HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

I made a pilgrimage to Holy Land from 16 - 24 Oct 17. Holy Land is defined as the area comprising the modern state of Israel, the Palestinian territories, W Jordan, parts of S Lebanon, S W Syria and the Sinai Peninsula of Eygpt. It is holy to the Christians, Jews and Muslims. One of the highlights of the pilgrimage was to visit the Red Rose City of Petra in Jordan. Today, the remains of what was a great and thriving civilisation under the Nabateans, nomads of Arabian descent who settled there and became thriving merchants capitalising on the strategic location of the place where many trade routes converged, can be seen. The Nabateans for their trade and business acumen probably settled in places like Rome and Greek cities and became absorbed there and are hardly known now. The Nabateans are mentioned in 1 Maccabees 5:25 for being friendly to Judas Maccabeus who led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of Antiochus Epiphanes. It is also probable that Moses who when wandering in the desert for 40 years had some dealings with them too. Shown in the pic is the Treasury, also known as El Khazneh in local lingo, which comes into partial view before emerging from the siq (canyon) leading to it.

From the entrance to the Treasury, one has to walk roughly five km, four in the sun and the last in the siq which is cool all year round. Horse-drawn carriages like the one shown are available for rent at about US$ 40 for a round trip. Expect a bumpy ride though.

The Tomb of the Obelisks before one enters the siq (canyon). It's so named for the four obelisks at the top of the tomb.

Walking along the siq or canyon which leads to the Treasury. The walls are adorned with many colours at places along the way. At narrow stretches, people have to compete with animals or horse-drawn carts for space. The siq itself is about one km long. 

Those who want to venture beyond the Colonnaded Street of the "urban area" of Petra can hire camels or donkeys.

Donkies for hire for exploration of the outlying areas of Petra. Be sure to settle the price with the animal owner or risk getting fleeced at the end of a ride.

The remnants of a Roman theatre.

This is a part of the Royal Tombs consisting of the Tomb of the Urn, Silk Tomb, Corinthian Tomb, Palace Tomb and Tomb of Sextius Florentine.

The Treasury in full view of the midday sun. I'm enthralled by the beauty of this magnificent structure carved out of pink limestone and mystified by the original purpose for it. It has been epitomised in the the 1989 movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". Petra has been chosen as one of the New Wonders of the World, alongside others like Jeju Island, S Korea.

HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS (CONT'D)

Moses' Spring in Jordan. When the Israelis were wandering in the desert with Moses, they complained of thirst. Yahweh God asked Moses to strike a rock with his staff and out came water which flows to this day.

The Church of St George in Madaba in Jordan where the ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land is found.

Adorning an exterior wall is this mosaic map of the Holy Land.

The mosaic map on the floor of the church which is not oriented northwards, like modern maps, but faces east towards the altar. However, the positions of places on the map coincide with the cardinal points of the compass. It once measured 21 by7m and contained >2 mil tessarae but today, its dimensions are 16 by 5m.                  

The altar in the church on Mt Nebo in Jordan where we celebrated Mass. It has been built on the remains of a Byzantine church with mosaic floors.

One of the views of the land that Yahweh God showed to Moses towards Jericho which He had promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants. Moses was only to see the "land of milk and honey" but not enter it for he died in Moab as the Lord had said. He was buried in a place in Moab called Beth Peor but to this day, no one knows where the grave is.

This structure on Mt Nebo has a Scripture text below from John 3: 14-15 - just as the serpent was lifted so does the Son of Man.

Church of the Transfiguration at Mt Tabor where Jesus brought His Disciples - Peter, James and John - who witnessed both His Divine and Human natures when He was transfigured. They also saw Jesus talking with Moses and the Prophet Elijah (Mt 17: 1-8) .

The Church of the Multiplication in Tagbha where Jesus performed His first "public"miracle of multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people. The church building in the background was erected to replace an earlier building which was destroyed in a fire. The olive tree was not affected by the fire.

HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS - (CONT'D)

We sailed in a boat similar to these for a cruise in the Sea (Lake) of Galilee where Jesus walked on water and calmed a stormy sea. Although it may appear calm, strong winds above often cause turbulence.

After celebration of Mass on the Mount of Beatitudes.

Nice and serene garden leading to the Mount of Beatitudes.

Church of Peter's Primacy where Jesus restored Peter as the "head of the Church" even though Peter had denied Him three times in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The rock in the church where Jesus was supposed to stand on to call His Disciples to breakfast after He rose from the dead.

Pilgrims and visitors will usually go and walk in the waters of the Sea of Galilee after visiting the church.

Capernaum - the Town of Jesus where Peter, his brothers and his friends operated from. No one lives there now. The reason - Jesus worked the most miracles there and in Corazin and Bethsaida but the residents didn't repent and they were cursed by Jesus. Cf  Luke 10:13

This synagogue lays in ruin. In Jesus' days, it was possibly built with financial assistance from the Roman Centurion whose servant Jesus healed.

A little history of the synagogue.

HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS (CONT'D)

This Church has been built over the remains of St Peter's house where Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law.

 Renewal of marriage vows at the Church of Cana in Galilee. It was in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding at the subtle suggestion of His Mother who was among the guests. Even though Jesus replied His Mother that "My time has not come", He performed the miracle nonetheless before undertaking His public ministry of curing the blind and the sick, conducting exorcisms and raising Lazarus and Jairus' daughter from the dead, among others.

Facade of the Church.

Renewal of Baptismal Vows at the River Jordan. Here our Spiritual Director (SD) Franciscan Friar Father Joseph Nathan is renewing the vows of his brother Sam. A rare occasion indeed.

The Basilica of the Annunciation was completed in 1969 with donations from the faithfuls around the World.

This side altar is erected on the traditional site where the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the Saviour of the World. A queue has formed for the people to have a closer view of the altar.

The altar of the Basilica.

Faithfuls in many countries contributed funds for these mosaic images of Our Lady to adorn the walls of the Church. Singapore's contribution is in the centre. The cultural influences of the donor countries are evident. 

HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS (CONT'D)

A fresco of the Holy Family in the Church of the Nativity.

Haifa as seen from Mt Carmel. Some of the decommissioned vessels of the Israeli Navy are on display.

Mt Carmel is a 1500-ft limestone mountain which impeded armies and merchants traveling to and from the Jezreel Valley in days of old. Presently, the Maris Stella (Star of the Sea - a term used to address Our Lady) Church and Monastery is located there. Mt Carmel is also noted in the Bible (1st Book of the Kings) as the place where the Prophet Elijah met and killed the 400 or so prophets of Baal whom King Ahab had engaged because of his marriage to foreign wives.

Caesarea where St Paul was held imprisoned by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate before being killed. It's no longer a town but preserved for visitors who want to know about the Roman connection in Biblical times.

Church of the Shepherd's Field which was closed after we had celebrated Mass in the Shepherd's Field nearby.

Walking to enter the walled-up Jerusalem (Old City). Traffic is not heavy.

On the way to the Old City, we passed this Muslim cemetery where our Palestinian guide's family own a plot of land. He informed us that it costs millions of USD to buy a plot there to bury his deceased relatives.

We entered the city by the Lions' Gate. Notice the four lions two of each side of the gate. It's also called St Stephen's Gate as the Saint and first Martyr of the Church was stoned to death in its vicinity for committing blasphemy against the Jewish Temple. There are presently eight gates to enter the Old City and one of them, the Golden Mercy Gate, has been closed during Ottoman times because of Jewish beliefs that in His second Coming, Jesus will enter Jerusalem by that gate  .

HOLY LAND - WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS (CONT'D)

Altar of the St Anne's Church in Jerusalem. The acoustic effects in the Church are excellent. We sang "Hail Mary" and it sounded awesome. 

The Sheep Pool in the Church compound where Jesus healed a paralytic who had waited 38 years for someone to put him in the pool for it was believed that each time the pool whirled, the first person to dip would be cured of his illness The account of it is given in John 5: 1-9.

The Church of the Flagellation where Jesus was scourged at the beginning of His Passion on Good Friday. The pillar to which He was tied is found within.

Doing the Way of the Cross in the Via Dolorosa, a busy Jerusalem street, leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Queuing at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to enter the Sepulchre to see where Jesus was resurrected. The wait was three hours but we endured it. Most Protestants avoid this Church for it's always crowded and noisy preferring the Garden Tomb, which was discovered later by the British military.

 

Pilgrims waiting to enter the Tomb for only a few seconds to see the resurrection spot. This area is under the control of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Notice the ladder on the ledge of the entrance to the Church. Interestingly, it has been the subject of a 150-year quarrel between two of the six denominations managing and administering the Church. This goes back to the 1852 Mandate passed by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Great when he handed the Church over to them. Fights and quarrels have occurred over the boundaries of administration and control. Hence, it was decided that nothing moves or changes unless all the groups agree to them, hence the ladder's fate. The six denominations are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholics, Egyptian Copts, Ethiopian Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox. Before Ottoman rule, the Church was under the sole purview of the Franciscan Friars after St Francis came to the Holy Land.