After seven consecutive Jerusalem trips, it is high time for a change. I know some of you would like to alter my blog's name from ‘Through the Land of Israel’ to 'Through the Land of Jerusalem'. To tell u the truth, even after making 23 visits to the Holy City, I have the same curiosity to feel Jerusalem next time. Somehow every time I visit the city, I feel like I am repeating my first trip to Jerusalem (March, 2008). Don’t know if I am having a "Jerusalem Syndrome", but I can assure you that Jerusalem is always special no matter how much extensively you have traveled in Israel. There is no substitute for the Holy City and never will you have the special feeling experienced in Jerusalem repeated anywhere in Israel. For the time being, I would like to take you through some other angles of Israel and of course for me they have to be associated with the Holy Bible. The following trip was only possible through my colleague Assa’s willingness to take us through these rare gems of Israel, some of which cannot be accessed by public transport by any means. Thank you Assa.
We started from Sede Boker at 8 am and had our first halt at Tel Azekah. This ancient biblical city offers you marvelous views into the legendary 'Valley of Elah', where David fought Goliath. We moved further to visit the fabulous Soreq Stalactite Cave via Beit Shemesh. After visiting the ancient stalactite formation, which was indeed worth a visit, I convinced Assa to make a short stop at Tel Beit Shemesh. As expected, the Tel was abandoned and in debris and for a layman there is nothing to see. No wonder why it could impress only some one who loves biblical archaeology. We had our lunch at McDonalds, Beit Shemesh and moved to the last stop at Beit Jimal Monastery. Spending a nice time inside the St: Stephen Church and learning its history from the priest; wandering through the premises of the monastery; and purchasing a few bottles of sweet red wine; we winded up the trip and drove back to Sede Boker.
We started from Sede Boker at 8 am and had our first halt at Tel Azekah. This ancient biblical city offers you marvelous views into the legendary 'Valley of Elah', where David fought Goliath. We moved further to visit the fabulous Soreq Stalactite Cave via Beit Shemesh. After visiting the ancient stalactite formation, which was indeed worth a visit, I convinced Assa to make a short stop at Tel Beit Shemesh. As expected, the Tel was abandoned and in debris and for a layman there is nothing to see. No wonder why it could impress only some one who loves biblical archaeology. We had our lunch at McDonalds, Beit Shemesh and moved to the last stop at Beit Jimal Monastery. Spending a nice time inside the St: Stephen Church and learning its history from the priest; wandering through the premises of the monastery; and purchasing a few bottles of sweet red wine; we winded up the trip and drove back to Sede Boker.
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