Week one of classes is over. I already have lots of homework but I'm more motivated to do it than I was during my undergraduate. Does that mean I actually like my classes? Perish the thought!
On Thursday afternoon, I had a little down time between a morning lecture and an afternoon lecture/tour south of Jerusalem to see some sites. I got together with a few students to explore the Old City with one goal in mind: the Dome of the Rock.
The Dome of the Rock is a site of contention. To the Jews, it is perhaps one of the locations of the Holy of Holies--one of the most important items of the Second Temple. Only the Chief Rabbi of the time of the Second Temple could enter the presence of the Holy of Holies, and ONLY on Yom Kippur. The Dome of the Rock is also supposedly the location where Abraham was supposed to sacrifice Issac.
To Islam, this is the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven and is its third holiest place in the world after Mecca and Medina. Similarly, this is where they believe Abraham was supposed to sacrifice Ishmael.
Today, the plaza of the Dome of the Rock, which includes the Al Aqsa mosque, is under the Israeli government control who in turn give the authority to the Palestinian waqf, or religious authority. Under the decree of the waqf, only Muslims may enter the Dome of the Rock, but anyone is allowed to enter Plaza. However, guests may not show signs of affection, must be appropriately dressed, and a number of other strict regulations. Since one of the girls in our group was wearing shorts, she was not allowed to enter unless she purchased a sarong or something to cover her legs.
There is an incredible difference seeing the Dome of the Rock so close versus in a picture. It is massive. The dome is a bright gold and shines miles and miles away. The exterior contains lots of calligraphic Arabic--probably passages from the Koran. I would upload my pictures, but my internet is just too slow and it takes too long. I'll have to remember to bring my computer to the HUC where it's much faster.
After the Dome, we went to a delicious hummus place, Restaurant Lina, in the Old City. It was seriously the best hummus I've ever had in my life. Sooooo sweet. Usually, one does not use the word "sweet" with hummus, but that was the best description the bunch of us could come up with. We had a few types of salads and delicious, fresh pita bread to go with it. Wonderful lunch. If you come to visit me, I'll take you there. You'll never be able to eat hummus ever again because it will pale in comparison.
After the Dome, we decided to make it a full day in the city and go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is one of the holiest sites of Christianity, containing one of the supposed final resting places of Jesus as well as the last several stations of the Cross. First of all, the church, built in the 1st millenium, has the beauty of a modern city with the mosaics, the golden decorations, the various altars of the different Christian denominations, as well as the religious art from all over the world. One could feel the spirit of the pilgrims as they prostrated themselves on the stone where Jesus was washed.
To close our full afternoon, we went to the Kotel. Phew I was so tired and overheated. It was an amazing day.
As a quick shoutout, I want you all to take a look at the blog of my new friend, Kat. She is a photographer finishing studies in Istanbul who came to visit a classmate here in Jerusalem. She is a riot and calls things as it is. Also, her pictures are absolutely beautiful. Please support her and make some purchases.
Link:http://katrussellphotography.wordpress.com/
"Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" translates to "Jerusalem of Gold." This is one of the most beautiful songs in the world. Written by Naomi Shemer, the song commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 War.
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