Yesterday we travelled to Bethlehem via a couple of intriguing sites. As we are looking at the gospel according to Matthew during this time at the college we went to one of the key sites of King Herod - Herodian. A place he built in the shape of a hill as a place he could go to if he was in danger in Jerusalem but also his final resting place. It certainly showed the extent of his wealth and power as it was built from nothing and is one so his 'smaller' projects!
After a show of power from someone 2000 years ago we then went to Bethlehem and saw some contemporary examples from the state of Israel. There is a place called Rachel's wall that was built to cut off Palestinians from both their arable land and also an important place for Muslims - where Rachel (mother of Benjamin, O.T.) is thought to be buried. On the wall are some moving examples of Palestinian graffiti.. We said prayers for peace for the women of both Israel and Palestine here.
And then on the way to the Church of the Nativity we went past a Palestinian refugee camp that houses 15,000 people. Some of it has been here since 1947, so it is of a more permanent building material than one might imagine.
After a show of power from someone 2000 years ago we then went to Bethlehem and saw some contemporary examples from the state of Israel. There is a place called Rachel's wall that was built to cut off Palestinians from both their arable land and also an important place for Muslims - where Rachel (mother of Benjamin, O.T.) is thought to be buried. On the wall are some moving examples of Palestinian graffiti.. We said prayers for peace for the women of both Israel and Palestine here.
And then on the way to the Church of the Nativity we went past a Palestinian refugee camp that houses 15,000 people. Some of it has been here since 1947, so it is of a more permanent building material than one might imagine.
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