I was in Israel for a business trip and had the opportunity to do a couple of brief guided visits, one in Jaffa, the old port near Tel Aviv, (where I was staying), and one in Jerusalem.

Israel is a tiny country, steeped in history. Many of the cities have been built, destroyed and rebuilt time and time again over the years. The deeper you dig, the further back in history you go.

Jaffa

Jaffa is the oldest seaport in the world, existine for more than 4,000 years. It is known as the site that Jonah (the biblical Jonah of Jonah and the whale) set off from. It also features in the New Testament, with our guide explaining that christianity started in Jaffa when Paul received a vision in a room in the city.

The team in Israel had organised a fantastic guide to take us for a quick walking tour around the city one evening. We started at the clock tower that was built towards the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1903. Our guide regaled us with some interesting writings from visitors to Israel and Jaffa – it seems most were disappointed with Mark Twain in particular using some well crafted language to express his views “Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince… Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? ”

We wandered through narrow cobblestoned streets down towards the port itself. Many of the streets now contain high-end art stores, many of hte artists having moved to the area a long time ago, before its current gentrified state. The streets often have zodiac signs on little painted tiles. If I had more time, I could have gone on a ‘treasure hunt’ to find them all.

In one spot we came across an orange tree, suspended and hanging – an art installation reflecting the many orange trees that used to grow in the area.

At the port itself we stopped to hear the story of Andromeda, Poseidon and Perseus – there is a rock formation in the harbour (that must make navigation treacherous)  that is runoured to be the sea serpent of legend that Perseus turned into rock when saving Andromeda, by holding up the severed head of Medusa. It was a lovely evening – the photos really don’t do the place justice.

Jerusalem

I was able to take an afternoon and make a visit to Jerusalem, about an hour’s drive from Jaffa. I was met in the old city by Dorit, another fantastic and well-informed guide. Old Jerusalem itself is actually very small, only one-square-kilometre, and home to about 40,000 people – Muslim, Christian, Armeniam and Jewish – the city is divided into four quarters.

We started our visit in the old citadel in the Armenian quarter, near the Jaffa gate, which is the entrance from the road to Jaffa. The current walls of the old city were built in the 1530’s. (The city had walls before but the city was smaller). Apparently Suleiman, the Ottoman Sultan at the time the walls were built, had the two architects who designed the walls killed on their completion, because the meglected to include Mt Zion, the City of David, inside the walls.

We climbed to the top if the citadel for fantastic views across Old Jerusalem to Gethsemane and beyond. The Dome of the Rock (mosque) stands out with its huge gold dome, as do the domes on the churches in the Christiam quarter and the synagogues in the Jewish quarter. It is really impressive to be standing in a place so steeped in history and that has touched so many people over the years.

As we wandered down through the city we passed a small tattoo parlour that has been there since 1300. The current proprietor is the 27th generation of his family to maintain the tradition. Apparently many people want a permanent souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land. Dorit also told me about Jerusalem Syndrome, a recognised mental condition that can affect some visitors who become overwhelmed by the sacred space and end up with full blown psychoses, believing they are the messiah.

Many Christian visitors start their pilgimage in Gethsemane and follow the Via de la Rose to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church has been built on the hill that once stood outside the city and was know as Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. The church itself is now jointly managed by the Greek Orthodox,  Armenian Orthodox, and Franciscan Order (Catholic). Apparently the Ethiopian Orthodox church is also involved. Each has its own separate area of the church and it takes quite some time to align on any changes, upgrades, maintenance etc.

Inside the church is the area that Jesus was crucified – people file past and are able to bend down under a small table to touch the rock. There is also a large stone slab believed to be where his body was laid after it was taken down from the cross. Many people were prostrate over this area, praying, crying and rubbing their belongings over the stone. There is also a small building that supposedly stands where the cave that Jesus was buried is. People queue to be able to enter the small space for a few minutes.I wish I would have had more time – just to sit and watch the people. Regardless of belief, there is no doubt that this is an incredibly sacred and meaningful journey for a lot of people.

After leaving the church we wandered through the bazaar area, and after stopping for some delicious houmus, salad and falafel, continued to wander down to the Jewish quarter. It was quite amazing as I had the sense of being in a completely different place altogether. It was quieter and calmer, with no bazaar, only some upscale stores selling Jewish arts and crafts. In places the old Roman roads have been excavated with their tall columns now proudly displayed. This part of the city was completely demolished prior to the 1967 war and so is much newer than the other parts we had been in. The large synagogue here has been rebuilt at least three times. Again, I would have loved to have more time to people watch with many men dressed in Orthodox Jewish fashion gathering in different places. The diversity and contrast in this place is quite impressive.

We finished our visit at the Western, or Wailing wall, at the base of the Temple Mount or Mount Moriah. This site is holy to the Jews and the Muslims having been the site of the Temple that Solomon built. Mount Moriah has been encased in what is almost a large box to create more space for people to gather, and now houses the Dome of the Rock. Jews gather at the western wall to pray as it is the closest they can get to the Temple site. Many write notes and prayers on pieces of paper and press them into the crevices between the stones. The area for prayer is separated into male and female areas. Again, there is an overwhelming sense of reverence from the people gathered. I was quite surprised when I reached out to touch the wall how smooth the rock has been worn over the years.

While I would have loved to have more time, I am definitely glad for the opportunity to visit this incredible place.