
wilderness of Judea and the mountains of Moab across
the Dead Sea. There is a nominal fee and about
200 steps to climb. Open mornings except for
Saturdays and Sundays.
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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View of the Mount of Olives,
Bethpage and the Wilderness of Judea |
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Do you have an artistic bent?
Then visit the Chagall
Windows in the synagogue of the Hadassah
Hospital in Ein Karem. To mark the 50th
anniversary of the Hadassah Hospital, Marc Chagall
was commissioned to design stained glass windows for
the synagogue. Chagall chose as his theme the
twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob from whom came
the twelve tribes of Israel. Marc Chagall was
inspired by Genesis chapter 49 where Jacob blessed
his 12 sons, Deuteronomy 33 where Moses blessed the
12 tribes and the Exodus 39 description of the gems
inserted into the breast plate of the High Priest.
The Chagall Windows can be visited in the mornings
Sunday through Thursday. One can reach the Hadassah
Hospital, on the western periphery of the city by
taxi, or by public bus number 19 from the center of
town. It’s recommended to call in advance to
reserve a tour of the windows. |
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“Judah is a lion’s whelp” |
“Dan shall judge his people” |
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Genesis 49:9 |
Genesis 49:16 |
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Like to see the “hill country of Judah” where
Mary visited Elizabeth, mother-to-be of John the
Baptist?
Ein Karem, on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, is
traditionally believed to be the birthplace of John
the Baptist, described as a town in the “hill
country of Judah.” (Luke 1:39) Ein Karen means
“spring of the vineyards,” alluding to the many
terraces filled with grape vines and olive trees in
ancient days. Mary’s visit with her pregnant
cousin Elizabeth is commemorated by a lovely church
called “The Visitation
Church.”
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One can reach the center of Ein Karem by taxi or
public bus number 17.
To reach the church, first find the spring which is
on 19 Maayan Street. From the spring bear
right, passing a gate of the Rosary Sisters.
Then bear left and climb up to the church.
Along the way on your right, enjoy the magnificent
vista of terraces walked by Mary as she traveled
from Nazareth to Judah to visit her cousin
Elizabeth.
After a 7 to 10 minute walk and 89 steps, you will
reach the entrance to the Visitation Church.
The church is usually open mornings from 8.00 to
11.45 and afternoons from 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Spring of Ein Karem |
Behind Mary & Elizabeth, the Magnificat |
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After reading the the Magnificat set in ceramic
tiles in 57 languages, from Scottish to Swahili and
Portuguese to Vietnamese, ascend to the upper chapel
for a few moments of reflection.
Afterwards you may want to visit the Franciscan
church commemorating the birth of John the Baptist.
Follow Maayan Street back down to the main
intersection, cross the street and continue on
Maayan up to the church courtyard. The Church
of John the Baptist is built over a cave which by
tradition marks the spot where John the Baptist was
born.
If you are filled with boundless energy, try
wandering through the narrow village alleyways to
admire some of Jerusalem’s finest landscaped homes
and imbue its
rustic atmosphere. Then you may want to visit
the
"Cave of John the Baptist"
discovered in the nectarine orchards of
not-too-far-away Kibbutz Tzuba. |
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| When
you’ve had enough of “heavenly” Jerusalem
and miraculous pregnancies, then for a
change of pace, would you be interested in
the best views of hell?
Then, try the
Cacao Cafe overlooking "Gehenna,"
the valley of hell, cursed by Jeremiah,
(chapter 7) for it was a place of idolatry,
with furnaces for child sacrifice. In
the Latin Vulgate (the authorized
translation of the New Testament into
Latin), when Jesus referred to hell, as in
Matthew 5:30 or 10:28, he said "Gehenna,"
the Hebrew name of the valley. From
the outside terrace there are views across "Gehenna"
to Mt Zion, the Jaffa Gate and the
wilderness of Judea.
Cacao is located in the Jerusalem
Cinematheque on 11 Hebron Road. |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Gehenna: no longer a
place of furnaces and child sacrifice |
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| Would you like to learn some handy Hebrew
phrases which will help you connect with
people you’ll be meeting on your journey in
the Holy Land? See
Hebrew for Pilgrims. |
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| If you’d
like more tips for how to spend a “free day”
in Jerusalem, look at
Free Day Jerusalem Adventures. |
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| If you have
a free morning in Jerusalem, take
A
Leisurely Walk to the Garden of Gethsemane. |
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EMAIL: gila@itsgila.com
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