Dead
Sea
405 meters below seallevel make the Dead Sea
the lowest point on earth, which because
of its high salt content makes it in-hospitable
to life - but helpful in treating skin diseases.
Hisham's Palace
Five-km north of Jericho are the ruins of
the desert palace of Umayyad Caliph Hisham Ibn Abdul Makik destroyed
by earthquake before it was completed in
747 AD, taining royal buildings, a
mosque, water fountains and spectacular mosaic floors.
Khreitoun Valley
Seven kilometers south east of Bethlehem, this valley, named after a monk, is a very atractive and in riguing ancient and natural site. Extending between two mountains south of the Freidees mount (Herodion), Khreitoun valley contains numerous caves many of them used by the Palestinian population up until 40 years ago. In addition of being an extremely interesting hiking area, he valley contains three pre-historic caves: 'Irq al Ahmar, Um Qal'a, and Um Qa fa. To reach these caves you need to walk down in the valley itself. The first cave, 'Irq al Ahmar, is reached after about 1.5 kms walk on the left hand side and requires a short climb. It is a natural cave with evidence of human setlement dating back to 50,000 - 2500 BC. If you continue walking on the mountain itself you reach the 'Um Qal'a cave after less than one kilometer. Human setlement there dates back to 4000 BC. 'Um Qa afa is the third cave where prehistoric evidence was found, as well as the first brazier in the Middle East. These caves were excavated between 1929 - 1948.
The Khreitoun cave, named after a Turkish monk who lived in the area in he 4 th century AD, can be reached by walking on the ridge of the mountain on the right hand side, opposite the pre-historic caves. Four kilometers away (about one hours brisk walk) from the beginning of the valley you reach the cave which is more like a tunnel that is said to extend 17 kms inside the mountain. However, the maximum distance attempted into the cave so far has been 150 meters. Torch lights are needed, and I requires crawling in some areas. People who suffer claus rophobia or asthma are discouraged to attempt entry into this cave. In the spring, the area is abundan with wild flowers and green patches can be found in the middle of the mountain, ideal for picnics and outings.
Via Dolorosa
The Via Dolorosa is among the holies sites in Christendom. It is the path taken by Jesus when, bearing his cross on his back, he made his way to the place of this crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa is a street no different from any other street in the northern part of the Old City, except for the nine stations which lie along it to commemorate the dramatic events of Jesus' last journey. It starts not far from Lion's Gate (Bab al-Asbaat) and winds its way westward towards the Church of he Holy Sepulchre.
This is the route followed by Jesus from the place of crucifixion on olgo ha. The exac route of the Via Dolorosa-as well as the location of the stations along it -is still disputed by scholars. The Way of the Cross was not finally fixed as it is today until he 15 th century.
Of the 14 stations of the Via Dolorosa, nine
are along the route and five inside
the Church of he Holy Sepulchre. The nine stations are the
Praetorium, the Chapel of the Condemnation, the place
where he fell for the first time, the Church of our Lady of
the Spasm, the place where Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry
the cross, the house of Veronica who wiped his face with her veil,
the place where Jesus fell the second time, the place where
he talked to the women of Jerusalem, and the place where
he fell for the third time.
PO Box 25047, East Jerusalem, Palestine
Tel. 972-2-5819777, Fax. 972-2-5829534
E-mail: ptw@jmcc.org