I've just bought this excellent book today from Waterstone's in Leeds. It's clearly going to be very helpful in giving me more understanding about Jerusalem. I've started to read it and it begins with the 3 accounts of the Day Of Judgment, Jewish, Christian and Islamic. What a gripping way to begin the book at to hook the reader into delving further in.
I would love to go back there with modern video / digital camera gear to bring home crisper, clearer images and video. Nowhere else in the world quite manages to throw up sharp contrasts and divisions between the three intimately-linked faiths. It's amazing to think how much of the present world's troubles have some kind of religious underpinning relating to the Semitic faiths, the children of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Since Easter is almost upon us once again I thought I would add an appropriate hymn to this footage of the Holy Sepulchre. I really wanted, The Is A Green Hill Far Away but could only find, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross.
Sadly our visit to Bethlehem came at the end of a very bust day and it was already getting late when we arrived there. Manger Square was heaving with coaches, as you would expect at the supposed birth place of Jesus Christ. The interior of the church was far too dark for video which is why I have no footage of the actual 'spot' where the manger is said to have stood. The thing about most of the Christian places is they are highly unlikely to have been the 'real spots'. Instead they have become associated with events in the life of Christ way after his death. However, these places are still very special because of the weight of history behind them.
One of the highlights of our 6 days was when we chartered a light aircraft to takes us on a flight over Israel, not just Jerusalem. Although the city has no large airport is does have a small airfield from which small planes can operate. That's where we chartered this from. The pilot gave us a great view of Jeruslalem from the air then went over the Dead Sea, over Masada and back to Jerusalem.
I first found out about the Holocaust at around the age of ten years and it is a theme which has hanuted me ever since. Of all the episodes in human history, for me, The Shoah stands out as one of the most despicable, evil and wicked acts of barbarism ever committed by one group of people upon another.
That 6 million Jews could be rounded up, suffer inhuman degredation on a monumental scale, then hideously murdered in the gas chambers really beggars belief.
How was it possible for the Nazi regime to stoke up ancient hatreds and prejudices so as to create an overtly racist state with official policies designed to root out and destroy a section of its own population based on race alone?
The fact that it DID happen must never be forgotten by humanity since the fragile 'crust' we call decent, civilised behaviour can easily be broken again so that history repeats itself.
To my mind, The Holocaust is the end game of all unchecked racism, hatred of minorities and persecution which takes place to this day right across the world.
On our visit to Jerusalem is was therefore essential to visit Yad Vashem, the official Shoah memorial site in Israel. I'll never forget how everyone just went almost silent upon arrival at the site. People followed the route around, looked at the photos etc. in total respect. I could never manage a visit to Auschwitz itself.
The best views of Jerusalem are from the Mount Of Olives. From the vantage point you can see the entire city in all its magnificence. The largest Jewish cemetery in the world is found here since those within sight of the Ancient City will be the first raised on The Day Of Judgment.
What a lovely touch to find this man dressed as King David playing his harp and singing songs of peace in many languages. This was extremely atmospheric in the context of it being in Jerusalem.
One of my highlights of the entire Jerusalem trip was to walk up to Temple Mount and into the harem precinct containing The Aqsa Mosque and The Dome Of The Rock. It was to this place that Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad (saw) made his Night Journey from Makkah and up into heaven (Al Isra Wal Miraj).
Inside the Holy Sepulchre it is extremely dark and gloomy and the video footage reflects that fact. Bear in mind too that this was shot on basic 8mm tape so we're not looking at state of the art footage inside.
The interior is extremely large and the church has many parts.
Jerusalem is, of course, extremely sacred to Christians since it was here that it is said he was condemned to death, crucified and then rose from the dead three days later. The city of Jerusalem is woven inextricably into the story of the last days of Jesus.
One of the most important things to experience whilst in Jerusalem is to follow the route of the Via Dolorosa from start to finish at the Church Of The Holy Sepulchre.
There had been Roman temples on the site of the church and, as with many of the Christian holy sites, it is hard to know whether this was the real, actual location of the crucifixion or not. Having said that, the sheer weight of history, pilgrimage and spirituality connected with the church makes it extremely special indeed.
The Al Aqsa Mosque is the third most holy site in Islam after Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. The very first Muslims used to turn towards Jerusalem when they prayed. This was their Qiblah. However, an extremely important event was to change that radically. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) is believed to have made a very special Night Journey known as Al Isra Wal Miraj. He then ascended into heaven and returned with some important new rules about worship. From that day on the Muslims' new Qiblah was no longer to be Jerusalem but the Sacred Kabah In Makkah itself. A new regime of five daily prayers was set out and, salat is the second Pillar Of Islam.
Arriving in Jerusalem for the very first time was magical and totally awe-inspiring. It's a place you see and hear about all the time. You have to pinch yourself to believe you're actually there amidst centuries of history. Then there's the antcipation of everything there is to see and do within the holy city. Being right at the centre of three faiths is bewilidering since you have pilgrims, religious tourists and locals all thrown together within the confines of the tiny Old City.
Then came the moment of our first glimpse of The Western Wall and the exquisite roof of the Dome Of The Rock, Islam's third most sacred place. The atmosphere that first late afternoon down at the Western Wall was literally electrifiying. All I needed to do to have full video access to the wall was to don a small cardboard skull cap as a sign of respect. Imagine my utter delight at arriving during a Bar Mitzvah ceremony right there in Judaism's most hold place. Nobody minded me filming in the slightest. I could hardly believe my good fortune.
In 1994 I had made a two week journey to Pakistan which I was doing for my own prefessional development as an RE teacher at Pollard Park Middle School in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
I wanted to follow that up by visiting Jerusalem in order to see the three Semitic faiths in close proximity and to video/ photograph the major religious sites. I knew that going to Israel would furnish me with a great deal more knowledge and provide superb classroom resources to use at school.
I have to say how very right I was. Although I could only fit in six days at October Half-Term 1995, this journey was one of the most memorable, atmospheric and spiritually moving of my entire life. The Old City Of Jerusalem is barely one mile square but there is enough history and religion to grip the pilgrim/religious tourist easily with other very important sites at Bethlehem and Yad Vashem being very close by.
Of course there is no major airport in Jerusalem so the visitor must come via Ben Gurion International Near Tel Aviv.
In fact we made the trip from Manchester to Amsterdam and then on to Tel Aviv with KLM.
