Dead
Sea
405
meters below sea level make the Dead Sea the lowest point on earth, which
because of its high salt content makes it inhospitable 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, containing royal buildings, a mosque, water fountains and spectacular
mosaic floors.
Beit
Jala
Two
kilometers west of Bethlehem is another Palestinian town worth visiting-for
many reasons these days. Beit Jala enjoys a reputation as a summer resort
and it is also famous for its delicious apricots, best virgin olive oil
and olives,the distinctive brocaded dresses worn by the women, and for
its expert stone masons and inlaid mother- of-pearl and olive wood artistic
handcrafts.
There
are four churches here, the most attractive being the Greek Orthodox Church
of St. Nicholas with its square tower and glittering silver dome. The view
from the summit at the top of the hill is spectacular, with a great part
of Jerusalem visible. You should ask the residents to show you the spectacular
mansions and ornamented architecture of the town's homes. From here a road
descends to the Monastery of Cremisan, renowned for the wineproduced by
the Salesian monks, who also run a farm. The monastery houses a high school
and an impressive library.
On
the other hand,for the past four months since the start of the Palestinian
uprising against the Israeli occupation, Beit Jala has been hard hit by
Israeli shelling and heavy automatic machinery at night. This could be
a call for the adventurous and unconventional traveler, but actually it
is a call to go visit and support the people of Beit Jala. Not only residential
areas where shelled but also St. Nicholas Church, which is the oldest in
the area after the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem as well as the elaborately
aesthetic homes that were built in the 1800's and early 1900's. You could
go in the day time!!
The
Church of Bethany or Lazarus
Located
4kms east of Jerusalem in the Palestinian village of al-'Azariyeh, along
the Jericho road. The Arabic name of the village is a derivation of the
earlier Greek name. Remains of a Crusader church, which replaced a 4th
century chapel on top of Lazarus' grave were found here. The church was
later converted into a mosque and again, in the 17th century into a church.
The Roman Catholics built the present church in the 1950's.The blue domed
church nearby is a Greek Orthodox Church. It was built over the Tomb of
Lazarus, renowned for being the place where Jesus raised the man from the
dead (John 11:1- 44)
