New Baptismal Site on the Jordan

A new baptismal site will be opening this week and will be accessible to foreign tourists, Palestinians and Israelis. As released by the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria Spokesman's Office,this Sunday and Monday, 18-19.1.09, various Orthodox Christian communities will hold their traditional ceremonies at the Qasr al-Yehud baptismal site on the banks of the Jordan River, off the Jericho Bypass Road (Route #90).

The Greek Orthodox ceremony (18.1.09, beginning at 11:00) is expected to draw approximately 20,000 participants from Russia, Cyprus, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It will begin with a procession from the St. John monastery to the baptismal site and will be presided over by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Other communities' ceremonies will be held as follows:

Ethiopian – 18.1.09, at 13:00.

Syrian – 19.1.09, at 08:30.

Coptic – 19.1.09, at 10:30.

Qasr El Yesud to Reopen to All

This site, the third most important site for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land (after the Church of the Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity), is considered to be the site where, according to the New Testament, John the Baptist baptized Jesus (Matthew, 3: 13-17). The site is also considered to be the place where the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan when they entered Canaan.

Because of the importance of the site, which is located on the road to Jericho from Jerusalem, many churches were built here over the centuries. In advance of the millennium, development plans were prepared in order to provide convenient access for pilgrims and a place of prayer, baptism and assembly, together with all necessary conveniences. These plans, which were frozen at the outbreak of the intifada, were refreshed about 2 years ago.

The site, which is expected to be opening within the first few weeks of 2009, will be free of charge to visitors and managed by the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority. No advance coordination will be necessary at this point.The site will be accessible to both Israelis and Palestinians as well as to foreign tourists.

Hiking the Nativity Trail Once Again

Two thousand years after the historic journey of Joseph and Mary, the modern city of Bethlehem is announcing the reopening of the Nativity Trail. Originally inaugurated in 1999, the walking trail has been modified to suit new changes on the ground. The trail promises to provide unique meeting opportunities for hikers, who will converse with the Franciscan priests on Mount Tabor, meet Muslim clerics at village mosques, visit Greek Orthodox monks in desert monasteries, chat with hillside farmers and their families, experience Bedouin shepherds watering their flocks at ancient cisterns and much more. It also promises to be an opportunity to better understand the geopolitical situation in the Holy Land and experiencing it first hand. The Nativity Trail isn’t just a hike, but an experience in dialogue, openness and understanding. Participants will also learn about the regions flora and fauna, much of which is discussed in the Bible and to embrace the cultural heritage of the regions people.

Tours are available during the following dates:

Mar 12, 2009 –Mar 23, 2009
Apr 23, 2009 – May 4, 2009
Oct 8, 2009 – Oct 19, 2009
Oct 29, 2009 – Nov 9, 2009
Nov 12, 2009 – Nov 23, 2009
Dec 13, 2009- Dec 24, 2009 (Christmas Trail)

For more information about the trail, please contact the Alternative Tourism Group of the Siraj Center for Holy Land studies. www.sirajcenter.org or atg.ps

Christmas Events in Bethlehem

This years Christmas tourism theme for Bethlehem is known as "Shepherds Nights". It will occur on two evenings, December 24th and December 25th, 2008. Events are to include the following:

The First night, 24 Dec 2008: Palestinian art consisting of music, folkloric dances, highlights of local theater groups, marching bands, art exhibits, other artistic expressions. The location is suggested to be the YMCA grounds in Beit Sahour. There will special performances for children, and vendors who will be selling handcrafts and food.

The Second day, 25 Dec 2008: Tourists and locals can make home visits to impoverished areas to bring the Christmas spirit to the needy etc. Afternoon programs to include Children’s program and Christmas Carols. In the evening, a “Candle Light Procession” from Shepherds Field. The candle procession for this year will be titled “Light a Candle for the Land of the Shepherds"

First Night: December 24

16:30 - 18.-- Christmas Eve service at the Cave

18:00 -18:50 - Children's Show (Alhara Theatre)

19:00 - 20:10-Rim Al Banna

20:20 - 20:40-Al Ghad Al Haded Dabka

20:50-21:20 Christmas Carols

21:30-21:50-Kazar Dabka

22:00-22:30-Said Zarzar

Second Night: December 25

16:30 Candle Procession

17:30 - Local Choir Groups

18:30 - Tornado Lights Rap Song

Arabic Coffee and Oriental Sweets to be Served

For more information contact www.sirajcenter.org

Finding Peace in the Desert

For those looking for a quite respite within the vast outback of the Negev desert, hiking amongst the eroded canyons set between the mountain tops, scaling the ridges of the desert hills and discovering abundant waterfalls amongst the dry pink and yellow tones of the desert, nothing beats the Sde Boker region. Located approximately 45 minutes south of Beersheva, Sde Boker is the perfect starting point for any number of hikes. The kibbutz itself was the home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. A modest field school complete with rooms for six people offers lodging and meals to groups and individuals. A small grocery is also available for essential purchases while the kibbutz dining hall provides necessary meals to those that want. But the big attraction are the numerous hikes that abound in the area. We hiked two different routes, Nahal Avdat (known as Ein Avdat) and Nahal Zin. Nahal Avdat took us by the dry and wet riverbed then up and out of the canyon via metal steps and handrails that had been carefully drilled into the bedrock walls. Nahal Zin was a bit more challenging offering a steep descent into the canyon as well as careful walking along the connecting mountain ridges. Both valleys were important trade routes in ancient times.
Ein Avodat charges a small fee to enter (approximately $5 per person) and is open daily from 8 to 4 during the winter, 8 to 5 during the summer and is managed by Israel's Park Service. Nahal Zin is freely accessed and there is no entrance fee.

New Tunnel Discovered within City of David

In a briefing last night, Eilat Mazar, a renowned archaeologist who has been excavating at the City of David for a number of years, presented findings highlighting the discovery of a "gutter", part of an ancient water system descried in 2 Sam 5:8. For years scholars have believed that it was through this water system that David was able to conquer Jebus, later known as the City of David. The gutter was discovered last winter after a snowfall in the excavation area that pertained to the First Temple period, known as Area G. The passageway is wide enough for pedestrian traffic and travels north/south which is the direction of the Temple Mount and connects with a structure identified as the palace of King David. An article written by Nadav Shragai providing more information on this latest discovery can be found at http://www.haaretz.com/

3,000 year old City Discovered in Valley of Elah

Published yesterday in the New York Times is an extremely interesting article depicting recent findings of a possible ancient city located south of Jerusalem in the Valley of Elah. Archaeologists are unearthing antiquities including a formidable fortress, that may possibly support writings within the Scriptures which emphasize the importance of Jerusalem and King David during the period of the 10th century B.Cc. The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/world/middleeast/30david.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Renewing your Marriage Vows at Cana

Why not be remarried in the Holy Land on your next visit? Its certainly a possibility and if you are Catholic there is no place more appropriate for such an event than at the Church in Kfar Cana, located at the believed to be site of Jesus's first miracle, when he turned water into wine at a wedding ceremony there. It takes a bit of planning including a letter and official documentation from your priest showing that you are were baptised and legally married. The information needs to be sent in advance to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land who are responsible for the Church in Cana as well as many other holy sites throughout the Holy Land. Generally a donation is made to the Church and arrangements can also be made for a festive meal adjacent to the Church, or in a more elaborate restaurant in the Galilee or other venue.0/

Friends of Israel Dig the Holy Land

Ian Stern, the chief archaeologist who runs the very reputable "Dig for A Day" program at Tel Maresha, invited me to participate in one of his archaeological digs located within Beit Guvrin National Park. The site is situated at the southern end of the Valley of Elah in the Judean Hills. We had the pleasure of digging along with a Friends of Israel tour group, consisting of 40 people from all over the world who are members of the Friends of Israel Ministry. The Ministry is a 500,000 person strong organization which publishes a very popular newsletter entitled "Israel My Glory". According to Bill Sutter, an ordained minister and the Executive Director who personally accompanied the group, several Friends of Israel groups travel to the Holy Land annually, each with a different theme and/or purpose. The organization is evangelical and is very supportive of Israel. The participants traveled from as far as New Zealand and Calgary to experience the 10-day tour and it was very apparent from my conversations with them, that this trip was really a life changing event for them.

Legionaries of Christ in Jerusalem

The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ may be one of numerous Christian congregations in the world, but it represents the one Congregation that Pope John Paul II entrusted the management and administration of the historic Notre Dame Centre in Jerusalem in late 2004. Known as the Pontifical Institute of Jerusalem, the Notre Dame Center is the Vatican's main religious, educational, cultural institution in Jerusalem and sits very close to Christianity's main holy site, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Notre Dame Center houses a significant library and serves to welcome pilgrims and others from around the world as well as Christians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Notre Dame Center provides a professional hospitality training center for Palestinian youth as well as a permanent exhibition on "Who is the Man of the Shroud". The adjacent John Paul II conference center hosts numerous international seminars, lectures and cultural events. The Legion of Christ, known as the Legionaries of Christ, is a Roman Catholic order that was founded in Mexico in 1941 by the late Father Marcial Macial, LC. Its mission is to extend the Kingdom of Christ in society according to the requirements of Christian justice and charity.