Ascent to Jerusalem
It was about a 5 hour drive through the desert to get from Petra to the border of Israel. We crossed the bridge at the border, went through customs, and then drove through modern-day Jericho before beginning our ascent to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is a city on a hill. When pilgrims travelled to it, they would always have to go UP to the Holy City. The "songs of ascent" (Psalm 120-135) were written and sung for such an occasion. My group travelled "up" from Jericho. The roads were steep and dangerous and there was much to see along the way including the rolling desert hills, bedouin settlements, Herod the Great's amazing hydration system, and the Monastery of St. George tucked away in the canyon between Jericho and Jerusalem.
As we reached our final ascent, the guide asked us to close our eyes and we listened to a song called "The Holy City." When the music stopped, we got out of our bus and there it was -- the Holy City.
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Monastery of St. George |
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Jerusalem at sunset |
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Jerusalem at sunset |
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