Dead Sea Scrolls & Falafels

Monday, June 30, 2008

After class on Monday we had the whole day for free time. A group of us decided to take a sherut (taxi van) to the Israel Museum which is out in West Jerusalem (aka Jewish neighborhood, aka really nice area). This museum holds the Dead Sea Scrolls! They were discovered in 1947 in caves and vases. The scrolls contained every book of the Bible, except for Ruth, almost completely in tact.

The scrolls are kept in this crazy looking building with water shooting on the outside to help climate control.

Me, Danen, Allison

Can you guess which book/scroll was most complete and best preserved? The book of Isaiah. In fact, they found 20 copies of it! Isn’t that so interesting? It was on display in its complete form for the first time in 40 years. We are constantly reminded of the importance of reading and studying the book of Isaiah, even by the Savior himself. I think finding so many complete and well preserved copies of that particular book testify even more to the importance of such study. I promise I’ll get around to it.

Soon. Soon-ish...

The museum also had a modern art garden which was fun to explore.

Jubber sisters, Danen, Me & very hot hand chairs

Next we went over to the Bible Lands Museum which holds artifacts from every time period covered in the bible. I loved how they connected each artifact with a passage from the bible that mentioned it. For instance, we had just finished studying the story of Rebekah fetching water at the well in Genesis 22. (God tells Isaac’s servant that he’ll know which woman is to be Isaac’s wife because she’ll offer the servant and his camels water. Later in the story, when asked if Rebekah will go with the servant, leave her family forever and marry Isaac, she replies simply, “I will go.” A response which should in my opinion be as well known and regarded as Nephi’s “I will go” declaration.) Right there in the museum they have several of the water jugs dated back to the time and found in the area of Rebekah. Isn’t that awesome! It brings the story that much more to life.

After the museums we went to Ben Yehuda street which is an outdoor pedestrian-type shopping area. It’s a lot of fun and pretty safe so we can be there at night, etc. (Although I just looked it up and it does look like there were a few suicide bombers there in 2001. Weird…) I had my first falafel at Moriskos and it was awesome! The place is like falafel subway, you can pick all the hummus and vegetables and fries you want inside your pita and it costs 13 sheckles, or about $4. So fun! Ben Yehuda also has a gelato place which I’m sure will come in handy.

To-do: Eat a falafel - check!

To top it all off, we walked home through the Old City and back up to the center. It was one of my best days here, the people meshed well together, the sites, the food, it was all great.

Sheppelah field trip

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Today we went on the Shephelah fieldtrip. The purpose was to understand better the geography of the Old Testament. I’m really beginning to put it all together!

Israel is a very hilly area. Along the coast, you have the coastal plains which were inhabited by the Philistines. The land gradually slopes upwards through a series of valleys and highlands until you reach the Judean Hill Country, where Jerusalem and Bethlehem are located. The hills and valleys between the hill country and the coast stretch out like your fingers towards the Mediterranean Sea, five valleys. Both the Israelites and the Philistines wanted to control the valleys so they could control access into Jerusalem so they were constantly warring over these areas.

Our first stop was Beth Shemesh & the Sorek Valley. This area provided the setting for the story of Samson and Delilah as recorded in the book of Judges. I realized as I’ve been here that I haven’t done a serious study of the Old Testament since seminary my freshmen year of high school. That’s almost a full decade! And quite disappointing. It’s important for me to review these stories with the perspective of my new life position.

Overlooking Sorek Valley. You love the fanny right?

The archaeological dig going on at Beth Shemesh

We stopped at Maresha in Ben Guvrin valley to climb into some old cisterns used by people to store their water. They dug deep cisterns for collecting rain water and built their houses on top. They also used cave-like structures to raise pigeons and doves! It’s such a weird place, but because they’re below ground, they’re a nice and cool break from the blistering heat above ground.

Can you see all the holes the birds live in? And can you imagine how disgusting it would be down here with 2000 birds?

We crawled in a cave called Micah’s cave, in the town where the prophet Micah was from (I know, I didn't remember Micah either until we reviewed it). Actually I can’t really remember now where we were, which is really sad, but I know the main purpose was to vividly illustrate to us what absolute darkness feels like. We had to crawl on our hands and knees through this long, tight, twisty passageway to get there. I started a few times and had to pull out because I was so nervous and claustrophobic but eventually made it. I don’t see the appeal of spelunking whatsoever.

We also stopped in the Elah Valley. I found this to be another fascinating location. On one side of the valley, the Philistines were settled in Gath, which is where Goliath comes from. On the other side of the valley sat the Israelite city Azekah. The Elah valley winds from the Sea up into Bethlehem, which is where David grew up. The famous battle between David & Goliath took place in the valley between these two mountains.

This was another story that I hadn’t reviewed in a very long time. At this stop on our trip I was assigned to give a small summary and devotional which helped me really implant the details of the story in my mind. I guess I won't post my reflections on the Samson and David stories here, because that would probably make this really long and boring. But they are definitely stories worth reconsidering. And you should listen to Regina Spektor's song Samson.

P.S. I just noticed all the pictures I'm posting are solo shots. I promise I have friends! We just don't have lots of time on field trips for photo shoots.. I'll take more around the center.

P.P.S. By the end of the post are you as tired of my outfit as I am??

P.P.P.S. Whoever invented jeans had clearly never spent time in the dessert.

Shabbat Shalom! The Wailing Wall

Tonight our group went all together to the wailing wall to welcome in Shabbat. It's an interesting site that I had heard about, but didn't have any understanding. Once on Dr Laura she said to someone who was traveling to Jerusalem (the woman was concerned about leaving her 3 kids with her in-laws to travel to The Holy Land for 2 weeks. Dr L told her to go and have a great time with her husband) anyway Dr Laura said, "Be sure to kiss the wall for me." So I had an idea about the reverence Jews hold for the place, but I learned much more tonight.

Every Friday, Orthodox Jews welcome in the sabbath when the sun goes down with some sort of celebration. Those in the Jerusalem area often travel to the Wailing Wall. The original temple site from Jesus' day is currently owned and controlled by the Palestinian Muslims, Dome of the Rock. The Jews are not welcome there so they gather as close to they can to the sacred temple site and pray, touch the wall, worship. When you get there, you're supposed to move up to the wall, say a prayer, touch the wall and kiss your fingers. Often people have prayers written on small sheets of paper that they roll up and tuck in between the rocks as well.

Our teachers told us the site was going to be mostly Orthodox Jews so I expected a very quiet, devout, super modest group. Boy was I surprised! The courtyard was full of energy and life and excitment. People were joyously welcoming the sabbath, praying and having a good time together. I was surprised by the wonderful spirit that was there, I felt uplifted and genuinely happy. I was also surprised by how comfortable I felt there, and how almost familiar the people seemed. I don't know quite how to explain it, but they just seemed so normal compared to what we see day to day. The weather was cool and breezy, the sun was going down so the lighting was amazing.

They separate the women from the men on two different halves so I only got a good look at the women, but it was like a fashion show! The women were wearing adorable dresses with sleeves, ballet flats I wanted, cute jewelry, the whole bit.

Most of all, I was impressed by their devotion. It was motivating to see how much they care about their faith and what lengths they are willing to go to for worship. They have to go to great lengths and make sacrifices to be in such a tumultuous place and stay devout. I know we stand out a lot in our faith and there's much that we do to set ourselves apart from the world, but we can always do better.

Camera's aren't allowed on the site because that is considered working on the sabbath. (Pens and paper aren't allowed either, funny huh!) So I'll post some stock photos from the internet so you get an idea.

Me and David outside the Old City and Dome of the Rock while walking home

P.S. We aren't allowed to be in the Old City or East Jerusalem after dark, but the center is located in East Jerusalem-the Palestinian area. So as we were walking home as a group tonight we had a full set of security guard escorts. It's quite surreal!

Old City Rampart Walk

On Sunday after class (weird huh!) I left with a group of people to explore the Old City. The first item on the list was the ramparts walk. We climbed up at Jaffa gate and walked around on top of the walls until we got to Dome of the Rock. The area of the Western Wall looks like a military zone! It’s the closest the Jews can get to the temple which is controlled by the Muslims, so they consider it a very holy place and spend time there every Friday (Shabbat eve). They control access to the area and guard it heavily with military men and enormous shot guns.

After the ramparts walk we explored the Jewish quarter of the Old City which was very clean and organized compared to the Muslim & Armenian quarters. I don’t think I can properly describe the feeling and the chaos of the Old City. For now I’ll just post some pictures.

Me and Ashley beginning the walk

Michael, Me, Ashley, Ashley, Elizabeth, Jordan

Old City-ness. Check out those sweet Chacos on my feet...

Muslim cemetary/short cut home

Shabbat!

I wanted to write a bit about our first Shabbat here in the Holy Land. Church takes place on Saturday which helps the Center coordinate better with their employees and general customs of the area. It’s really hard to get used to though!

Church starts at 10am which means we get to sleep in! Our meeting is in the big auditorium room which has windows all behind the sacrament speaker overlooking Jerusalem. It’s quite a beautiful sight! The speaker has to be pretty good to hold your attention when competing with 2,000 years of ancient history. I was surprised by how amazing our meeting was; honestly it’s been way too long since I have been in a ward and a meeting where I felt that connected and uplifted.

After church, a group of us went over to the Garden Tomb. The site is owned by a group in England that runs it without connection to a specific denomination. They’re evangelical Christians and don’t feel too fondly for the Mormons. Apparently 10 years ago some crazy LDS guy went in there preaching crazy hell fire and damnation stuff with the Book of Mormon. The relationship has never been the same. They ask us to dress in casual clothes so we don’t stand out too much and we’re not allowed to read the Book of Mormon while on the grounds.

The Garden Tomb grounds are located behind a gate just outside of the Old City Wall. When you’re inside, you feel so separated from the craziness of the Old City. They explain the story and show you Golgotha, which is really hard to see but neat nonetheless. Then they show you the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. I was so surprised by how small the room is! There is barely room for 5 people inside. I always imagined the tomb as being so far removed from the city, and in Jesus’ time it may have been. But now, merchant streets completely surround the area. I guess that’s what happens when a city has been used continually for thousands of years.

After the Garden Tomb, our group walked over to Orson Hyde Park. This is a plot of land on the Mt. of Olives that is controlled by the church. It’s the place where Orson Hyde knelt and dedicated the land for the gathering of the Jews. The Israeli government approached the church a few years ago and offered the 5 acres to us to build a park (I don’t think they wanted to spend the money to do it themselves and knew we’d do a beautiful job). The church built the park and deeded the land back to the city with certain specific conditions. I think it’s crazy that the church owns land on the Mt. of Olives, the location where the Savior will return! Forget fighting over Solomon’s temple mount/Dome of the Rock!

View of the Old City from Orson Hyde Park

Jerusalem arrival

**So I'm in Jerusalem! I finally found a way to post an entry. I'll post the email I sent when I first got here until I can post the photos and journals I have prepared. Enjoy!**

Hey all-

Well, I made it! It's been quite a sleepy whirlwind. Most of our group made it without incident, but 20 of the students had flight troubles and arrived here at the center 24 hours after the rest of us arrived. It is crazy to think all that we have already done in just 24 hours!

Wednesday we arrived at the center and had several orientations, security briefings and tours of the center. Thursday morning we started with class early (um 7am class start time with breakfast before...) then broke out into the city for a 4.2 mile walking tour around the city. It was nice to get our bearings and there is certainly a lot to see! It's quite surreal to be here, I wish I could say it in a better way. So far to me it's most interesting to realize that most of the places talked about in Jesus' lifetime are actually much closer together than I expected. Joseph and Mary had to travel 75 miles to Bethlehem, I always thought it was much more than that. The Kidron Valley (which Jesus would walk across to get the Lazarus and Mary & Martha's house) is actually more like the Kidron Ditch or Sorta Lower Area.

We're taking Old Testament for the first 3 weeks. We also have a lecture class that will probably turn out to be my favorite class. The first half of the class is taught by a Israeli Jewish man who gives us insight into Judaism as well as their perspective of the conflict in the area. The second half will be taught by a Palestinian. Seeing all the Orthodox Jews around the city certainly makes me curious about their beliefs and where they came from.

They've blocked all sorts of things on the internet so for the time being I can't log into blogger. I think they will release that block though because they told us we can have blogs. (No facebook either, lame) So we'll see about that.

I have a cell phone that you can reach me on anytime. The number is 011 972 60 21 703 (I guess the beginning would be different for those not calling from the US, mom, dad, CZ, annee). I think i can get text messages too! I'll try it and find out.

Just to give you all the other contact info, the number for the center is 011 972 2 626 5666 and my room is #405.
The address for letters is:
Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies

Rachel Zackrison

PO Box 19604

Jerusalem, 91196 Israel

and for packages is:

Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies

Rachel ZackrisonLocated on Mt Scopus

Near Augusta Victoria Hospital

Jerusalem, 91196 Israel

(Not that I really expect to get any calls or letters, but just to make sure people know how to get ahold of me if needed.)

Apparently I've been made the head of the Birthday/Special Activity/Party Planning committee. (Will I ever escape this in my life??) Our first activity is tomorrow night, and the first bday to celebrate is Monday so wish me luck.

So anyway, that's a brief update! I'm sorry I haven't taken any pictures yet, so far it's been a little off limits in the city so tomorrow I'll get on it.

Love to you all!
Rachel Z.

What happened you ask?

Hey all. So, I was MIA for a few weeks... I didn't go private without inviting anyone, I was just frustrated with my blog and wanted to adjust it a bit so I can use it more openly.

And now I'm done! And I'm back.

In 72 hours I will board a plane to Jerusalem for the next 8 weeks. I have mixed feelings, super excited at times and super nervous at others. But I'll definitely keep this as current as I can while I'm over there.

Has anyone ever vacuum packed their clothes in their suitcase? How does it work? Which products work best? We can only bring 1 bag and I'm thinking I need to fit as much as possible to last the whole trip!

Honey Nut Chex?

I can't remember the last time I had them, but I have a serious craving for Honey Nut Chex! It's funny the things you start to miss while you're away.

Having such a good time! Pictures to follow..

San Sebastian

Monday, May 19 thru Wednesday, May 21

San Sebastian is a small town on the Northern Coast of Spain. It became a popular destination back in the 1400s when some queen discovered the city and made it her summer home. It’s small and oddly shaped (google it to see what I’m talking about). People in Utah always use the mountains as their directional cue (ie If there are mountains on your right, then you’re headed north). This is always confusing to me because at any point in Provo you have mountains on three sides. In California it makes much more sense to me, if the ocean is on your left, you can’t be going any direction but north. This is not so in San Sebastian, its odd shape had us mixed around with directions all week.

We took a train from Madrid early Monday morning, arriving on the coast in the early afternoon. Our first day was pretty cold and we soon realized our dream of a sunny beach retreat would not exactly become reality. Notice we’re wearing sweaters and scarves! Perhaps more distressing was the realization that the spa we had heard so much about, perched right on the beach full of all sorts of relaxation opportunities, had been destroyed by a bad winter of storms. Sad!

The city has 3 miles of boardwalk that wrap along the coastline. It was fun to have a chance to run along the beach again and feel connected to fellow runners doing the same. But I found it odd that most of the men running along were wearing capris! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that at home, rarely if at all. But here almost every single man running by was wearing a running outfit I wish I owned myself. I missed a photo of the perfect threesome of men all in cute little running capris but I caught some others.

Day two of our adventure began with an absolute downpour. Eventually it cleared up and we took a full tour of the town on the Tourist Txo-Txo (choo-choo) and enjoyed the warmth, sunshine, and people watching. There are tons of cool strollers here. This carriage one reminded me of a cabbage patch stroller Annee had back in the day. Most of the others look very space-agey and cool.

At 6pm, we waited outside the local McDonalds where we met up with Matt Harding and Mikel. (After figuring out where I was going, Sarah told me “Hey we have a good friend in San Sebastian.” Well of course you do! The Wileys are extraordinarily well connected.) Mikel grew up in the Basque region and Matt spends a few months a year here. Mikel brought his little daughter and they gave us a full tour of Old Town, full of recommendations for dinner. They pointed out about 10 different places, probably assuming we’d choose 2 or 3 for our night. We went to every single one.

Side note, apparently you are absolutely NOT allowed to take pictures of McDonalds. We took maybe 4 or 5 outside their window and got a serious scolding from the restaurant manager. Matt says people are always trying to blow the place up as a protest against all that is wrong with the corporate world. I guess management is just being cautious.




***Hmm experiencing serious technical difficulties so I'll have to finish this post tomorrow. Check back for an edit later. Ciao!

MADRID!

Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18

I’m here! Madrid has been a whirlwind so far. My flights were good, pretty comfortable and flying through New York is always my favorite since the trip gets cut most closely in half. Courtney and Kirstin were waiting for me at the airport when I arrived at 1030am on Saturday.

We dropped my bags off at the hotel and started touring around right away. I was so worried that I would be too tired and worthless on my first day (as has been the case on every single other trip to Europe) but through some miraculous blessings and answered prayers, I have hardly felt any jetlag so far.

Saturday we went first to the Palacio Real de Madrid, the third-greatest palace in Europe according to Rick Steves. We were delayed slightly by a sudden downpour of rain, perching under trees for cover with everyone else. The palace actually reminded me a lot of Versaille since the Spanish King who built it was actually French. Outside we saw some wild Peacocks in full bloom! I’ve seen many wild peacocks in La Canada but never with their feathers fully displayed!

Lunch was Paella in the Plaza Mayor. My first time trying it (except for on the plane over to Madrid but I don't think that counts..) We got some ice cream and posed in front of this statue which is actually the symbol of Madrid. It’s a bear eating from a strawberry tree. I’m not exactly sure what it means since 1-there aren’t any bears in the city and 2-strawberries don’t grow on trees but whatever!

Next we looked through the Reina Sofina museum which houses many of Picasso’s great works, those which aren’t in Paris or Barcelona. By this time I was getting pretty tired so after browsing through the Picasso wings I waited/napped? on a bench for Court and Kirst to finish.

On the way home we passed through the Atocha train station which was the sight of the terrorist attack in 2004. Now they’ve turned most of it into a greenhouse/memorial which is pretty neat.

On Sunday morning we headed to church in the Madrid 6^th ward, which meets at the temple. We had to run from the metro station to ditch a metro-creeper who had followed us through the stations since we got on the train – sick. The temple site is huge and beautiful and it’s always fun to see temples in distant lands. After church we walked around and found a café for lunch where I finally tried Tapas! It can basically be described as a potato quiche as was very tasty.

Next we walked to the Museo del Prado, describe by Rick Steve’s as Europe’s top collection of paintings (um Louvre?). They were having a big Goya exhibit, collecting his paintings from around the world for the most complete Goya exhibition ever. I convinced C&K that audio-guides are the best way to enjoy a museum so I got a thorough understanding of Fancisco de Goya’s life. His most famous works Second and Third of May 1808, were on display there again after a couple years of cleaning. I still remember Professor Gough’s lectures where he talked about all these paintings so it was very cool to see them in person.

The museum also houses Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas painting “considered by many to be the world’s finest painting, period.” And several Rubens (which can’t compete with the entire floor of Rubens in the Louvre…).

To wrap up the day we strolled through Retiro park and stopped for dessert at a patisserie near the metro. It was another full day but, miraculously, I didn’t hit the jet-lagged wall at 5pm like I normally do!! Can’t believe it.

Tomorrow we’re off by train to San Sebastian for some beach time. Hopefully it’ll warm up because it has been pretty overcast and dreary in Madrid.

Spain!

I've spent the last couple days in Provo, resting, recouping, and repacking. Tomorrow morning I am off on Summer 2008 Adventure #2 - Spain! I'll meet up with friends Courtney & Kirstin in Madrid, and we'll head on from there. So exciting! I'll keep you updated on our excursions.

Not much else to report... I've had a good time joining Sarah on some Yoga at It's Yoga at the Riverwoods. (Although it feels good, I can't say the 6am yoga class is a REALLY good time...) And after 5 years in Provo, I have finally hiked the Y! I didn't take any photos, but I hiked it first with Haley and have done it a couple times since. It's a fun challenge and a good workout. I look forward to more permanently incorporating that climb into my routine when I return to Provo.

Off I go!

MIA

Still posting for the Earnests...
So that I can remember, find me
here
here
here
and here.

Colorado!

See my review of the 1st day's events on Annee's Blog.

:-)

Packing

So I've been packing for the last week. I leave tomorrow for Adventure #1 of Summer 2008 and needed to have my stuff almost completely packed up so when I come home at the end of August I can move out of my apartment quickly.

It hasn't been too terrible... I bought the Premium Moving Supply Kit from Costco and several plastic boxes from Home Depot (**I was slightly stranded there last Saturday night...). With all the supplies I needed on hand it was a fun logistical puzzle to transfer all of my belongings into organized boxes. There was much labeling, listing, sorting, reorganizing, and planning.

The part I didn't love was washing and dry cleaning literally every item I own so I could pack them away in boxes or have them ready to pack away into suitcases. Nothing makes you want to burn all your clothes and move to a nudist colony more than doing 12 loads of laundry and 3 trips to the dry cleaner in 2 days. I'm serious.

I should've taken pictures of all the boxes before I drove them all over to storage and their various resting places... Instead, I'll show you a picture of my new swimming suit! I just packed it away into Suitcase #1: Destination-Colorado Springs where I'll babysit Annee's 4 kids for 4 days.

Kinda cute right? I'm so excited!! Beach week can not come soon enough.

Speaking of Beach Week 2008, I would like to again revisit the concept of the Base Tan (where did this obsession with Proper Nouns come from??). This is something everyone should seriously consider adding to their preparation. It will greatly improve your vacation. Testimonials to follow.

It's all in the name

1. My rock star name (first pet and current car):

Lucy Infiniti

2. My gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor and favorite cookie):

La Vell's Vanilla Mint Surprise

3. My "fly girl" name (first initial of first name and first 3 letters of last name):

R Zac

4. My detective name (favorite color and favorite animal):

Green Elephant

5. My soap opera name (middle name and city where you were born):

Lenore Silver Springs

6. My Star Wars name (first 3 letters of your last name and first 2 letters of your first name):

ZacRa

7. My superhero name (2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "the" in between):

Yellow the Arrowhead

8. My Nascar name (first names of your grandfathers):

John Jack

9. My lounge singer name (name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy):

Vera Wang Take Five

10. My witness-protection name (mother's and father's middle names):

Lenore Alma

Six will do...

Just as a follow up, and because I know you are all worried about me getting my oatmeal fix, last week I went to target and bought 6 boxes of Cinnamon Oatmeal. I will pack it with me on all my travels this summer.

Last Friday, Ken and I went to The Tree Room up at Sundance to finally celebrate and close out his college graduation. The last few times we've gone, we have indulged in ordering appetizers even though we usually skip this step at other restaurants. Each time it's been rather disappointing as they bring out some tiny morsel on some tiny plate which costs about $15, more than dinner for two at El Azteca. We usually plan to split the dish but how do you split a cracker, ya know?

Despite knowing I would probably be disappointed, I couldn't resist ordering the Ricotta Tortellini appetizer. It came, and just as I had suspected, there was one tortellini in a bowl of broth. One. So weird! After informing Ken that there would be no sharing, I ate the delicious morsel and he asked,

"So was that really worth 44 packets of oatmeal?"

You know you've reached a sad level of devotion when you measure other meals' worthiness in packets of oatmeal...

Sorry about the weird coloring, I don't know why it's doing that...