Tuesday, April 30, E. Jerusalem - Day Six

It has been a lovely jaunt into the Galilee region. Today we began our day visiting the "Jesus Boat" in its permanent location at Ginosar, then on to a popular spot on the Jordan River just below the Sea of Galilee; it's a spot often used by groups for baptisms and affirmation of baptism. We retraced our steps from the south back to the northern side of the Sea to the Mount of Beatitudes and two other churches at Tagbha, Heptapegon, or Seven Springs. After a last stop in Capernaum, we traveled through the Jordan Valley south to Jericho and up to Jerusalem, returning to our hotel about 5 pm.

It was a fine thing to imagine the disciples plying the waters of the sea, and Jesus teaching on the hillside. My dad and I read aloud together chapters 5-7 of Matthew at the Mount of Beatitudes. The church was quite nice, but I think I would have preferred reading these words while sitting on a grassy hillside overlooking the lake. While we were readying to leave the Mount of Beatitudes, two people trying to sell diamonds wanted us to follow them to some other location to see what they had to sell. That kind of commercialization I'm accustomed to in the states, but I would have been more happy without it.

A word about water: We could see how the Sea of Galilee is much lower than in the recent past. We were told that it is 5 meters lower than five years ago. So all around the lake, buildings that were once at the water's edge now have "receded" some 100 or more meters from the water. One man said that it was the lack of rain, but it's really from the overuse of water. Every mile or two, large pipes come up from the lake to connect to intricate irrigation systems. The government has done a masterful job at growing things and producing food for the country and export, but I worry about the water. Clearly more is being used than is being replenished, and one wonders if anyone is really thinking about that. There is more and more development in Tiberius and other points around the lake, with more and more demand for water. It's just not sustainable.

Returning into Jerusalem from the east, coming up from Jericho, we were struck by the size and number of settlements, which apparently ring the city of Jerusalem. They are all up on a hill and have a certain fortress-like appearance. That they all look down on Palestinian communities and villages makes a statement in itself that is hard to miss when you see it.

Tomorrow we'll be at Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives to hear some history about the Lutheran World Federation's hospital and to get current news about the tax case against the hospital. And we will meet with someone from the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem in the afternoon.

Hans Arnesen

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