The Music of the Middle East

Here are a few of the things we have heard:
Multiple languages from the Middle East, Europe,
America, South America, Asia; goats and camels,
city traffic, harps, wooden flutes, Muslim prayers
streaming in the air over loud speakers, prayers and
hymns of saints from around the world lifted up,
Jewish prayers at the Western Wall, lapping and rushing
waters of the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Med.,
the Dead Sea and the Red Sea; Israeli and Jordanian
coins changing hands, and mosaic pieces being cut.

Pictures - click on picture to see larger image; a picture website may be developed for all to post pictures on

A small scale model of Jerusalem; the Temple Mount is to the middle right.












Sue and Larry Trachie on the way to either Caiaphas' House or the Church which rests over where Mary lived and died after Jesus' ascension.











Women praying along the foundation of the Western Wall in the underground tunnels. This is considered to be the closest spot to where the Holy of Holies was in the Temple, before it was destroyed.











Along the Via Dolorosa


















The remains of an old Roman road.













A cistern constructed by Herod's engineers.


















A portion of one of the largest stones in the world used to construct the Western Wall's foundation.

The Dung Gate

Before coming back into Israel we were reminded (as we had been by our Jordanian tour guides) by our Palestinian tour guide that we were welcome in the Arab/ Muslim world and that they along with the Israelis longed for peace among all people.

During our first trip to the Old City, we entered in through the Dung Gate - the lowest in elevation of all the gates - where the "city dump" had been located in previous generations.
From there we went to the East side of the former temple mount (the Dome of the Rock, a Muslim mosque now sits there) and sat on the original 15 steps leading up to the Temple.

Since today was a full day, we raced off behind our tour guides to a spot where we saw the Western Wall (mistakenly named the Wailing Wall, by the British). Before we could think about
approaching it along with other pray-ers, we were whisked off into an underground world of tunnels literally running along the buried portion of the Western Wall. As we ran our hands along its smooth surface and noted its exemplary craftsmanship, the largest stone was pointed out to us - 30 ft. long and 500 tons. Re-emerging to the modern world we re-traced our steps above ground through market streets. We were led back to the Western Wall where we each were allowed time to meditate and pray. We even got to leave our prayers on paper wedged between the cracks.

The City of David

Today what had only been images in our minds was now sight as we boarded our tour bus and headed to the Shepherd's Field near Bethlehem. Yesterday we had been instructed to dress modestly and be sure to bring our passports. This morning, to our surprise we "left" Israel to enter the Palestinian West Bank even though we were only about 10 minutes from our hotel.
Sadly, our Israeli tour guides and bus drivers had to stay behind (they are not allowed in and Palestinians have to meet certain criteria to come out.) as we passed through the border crossing and met up with a new bus, driver, and tour guide (a childhood friend of Mikey, our regular tour guide). Quickly the written language changed from Hebrew and English and Arabic to Arabic and English only.

We walked a little ways from the bus to a hill side over looking a field and valley. We were told how this was the general area the shepherds lived in; there are even caves nearby which indicate human dwellings and burial sites. Pastor Tanner reminded us of the scriptures and we sang and meditated in that place about the experience of the shepherds with the angels. "Glory to God in the highest"!

The Church of the Nativity was close by so we joined a throng of other Holy Land pilgrims descending on the traditional site of the stable Jesus was born in. Mary and Joseph were unable to find other accommodations, so an inn keeper let them use the cave which is now incorporated into the the oldest functioning church. Beautifully, richly, and ornately decorated the church was perfumed with incense and soft beams of light shown in through high windows. We all eagerly waited in line to catch a glimpse and place our hands on the places where Jesus was born and laid in a manger.






With two other stops
(a gift shop and restaurant), we met some of the
local Christians and were able to help them out by giving them our business.

All Roads Lead to Jerusalem

Driving on a new four-lane highway, we moved on toward our final destination city - Jerusalem.
As we went on our way we could see Jericho much closer than in Jordan earlier in the trip. We wished we had time to stop.

Our driver, Josie, qued up a special song about Jerusalem as we ascended and curved our way up along greener hills. I was moved again by the natural beauty of Israel. Slowly we began to see small towns and Bedouin villages pop up more frequently. Soon we were seeing more modern apartment-like buildings. I felt like I had no idea what to expect of Jerusalem and yet I was excited and nervous to be there.

Just before pulling into the city our guide Mikey prepared us for our first view of the classic "Old City". We were all filled with anticipation and even cried tears of joy or prayed. Before long we passed through a short tunnel and once on the other side Mikey prompted us to look to our left out the bus windows where we immediately saw the Temple Mount (aka Mt. Moriah) and the surrounding newer city. I was amazed and glad to see the rolling grassy and tree covered hills mixed with human dwellings - we have been greatly blessed with the pleasant weather and spring decor.

Masada and Qumran

Most, if not all, of the women and some of the men in our group visited the spa at our hotel by the Dead Sea. From messages to mud raps and floating in the Sea, we pampered our travel-tired bodies.

After packing up and bidding our resort hotel goodbye, we made a short trip north on the road to Masada which is situated in a striking mountain range. Many of us commented on how familiar this topography seems - it is comparable to Central Oregon or Arizona and New Mexico, only the desert of Israel and Jordan is endless with scattered Bedouin communities and a few small cities and villages.

Our tour guide pointed out how Masada is a natural military fortress because it is physically disconnected from all sides of the surrounding mountains. King Herod, who was also responsible for building Caesarea, spent 3-7 years constructing a small city on top of Masada in case he needed to run back home to Edom (he was not well-liked and was a descendant from Esau). We rode a three minute cable car up to the imposing mountain; three minutes from those heights was about all some of us could handle while others were stunned by the breath-taking views.

Once up high we were told how Herod had used gravity and flash floods to channel water down nearby hills up through rock "pipes"to cisterns on Masada. It is said 1,000 people could live there with the stores of olive oil, grain, water, and pigeons for 7 years. Although Herod never used Masada for his intended purpose, a group of Zealots who were rebelling against Rome in Caesarea retreated. Until Rome built a siege ramp, the Israelites lived comfortably...then they were faced with a choice live and become slaves or die free. Most of the community chose suicide, without destroying any earthly goods (food, water, animals etc.), to show Rome they did not die due to a lack of provision but because they were protecting their freedom.

A little while later we rolled Northward to Qumran where we saw the ruins of a small community who referred to themselves as the Sons of Light. This is the site near where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. I was amazed at how close the caves were to the Dead Sea - literally within sight of each other.

Dead or Alive?

When we were in Jordan we had our first look at the Dead Sea. Before our trip many of us had been told the Dead Sea is the most salty body of water in the world - nothing can live in the Dead Sea. Yet from all angles in Jordan and Israel the Sea (actually a lage lake) is undeniably beautiful.

We expected the water to be dirty and barren but, in fact, the water was very blue and green and rimed with white and brown swirls from the salt and mud-minerals. The Dead Sea sparkled as it caught the light of the sun-lit sky. Admitedly I was unsure about putting more than a toe into the water. We had also been told that everything floats more than usual, even people. Eventually I did put my feet in and the water felt almost softer than normal. Other swimmers likened the experience to being in bath water with bath salts or oils as well as a weightless feeling with little control over one's movement.

It was mentioned by a few people how even though the Dead Sea is breath-taking against the desert background and blue sky with clouds, it is still dead! In the same way, we all are God's beautiful creation, however when born into this world we are dead in our sin. Only Jesus can clean us from the inside so life can come about.