Travel back in time to Israel

Israel: a small country fused together with ancient culture and divergent contrasts is 248 miles long, and 8 to 68 miles wide, yet its historical depth is 5,000 years old. Although it has seen much conflict, turmoil, and division, it possesses a raw and exquisite beauty that cannot be denied. Jerusalem is home to three world monolithic religions, namely, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, which all share rich history and holy sites.

(Eileen Giltner/ Photo Provided)

I had the pleasure of discovering these varied aspects on my recent trip with a team of Christian women to this exceptional land. The first thing I noticed, heading South East from Tele Aviv to Jerusalem, was the topography of the verdant, emerald rolling hills. This well-maintained road to the old city was a stark contrast to the narrow, crowded streets and sidewalks of Jerusalem, and you had a sense of leaving the modern and entering into the ancient paths.

My first week was spent in the avant-garde, “happening” place on Ben Yehuda St., where the beat never stops with colorful vendors, shops, alfresco restaurants and outdoor plaza – except on Shabbat. That’s when you realize just where you truly are as everything shuts down from Friday at 6 p.m. until Saturday at 6 p.m. But one week later, I experienced the exact opposite in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood of solitude and quiet. It presented a beautiful picture of the contemporary co-existing with the Biblical past in respect and harmony.

There were many religious and historic sites to visit in and around Jerusalem. I needed more time but did visit these: The Western or Wailing Wall, Ezekiel’s tunnels, The Garden Tomb, The Western Wall Tunnels, Garden of Gethsemane, Dome of the Rock, Mount of Olives, Golgotha, Via Dolorosa, Mount of the Beatitudes, Church of Dominus Flevit (or Church of the Tear), Cenacle (Room of the Last Supper), Church of All Nations, Dormition Abbey, Cardo, City of David, Temple Institute, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, and the Old City.

As well as holy sites, I had a kibbutz experience near the Lebanon border at Metulla, Israel. We stayed in a hotel tucked away with mountains surrounding us. You would never find it if you didn’t know it was there. The scenery was breathtaking and the food fresh and delicious. We drove the next morning to a high point, Mt. Bental, to view the bordering countries of Lebanon, Israel, and Syria. One of the highlights once there was speaking with UN personnel as well as Pastor John Hagee who was filming a TV show. Right before we left the area, we saw in Syria tanks firing shells and plumes of smoke rise high in the sky. It was pretty amazing. On the way back to Jerusalem, we were delighted to see row upon row of groves of luscious date and palm trees with the added bonus of seeing the towering Golan Heights and Jordan and no bombs!

Although I so enjoyed seeing and visiting the varied landscape of Israel, the lasting memory of going to the century-old Mahane Yehuda Market, with its alluring blend of colors, scents, and sounds and becoming part of the convergence of people of all different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, buying and bartering for goods and services, was an experience I won’t soon forget. Even though I did not speak the “language,” I had no problem understanding it!

This was my second trip to Israel, and I am still enamored with its ancestral history and unusual and unexpected natural beauty. But it is without a doubt the microcosm of ethnic groups that best illustrates this young nation’s role as such a vital presence in the world today.

— Eileen Giltner

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