More photos from the Holy Land…
Detail from the Dome of the Rock. The tile is extraordinary. When I was here ten years ago it was still possible to visit inside the mosque where the exquisite collection of beautiful calligraphy containing the anti-Christian passages of the Koran makes a major political and theological statement.
The Western Wall from the passageway to the Noble Sanctuary, also known as Temple Mount.
The al-Aqsa Mosque, with an employee of the waqf ensuring that non-believers do not enter.
From Herod’s hanging palace at Masada to the Dead Sea.
One of the Roman camps at Masada. For Nick, reading Latin in school, it was proof that Caesar knew what he was talking about; the camps around Masada tally closely with classical descriptions.
Pilgrims from India, some apparently Christian and others not, washing themselves in the stream running from the spring of Elijah in Jericho.
Some of the new Palestinian security forces protected us on our visit to the offices of the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
One clarification – the Roman camps around Masada aren’t, to my knowledge, the original ones – they are recreated to resemble the classical descriptions. Not that there aren’t authentic remnants of the Romans… you can’t spit without hitting someone’s mailbox mounted on an old Roman mile marker (by some standards, they are technically ‘new’)
Looks like you are hitting all of the sights… did you climb Masada on foot? It’s a nice hike.
~A Big Fan
“…exquisite collection of beautiful calligraphy containing the anti-Christian passages of the Koran makes a major political and theological statement.”
What exatly do they say? Every Muslim I’ve known has always told me that Muhammad preached that Christians and Jews are brothers of the faith/book so I’m really curious what the precise translations are.
Thanks to anyone that can provide and answer.
The opening perpendicular to the Western Wall is probably an extension of what is named Herodian Street, and does not give access to the Temple Mount.