I have not walked on two legs for nearly 40 days. That's not kvetching, mind you, it's just a fact. For a person who has trouble waiting on a microwave, this has been a real test of patience.
Where east kisses west
Maps produced at the start of the 16th century reflect the ongoing struggle between ancient, medieval, and modern perspectives. The surge of incoming data challenged traditional thinking. Mariners found themselves blinking at fresh charts under the Atlantic sun even as mapmakers in Europe scrambled to update graphic blends of fact and faith.
Walkabout jerusalem
Ticket to ride
Imagining Ecce Homo
What Lies Beneath
The Barracks
I enter the barracks. The smell of raw earth makes a first impression. My eyes take a moment longer to dial down from bright sun to deep shadow. A long hall of concrete, steel, stone, and dirt emerges. Excavations beneath the barracks have been conducted over the course of the last decade, but only in the last five months has this archaeological site been open to the public. It is my first visit to Jerusalem’s Kishle and I am excited.
Things that Go "Boom" in the Night
I’m bunking in the middle of Jerusalem’s Old City for a month. It is less than one hundred meters from the desk where I now sit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The CHS is perhaps Christendom’s most sacred space and the best guess at the spot where Jesus was raised from the dead. Early every morning the bells in its steeple ring out across the city reminding the rest of us that we need to do the same.
Falafel Chapel
“Orange juice?” “Falafel?” The invitation floats down Jerusalem’s Old City streets, seeking lodging in the ears of the hungry.
In this case, the voice behind the appeal belongs to Sameer. Plump oranges are piled to his knees. To his right is a stainless steel display stretching across the front of his shop. A peek inside reveals buckets of cabbages, pickles, onions, eggplant, salsas, some unidentifiables, and, of course, the magic paste that holds the whole of the Mediterranean world together: hummus.
Where Armenia Met Helena
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City is theomphalos (navel) of Christian imagination. Its roof encloses key moments of sacred memory, including places associated with Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Countless pilgrims have risked life and treasure to enter these wooden doors. A visit can change a person. Or start a war.
Rat-a-tat-tat
It didn’t take long. I reclined, alone, in the ever popular Coptic Guest House in Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter. David Abulafia’s heavy tome on the Mediterranean Sea began bobbing above my head. It sank to my chest, then to the floor. Overwhelmed by the obscurities of Luwian hieroglyphs and two weeks of pilgrim responsibilities, I slipped beneath the waves, a human Akrotiri. I was exhausted. Darkness fell.
The Charming Man
I climb up the metal stairs to see the Charming Man. This is my second attempt today. On the first attempt, the wait was so long that the shebab were sitting on the stairs. I picked my way through them so I could look into the narrow room. The two chairs were full and still more shebab were lined up on the couches. I am twice the age of every stripling there. The Charming Man spotted me and waved me in. I declined, pressing my hand to my heart.
Baghdadi's Oriental Bookshop
Abdallah Baghdadi rests on a white plastic stool. He leans back against a display case inside his store that faces Azzahra Street. The case behind him is nearly empty. On top of it rest a few baby Jesuses, Christmas bells, a crèche, assorted pendants, and stick pens. I lean forward on my stool and ask him what he thinks.
Visiting the Sisters
On several occasions I have tried in vain to visit the Russian Orthodox Church on the Mount of Olives. It is not visitor-friendly, to say the least. There is a four-meter stone wall surrounding the property topped by a wrought iron fence. Three steel doors appear to be the only way in. Views to the central building within are easily obtained from a distance; those seven golden “onion domes” make it one of the most recognized buildings in all Jerusalem. Still, I wanted a closer look at this sample of “Moscow in the Middle East.”
Ramadan Arrives
Within the Muslim world, the period of fasting known as Ramadan has come. We heard the signs of its arrival on Thursday with intermittent fireworks popping in the sky. When we walked down the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City in the daytime, many Islamic shopkeepers stood wobbling on ladders, stringing up (“Christmas”) lights over their stores. Gateways, like the Damascus Gate (Bab el Amud), had a different, festive, look, especially once the sun set.
Sundays, Lord Allenby, and the Lord Who Keeps You
I’ve fallen back into old habits. Years ago when our family lived near here, we regularly attended services at St. Andrews (Church of Scotland). Now I find myself strolling that way again. Apart from the rich history of the building, there are good reasons to align with the work: the church plays in active role in ministering to the financially disadvantaged, they operate an English speaking school for the children of Jews/Christians/Muslims, and they market craft goods made by local women who have creative, but limited skills.