Read: Genesis 37 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/genesis/37.html)
Sing: Wash, O God, Our Sons & Daughters, UMH 605 After our tour of Saint Catherine’s Monastery we re-boarded our bus and headed back the way we had come last night – but this time we get to see the scenery. We cannot go west from Saint Catherine because the Egyptian Army has closed that road for security reasons. So we are headed east and then south to the resort city of Sharm el Sheikh. My understanding of this “resort city” is that normal Egyptians do not get to live here or visit here unless they can come as paying vacationers. The workers of this “resort city” are bused in and out. The city itself was fairly clean but as we drove toward the city the desert was filled with plastic trash for miles. On Halloween of 2015 I was shocked to hear of a Russian charter flight that was blown up over the Sinai Peninsula after leaving Sharm el Sheikh International Airport. We drove past most of the city and approached it from the west. It is quite an amazing contrast to drive through the desert for several hours and then suddenly come upon the beautiful blue water of the Red Sea. The effect on me was to give me a strong desire to get into that water! I will get my chance this afternoon. Just north of the main civil harbor is a beautiful little bay called Sharm el-Moiya. This bay is about eight or nine miles up the Gulf of Aqaba coast from the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Our tour guide had arranged a glass-bottom-boat ride for us. We walked out on a plastic pier that seemed to be built like a child’s toy with interlocking parts. After we boarded the boat and headed toward the entrance to the bay the sandy bottom began dropping below us. At about half a mile out the bottom rose again in coral reefs. We cruised around the entrance to the bay watching many different kinds of fish and seeing many different types of coral. The colors were amazing and everyone was mesmerized. After about an hour we headed in and our host took us topside to enjoy the sunny day – it seems we have left the cold weather in the mountains. After enjoying lunch we checked into our hotel, the Veraclub Queen Sharm. We have a free afternoon and I plan on going swimming in the Red Sea! This hotel has a pool deck and a nice beach from which we can see the islands of the Strait of Tiran, the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. There is a floating plastic pier which allows you to get beyond the shallow water to where the reef ends and the bottom drops precipitously. The bottom goes from being right there, two or three feet down, to not visible! I had a partner from our group and we jumped right in – it was cold, but not Jordan River cold. We adjusted to the temperature quickly and simply enjoyed floating there and letting the water massage away a morning of bus-riding. We noticed that the water seemed to be more salty than Texas Gulf Coast or Virginia Beach water. I hypothesized that this was due to the fact that there were no major (or minor) inflows of fresh water anywhere near us – unlike most of America’s coastline. This is another good way to end a day of touring!
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Read: Exodus 3 & 19 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/exodus/3.html)
Sing: On Eagle’s Wings, UMH 143 Saint Catherine’s Monastery (I wrote about Saint Catherine back on Day 3 Site 3 of this devotional trip), also known as the Monastery of the Transfiguration, is situated at 5,249 feet in the high mountains of the Sinai Peninsula. It sits at the base of Mount Sinai (7,500 ft.) where Moses met with God, first at the Burning Bush and then later to receive the Ten Commandments and the Law. Christian hermits began to gather at Sinai from the middle of the 3rd century. The life that these early hermits followed was neither easy nor safe. The 4th and 5th centuries were particularly bad times, when Christians were not only persecuted, but suffered from barbarian assaults. Tradition holds that, in 330 AD, in response to a request by the ascetics of the Sinai, the Byzantine empress Helena ordered the building of a small church, dedicated to the Holy Virgin, at the site of the Burning Bush, as well as a fortified enclosure where the hermits could find refuge from the attacks of nomadic tribes. By 374 there were also churches at the summits of Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb. In the 5th century the growing population of hermits compelled their Bishop to request assistance from the Byzantium emperor Justinian. Justinian responded by founding a magnificent church enclosed within walls strong enough to withstand attacks and protect the monks against nomadic raiders. That compound is the Monastery of Saint Catherine. In the 7th century the monastery survived the Muslim conquest of the area through the direct influence of Mohammed himself, who saw the Christians as brothers in faith. In the 10th or 11th century a mosque, which still stands today, was built within the walls. Today it is not uncommon for a hundred or more pilgrims and tourists to visit the ancient sacred site in a single day. Greek Orthodox monks tend the monastery and its extraordinary collection of Byzantine art and illuminated manuscripts. The Well of Moses - Exodus 2: 15-22 Probably misnamed - but the story of Moses meeting the seven daughters of Jethro does not give this well a name. So it has become the Well of Moses, where he met his wife, Zipporah. The well probably had a name before Moses showed up but that name has been lost. It is still a functioning well today and helps supply the monastery the water they need. The Burning Bush You were not expecting to find the Burning Bush at the base of Mount Sinai – neither was I! It was transplanted here about eleven hundred years ago. It is a rare species of the rose family called Rubus Sanctus. This species is widespread in the Sinai and extremely long-lived, a fact which gives scientific credibility to the site. If you look closely you can see under the overhanging bush an icon of Moses removing his sandals. Read: Hosea 11:1-11 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/hosea/11.html)
Sing: Go Down, Moses, UMH 448 Our bus, bus driver, and guide could not go with us into Egypt so we grabbed our luggage and left them all behind with a fond, “Farewell and thank you.” The border crossing was relatively quick and painless and our buses and Egyptian guides were waiting for us on the other side. Taba Taba is Egypt’s border city. We got to see a bit more of Taba than we had planned. We missed our escort (the American embassy has asked the Egyptian government to provide escorts for every American tour group) and had to wait about two hours for the next escort. At first we were going to wait at a very small shopping center but then our guides made a few phone calls and we were taken to the Taba Hilton. The Taba Hilton is a very nice seaside resort. It is too bad that we could not get to our swim suits but our time will come. Pharaoh’s Island Pharaoh’s Island is the location of a Crusader fortress built by Baldwin I, the King of Jerusalem, around 1116 AD. The fortress was originally named Ile De Graye Castle. At various times while in Crusader hands, it was used to collect taxes on Arab merchants, and sometimes to attack Arab shipping, while at the same time protecting pilgrims traveling between Jerusalem and Mount Sinai. Pharaoh’s Island was captured by Salah ad-Din al Ayyubi (Saladin) in about 1170. He was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty and is one of the greatest sovereigns in the history of Islam. Most of the business end of this fortress is on the eastern side, as the water is too restricted for attacks to have occurred on the mainland side. It is also notable that T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) made a somewhat daring and unauthorized visit to the island during his Wilderness of Zin survey in June 1914. This fortress would undoubtedly draw much larger crowds of tourists were it located in a more accessible location, but tourists who make an effort to visit the fort will usually have the island mostly to themselves. Climbing Mount Sinai As we were approaching our overnight stop our guide told us that we had the option of climbing Mount Sinai. This would involve getting up and leaving the hotel at about midnight and making the climb of over 2,200 feet during the night. We would get to watch the sunrise and then head back down the mountain to reconnect with our group by 9am. We would have Bedoin guides and later I found that you can hire a camel to ride up the mountain. We chose not to go. It was a long day of traveling but I get to wake up in the mountains in the morning! Read: 1 Kings 9:26-28 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/1-kings/9.html)
Sing: Lonely the Boat, UMH 476 Over the years, the city of Eilat has become the ultimate resort city with hotels and beaches packed with thousands of Israeli vacationers and tourists from around the world, who come to relax in the country’s southernmost spot. The secret of this little city’s charm is its special location at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba. Eilat’s location made it strategically significant during the many historical periods in which it served as a port – starting in the days of King Solomon, through the Nabataens, the Romans, the Arabs, and the Crusaders, all of whom ruled the Land of Israel. The modern city of Eilat was established in 1950. In the early 1950s, a quay was built in the new city, and subsequently a port which became the basis for the new city’s economy. Toward the end of the 1960s, the tourism industry started developing in the city, and today Eilat is a paradise for tourists, travelers, and vacationers. We stopped and shopped at an Eilat jewelry store that specializes in precious stones of many different colors. Their work looked absolutely beautiful and I especially liked their jade pieces. The photo above was taken from in front of the store looking across Highway 90, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the city of Aqaba to the mountains of southern Jordan. The Gulf of Aqaba Just below the southern tip of Sinai Peninsula the Great Rift Valley splits in two. The western branch forms the Gulf of Suez while the eastern branch forms the Gulf of Aqaba. The entire Red Sea, including these two gulfs, is well known as a divers’ paradise. Scuba divers and snorkelers come from around the world to experience these warm waters and colorful coral reefs. I imagine that one of things that makes the Red Sea so attractive to divers is the fact that there are no major rivers which flow into it, thereby providing very little silt to cloud the waters. All of the land surrounding the Red Sea is desert or semi-desert. As we drove by in our bus the urge to go swimming was almost overwhelming for several of us. The water looked so clear and cool and the drive through the desert had parched our eyes if not our throats. The Gulf of Aqaba is bordered by Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Read: Genesis 12:10-20 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/genesis/12.html)
Sing: Holy, Holy, Holy, UMH 64 Today is a day of travel. We will be going by bus from Jerusalem down to the Dead Sea and then south along the Great Rift Valley to the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. We will then walk across the border to Egypt and board a different bus that will take us to the foot of Mount Sinai where we will spend the night. Sunrise over the Dead Sea As we drove along the western shore of the Dead Sea the sun began to break through the morning clouds in a few small spots (remember, this is the rainy season in this part of the world). When these sunrays struck the surface of the Dead Sea it gave the appearance of the water glowing. I tried to get a photo of this beautiful scene but was having a hard time doing it from our moving bus. Finally, I got a good photo with my fourth attempt. Only after I got home did I realize that this striking photo and the photo of the rainbow over the Sea of Galilee were both taken in the morning, from our moving bus, on the same road (Highway 90), and about 70 miles apart. Yotvata Kibbutz Founded in 1957, the Yotvata Kibbutz is famous in Israel for its production of popular dairy products. Yotvata (named for the oasis in Deuteronomy 10: 7 called Jotbathah) was the first kibbutz founded in the southern Aravah (the section of the Great Rift Valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba) area in Israel. We stopped at Yotvata’s large rest stop on Highway 90 to get something to eat and enjoy their dairy products – I got some delicious chocolate and a really good milkshake. From their parking lot we could see across the rift valley to the mountains of southern Jordan – about forty miles south of Petra. We are only about a mile from the Jordan border. Read: Nehemiah 6:1-14 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/nehemiah/6.html)
Sing: This Is a Day of New Beginnings, UMH 383 Damascus Gate The Damascus Gate is located on the north side of The Old City and is the dividing point between the Muslim Quarter on the east and the Christian Quarter on the west. It is the busiest gate of The Old City for foot traffic. Vendors often fill the steps leading down to the gate and Muslim worshipers crowd the way as they gather for services on Fridays. The gate was built in 1541 by the Ottomans but its history dates back to the 2nd century AD and the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina. New Gate Unlike the other ancient gates, the New Gate was opened in 1889 by the Ottomans, giving direct access to the Christian Quarter of The Old City. Jaffa Gate The Jaffa Gate of The Old City is unquestionably the busiest gate in the ancient walls. Damascus Gate, bordering the Muslim Quarter, serves a large pedestrian population, and the Dung Gate is an important exit for visitors to the Western Wall. But Jaffa Gate, so named because it faces west toward Jaffa, is the main entrance for pedestrians and motor vehicles – buses, trucks, taxis and cars. It wasn't always so. Until the late 1800s the narrow angled gate limited wheeled traffic. A moat was an additional barrier. All that changed when the Ottoman authorities rebuilt the gate to allow the German Emperor's carriages to enter the city in 1898. Read: Acts 6:8–8:1 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/acts/6.html)
Sing: Lift Up Your Head, Ye Mighty Gates, UMH 213 Lions Gate (Saint Stephen’s Gate) The Lions Gate is the only open gate facing east toward the Mount of Olives. It stands adjacent to the Muslim Quarter of The Old City. The "lions" carved on both sides of the gate are actually panthers, the symbol of the Mamluk Sultan Baybars (1223-1277). The panthers were believed to have been part of a Mamluki structure and placed at the gate by Suleiman to commemorate the Ottoman victory over the Mamluks in 1517. This is also called Saint Stephen’s Gate because tradition says that Stephen was taken through this gate in order to be stoned. During Jesus’ time the gate in this area was known as the Sheep Gate because this is where the sheep sacrificed in the Temple were brought into the city. Herod’s Gate Herod's Gate is located at the northeast corner of Jerusalem's Old City between Damascus Gate and Lion's Gate, adjoining the Muslim Quarter. It is also called the Flower Gate because of the intricate stone design above the gate, and the Sheep's Gate because of the animal market held outside of the gate. The name "Herod's Gate" was based on the belief that King Herod's palace was located near the site. In fact, the gate was a modest entrance until the 1870s when the Turks built the more impressive gate to give access to neighborhoods north of the Old City. Read: Mark 11:1-10 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/mark/11.html)
Sing: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, UMH 278 From the front portico of the Church of All Nations we had an excellent view across the Kidron Valley to the eastern wall of the Old City and the Golden Gate, the only major gate into the city which is sealed. There has been a gate near this location since Solomon built the first Temple. In those days it was simply called the East Gate. When returnees from the exile rebuilt the Temple they named the eastern gate the Susa Gate in honor of the Jews who had remained in the Persian capital and helped pay for the construction of this new Jerusalem. During the years of the first and second Temple the Scape Goat was cast into the wilderness through this gate. After Herod rebuilt and expanded the Temple Mount this is the gate through which Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The Romans destroyed that gate when they razed the Temple in 70 AD. The present gate was built by the Byzantines in the 6th century. The Ottomans built the present walls of the Old City in 1540. In 1541 they sealed the Golden Gate and built a cemetery in front of it in hope of preventing the Messiah from entering Jerusalem through this gate. Both Christians and Jews expect the Messiah to enter Jerusalem through this gate. I think if Jesus wants to enter though this gate nothing any human does will keep him from doing it. Read: Nehemiah 2:11-18 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/nehemiah/2.html)
Sing: Marching to Zion, UMH 733 Zion Gate The location and name "Zion Gate" appear on maps dating back to the 12th century. It is one of eight gates in The Old City wall. Located between Mount Zion and the Armenian Quarter, the gate was the setting for fierce fighting during the 1948 war. The ridge on which this gate sits is the third high point to be called Zion. The original Zion was in the City of David which is east of this location. The second Zion was where Solomon built the first Temple, today’s Temple Mount or Mount Moriah. The true summit of today’s Mount Zion is inside The Old City near the Citadel. But it is the area just outside the Zion Gate that is considered Mount Zion today. This was very confusing to me before I found the explanation in my reading at www.seetheholyland.net. Dung Gate Close to the Temple Mount and facing the ancient City of David and the Shiloach (Siloam) spring, the original gate was probably well traversed. The gate is at the lowest point of the walls, and was probably used for removing refuse and possibly ashes from the Temple. A major drainage tunnel near the gate, more than 1,965 feet long and dating back at least to Herod's days, has recently been discovered and cleared and opened for tourists. The Ottoman-built gate was small and narrow, the upper arch of which is still visible above today's gate. In 1952, during Jordan's occupation of The Old City, the gate was widened to permit vehicles to enter. The opening was reinforced with cement posts. The gate was renovated by Israel after 1967 to match the Ottoman stone and design. Read: Acts 12:6-17 (www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/acts/12.html)
Sing: All Praise to Our Redeeming Lord, UMH 554 The nation of Armenia was the first nation to declare itself a Christian nation. They did this in 301, before the days of Constantine, but Armenians had been living in Jerusalem since 95 B.C. The Armenian Quarter was established on Mount Zion in 301. Right before the Crusader period (1099-1187 A.D.) the Armenian Quarter began to develop. It reached its current size during the Ottoman period (1517-1917). Today the Armenian “quarter” covers about one-sixth of The Old City. We tried to find the Church of Saint James but this area is not as conveniently marked as the other quarters and they do not seem to be as visitor-friendly. It started raining on us while we were looking for the church and so we started to head back to the Damascus Gate. Along the way we found . . . The Church of Saint Mark is home to one of Jerusalem’s smallest and oldest Christian communities, but it is the setting for a remarkable set of traditions – including the claim to be the site of the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Its worship employs the oldest surviving liturgy in Christianity, based on the rite of the early Christian Church of Jerusalem. The language used is Syriac, a dialect of the Aramaic that Jesus spoke. Saint Mark (also known as John Mark) came from Cyrene in Libya. He became a traveling companion and interpreter for Saint Peter, and used Peter’s sermons when he composed the earliest of the four Gospels. Mark’s mother, Mary of Jerusalem, had a house where members of the early Church met. It was to this house that Peter went when an angel released him from prison. The Syriac Orthodox believe the Church of Saint Mark is on the site of that house – a belief supported by a 6th century inscription discovered in the church in 1940. The Syriac Orthodox Church claims Saint Peter as its first patriarch, in Antioch in 37 AD. The word “Syriac” is not a geographic indicator, but refers to the use of the Syriac language in worship. Syriac Christians see themselves as the first people to adopt Christianity as natives of the Holy Land. Often called “Jacobites” (after an early bishop), the Syriac Orthodox form one of the Oriental Orthodox churches that became separated from the mainstream of Christianity in the 5th century over a disagreement about the nature of Christ. They are not in communion with either Constantinople or Rome. Their community in Jerusalem, centered on the Church of Saint Mark, numbers only about 600 including our tour guide, Nader. |
AuthorIn matters of faith, we at First United Methodist Church, Sealy put primary reliance on the Bible. In scripture, we understand that we are all God’s children; therefore, we will be a church that cares for the needs of our church and local community through prayer, deeds, inspiration, and love in the spirit of Christ. Archives
July 2020
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