Electricity in Israel

I’ve received a number of questions about using USA electrical appliances in Israel over the years and I decided to put together a post that covers most of the information you will need. Unfortunately, it’s a little complicated.

Electricity in Israel is different in two main ways:

First, the plugs are a different style that the standard USA two prong flat plug. What makes this even more complicated is that you can encounter several different style plug receptacles in Israel. I think these variations are why some people report one kind of adapter worked fine for them in one location, while that same adapter will not work for someone else in a different hotel.

Second, the electrical current in Israel is very different that what comes out of our USA outlets. USA power is 110 volts and 60Hz (or cycles). However, like much of the rest of the world, power is Israel is 220/230 volts and 50Hz. If you plug a 110v only appliance into a 220v socket, you will quickly destroy the device.

So, you MAY need to do two things to use your USA electrical items in Israel:
1. Get an adapter plug
2. Have a transformer that will convert the 220v that comes out of the wall into 110v.

Adapter Plugs
-I have found that there are different types of plug receptacles in Israel. The oldest seem to have been designed for a two or three flat prongs. Others equally old were designed for two round prongs. The biggest problems is that while many of these receptacles look like they should accept the standard two round prong European plug, they often do not. Many of the newer receptacles seem to be designed to accept both the European and Israel style plugs, but not all hotels have newer receptacles.

Look at this picture below. The European “shucko” type plug prongs in the middle look almost identical to the top two prongs of the other Israel adapters, but I will tell you it often does not fit wall receptacles in Israel.

What I recommend is that you take two different plug adapters with you. Both can normally be bought on EBay. That way, at least one is likely to work. Take a three round prong Israel adapter and use it whenever possible:

Also, take also a two prong round. Some outlets are not grounded and don’t take three prongs:

The rounds almost always seem to fit a outlet designed for flat prongs, but the flat prong adapters will sometimes not fit receptacles designed for round plugs. Stick with round and be sure the adapter is for Israel, not simply listed as being a “universal” or European adapter, they may not work. I have seen many web sites that tell you to use the European adapters in Israel. Wrong answer.

See my comments of surge protection below.

Transformers:
Transformers are heavy electrical coils that take the 220v current and reduce it to 110v. There are rated according to the amount of current, or watts, they can convert. To put things simply, the more power your device pulls, the bigger a transformer you need. Unfortunately, devices like hair dryers and some hair straighteners take a lot of current.

You may not really need one. Almost all modern hotels now have a wall mounted hair dryer in the bathroom. That hair dryer will usually have a 110v ungrounded outlet on it. Unless you are staying in a historic hostel, a very old hotel, or a private home you probably don’t need to take a hair dryer. An electric shaver will easily work with the provided plug. So will most two prong camera battery chargers.

You may find that most of your newer electronic devices can run on both 110v and 220v. My computer, cell phone charger, camera battery charger, and even my Cpap breathing machine all run on both currents. Some devices have a 110v-200v switch you need to manually switch – don’t miss that detail.

How can you tell? The device will almost always tell you on the side of the power pack itself, you just need good eyes. You'll see something like “100v-240v, 50/60Hz”. These devices you can plug right into an Israeli outlet with just an adapter.

Here are some examples:

If you really need a device that requires a transformer, all I can suggest is that check the wattage of the appliance, then buy a transformer that is rated for at least 20% more capacity that your units calls for. If your device is 1600 watt, get a transformer that is rated for 2000 watts.

Finally, “converters” are cheaper and smaller that true “transformers”, but every electrical FAQ I have read suggests you not use them, because they do not truly convert 220v to110v and can still fry many devices, especially electronic devices. They do seem to work for short durations for things like hair dryers. I do suggest you avoid these if possible. You have been warned.

Final note: I’ve had many people who work with electronics tell me it’s stupid to buy $500+ worth of electronics and plug it into a wall socket without a surge protector. One power surge can fry the whole unit. I think the advice is good on the road too, so I take a travel surge protector with me. I almost always need two spots to plug stuff in, so this also helps out here.

I take a Eurosurge and it has served me well:

Note that this unit has a European style plug. You need an adapter for any country, like Israel, that doesn’t use the standard European “shucko” plug. This is the unit with the Israel adapter, which I might add, did not work in some outlets. I had to plug it into an adapter plug first, then into the wall. Go figure.

Bethlehem Olivewood

I had several conversations with people about buying Olivewood Nativity sets from Bethlehem. They are a beautiful and unique souvenir to bring home from Israel and almost every bus tour that goes to Bethlehem stops at some shop that sells them. (You should be able to click on the pictures for a larger version).

On our last trip, while our group was upstairs getting the hard sell from the sales staff at one particular store, I slipped downstairs to get a few pictures of their production facility. I won’t tell you where this is, because I find this is one of my least favorite places to stop and shop. Prices are higher than the normaly inflated Bethlehem tour-bus-stop prices and I found the sales staff downright pushy.

Drying wood - important, because, if not dry, carved wood will later crack

Bethlehem has many garages and warehouses where people carve out nativity sets. The place I took these pictures is larger than most. The pictures aren’t the highest quality. It was a bit dark and a haze of wood dust hung in the air. I also didn’t want to get in right the workers faces, so I took the shots from a distance.

Each person seems to work on one specific figure at a time, often using an identical figure as a model.

I was first a little put off by the fact that this looked a little like a sweatshop. But the reality is that unemployment in Bethlehem is high and jobs are scarce. A job like this is steady work and a relatively safe and secure environment, even if that doesn’t look like what we’re used to here.

OSHA would probably not approve of this workstation.

My experience is that prices for Olivewood nativity sets are higher in the stores in Bethlehem than what you will find in the smaller stores in Jerusalem’s Old City or even some of the hotel gift shops. That has always seemed counterintuitive to me, but I suppose that the factors of both location and next door competition are a big factor.

If you plan to buy a set and price is the biggest concern, I suggest you buy in Jerusalem. You could save 40%. Be sure the set is actually carved by hand and is not simply wet Olivewood that has been formed in press – those figures will likely crack when they dry. Also, be aware that Olivewood nativity sets are now being shipped in from China and sold by some in Jerusalem shops at lower prices.

I don’t mind spending a little more for a set in Bethlehem because I think the people there need the support and you are less likely to be sold junk. My favorites store is Kando’s. It near Rachel’s Tomb. It was started by the cobbler who was brought the first Dead Sea Scroll by the Bedouin boy who found it (and asked him to make shoe laces out of the leather).

Kando used the money he got from being a middle man for the Scrolls to open a store. They still have the original Dead Sea Scroll jar that the Isaiah scroll was stored in right there in the store (worth the trip alone). The store is now run by his grandson Shibli, who is a delightful and friendly host. Yes, their prices are higher than Jerusalem, but I like supporting a Christian family who continues to exist under such hard circumstances.

Remember, don’t pay their asking price. Expect to pay about 75% of the price they first ask; perhaps less of you’re buying a very expensive set or multiple items. Don’t be put off by the look of the store on the outside. The staff is friendly, not especially pushy, and I found them basically honest about what they sell. Just don’t be surprised if you find a similar item in Jerusalem’s souk for less –consider this a “fair trade” purchase that will help a group of people who have had it very tough for several generations.

Guide Gila Yudkin has a nice page on the Scrolls and the Kando connection at this page:
http://www.itsgila.com/headlinerscrolls.htm

How Not to Feed a Camel

I wanted to test posting a video. Let's see how well this works.

Wrapping Things Up

Time to wrap things up. Yes, everyone got home on time and with baggage. The connection at JFK was tight, but everyone made it.

I’ve had a few extra days, as have the Brittan’s. Big as this city is, I kept running into them. We walked the 500 year old walls together on Tuesday and had lunch. They were off to Athens-London-Seattle at 6am on Wednesday.

I spent today photographing the Jerusalem model in detail (about 300 pictures). I always seem to need an angle I don’t have on file, so I should be covered now.

I then headed over to an area known as the Jerusalem souk—the fresh market that many Jews shop in. I love the balance of everyday life of the living city to the Biblical treasures this city also houses.

If you don't know what this is, ask Karen Jennison.

One thing I do like about the old city is that there is an interesting looking person on just about every corner.

This guys just stands by the Jaffa Gate every day.

It took me the longest time to figure out from a distance this was not a hat, but his hair.

This girl couldn’t have been more than 21 years old (she looked younger from the front). She is obviously a private security guard for some Jewish touring or study group.

Tomorrow I have a midnight flight to the USA, so this will be my last post. Thanks for looking. Come with us next time. I’ll see you in church Sunday, but don’t expect me to be too awake.

A Free Day in the Old City to Wrap Things Up

Sadly, today is our last day. We had to meet at the Western Wall at Noon to tour a tunnel that ran along the 2000 year old foundations of the Western retaining wall Herod built in Jesus time. We had no tour guide, so I had to fill in what little I knew.

This part was a 2100 year old water channel cut in bedrock.

After this, everyone wandered off to shop, sightsee, eat, whatever.

At 6:15 we loaded on the bus and had a special dinner at a place called Pasha’s. By the way, if any of you see any pictures of me with a nargile pipe, let’s just assume the picture is digitally altered.

We went off to the airport of a late night flight. We had a few misty eyes as most of our folks said goodbye to Sam and the most unique place on earth.

I include this for my friend Todd Bolen, so he can see how his old friend Shabban's new shop is coming along.

Always nice to finish with a scenic shot....but...

Just when I thought the story was about to close, I got a phone call from Ariana, saying that baggage handlers were on strike and the plane might not be going anywhere. That sparked a few frantic phone calls, but it does look like the plane finally left, just a little late.

I hope that A: the luggage made the flight too; B: they made their connection at JFK. I’ll know soon.

Last Guided Day

Yes, I know I’m behind in the posts. We’ve been in transition mode.

Our last touring day had us passing Bethlehem again and heading into the mouth of a old, small volcano. Once again, Herod had built another fortress/palace in this spot between Masada and Jerusalem, just in case he needed to escape from angry Jews or if the Romans turned against him. Note the huge swimming pool in the foreground.
We wandered around the ruins inside the hill and walked through the underground tunnels that were later used by Jewish rebels in 135AD.

This next picture sure looks like nothing, but imagine this: On the left is the hill the Philistines are camped on. On the right (OK just behind the hill), is another hill the Israelites under Saul are camped on. In this valley is where Goliath would stride out and taunt the Israelites each day, trying to bring them down off there defensive hill.

And…this is where David wacked him.

We did a few more tunnels at a site that was mostly non-Jewish by the time they where built (lots of underground in this trip).

Finally, we stopped at a hill that once was the site of a great and important city-Lachish. It guarded the north-south road that bridged Africa to Asia and Europe. It was destroyed by the Assyrians, them 100 years later destroyed again by the Babylonians.

After this we did a couple of sites in the Old City, then everyone had some free time to get their feet wet in wandering its streets.

On the way back to the hotel, our driver Hasam (Sam) brought three of his four kids to meet us. He was the best, most friendly bus driver I have ever worked with and his kids are absolutely beautiful.

Our guide Mike and driver Hasam.

Dead Sea Area

The Romans had to build a seige ramp. Herod had to climb the face. I like the cable car option to ascent to Masada.

Inside a Roman bath built on the top. This whole place is a wonder.

Next, a stop at Qum'ran nto see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Her is one of the easily seen caves.

The next stop to just to float in the Dead Sea. You can't sink in the 35% salt water, but have to be careful not to drink.

On the way back to Jerusalem, we stopped at the village of Bethany, the home of Martha and Mary and the place where Jesus brought their brother Lazarus back from death. This the a mosaic from a 5th century church build in the town.

Today, Bethany is a sad looking, somewhat run down village that is in a fog between Israel and the Palestinian controlled areas.

A Long Day in the Old City

We spent all of today in the old city of Jerusalem. Personally, I think this is the most amazing place on the earth. We started with the Temple Mount, now the home of several Islamic mosques and sacred sites--especially the Dome of the Rock.

After that, we went to St Ann's church; a Crusader church with amazing acoustics and a echo that lasts about 8 seconds.

We visited a water storage pool built by Herod 2000 years ago and still in great shape.

After that, we turned into the Moslem quarter where many people still live and shop. I love the sights, sounds, and smells of the old city life here. It is the most exotic part of Jerusalem.

Our guide, Mike, treated us to a tradational Palestinian treat---don't ask me to remember what it's called. People come from all over to buy it from this place and it was very good.

We then went to one of my favorite places, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Like the church in Bethlehem, it suffers from being loved too much and was choked with crowds. It's hard to appreciate the place with it is that full.

Still, there are some stunning views.

In the Jewish Quarter, we visited a mansion that had been destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. It is now under a building. I think this very well could be the house of Annas (read John's Gospel).

Here is a model of what it would have looked like 2000 years ago.

After that, we dropped down to the Western, or Wailing Wall for a visit.

Then on to the site of a 1st century road by the corner of the Temple mount, one Jesus and the disciples would have walked on.

By now, feet are starting to get tired.

Here we sit on the steps leading up to the Temple, a place I think Peter preached on Pentacost and the church was born.

We finished the day walking through the 2800 year old water tunnel built by King Hezekiah. It is quite the adventure. Ariana had her camera (and I did not) so you get a rare pictue of me.

Another view (Tom Brittan in the distance)

Yet another truly amazing day. We head to the Dead Sea tomorrow.

We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us!

Today was a bit of a strange day. It started well enough. We went to the Mt Zion section of the Old City of Jerusalem. This was probably the place that Jesus had the last supper, but today it is just outside the city walls.

This place was built by crusaders and remembers the Last Super.
We got our first look at Israeli girls in military training.

We went to a chuch that now covers a 1st century house some believe was the site of Jesus trial before Caiphas. I think the location is questionable, but it was a good place to remember the events, including the old cistern that could have been used as a place to hold Jesus before he went to Pilate.

Here we're standing on 2000 year old steps that Jesus and his disciples almost certainly would have walked on when they were in Jerusalem.

We next headed into Bethlehem, now under control of the Palestinian Authority. Our tour agency insists that we visit one specific olivewood store and factory there and it was overpriced and a little too pushy. Ana and I quietly moved around and encouraged our people not to buy there. Bill and I snuck downstairs to take a look at their factory.

The next part was not so good. We got to the church of the Nativity and it was packed. There was a Disneyland type line to get into the grotto and lots of rude, frustrated people standing in it. We even got into a bumping match with an highly rude nun! This is an amazing, historic place...the oldest standing church in the holy land, but the crowd sucked the joy out of it.

Of course, we are a part of that crowd...

We did a brief stop at a a better olivewood shop that actually has one of the original Dead Sea scroll pots, the one the Isaiah scroll was found in. This is a good Christian family who it was a joy to support.

Just outside there shop, you can see a part of the Israeli security wall that surrounds Rachel's Tomb. Not a very pleasant view.

On the way back to Jerusalem, we stopped at the Hass viewpoint, to the south of the old city. This is a view Abraham might have had 3800 years ago (OK, it has changed a bit)

Our final stop was a place known as the Garden Tomb. This tomb is too old to be the one Jesus was placed in, but it is an oasis in the midst's of the chaos of the city and a good spot to visualize what Jesus' tomb might have looked like.

You see a lot of strange people in this city, but this guy must be out for some award.

Tomorrow night I might be out to dinner with an old friend who is a guide, so I might not get a post in. Thanks for looking!

Day 6 - One the Way to Jerusalem

The days started with a lost bag that never showed up at the bus. As it turns out, it wound up in Bethlehem. We'll get it tomorrow. Today we headed south along the Jordan river towards Jerusalem.

We first visited a site that was once a great Byzantine city - Bet Shean. It was the place the body of King Saul was displayed after he was killed. It is a stunning site.

Here is the main street-the Cardo.

We were delayed getting to our next site because of rush hour traffic.

We stopped at Jericho, perhaps the oldest town in world history. Not much to look at, but it is a very historical spot. This tower-store room may be 8000 years old!

Here is a part of the city wall system that Joshua and the Israelites overcame with God's help.

Of course, you have to ride a camel...

Or, you can give the camel a treat.

The Jericho economy gets a shot in the arm as Karen does her thing.One thing I love about Jerusalem is the different people you see there from all over the world.

Here we are at the Church of All Nations.
And here we are at the 1000 year old church of Mary's Tomb.

OK, I'm a little embarassed to admit this is just a part of my room at the Olive Tree hotel. It's good to be the tour host.

Sea of Galilee

Today we drove a whole circle aroung the Sea of Galilee, except for a stretch we did by boat. This was the main are of Jesus ministry and the place where most of the events in the Gospels took place. So, a few pictures, again in random order, thank to the blogger web site working a bit crazy.

This is a first century boat the was found in the mud along the seashore when the lake was low. Much like the boat Jesus would have ridden in and the disciples would have fished in.

Here is our group in front of the 4th century synagogue, built on top of the synagogue that Jesus preached in at Capernaum.

A 5th century mosaic in a Byzantine church on the sea shore.

I told Ana to keep her penguin on a leash, but she wouldn't listen to me.

The town of Capernaum from the sea, as the disciples would have seen it while fishing.

I few folks from our group on our boat trip on the Sea of Galilee. It was a beautiful day.

A close up of our group at the synagogue.

Here you can see the 1st cetury foundation the 4th century church is built on.

Our last stop was at a Byzantine church built near the spot where Jesus cast a "Legion" of demons out of a man and into a heard of pigs.

The effects of a long day, warm sun, and beautiful flowers.

This was our last day around the sea and we're a bit sad to leave. On to Jersualem.

Day 4-Northern Galilee

We visited a whole range of Old Testament and New Testament sites today. The internet is amazingly slow, so I may be posting in bits and pieces today. And it seems the pictures are out of order again.

This is our view outside our hotel window of Tiberias.

Look closely and you'll see most of our group on the top of what was a 2900 year old temple to a golden calf set up in the area of the tribe of Dan.

An oil press at Hazor.

There is nowhere we can go that Ana cannot find an animal to make friends with.

Not exciting to look at, but the was a palace area built by Solomon's orders and a place he probably visited and stayed it when in the north.

We used the fresh and clean Jordan River water that flows out of the Banias spring to do some re-dedication of Baptisms. We actually did one full baptism of a trip member who had not been baptized. It was a very special moment.

It out of the cave the the Jordan once flowed. Romans saw it as an entrance to the underworld and worshipped Pan there. Jesue took his disciples there are asked them "Who do you say that I an?"

This is a 3800 year old city gate (really), one the Abraham may have wandered through.

This is the altar at Tel Dan that the renegade king of Israel set up to keep people away from Jersualem 2900 years ago. They worshipped a golden calf there.

One the the streams that is fed by underground springs and eventually makes up the Jordan river.

Here are Alisha and Melissa just outside the military bunker on a hill that overlooks Syria.

Hard to see, but on the middle left of the picture are the edges of Damascus. The overlook is only about 35 miles away. The apostle Paul had his conversion experience somewhere in the landscape, as he was heading to Damascus.

Here is part of our group, with Syria in the background.

Back near the Sea of Galilee, we stopped at Chorizim. This is a 4th century synagogue. The city Jesus did miracles in was just up the hill.

Not much to look at, but this is another city the Jesus visited and did wonders at-Bethsaida. Three of the disciples called this their home town - Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. It's amazing to think that you're walking in a place Jesus walked in 2000 years ago.

Sephorris, Megiddo, and Nazareth

Yet another full day of touring some amazing sites. First Sepphoris, a kmajor town in the first century near Nazareth...probebly where Jesus and Joseph worked. Here is the main road.
A house with mosaics of the Nile.

More beautiful mosaics.

A view of the surrounding country from a Crusader watchtower.

By the way, we now have a new bus driver.

These pictures are loading backwards, so in a reverse order...some pictures of the historic tel of Meggido, a town that guarded the main north-south road and has seen more historic battles than any other place in world history.

The water tunnel King Ahab cut through the bedrock to get to the spring.

Descending to the tunnel...all cut by hand 2800 years ago.

Our group on the highest point of the site, viewing the pass and the valley of har Meggido...Armaggedon!

An area used by Canaanites for ritual sacrifice.

An ancient gate to the city.

Some amazing sites in Nazareth, Jesus home town.

This is the spring of Nazareth, now covered by the Greek Orthodox church, where Mary would have gone each day for water.

This is a tradational site for Joseph's workshop.... not a real location IMHO.

The Church of the Annunciation...built over a 1st century home in the heart of the old village.

The altar on the Roman Catholic church and the house, surrounded by earlier churches.

At Nazareth, a group has created some elements of a 1st century village, much like the one Jesus grew up in. It was more interesting than I thought it would be.

Ariana trying her hand at a 1st century drill.

Two local Christian Arabs who play villagers.

A working oil press for the olives they grow, 1st century style.

A recreation of a small village synagogue, much like the one Jesus must have learned to read in and where he began his public ministry. A Donkey pulling the crushing stone that was the first step in olive pressing. He was a big hit with our young women.

We Made It--Days 1 & 2

Sorry for no post last night. After 48 hours on the road, I was just disoriented/tired. We're still tired, but all is well and everyone is enjoying the trip. We have a great guide and driver. Weather is good; just a little warmer then we have been used to lately in Ellensburg.

I bring you up to where we are at as we end day two, with a few pictures. Thought maybe less than I planned, because the internet connection here is really slow! My pictures are even getting out of order.

Here we are with our guide Mike at the port of Joppa. Bleary eyed, we arrive in Israel after a 11+ hour flight.

This is the hippodrome, the sports arena for chariot races and more.

Herod build a grand palace here out into the ocean. It was in this area that Paul was held by Felix for about two years before he was sent to Rome.

The moat and walls that protected the city during the Crusader era.

The aquaduct that brought water to Ceasarea from ten miles away.

Our group getting toes wet in the Mediterranean.

A statue of the prophet Elijah on Mt. Carmel, near the site he had a "God-off" with the priests of Ba'al.

Looking out to the east from Mt. Carmel.

Some shots of the souk (marketplace) in the old city of Acco.

Some of the older parts of the city built by the Crusaders 1000 years ago. Richard the Lion Hearted and St Francis would pass through here.

Tomorrow we head to Megiddo and Nazareth. Thanks for looking.

Israel 2008 - Stand By!

In just a few days, our group will be heading to Israel. We leave very early on Wednesday, October 29 from SeaTac, get to spend six hours at JKF, then take a late night flight to Tel Aviv.

We'll have eleven days to tour this amazing place. When the group leaves, I'll spend four more days doing some photography and visiting a few more sites.

I hope to make daily reports and post a few pictures. Of course, that all depends on
1. Access to the internet
2. Some time at the end of each day to put the post together before I collapse.

It will probably be a few days into the trip before I have the first post up. Stay tuned!

Ready to Pack Your Bags?

Folks, the next great adventure will be Israel once again, but I won't be alone this time because you're invited!

This Fall I'll be leading a tour to the Holy Land. We'll even spend two days in Istanbul on the way.

There is a separate blog with all the details. I hope you might join me on my travels for what could be the trip of your life.

http://holylandtour.blogspot.com/

Boston Non-Tea Party

OK, I know most of the time I'm is some exotic location posting pictures of historical or Biblical sites. This is a little different. I'm in Concord, Mass, just outside of Boston, to assist in the wedding of our own Erik Holmstrom to a delightful young woman Erik met in the Air Force, Nicole Crampton. It has been a wonderful time and the friends and family that have gathered simply couldn't be better. I've been asked for a few pictures, so here you go. Double click on a picture for a larger version.

The bride, groom, and groom's family
The lovely couple. I dare say, Erik did very well and found a young women who is beautiful, intelligent, gracious, and has a great family behind her. It doesn't get much better.
Wedding cake...yes, Erik was nice and no cake smashing.
The wedding party, You see a few Ellensburg folks in the crowd.
Erik and mom at the reception.
I may eventually post a few pics of my other travels here: Plymouth, Harvard, Boston, Concord.


Enjoy!

When is a Cistern not a Genizah?

WARNING!!!! Obscure archaeological/historical discussion ahead! Proceed at your own risk!

Seriously, I wanted to correct a mistaken identification that occurred on our tour.

While visiting Coptic Cairo, we stopped at the Ben Ezra Synagogue. After visiting the interior, we came around the back and looked at an object in front of an smaller annex building. We were told it was the Synagogue's Genizah.

 

I had read about the Genizah before and, frankly, that wasn't what I expected it to look like. It looked to me to be an old cistern. Guess what? I was right - it is an old cistern, not the synagogue's Genizah.

Now for the long explanation.....

What is a Genizah?

Jews believe that when the name of God is written on a piece of paper, that paper must be treated with respect. It cannot be thrown out or simply destroyed. Just as the body is buried after it is worn out, so these writings that use God's name must also be buried with ritual when they are worn out or no longer in use. Hebrew word Genizah literally means "hiding place".

A Genizah was the place in a synagogue where such writings were stored until enough were collected for a proper burial. In practice, papers were often placed in the Genizah and forgotten about, the burial never taking place. Just look in any out of the way closet in your local church and you'll know what I mean.

Over the nearly thousand year history of the Ben Ezra Synagogue, literally hundreds of thousands of documents were stored in their genizah, some written as early as the first century AD. The dry climate in Egypt kept these documents intact and readable. It was a treasure trove of historical information.

I had seem what I thought were pictures of an old, scholarly man pouring through documents in the Ben Ezra Genizah in numerous books and websites. Apparently, some of the participants on our trip had seen it too.

I found that this picture is often misidentified. It is Dr. Solomon Schechter, a man who was responsible for retrieving some 140,000 documents from the genizah. But, he is not in Cairo. This picture is taken in a room at Cambridge University, where Schechter taught and where he studied the documents he got from the Synagogue.

 

So, Where Was The Genizah?

That's not easy to answer. There are lots of sources that talk about the documents and few that talk about their discovery. One major events complicates the story - the rebuilding of the Synagogue in 1892.

With the Jewish community in Egypt shrinking and those who stayed moving away from the old section, the Ben Ezra Synagogue (BES) began to fall into disrepair. In 1889, much of the roof collapsed. The Jewish community rebuilt the synagogue on the same foundations and it was completed in 1892.

Incidentally, the building we visited is the 1892 building,  but it had gone through significant renovation by an international team, beginning in 1989.

Only a few documents were obtained from the BES before the 1892 rebuilding. It appears at that time, the Genizah was in an upper attic of the building, that was accessed (this is not clear) by passing through the women's gallery and using a ladder to enter:

"...the Genizah is a small chamber on the roof of the old Synagogue. It is closed on all sides without any entrance; the roof is opened from above and from there they put in or throw down old and torn scrolls. I went up by ladder. It is full to a height of two and one half stories"      ......Jacob Saphir, describing his visit to the BES Genizah in 1864.

Only a few documents seem to have come from the Genizah before the 1889 renovation. During that renovation, the Genizah was emptied and the contents literally sat out in the open for the three years it took to build the new BES. Apparently, a number of documents were obtained by a variety of people during that time. While illegal to remove historical treasures during this time, it appears that liberal use of "baksheesh" was used to obtain the documents.

When the new BES was completed, a new genizah was built in a similar location, accessed by a ladder from somewhere in the women's gallery. Interestingly, I have yet to find any drawings, pictures, or even detailed descriptions of the Genizah itself.

In 1896, enticed by documents he had already studied from the BES Genizah, bought by two Presbyterian ladies from Scotland, Dr Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University made a trip to Cairo to look at the Genizah. He describes what he found: 

"The Genizah, which probably always formed an integral part of the synagogue, is now situated at the end of the gallery, presenting the appearance of a short windowless and doorless room of fair dimensions. The entrance is on the west side, through a big, shapless hole reached by a ladder. After showing me over the place and the neighbouring buildings, or rather ruins, the Rabbi introduced me to the beadles of the synagogue, who are at the same time the keepers of the Genizah, and authorized me to take from it what, and as much as I liked."

"The task was by no means easy, the Genizah being very dark, and emitting clouds of dust when its contents were stirred, as if protesting against the disturbance of its inmates. The protest is the less to be ignored as the dust settles in one's throat, and threatens suffocation. I was thus compelled to accept the aid offered me by the keepers of the place, who had some experience in such work from their connexion with former acquisitions (perhaps they were rather depredations) from the Genizah. Of course, they declined to be paid for their services in hard cash of so many piastres per diem. This was a vulgar way of doing business to which no self-respecting keeper of a real Genizah would degrade him- self. The keepers insisted the more on bakhshish, which, besides being a more dignified kind of remuneration, has the advantage of being expected also for services not rendered."

(read the whole story here: http://members.tripod.com/~papyri/texts/hebrewI.html)

Once the work of Schechter's finds got out, a floodgate opened up and for the next 20 years people searched the BES and the surrounding area for documents. Some were found in graves, many others were obtained from locals who had got their hands on them.

The Damascus Document

One important document Schechter retrieved was named the "Damascus Document". It talked about a "Teacher of Righteousness" and of a community of believers. At the time, no one had any idea of what the source of this document might have been. But, in 1948, another important series of ancient scrolls was discovered in caves near the Dead Sea.

It was soon realized that the "Damascus document" came from the Qumran community that produced the "Dead Sea Scrolls". The BES copy is better than any discovered at Qumran. How a scroll that must have been written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD made its way into the BES Genizah at least 1000 years later, then lasted another 900 years is a mystery we may never answer.

The People of Egypt

Those who know me, know that when I travel, I am interested not just in the historical sites or the great monuments, but in the lives of the average people around me. That’s what makes travel to very different countries so interesting to me. Little things like roadside shops and open-air butchers fascinate me.

Of course, the worst place to experience this is from a seat on a tour bus or in a luxury hotel. But, I made a great effort to take in my surroundings in Egypt and grab some pictures.
Several things struck me. First, how very materially poor parts of Egypt are. There are vast areas of Cairo that we might call slums. They are made up of both old houses and new tenements that seem unfinished and poorly maintained. To be fair, Cairo has some nice parts and many middle class apartments, but the size of these run down areas surprised me.
Second, we to see how much of the rural life outside the cities seem to have bypassed the 20th century. You see many mud brick homes, with people working in the fields with donkeys, water buffalo, and even camels as their main source of transportation. Some of these people live much of their lives just about as their ancestors did 4000 years ago.

I think this is a bakery. Notice that one window is for men, they other for women.





But then, you see a mud brick home with a satellite disk on the roof.

Egypt is a fascinating country, still facing the transformations of the modern world.

St. Catherine's

I have wanted to go to St. Catherine’s for years, so this was a minor dream come true.

First a little history. Sometime in the early 3rd century AD Christian hermits began to live near a mountain they identified as the mountain of God that Moses met God on. They lived near a bush they identified as the “burning bush” that God used to speak to Moses through. How this site was originally identified has been lost to history.

Around 320AD, the mother of the new Christian Roman emperor, Helena, authorized the building of a church at that location. More monks went into the area, but found they were routinely attached by the pagan locals. So in 542 AD the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I built fortress-like walls around the chapel and a new basilica (church). The church was renamed after a martyred Christian woman named Catherine, who was killed for her faith in the late 3rd century.

That building exists to this day. Making it one of the oldest existing and continually occupied churches in the world. In the early Moslem period, the story goes that Mohammed himself gave them a writ of protection that allowed them to go unmolested over the centuries. Her tall granite walls helped too and until the past century, the only way in was to be raised up in a basket – there were no doors. Here is the bush. It does not seem to be on fire.

More than just the building itself, St. Catherine’s is a repository of some of the oldest copies of the Bible ever found, along with many other writings and fantastic Christian art. The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. It includes the Codex Sinaiticus, one of the earliest copies of the Bible we have (4th century A.D.).

There is only a small cemetary, so the bones of the monks are routinely stored in a small chapel outside the monastery. Yes, this is a little bit creepy.
No pictures were allowed in the church, but here is a shot I captured through the door. This photo does not do the beautiful church justice. It is stunning.
There is no place in the world like St Catherine’s and it is one of the Christian churches greatest historical treasures.

Into the Desert

Well, I am back now, but I want to add a few posts to the blog for our last days, plus a few extra thoughts.

When we left off, we were following the Moses and the Hebrews as the fled Egypt. They crossed into the Sinai peninsula and made their way to the “Mountain of God”.

In truth, about all we know for sure is that they left Egypt, got to the mountain, then left to wander for 40 years. There are countless theories about the exact route, the true number of Hebrews, the places they stopped, and where the “mountain of God” is/was.

The path we followed is but one of the suggested routes. It is a reasonable guess (much more reasonable than many others, by my estimation), but no more than that.

Still, if it wasn’t this exact path, it must have been one that looked much the same. In fact, some parts of life in this region haven’t changed much in the past 3500 years. The area is a vast area of sand and rock, little water, few trees or vegetation. It is a harsh land at best.

We started our day at a resort by the Red Sea, south of the Suez Canal. This whole stretch of beach is being filled with hotels for Egyptians who want to escape the city and Europeans who want cheap, sunny beach holidays. We headed south along the coast, then turned east into a long canyon, knows as Wadi Ferian. Bedouins still live in this canyon and while it looks bone dry, you could see many wells that dotted the valley floor.

We stopped at an oasis that would have been a natural stopping spot. No water today, but obviously there is water near the surface and wells could have been there in Moses time.

In the Exodus account, we read that the Israelites got into a fight on the way to the mountain:

Exo 17:8-10 "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. {9} Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." {10} So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill."

This is the traditional spot of this battle: a bottleneck in Wadi Ferian that would have been a natural place for a small group of warriors to try and stop a larger group they saw as invaders.

This is the place Moses might have stood and at one time a monastery stood on this hill.

The locals seem to appear out of nowhere when the tour busses stop. This lady was a tough bargainer.

As you climb into the canyon, the mountains rise higher, until you reach the base of Jebu Musa, the traditional Mt Sinai, at 5000 feet. More on that in the next post.

Sitting At SeaTac

I hate waiting for a shuttle at SeaTac. Mostly because of the cost of food. I often find my most expensive meal on a trip is the sandwich I buy at the airport before I get the 5pm shuttle.

I’m going to put together a couple of final posts from stateside. We had no internet access for three days and the final night it was almost a $1 a minute ( a rip off anywhere). On top of that, the hotel gave up our 1:15am wake up call at 1:45am, and we needed to catch a 2am airport shuttle to get our 4am flight. It’s been a long day.

I’ll put together a post of the Red Sea and St. Catherine’s in the next few days.

A Little More Goshen and On to Asia

Again… Sorry this is late. We’ve had no internet access for three days. My posts about our final days will come from the good old USA.


This has been a day of important places, but not impressive places.

We visited several likely places that would have been stops for the Hebrews in the first few days of the Exodus. In some places, there was nothing there to start, so nothing remains. Still, it was interesting to again walk in the same steps of the Hebrews fleeing Egypt and Pharaoh.

Exo 12:37 "The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children."

This is the rural village that sits at the site of Succoth. This is not on the normal tourist track. They may get 2-3 busses a year and the kids of the town turned out in force to welcome us. This mud brick structure is from a period later than then Moses was there.

We next went to a place that may be the remains of a “sea of Reeds”
Exo 13:18 "So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle."

OK, trust me on this one, “red sea” is a mistranslation. It should be “reed sea”. A whole series of lakes and swamps were on the eastern border of Egypt and represented their boarder with Sinai. For the most part, when the Suez canal was built, these lakes and swamps were naturally drained and have dried up. You can still see them on maps over 150 years old. This is a small section of what large areas would have looked like.

Near this site, was the location of a city built in later times that sat on the Egyptian boarder. It’s called Tampahnes. This was the city that the Prophet Jeremiah was forced to go to after the fall of Jerusalem at the close of his life. Very little has been excavated there, but we‘re sure this is the spot.
Jer 43:7 "So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes."

Finally, we crossed the Suez canal into the Sinai.

There we saw the Bitter lakes area…again mostly drained by the canal and not much to look at now.
Exo 15:23-24 "When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) {24} So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?""

Finally, we stopped at a traditional place called Moses Springs. It was an obvious place for Moses to stop, since all the Israelites could buy trinkets from the Sinai Bedouin.

We’ll pause tomorrow morning before we head to St. Catherine’s at the base of a traditional site of Mt. Sinai (Jebu Musa) deep in the southern Sinai mountains.

PS…It’s possible this may be my last post in Egypt. I don’t expect an internet connection at St. Catherine’s and the last night before we leave I may not have time (Shawn and I have a 4am flight out…so we need to be at the airport at 2am…aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh).

Two final notes:

One this has been a great trip and I’ve seem some stuff I have heard and read about for years. I looking forward to getting home, but I have had a wonderful time.

Second…I wanted to post this earlier: How about a Egypt blog contest!

Who can guess what this is? There will be a prize for the first correct answer posted in the comments.