Day 2, Jerusalem, 5 December 2016

This is our second day in Jerusalem. After a good sleep overnight, got up very late in the morning. Managed to reach the breakfast just before they were to close. 

Breakfast in the American Colony Hotel was a lavish fare with a number of Middle Eastern dishes. I tried Shakshuka, a dish of poached and fried eggs kept over a spicy tomato curry. Not very good. Years of spicy Indian food has scorched my taste buds and now, these less spicy foreign foods do not appeal to me. 

But the one item  I have started enjoying of late is the bircher muesli. The heavenly dish made from milk, yogurt, apple juice and many shredded fruits. It is a Swiss dish and I sincerely recommend it to all. (A health food, introduced by a Swiss physician, Bircher, who had learnt about this item in the Swiss Alps, as a part of therapy for his patients).

Today also we were to visit the history soaked old city again. It is said that Israel has more history than geography (by a ratio of one million to one). Geography is plain, simply desert for the most part. But the history is too eventful and somewhat confusing. 

For the day, we had three important areas in our programme. Morning, the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Afternoon, the Yad Vashem museum.

Sultan Suleyman Street

We could have walked briefly and straightly to the Old City via the Sultan Suleyman Street, like yesterday. But, out of curiosity, we took a detour through the Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish area. 

Orthodox Jews are seriously Jewish, who wear black and white dress, black hats, beards and the funny side curls, and go to the religious schools and study Torah daily. Their women dress modestly (don’t get me wrong, I meant no silhouette dress) and wear wigs and other head coverings, and do not interact with men from outside. They participate in the outside commercial world as little as possible. And they don’t like (themselves and their locality) to be photographed by the tourists.

Though Israel is a Jewish country, majority of its population is Secular Jews and only roughly 15 percent are orthodox Jews. Secular Jews are the guys who think that they are Jews but do not observe the codes seriously. They seem to agree with my idea that morality comes by education and family life and not by religious study. People like Einsteen, Sigmund Freud, Carl Marx, Ayn Rand, Carl Sagan, Mark Zuckerberg and Bernie Sanders are all secular Jews. (Like me, a secular Hindu). About one fourth are downright atheists. 

We entered the Old city through the huge entrance called the Damascus gate, named as the highway from the gate used to go to Damascus, capital of Syria. From the gate, we reached the Temple Mount. This Temple Mount, known by the Muslims as al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf (or the Noble Sanctuary), is an interesting place. It is the third holiest place for the Islamic world (after Mecca and Medina).

It is just next to the Western Wall, holiest place for the Jews, which we visited yesterday. In fact, the Temple Mount is the most sacred site for the Jews too, but the Orthodox Rabbis forbid the Jews from visiting Temple Mount as they may inadvertently step on the on the sacred ground on which the Holy Temples once stood! (In fact, immediately following the 1967 Six Day War, Israeli commander Moshe Dayan handed control of Temple Mount to Jerusalem’s Muslim leaders. The area is still under the control of a waqf).

"According to the Torah Law, entering the Temple Mount is strictly forbidden due to the holiness of the site" 

The most important spot in the Temple Mount crown is the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem’s most identifiable landmark and certainly one of the most photographed buildings on earth. The dome covers a slab of stone sacred to both Muslims and Jews. According to Jewish tradition, it was here that Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son. Islamic tradition says that Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven from this spot.

Since this holy Muslim area is in Jerusalem, Jewish Israel's "eternal, indivisible capital", they have not bothered to put up any information board or any sign post about it. You simply ask the bystanders (don’t ask the kippah wearing jews, they will just shirk. You ask the one from the assorted group of tourists from all over the world, carrying Lonely Planet’s different language editions).

After lining up in queue to enter the area, you go through a wooden tunnel to reach the foregrounds of the Dome. There is strong security check and your passports are needed for identity. There are strict rules, like, Jews not allowed, Palestinians not allowed, Non- Muslims are not allowed inside the dome and the mosque etc.

Access way to the Temple mount

Stairway to Temple Mount

We climb up by the many broad stairways to the elevated platform of the Dome of the Rock. The stairs end up in a set of arches. As per the Islamic tradition, these arches are the place where the scales to weigh the souls will be hung at on the day of the Last Judgment.  

Arches for the Scale of the Souls

It appeared to me that these structures were too slender to hold big weighing scales. I am sure the arches will collapse before the first few batches of souls are weighed over. People from far who arrive late will escape such weighing.

Dome of the rock atop the Temple Mount

The grand edifice had been built in the late seventh century, by an Arabian Caliph, Abdul Malik. Perhaps, the caliph had wanted to make a statement: Islam is all-powerful, so build a grand structure more splendid than any church or any synagogue, on the Jewish Holy of Holies, and inform the world that Islam has arrived. And How!

Probably, Jerusalem's most photographed landmark

Colourful Mosaics

The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque, it is a shrine. Its walls are all covered with colorful mosaics and murals and verses from Holy Quran. The central dome is covered by gold plates. It was covered in solid gold initially, but, a few centuries later, one caliph had melted away all that gold to pay for his debts. Now there is just a thin gold plating offered by the King of Jordan. Story is that the King had to sell one of his homes in London for this.

A few steps away from the Dome of the Rock is the equally grand Al Aqsa (the farthest) Mosque. Unlike the Dome of the Rock, the mosque’s dome is covered with lead and aluminum. The original mosque was built in 715 but it has been destroyed many times by earthquakes.

'The Farthest' Mosque

It was all grand, by design and proportions. But the bad thing is they don’t allow infidels like me inside, where things are said to be even grander. We had to be contended with views from outside.

There was a group of young Muslim Volunteers who were seen distributing pamphlets like ‘What is Islam?’ That pamphlet was quite informative and in a way, alluring. Pity, the Caliphs and Sultans didn’t know this pamphlet way of spreading Islam. They could have earned more followers by pamphlets than by bomblets.  Surely a better way than their aggressive wars, saving a lot of churches and temples in the process.

After visiting the Temple mount, we exited through the Dung gate. The Dung gate, named as it was, at one time, the area around the gate was the local rubbish dump. From there, we went in search of Abu Shukri. 

Abu Shukri is a small but popular Middle Eastern eatery in the old city. Many reviews say that this place has the best hummus and falafel in town, if not in the whole of Israel.

Abu Shukri is a tiny place, crowded by locals (identified by the depressed looks on their faces) and tourists (identified by the sun glasses and cameras), all crammed around small worn out wooden tables. Almost like one of our Madurai Muniyandi Vilas messes in a dingy lane across the railway station. The food was enjoyable and we had hummus, falafel, eggplant salad, all, of course with, the tasteless pita bread. Food is reasonably priced and is served super-quick.Like in any Arab eatery around the old city, we finished the food with a customary tumbler of fresh orange juice and felt well.

Abu Shukri

This falafel bread is a popular Middle Eastern dish. Deep-fried, spicy, Ping-Pong - sized balls of ground chickpea. (Simply, Sundal bondas). I was wondering why this lowly chickpea (even the name is demeaning, you see) is accorded the status of King of All Legumes in the Middle East. What will they feel when they taste our Bengal Gram, (fried gram or pottukkadalai!) Just like all other coronary clogging deep fried stuff, these balls also taste well. It is said, after eating 'falafel', your conscience may 'feel awful'!

After lunch, we set about our most important assignment in the Old City of Jerusalem. To retrace the steps of Jesus Christ on his epic tromp to crucifixion and burial. The Via Dolorosa means in Latin "Way of Suffering" or simply "Painful Way". (remember, Dolor/Dolopar, Pain?), It was outside the old city in biblical times, but nowadays, it is a just long winding narrow street within the Old City. 

An hour long walk through the very ordinary looking alleyway of the old city is an anti-climax to anyone who goes there with expectations and imaginations. It was surprising to see the pathetic condition of such a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. The present day route has just been established since the 18th century. So, the connections are more scriptural or traditional, than anything archaeological.

The path that one day Jesus would have walked, carrying his cross, from the place of his trial by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to the site of his crucifixion is lined with Arab Vendors selling Christian memorabilia and their children playing merrily around. Though it is all dirty and dusty by Western Standards, we could see many faithful pilgrims, from all over the world, tracing the path with prayers and chants at each station.

The route is marked by fourteen Stations of the Cross, nine on the street and five inside the Church of Holy Sepulchre. Many chapels, small and big, have been built along the path, nestled amidst the Arab souvenir shops selling all sorts of rosaries and miniature crosses.

As we walked through the street, I tried to imagine the scenes. Like Jesus being tried and condemned by Pontius Pilate (Station I), being scourged and given the cross (Station II), Jesus falling for the first time (III), Mary embracing the Jesus(IV), Jesus addressing the women in the crowd, being stripped of his garments, nailed to the Cross, Dyeing, getting buried  and the like.

It must have been very painful for Jesus. Cruel and inhumane, but crucifixion was an acceptable method of execution at the time. Just imagine, had the Romans knew and tried other methods of execution, who knows, millions of Christians would today be wearing gold chains with a small guillotine around their necks! All the great churches’ high altars would be overhung by hanging nooses and face masks!

Tracing the stations is not easy for unguided travelers. Jewish administration and Arab inhabitants have ensured that you will not be guided at all. I experienced this feeling in Sea of Galilei also. Jesus is so neglected in his land of birth!

Scenes from Via Dolorosa. Ecce homo!

Slowly, tracing the stations, we reached the Church of Holy Sepulchre, the Church of Resurrection, the holiest shrine of Christianity. You will be surprised, again, when you see a church that is not very regal or particularly attractive. 

And, it was really a bit hard to locate, situated amidst the narrow streets of Muslim Souqs. Even my small town Bhavani Temple will come out on top in this regard. It has a beautiful location on the confluence of two rivers with elegant, colorful Gopura Vimanam and grand forecourts.

The Passion of Jesus, the brief final period in the life of Jesus, from his entrance visit to Jerusalem to his crucifixion is the climactic event in Christian theory of Salvation. But if you come there hoping for quiet contemplation or worship, you will be sorely disappointed. Kind of anticlimax. Looks anything but a serene, peaceful holy place. 

The famed church was originally built in 300 CE. Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, (of Byzantium, which later became Constantinople, which later became Istanbul) was the first King to convert to Christianity. No wonder he is worshiped as a saint. His mother, who visited Syria Palestinia, (as Jerusalem was known by then), on a pilgrimage, took pains to do some excavations and found three crosses in a place outside the city walls. She declared the place as the Biblical Calvary and asked her son to build a church in the holy site. (Why it was called Calvary? Because in the ancient days, the hillock looked like a skull cap). It has nothing to do with the Skull of Jesus (Remember Calvaria in anatomy?).

Though Churches here are being built from 400 CE, major fires, earthquakes and some mad caliphs have destroyed it repeatedly, Crusaders then and various church orders now have been rebuilding, it is all cyclical. However, throughout the centuries, it remains a living place of worship.

When there are different sects, there bound to be sectarian rivalry. The ownership of the church is shared between the different sects of Christianity-Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Syrians, Copts and Ethiopians. Due to their rivalries, which still exist, the keys to the church have been in the possession of a local Muslim family, since the days of Turkish Sultan Saladin and it’s still their job to unlock the doors each morning and secure them again at night.

In fact, Protestants have no presence in the Church and they generally recognize the Garden Tomb, elsewhere in Jerusalem, as either the true place of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. In the big church complex, there are about 30-plus chapels and worship spaces with a mish-mash of different architectural styles. All are adorned, rather overdone, with the various devotional ornamentation of various Christian rites. 

After we enter through the narrow street entry, there was this Parvis or the front court, an open plaza, and immediately inside the church, you will see the Stone of Unction (Stone of the Anointing), which is supposedly the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial. I prostrated at the stone slab along with a dozen pilgrims, but came to know little later that the present stone was only added in the 1810. 

Then you go further inside to the chamber called Aedicule, where the Tomb of the Jesus is kept. To prevent the visitors damaging the tomb, they have covered the original stone tomb with marble layers.

When we were there, a major reconstruction work was going on, and as it happens to any non-Jewish site in Israel, no sign board, no guiding information, nothing. No queue either. Teaming with processions of noisy visitors and filled with incense smokes, the ambience will make you want to get away from the spot as soon as possible. (I have felt it in many of our temples).

We saw a group of Tamil speaking pilgrim tourists, from Nagarkoil. Felt somewhat relieved that we were not alone in the madness.

As it became dark, we missed Yad Vashem today, keeping it for the next day. We had tickets for the light show at the Citadel after dinner. So, we went back to the hotel by a taxi and had a brief rest. 

Then, after freshening up, we got a taxi and went to the show, 'Night Spectacular',at the Tower of David museum. It was an hour long, well conducted sound-and-light show about the history of Jerusalem. It was staged in the Citadel's internal courtyard and was projected with beautiful light effects on the ancient stone walls. We were able to revise our recently acquired history knowledge.

Night Spectacular Show

Light on the old stone fortress was beautiful.

Afterwards, we returned to the hotel. As it was late, we decided to have dinner in the hotel itself. At he American Colony Hotel, they served a very nice Israeli sea food dinner with some exemplary wine. It was a fulfilling day.