Our adventures began by going to the Herodion, a fortress of Herod the Great found near Bethlehem. This fortress was built as a bomb shelter, a safe haven for Herod to flee to if times ever got rough in Jerusalem. Our time spent on the Herodion consisted of a lengthy lecture by Brother Judd, wandering through the different rooms of the fortress, navigating through its cistern tunnels, and, of course, taking a lot of pictures. Much of the Herodion had been excavated decades prior to our visit, but some of its more interesting finds were just discovered in the past five or ten years: Herod’s Tomb and an amphitheater. While we couldn’t enter any of these areas, it was amazing to learn that we were wandering around a site still budding with historical information and archaeology! I ended up swapping cameras with Andrew Null while we were at this site to make picture taking easier. It was possibly the best idea ever! We were able to get a lot of pictures of ourselves at the site because we had our own personal photographers. We began by wandering around the fortress, and later headed down into the cistern tunnels. It was a blast. There is so much to do at archaeological sites! And so many pictures to take! Once the fortress had been properly investigating, we headed down to lower palace, the area Herod stayed in during those warm summer months. We took a few pictures, and then headed back to the bus to go to our next destination.
We stopped at Bethlehem University next, to mingle with fellow students and learn about their lives and living in the West Bank. It was an interesting place to stop but really cool at the same time. We don’t get much of a chance to speak with Palestinians; most of the students who we talk to at Hebrew University are Israeli or Americans. So it was a good experience. And do you know what? They are just like us! They watch movies and listen to music. (One girl’s favorite movie is actually Mr. and Mrs. Smith and most of the students like Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.) They want to finish school, find jobs, and have families. They want to be happy. The one thing they don’t have it freedom. However, while I expected many political discussions and grumblings over the Israelis, they never politically attacked anyone. Rather, they told us about their experiences with living in the West Bank and the troubles associated with leaving. It was nice to get another perspective on the Arab-Israeli Conflict.
Next we headed to lunch, which was a relief to everyone! We were all starving! We ate at a tent restaurant, not very far from the university. The food was pretty good. But it was the company that I really enjoyed. Eating lunch with Ashley Wilkinson, Jarom Smith, Justin Heninger, and Andrew Null is always a party; add two teenage girls and a ten year old know-it-all to the mix, and you have a fiesta! Friends are wonderful. I don’t think I can say that enough. The people I have met here have made such a wonderful impact on my life, and I truly hope that our friendships will go behind the Jerusalem Center and that we will continue to spend time with one another every once in a while.
Our second to last stop of the day was Nativity Square and the Church of the Nativity. The church was built in the 4th Century A.D. by Emperor Constantine, after his mother, Helena, identified a grotto as the place of Jesus’ birth. It was nice to walk through the church, but we were so rushed! I wanted so much more time to contemplate the story of His birth and even of His life. But we were pushed out of the church, out of the grotto as quickly as we had entered. We had twenty minutes to shop in the square; I looked for a nativity for my parents but to no avail. Twenty minutes wasn’t long enough to make a purchase like that. Rather, I ended up picking up a small gift for each member of my family. Everyone needs a little something from Jerusalem!
Our final stop was at a Shepherd’s Field near Jerusalem, where we held class testimony meetings and sang different Christmas Hymns. It was a great experience. We were given some time to finally contemplate the entire reason of our day: the birth of Christ. Over 2,000 years ago, a child was born in Bethlehem. His birth wasn’t triumphant or glorious; it was simple and humble. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Jesus Christ was born to save all nations, to redeem all men from their sins, to provide a way for all mankind to obtain Eternal Life. Jesus Christ is my Savior, my Redeemer. He lives. He will come again.
Our trip to Bethlehem was amazing. It is disappointing that we won’t be able to spend any more time there, but the short time we had was well worth it.
I should also include that this was the day that Kim Chadwick and I switched earrings…well, one earring to be exact. The confused faces were well with it. What do you think? (Mine are the ones on the left; hers the ones on the right!)
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