A Weekend in Israel

A weekend in Israel often starts with a very busy Friday. One must get everything ready for the Friday evening (shabbat) meal and often work hard to free yourself up to rest on Saturday.

My Shabbat meal was a grill-out with steak and salmon. I felt very spoiled.

My Saturday was not so typical - I went to Bethlehem to visit the church of the nativity. This church houses an Armenian, a Greek Orthodox and a Roman Catholic section.

It also has a couple of grottos, this one below is supposed to contain the holy grail. I know I should have been reverent, but I couldn't help but make Indiana Jones references. I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't a deep chasm between me and that door.

I was confused when I found this. It is one of the many columns in the entrance area. People would come up stick their fingers in all the holes and then pray. I don't know where that custom comes from.

Finally, I went home and did the traditional Shabbat thing - I spent the rest of the day on the couch sometimes sleeping, sometimes reading.