High atop a mountain sits a monastery with a statute of Prophet Elijah in Israel. He was said to be a miracle worker who lived in northern Israel during the time of King Ahab in 9th Century BC. He defended the worship of the Jewish God over Baal.
The man pictured was selling prayer beads as you enter and exit the area.
Tel Aviv, Israel is the second largest city in Israel, just behind Jerusalem at number one. The city and its immediate neighbors are a mixture of massive and modern along with old and rustic.
Tel Aviv has a population of 438,818 residents. It even has its own Silicon Valley known as Silicon Wadi, which is another name for Gush Dan. The so called valley area is filled with high tech companies, much like the Silicon Valley in California.
It is known as the “Party Capital” of the Middle East with a lively nightly that includes 2.5 million visitors annually, a 30,000 student university,
Prostitution is fully legal in Tel Aviv in the form of brothels. However, to so called act of “Pimping” is illegal. Human trafficking is a big problem for the area, but little is being done to solve the issue. Organized crime is reportedly behind much of the legal and illegal forms of prostitution in Israel, according to a past HAARETZ news article.
While driving into ultra-Orthodox Jewish areas on the Sabbath in Jerusalem are discouraged by the officials due to past cases where cars have been stoned as they pass through, it is not an issue in Tel Aviv. Nor is the need to dress modestly.
The legal age to buy alcohol in Israel is only 18 and there are no set closing times for bars. As for the cost of a stiff drink, expect to pay an added tax of 25%.
OUT Media has called Tel Aviv the “most gay-friendly city” in the Middle East. Other cities throughout Israel are not as open with such activity, even though laws regarding homosexuals were removed from the books in the 1980s.
While it may appear to be a bridge, it is actually an ancient Roman aqueduct along the Mediterranean coast in Caesarea, Israel. The structure goes for miles and miles ending in the city that was founded by King Herod of Judea in 10 BCE. The letters BCE stand for “Before Common Era where “BC” simply stands for Before Christ.
The Romans were amazing architects as they built not only the aqueducts, but also an artificial harbor digging out the shallow sand near the short to allow for wooden cargo ships to pull closer to land.
In year 6 “Common Era,”” Caesarea was declared to be the seat of the Roman government and the political capital of Judea.
As for the pictured aqueduct, it was one of three that delivered fresh water from different areas of Israel to Caesarea, a city of about 50,000 residents at the time. The aqueducts went to various springs up to 8.5 miles away.
They were digging for treasures in a trash bin on a side street in Jerusalem.
I have heard many times over, “One mans trash is another mans treasure.” In this case, One mans trash is a boys treasure.
“We sleep, but the loom of life never stops and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up tomorrow.”
Rest after a busy day in the market is important, even if the day is not yet complete.
Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre you see visitor after visitor make their way through the crowds to bend down and kiss or place their face against the sacred anointing stone. The church is said to be one of two holiest sites in Christianity. The church, referred to sometimes as the Church of the Resurrection, sits on the site of where Jesus was crucified.
Within the walls of the church that dates back to the second century AD, you will find five representations of the final passage of Jesus. However, after the crucifixion the building did not start out as a church. It started out as a temple dedicated to the goddess Venus built by a Roman Emperor named Publius Aelius Hadrian.
The Roman Emperor built the temple dedicated to Venus to cover up the cave in which Jesus had been placed in and later arose from. It wasn’t until year 325 that Christian emperor, Constantine the Great, ordered a church be built in place of the ungodly temple. The church construction was finished in year 335.
The Stone of Anointing is where Jesus’ body was laid to rest. It is one of the first items you will come to as you enter the church from an outside courtyard. Some have questioned the stone saying that it was placed in the church during an 1810 reconstruction.
Inside the church is a stairway that is regarded as the site of where the crucifixion actually took place. Also inside the church walls is The Altar of the Crucifixion.
In the marketplace of Jerusalem you will find vendor after vendor selling everything from foods to fabrics. You will also find a maze of walkways.
The stairs and alleys throughout the area are second nature to local residents who don’t have any problem finding their way through the maze of crowds and paths. Children who walk home from school each day are equally knowledgeable to their common route.
Each afternoon it is likely that you will see hundreds of children running through the streets excited to head home after a day of schooling. The kids will sometimes stop for a cold Popsicle, a Coca-Cola or piece of candy on their walk home. Other times, they simply skip down the steps in an attempt to get home at the same time as their friends.
He was selling head scarfs and he was posing for pictures after each sell with each buyer on the streets of Jerusalem.
His competitors sit inside stores as opposed to cold calling customers on the streets.
“The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.”
Attorney Herb Cohen stated, "Care, but not that much." In other words, you have to care what you are negotiating for, but not enough to get emotionally involved. You have to be able to walk away. As you walk away, you will likely be stopped by the opposite side of negotiating and that often equals winning. I think those are them most simple words to remember when negotiating.
“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of. ”
I should write a catchy article on smoking, but I love the simplicity of this photo too much to distract from it.
What the heck, I might as well write something productive.
"All Smoked Out in Israel," can be my catchy title.
Smokers in Israel are no laughing matter. They are just about all smoked out… with taxes.
While the United States has problems with big tobacco, foreign countries have even a bigger issue with the situation.
In Israel, the Health Ministry decided to up the taxes on a pack of smokes by 20% in 2017. The increase was aimed at deterring people from lighting up. The decision to put the tax increase in place was due to a 2016 increase of those who are 18 or older and lighting up at an increased rate of 19.7%, according to an article in the HAARETZ.
In all, it looks as if 22.5% of the Israeli population over the age of 18 smoke.
Like institutes of higher learning in America, Israel also nipped smoking in the bud at such locations. A law that went into motion in 2016 banned smoking in all educational institutes in Israel.
Prayer along the Western Wall in Jerusalem is something that many participate in. From Jewish to Christians, you will see a variety of visitors.
Many write notes to God and place them into the cracks of the wall. Sometimes, detailed secrets or confessions are placed into the cracks.
During the late 19th century, there was not a separation between men and women at the wall. Today however, there is a partition dividing the male and female side of the wall.
In the Old City Jerusalem Market - he was ready to shop and perhaps hit the club.
"They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man."
-ZZ TOP, Sharp Dressed Man
The Jewish men were surrounding a bell hop at a local Jerusalem Hotel sharing in jokes and laughs prior to their big night with their big furry hats.
“So why the hats,” I asked a local onlooker. It was as if I was from outer space… “Look at how they are combed up, towards God – It gets them closer to God,” was the response I got. While that didn’t tell me much, it did tell me there was a religious meaning to the furry spectacle.
The hat is called a Shtreimel and it is worn by many married Haredi Jewish Men on Shabbat or any festive occasion… you know, when you want that special GQ look. Generally speaking, the hat is worn only after marriage. However, there are exceptions to the marriage rule.
First of all, the special fur hat is not to be worn with everyday Jewish clothing. It is for the dressier gear one would find themselves in at a wedding as the groom to be or at a special dinner event. For the groom to be, it is a tradition for the bride’s father to purchase the costly hat that is often made of real animal fur.
As for religion of the hat itself, it is associated with the holiness of Shabbat and viewed as a crown which enhances and beautifies Shabbat. By the way, Shabbat simply means Sabbath and it is recognized as a day of rest.
Some pray at the site of the Western Wall… Some catch a holy nap on the Shabbat.
The Western Wall in Jerusalem is also referred to as the Wailing Wall. The site received the nickname allegedly by visitors who watched in silence as they witnessed Jewish people weeping at the location due to the destruction of the Jewish Temple. Jewish people simply call it “The Western Wall” or “The Wall.”
The wall is the western wall of the Temple Mount. It is also a symbol that God is near us, but a wall representing our sins separates us from him.
Hundreds if not thousands of Muslims exiting the walls this past Saturday (5/5/18).
The massive walls seen in this photo surround the Dome of the Rock Islamic Shrine that sits atop the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem that first opened in 691 AD. It is considered to be one of the most sacred sites for Muslims around the world.
The rock was said to be the beginning point for Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey to Heaven. That rock is at the center of the mosque.
The location is watched and prayed over by more than one faith. It is also a significant location for those of the Jewish Faith in Israel. It is thought to be the Foundation Stone of where God gathered the dust to create the first human known as Adam on Mount Moriah and where Abraham attempted to sacrifice his son. The Jewish community actually turns towards this location in prayer.
Non-Muslims are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount. It is also against the rules to bring any type of prayer book other than the Koran into the area. Furthermore, non-Muslim followers are not allowed to wear their religious apparel into the area next to the mosque.
Muslims once prayed towards the Temple Mount, but that changed when Muhammad was said to have had a revelation from Allah. That revelation led to the direction of Mecca for Islamic prayer.
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.”
I captured these photos directly next to a historic site that is visited by millions of people from all over the world. Local residents and tourist alike find the clutter distracting and the trash undermining of the finely kept museum pieces next door. I thought the same until I slowed down to take in my surroundings with a deeper consideration for where I was standing.
The trash filled passage ways between the homes, the children in the streets without shoes and the field containing the garbage of nearby residents sits within 105 yards of where Jesus spent his final days while on trial prior to being sacrificed.
The neighborhood of the working class was a vivid illustration of how accepting Jesus was of people and surroundings. It was an illustration of his life in so many ways that tourist who want neat and tidy fail to see. It was a reminder that he walked with the unclean, the unhealthy and the unloved. In reality, the perfect setting.
When Jesus was at this location it was known as the Palace of Caiaphas. The High Priest of Israel lived in the palace that was utilized as a court setting for Jesus. Caiaphas presided over the Jewish Council which ordered Jesus be put to death finding him guilty of blasphemy. This is also the location of where Peter denied Jesus in the court of the palace three times.
It is at this site some 105 yards away from the garbage filled homes that you will find the hole that Jesus was lowered into and held captive.
Today, the Church of St. Peter is built over that jail cell where Jesus was held.
He was walking down the ancient stone sidewalk that was originally built under John II, Bishop of Jerusalem between AD 387 to AD 417.
The Basilica of the Assumption (or Dormition) is in Jerusalem near the Zion Gate. The church was hit by warriors in year 614 and destroyed. A new structure was built on the site in the 12th century, but destroyed again in the 13th century. This is a similar story line to many of the buildings, churches, and structures in Israel.
However, the foundation of the original building left behind was staunch enough to stand a rebuilding in 1899. The Catholic Diocese of Cologne, Heinrich Renard, sought the reconstruction and moved forward with the project after a brief visit to the Holy Land.
In just ten years, the massive structure was complete and dedicated to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in year 1910 under the Catholic Church.
The property was extremely important to save as this was believed to be the site where the “Blessed Virgin Mary” died or as many refer to her passing as, fell asleep. It is also near the location of where “The Last Supper” was believed to have been held.
Just when you think you reached the end of the city limits, you see several more miles of condominiums, houses apartments, synagogues, mosques and churches.
Jerusalem is a large city located in Israel. The Middle Eastern city sits on massive hills, valleys and mountain lines that are a part of the Judaean Mountains between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. The earliest settlement dates back to the Early Bronze Age (c. 3000-2800 BCE). It is also considered to be one of the holiest cities in the world.
Inside the Holy City you will find three major religions that include the Jewish followers, the religion of Islam and Christians. However, not all of the religions see eye to eye, which is why walls have been in place dividing different areas for hundreds of years.
The city is composed of 850,000 residents. Another 300,000 residents or more live just outside of those limits, but still consider themselves to be a part of Jerusalem. So, in reality you could say about 1.2 million people live in the Jerusalem area of Israel.
There is a great divide in Jerusalem that I did not hear a lot of talk about. If you are not a part of the Muslim, Jewish or Christian community you will fear very alone. It not a welcomed alone feeling, but one of desperation, sadness and pain.
Jerusalem is divided into multiple areas with large walls that are similar to the walls that once stood in Berlin. However, these walks you can walk around to exit or enter. Regardless of entry or exit, the walls continue into the subconscious to where you know that you may not be welcomed after entering.
“I think that humans have a huge capacity to carry pain and sadness. There are things that haunt us our entire lives; we are unable to let them go. The good times seem almost effervescent and dreamlike in comparison with the times that didn’t go so well.”
It was the night of Lag B’Omer and events were being held throughout the city of Jerusalem by different Jewish Communities.
At this event, a stage was the center focus lined with Jewish teenagers with adults nearby. In other areas, bonfires within the city roared to life constantly fed by oil to keep the flames alive.
Lag B’Omer is the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which is a period of 49 days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot.
Some of the traditions on Lag B’Omer Day include three year old boys receiving their first haircut, Jewish weddings and of course, bonfires, food and singing.
