Jerusalem Sunrise; Earthquakes; and SPNI

Wednesday night, November 21st, we had thunderstorms in Jerusalem. I even saw lightening go from the "east to the west". For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:27. The next morning I was up very early and saw the storm clouds moving on to the east. I thought when the sun comes up that could make a good photo. Above and below are the two pictures I took. The scripture that immediately came to mind was "the Bright and Morning Star". “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16. I was grateful to be up early and see the vastness and greatness of His creation

Earlier in the week on Tuesday morning, I was nursing a "cold" and has stayed home in order not to spread it around CFI. While sitting at the computer and typing an email to my daughter, Elizabeth, suddenly the apartment building began shaking. I thought, "get out of town, it's an earthquake". I finished my email then thought I would check the Israeli press later. This is what the Jerusalem Post printed: A minor earthquake was felt throughout Israel at approximately 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. The quake, which lasted only a few seconds, was measured at 4.2 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was in the Dead Sea, Israel Radio reported. There were no reports of injured or damage. The Dead Sea would be directly east of my apartment about 10 miles. Below is a photo of The Dead Sea that JPost ran with their article. However, in a subsequent email to Elizabeth I noted other Biblical "quakes" that will occur in the near future: For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. Ezekiel 38:19 Hopefully we will not be around for that one. The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel. Joel 3:16. There are many scriptures about the wrath of God to come in the future. Here's one more: For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. Haggai 2:6-7. This morning at congregation I found out there was a second quake centered at the Dead Sea around 4:00am this morning. I slept through that one.

During the upcoming Christmas holidays, I have made some reservations to go up to northern Israel for a few days. I'm going to stay at a guest farm where I took Kay horseback riding by the Sea of Galilee in 1998. My plans are to take some photos for CFI's Wall of Prayer of various towns, villages, kibbutzim, and moshavim. I wanted to get a current map of Israel for the trip. Last Sunday, I went to the Society for Preservation of Nature in Israel (SPNI) to get a map. They have a lot of different maps for hiking trails, camping out, nature parks, etc. They also have a very secluded little garden area that is really pretty. Here are some photos from SPNI:

Above and below just ancient hand-made wooden devices of some sort.

Below is an Olive Oil Press. I knew this one. Up by the Sea of Galilee, you see a few of these at Kfar Nahum (Capernaum) where the Lord Jesus spent so much of His time during His ministry. The word Gethsemane means "oil press". The night of His betrayal, the Lord Jesus was praying in the "Garden of Oil Presses". You don't see them in Jerusalem unless you know where to look.

Below bougenvillea with a castle like building in the background.

Blooming flowers in November.

Below bougenvillea growing up the side of another castle-like structure.

Below are some flowers at the entrance to the courtyard.

The "New" Apartment in East Talpiot

If you zoom in below you will see a common bird in Israel that must be from the raven and crow family. It's a pretty bird with a grey body, black head and black wings. This little guy posed for me when I spoke to him.

Below is my apartment building in the Jerusalem neighborhood called East Talpiot. The apt building is built on the side of a hill with a beautiful view of the valley. Instead of walking in on the first floor, the entrance way is in the middle of the building. My apt is just six steps down from the entrance. There are a few floors above and below me.

Below is a similar photo with my apt in the foreground. Notice how my apt is already in the shade and the apartments across the valley are being hit by the sunset. All buildings in Jerusalem are built of white stone. Sometimes when the sun sets it causes a glow to the white stone. Sort of a golden glow. Hence the nickname "Jerusalem of Gold".

Below is a closer picture of the entrance.

Sidewalks and benches just outside my apt. I like these. You can come outside to read a little or just enjoy the outdoors. Neighbors walking by, sitting on benches and children playing in Jerusalem. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’ Zechariah 8:4-5.

Sidewalk going the other way. In the springtime, many of these bushes will bloom.

Below is looking down the stairwell just before the door of my apt.

Below is a photo looking up from my apt.

Below is the kitchen. Nice big refrigerator. Little stove that I don't use. White cabinets match the white walls. I keep the food on the counter top so I can see if I need to buy anything. The light fixture is just sort of a paper mache type thing. The other apartment on Derekh Hebron had light brown fixtures that looked very similar to paper sacks. Tile floor all through out the apt. I knew to bring my "house shoes" for the winter time.

Below is my little laundry room just off the kitchen. Washing machine very similar to the other. However, I did lose my dryer. So the clothes just air dry now.

Below is looking out my laundry room window. If you look real close you can see wires for a clothes line. My neighbors across the way have their laundry "hanging out". I figure that I would be "all thumbs" if I tried to hang my clothes on the line. I could just see my clothes falling 3-4 stories to the ground. Sort of defeats the purpose of trying to get them clean in the first place.

Below is the living room as seen from the kitchen. These white walls are decorated with a few nails in them. However the corner windows do provide a beautiful view of the valley.

Below is the view from the living room window.

Below are the living room windows.

Sometimes being a volunteer you do not get to pick your own decorations. The bathroom in my apartment is an example. Below is my bathroom that has a see-thru shower curtain with flying ducks on it. Now, once again, my granddaughter Abbie might think this is a cute shower curtain. However, for grandpa Cary, it takes a little getting used to. Perhaps for Christmas, I will shop for a GI Joe shower curtain. Or even a "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" shower curtain if they make such an item. Plenty of hot water when you remember to push the little red button.

Many bathrooms in Israel have the commode separate from the tub/shower. Below is a photo of my little room. If it looks "pink" to you that's because it is. The light bulb is pink. When I first turned it on, I felt like I should be developing photos in a dark room. Besides the floor being tile, the walls in the throne room are also tile. There is no heater. There is not even an electrical outlet in case you wanted to put a small space heater in there. If you zoom in on the top of the commode, you will see two grey buttons. For water conservation in Israel, most commodes have two buttons or handles on them. One is for less water, the other is for more water. You decide which to use. I thought about leaving the pink light on all day so it would burn out quicker. However, that defeats the purpose of water tanks on the roof.

Below are the two bedrooms doors. I sleep in the one on the left. The one on the right I have converted to my "drying room" for my laundry.

Below is the view from my bedroom window.

Ditto below except looking a little bit north.

Below is my little bedroom. No need to make the bed since I will be sleeping there again tonight. No walk-in closets or ceiling fans here. The apartment does not have any air conditioning. In the summer, I will just open the windows to get a breeze and have some oscillating fans. Normally there would be a little heat in the wintertime but this week the lady in charge of maintenance for the building informed there would not be any heat this winter. So I picked up a second space heater for the living room. There was a small one already here for my bedroom. Before winter is over, there may one or two more.

Below my groceries still look about the same as my first day. However, this selection does include some Morrocan Sardines with Hot Pepper and Kinneret Sardines in Soya Oil. Kinneret is the Hebrew name for the Sea of Galilee. Also, I did find a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce which goes good on anything that tastes funny.

Overall, my little apartment is bseder (ok). Despite the shower curtain and pink light bulb, the apartment is still located in Jerusalem. The only place where God Almighty chose for His Holy Name to dwell. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.......For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. II Chronicles Chapter 7 Verse 12 and Verse 16.
And the Lord Jesus is returning soon to reign from Jerusalem. ‘Therefore thus says the LORD: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”’ Zechariah 1:16-17.
Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3

King George;Ramat Rachel;Roundabout;Cats

After moving to my new apartment, it took almost two weeks to get back on the internet. This caused the delay in posting new photos. Above is a clock on King George Street in Jerusalem at a very busy location and bus stop. Normally you just think it is pretty architecture. However, when you look at Mark 5:41-42 closely notice what the Lord Jesus says in Aramaic "Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement." For the thousands of people that pass by this clock daily, it's as if the Lord Jesus is saying to Jerusalem and Israel, "Arise, little girl".
Below is a very unique intersection in Jerusalem at King George Street and Jaffa Road. This photo was taken before 8:00am one Friday morning on the way to work. Notice all the white lines in the street signifying a crosswalk. At this intersection when it is the pedestrians turn to walk all traffic actually stops. Then the pedestrians can walk in 12 different directions including NE-to-SW, SE-to-NW, etc. It's quite something to see. My new bus stop is 3-4 blocks uphill from this intersection so I go through it everyday.

Below is an example of everyone crossing at a busier time around 11:00am Sunday. Between 6:00pm and 7:00pm when you are going to the buses, everyone meets in the middle.

Below is the roundabout (traffic circle) where I get off the bus in the neighborhood called East Talpiot. It's decorated very nicely with some fresh flowers and young olive trees.

Below looking the other direction through the roundabout is the schwarma and falafel cafe that I visit about once a week. Three young men run it and have fun trying to speak to me in English.

Below is the little grocery store where I shop. Since it's Saturday (Shabbat) when I'm taking the picture, it is closed. Not as big a selection as the other store on Bet Lehem Road, but it's bseder (ok). Looks like it might have been a gas station many years ago.

Below if you zoom in the middle you will see a white building which is Ramat Rachel where I go to congregation on Saturday mornings. The congregation does not have it's own building but rents from Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. We actually meet in the cafeteria. This morning I took a taxi to kehilah (congregation) but I walked back. It took about 40 minutes. I followed the streets not cutting across the hills as shown in the photo.

Below is the Ramat Rachel Hotel which the Kibbutz runs. Ramat Rachel is named for the wife that Jacob loved who died near here giving birth to Benjamin, the last of the 12 sons. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Genesis 35:19-20. And Jacob adds to the story when he is getting ready to bless Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manassah: But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).” Genesis 48:7. Rachel, the one Jacob loved, only had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. You can see Jacob's affection for the two of them in Genesis. When Joseph had risen to power in Eqypt a lot of his concern for Benjamin's safety would be because he was his little brother. Joseph had to be young when his mother, Rachel, died giving birth. Rachel's Tomb is still there today close to the border crossing from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Below is Bet Lehem (Bethlehem) as seen from Ramat Rachel. The birthplace of the Lord Jesus. This was the prophecy from Micah. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Micah 5:2. This is the fulfillment of that prophecy. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. Matthew 2:1-2. The barren hills around Bethlehem are known as Shepherd's Fields. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:9. Ruth would have been "gleaning" in the same fields when she met Boaz. And Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David. Book of Ruth.

Below is a "hoopah" (chupah) or wedding canopy overlooking Bet Lehem in the background. Ramat Rachel must rent out wedding parties. It would be a pretty location.

Below are some flowers around Ramat Rachel. I believe Kay used to call these "baby's breath"?

Below is just a sign welcoming a tour group from Sar-El Tours. If you zoom in, at the top it says "Serving the Traditional and Evangelical Christian World." I was impressed.

Below is a cat wandering around the flower garden at Ramat Rachel. Cats run wild in Israel.

Below many times you see cats around the dumpsters scrounging for food. Sometimes when you toss in a plastic sack of trash you hear a rustling sound like someone is going to throw the trash back at you. But then a cat comes scrambling out.

Below just sitting on a park bench on Saturday afternoon, 3 or 4 cats passed by so I finally took a picture of one. Cat lovers would have a field day taking pictures. Many are very beautiful but wild. If you tried to pet one you would probably find out why they are kin to lions and tigers.

Sunday, November 4th

These first 3 pictures actually belong after the windmill picutre below but I missed uploading them. Above is the southern portion of the Old City where I plan on walking to. The grey roof in the middle is the Dormition Abbey. In case anything happens, the Christian cemetery is near there. They moved Oscar Schindler's remains there.
Below is the southwest corner of the Old City.

Below just south of the Old City is the Valley of Gehenna.

Below is the American Consulate.

Sometimes updating the blog gives me problems. The above photo should be down about 3 pictures. This is the Amercian Consulate in Jerusalem. You can see Old Glory to the left on the flag pole. There was absolutely no wind today.

These pictures were taken early Friday morning, November 2nd, on the way to work. Above is a sign at a bus stop which shows you which buses stop there. The trick is to know where they are going. Below is Jaffa Street early in the morning before rush hour. Usually the sidewalks are so crowded that in order to walk faster you bounce out into the street for awhile then come back to the sidewalk. For the 40th celebration of the liberation of Jerusalem, they hung $2.99 Christmas icicle lights like we hang on the houses in the US.

Now below begins Sunday, November 4th, again. It's been seven months to the day that Kay went home to be with the Lord. After dropping by the bank and Christian Friends of Israel briefly, I headed to the Old City cutting through Independence Park. It's a beautiful day for photographs before the rainy season starts soon.

The American Consulate photo should have been here. There's a real good shortcut right past the Consulate which dumps you at the YMCA and King David Hotel area. I nodded at one of the guards and said "how are you doing today?" He answered "Praise God, I'm good!" So I stopped and we had a good conversation. I told him about CFI and being a volunteer for a couple of years. He and his family actually have lived in Israel for 15 years. Get out of town.

The American Embassy is in Tel Aviv. Israel is the only nation in the world where other countries do not have their Embassy in the nation's capital. In the US, Congress actually passed a bill for the US to move the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 1996. However, they gave the Executive Branch a "6-month clause" that says the move can be delayed or something like that. So for 11 plus years, both Presidents Clinton and Bush have exercised the option to "not" move the Embassy every 6 months. We are too afraid of the Arab reaction (oil).

Below are some flowers still in bloom in November.

Below is the entrance to the King David Hotel with the Stars and Stripes standing proud. Secretary of State Rice arrived (again) last night. She must be staying at the King David this trip.The little blue barriers on the left can be thrown together real quick to limit access.

Below is an olive tree just south of the King David. Olive trees don't grow tall but the trunks are always twisted and unique.

Below are some flowers on King David Street.

Below is some of the history of the King David Hotel. Before Israel became a nation in 1948, the Jews were known as "Palestinians". The Arabs were known as "Arabs" or even "Mohammadians". Then after 1948, the "Palestinians" in Israel became the "Jews" and the "Arabs" became the "Palestinians". The Palestine Post newspaper became The Jerusalem Post. Just a little confusing. The main thing to remember is that the Arabs turned down their own state in 1948 and chose war instead. Now 60 years later they still want the state they turned down back then. But that never comes up in the peace talks.

Below is a "double bus" in front of the King Solomon Hotel. When riding a "double bus" I usually end up standing in the middle where they are joined together. When those 90 degree turns occur, hang on, because the bus sort of "whips" like a snake. The King Solomon Hotel is just down the street from the King David. You would think the next hotel after that would be the King Rehoboam (Solomon's son) but it's not.

Below I noticed that they were starting to stop traffic at King David Street and Keren Heyesod the next intersection. I figured Secretary Rice and her entourage were getting to ready to go somewhere. This motorcycle cop was first and stopped that car from turning left.

Below is a limo that Secretary Rice could very well be in. It was following a couple of motorcycles with guys dressed in black and very big guns going very fast. Too fast for my camera to react.

Or she could be in this SUV.

Or this one.

She could have been in 2 or 3 others that also went by. My camera could not take pictures fast enough to get them all. If I want to join the paprazzi, I'll need a better camera with a faster lens. I wish I had a poster that said "God gave His Land to the Jews". However, they went by so fast nobody could have read it. I wonder why they never stay in Ramallah?

After my fling at paprazzi, I continued my walk and went to Montifiore's Windmill (above) in the neighborhood of Yemin Moshe. Sir Moses Montifiore was a proponent of the Jews living in the land in the 19th Century. Yemin Moshe was the first neighborhood outside the Old City Walls and this windmill was built during that time.

Above and below are some photos of the Yemin Moshe neighborhood as I walk towards the Old City.

Below is a simple street sign in 3 languages.

The sign below is for those driving to the Western Wall. I'm walking straight uphill.

Below is a street sign showing you the direction to the City of David or Mount Zion depending which way you want to go.

Below is Yemin Moshe neighborhood after I climbed Mount Zion. The big square building in the middle is the back of the King David Hotel. The tower just to the left of it is the YMCA. The taller structure to the left is the King Solomon where I was sitting when all the politicians went by.

Below I am at the very southwest corner of the Old City. Here are the walls starting to run north.

After my heart starts beating so fast from climbing Mt. Zion, I'm going to walk up those stairs and down about 100 yards to Zion's Gate.

Below is Zion's Gate just ahead.

Below Zion's Gate saw a lot of fighting during the War of Independence in 1948. You can see the shell bombardments and bullet holes in the wall. One night the Jordanian Army would control the gate, the next night the Jews would. But eventually the Jewish Army could not hold the Old City in 1948. In fact, the civlian Jews in the Old City got totally cut off and were being deprived of food and water from the Jordanians. As part of the peace agreement, the Jews were allowed to leave. Once they did, all the synagogues and Torah Scrolls were destroyed. And now the Old City is again a major part of the "peace" discussions.

Below is a bougenvillea tree in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The cars actually belong to those who live and work in the Old City. If you go very slow, you can go through Zion's Gate in a car. However, it is probably easier to enter through the Jaffa Gate and drive around.

Below in the distance is the southern slope of the Mount of Olives. The white stones are actually Jewish graves. From the Tanach, the Jews see the Messiah coming in Zechariah 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

So the Jews know they want to be first to see the Messiah. It is interesting that they know Zecariah 14:4 but not 13:6. And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

Below is the Dome of the Rock in the middle. The Western Wall is just below it. The gray dome on the right is the Al Aqsa Mosque. One of the many radical Islamic groups is the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade which is part of Fatah which is under the control of the current Palestinian Prime Minister. This is the mosque they chose to be their namesake. In the middle is construction leading to a door on the Temple Mount. Ariel Sharon went through that door in 2000 and the the Arabs used it as an opportunity to start an intifada. I went up there in 1997. The Temple Mount is 34 acres in size. I would imagine construction is slow just to prevent other provacations for intifadas.

Below is a sign describing the Western Wall Plaza. The "wall" is actually an outer portion of the 2nd Temple that Ezra & Nehemiah originally rebuilt. Then King Herod restored a lot of it during his reign but in 70AD the 2nd Temple was destroyed and the Romans left this portion of the wall for the Jews to "wail over". In 1967, when the IDF broke thru the Old City it was the Temple Mount and the Western Wall where they were headed. That's where all the famous photos took place. The Jews had finally re-captured the Western Wall for the first time since 70AD.

Below the Western (Wailing) Wall. Men to the left, women to the right.

Below on the left of the men's side, there is a synagogue through the entrance area. There were a an "ark" there with a Torah Scroll and a lot of Orthodox praying. I did not take a photo there.

Below I wanted to go to the southern steps of the Temple Mount but it was closed. This photo of the Mount of Olives probably looks a lot like one a few pictures ago. Only this time I am lower and on my way home.

Below is the Dung Gate that leads to the Valley of Gehenna. Enough said.