Blogs from Jerusalem District, Israel, Middle East - page 2

The best part of my job while working on a cruise ship is, that once in a while I get to escort guest tours. Since I started cruising again last December I have been able to add a few new countries to my travel list. Yesterday I had the chance to visit the city of Jerusalem, a place that was not really on my list, but I was really excited to see the city. From Ashdod were our ship docked it was a 2 hour drive to the city of Jerusalem. The tour itself would take about 10 hours. We covered so much much during this day and a lot of walking was involved. We had 33 guest on board of the bus and while our tour guide was leading the tour I was staying in ... read more

There are many cities in the world, big and small, noisy and quiet, for business and leisure, but there is not a single city in the world that looks like Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the cradle of three religions – Jewish, Christian and Muslim. Its atmosphere is saturated with the rich and ancient history of the universe and the birth of humanity. Only in Jerusalem can you feel the power of history and the vulnerability of man to time. In this city, you can see how the ancient past and the turbulent present touch. "Jerusalem, you are a city built to unite all» This is what king David called the capital of the Jewish people and their state in Psalm 122. What makes Jerusalem so special in our eyes?Bible researchers have counted 70 names of Jerusalem: The ... read more

Sain nukuttua hyvin: klo 21 - 6. Hain kaupasta leivän ja kosher-kahvilasta kahvin. Ostin netistä huomiselle päiväretken Kuolleellemerelle. Lähdin asunnolta klo 8.40. Juna lähti lentokentälle klo 9.09 ja sieltä oli vaihtoyhteys Jerusalemiin klo 9.31. Juna ajoi pysähtymättä suoraan Jerusalemin uudelle asemalle, joka oli syvällä maan sisässä. Olin etukäteen miettinyt erityisen paljon liikkumista Jerusalemissa. Ulkoministeriön matkustustiedote kirjoitti (https://um.fi/matkustustiedote/-/c/IL) "Vältä julkisen liikenteen ja Länsi- ja Itä-Jerusalemin läpi kulkevan Light Rail –raitiovaunun käyttöä mahdollisuuksien mukaan." Aloin sitten etsiä netistä tietoa siitä, mihin tuo perustui ja ilmeni että vuonna 2016 oli tapahtunut jotain ratikkalinjan pohjoisella pääteosuudella, joka on Itä-Jerusalemin puolella. USA puolestaa kieltää käyttämästä busseja, mutta ei ratikkaa (https://www.osac.gov/Cou... read more

We walked the ancient and original Way of the Cross with prayers and Scripture readings at each of 14 stations today through the streets of Jerusalem, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre situated on the stone of Golgotha where the 3 crosses are believed to have been and next and including the tomb where we think Jesus was laid. Whoa!!!! Pilgrims have been coming to this site since the 4th century and still today - we had to wait in line with hundreds of other pilgrims over an hour to see the tomb in which Jesus body was laid... An Orthodox Church from America sang chants while they were in line. We read the Passion reading on the rock of the crosses. And then the Holy Saturday reading for the Easter Vigil outside the ... read more

"Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" - words i would encourage us all to pray regularly. Jerusalem is an amazingly holy city. Muslims, Jews, and Christians inhabit this place side by side. You hear the Muslim call to prayer on loudspeakers sometimes 5 times a day. You hear the Jewish call for sabbath to begin on Friday evening, You hear church church bells announcing Mass several times throughout the day. No competition - simply witness. And I must say devout Jews and devout Muslims humble me and my faith. They both wear their faith way more visibly than I do. This picture of Jewish men at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount saying prayers is a great example. The women were in the same place on the other side of a simple fence. On the ... read more