Jerusalem

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The Middle Eastern Airlines flight from Beirut landed at Jerusalem's Atarot Airport at 8:30 a.m. This allowed for a full day of sightseeing before pushing on to Cairo. Jerusalem was the ninth stop on the Around the World trip. In 1963 East Jerusalem and the West Bank were governed by Jordan. (It was before the six Day War in 1967.) A series of private cars, mostly American models, transported the group. The first stop was Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity. The church was built about 326-339 over the traditional site of Jesus' birthplace, the Nativity Grotto. It was rebuilt in the 6th century under Justinian. Next on the drive through the Judean Desert was a stop at the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1946. Returning to East Jerusalem, the old city (also under Jordanian administration), we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is said to be built on the site of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified. One was invited to put one's hand down through a hole to touch the spot Jesus' foot had touched. This I did. It was a rocky point, smoothed by hundreds of thousands of touches. I leaned that Golgotha was not a hill, but more of a mound, 20 feet high I believe the guide said. After the formal tour, my mother and i walked through the Garden of Gethsemane and to the Dome of the Rock, significant to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The mosque was built on the Temple Mount in 691-692. The Temple Mount is the site of the Second Temple of Judaism, built ca. 516 BCE and destroyed in 70.

The Atarot Airport was them active for air travel to Jerusalem, but was closed in 2000. We flew on to Cairo from here.

The "Old City of Jerusalem and is Walls" was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981. The Church of the Nativity was named to the World Heritage list in 2012 and Battir in 2014.

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Photos

Garden of Gethsemane
Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
"...the Garden of Gethsemane, a word signifying 'oil-press'. The garden, still a quiet and secluded spot, is surrounded by a wall and forms an irregular square, with a diameter of 70 paces. It belongs to the Franciscans. The earliest account of the place dates from the 4th cent.; and in this case tradition tallies with the Bible narrative. ... The garden contains eight venerable olive-trees, which are said to date from the time of Christ; their trunks have split with age and are shored up with stones".--Baedeker (1912)
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Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Note the Bethlehem Cross at upper right.
"The large Church of the Nativity, erected over the traditional birthplace of Christ, lies in the E. part of the town ... The assertion that the present church is the original structure is based on the simplicity of its style and the absence of characteristics of the buildings of the subsequent era of Justinian. Other authorities consider it beyond question that the building underwent considerable restoration in the days of Justinian (527-565). In any case, it is not only extremely old, but specially interesting as an example of the earliest Christian style of architecture. ... In front of the principal entrance on the W. side lies a large paved space, in which traces of the former atrium of Constantine‘s basilica have been discovered".--Baedeker (1912)
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Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Note the Bethlehem Cross at upper right.
"The large Church of the Nativity, erected over the traditional birthplace of Christ, lies in the E. part of the town ... The assertion that the present church is the original structure is based on the simplicity of its style and the absence of characteristics of the buildings of the subsequent era of Justinian. Other authorities consider it beyond question that the building underwent considerable restoration in the days of Justinian (527-565). In any case, it is not only extremely old, but specially interesting as an example of the earliest Christian style of architecture. ... In front of the principal entrance on the W. side lies a large paved space, in which traces of the former atrium of Constantine‘s basilica have been discovered".--Baedeker (1912)
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East Jerusalem, the Old City
The Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, 1963. In the center is the Dome of the Rock. At the time of the photo, East Jerusalem was administered by Jordan.
"The slopes are cultivated, but the vegetation is not luxuriant. The principal trees are the fig and carob, and here and there are a few apricot, terebinth, and hawthorn trees. The paths are stony, and the afternoon sun very hot. ... a magnificent Panorama. Beyond the Kidron valley extends the Haram esh-Sherif, where the Dome of the Rock and the Aksa Mosque are especially imposing. The hollow of the Tyropeon is distinguishable between the Temple hill and the upper part of the town".--Baedeker (1912)
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Jerusalem Street
Street scene in East Jerusalem, the Old City,1963. East Jerusalem was administered by Jordan at that time.
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Qumran Caves
Qumran Caves, site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered here in 1946.
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Battir Terraces
The terraces of Battir (Bittir).
"Dry-stone terrace walls in Battir are the predominant characteristic of the whole landscape, and extend to about 554,000 metres. All are constructed of dry stone. Some are relic terraces where lack of maintenance has led to their collapse and subsequent abandonment. In terms of use, there are two types of terraces: those that are irrigated, and these are mainly around the village, and those that are dry and these are further away from the village". UNESCO nomination.
"Bittir. - The Baither of Joshua xv. 59 in the Septuagint (Beth-arabah of Josh. xv. 61 in the A.V.), or Bethar, played an important part in the insurrection of Bar Cochba against the Romans. The latter succeeded in capturing it only after a siege of 3 1/2; years (A. D.135)..."--Baedeker (1912)
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Judaean Desert
Cliffside in the Judaean Desert, West Bank.
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IAI DC-6
International Airlines DC-6 HP-361 at Atarot Airport, Jerusalem - JRS. Flight JN 501 to Cairo. Operated by Jordan Airlines in Amman-Jerusalem-Cairo service in 1963.
Built in 1946 for American Airlines as Flagship California, N90702. To Air Jordan in 1960 as JY-ACE. To IAI in 1962 as HP-361. The aircraft is currently used as a cafe in Germany.
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