.:*The First of Many*:.

Days Ten, Eleven and Twelve

Day ten was spent in the cave until 1:00, then a quick lunch followed by lecture and the pottery washing. This was one of our longest days to far and one of the most physically challenging as well. We moved so much dirt that day that I had no doubt that we, Team Tzuba, would complete our goal of removing the mound of dirt from the cave and getting it somewhat ready for tourist.

Day Eleven, we did it….YAY! Totally completed our goal and we were all very, very excited. It took a lot of team work to accomplish this goal and I must say we had a great bunch of people working on this dig. I feel not only very blessed to even have this opportunity, I feel even more blessed given the opportunity to meet new people who have become friends. We have a bond now and we are all considering returning next summer for the Mt. Zion dig and having a reunion. Great bunch of people and I am very happy our paths have crossed. We ended the day with an ice cream and wine party. A few of us stayed a bit later and got a bottle of gin and laughed and laughed. I think we really needed to just let go at that point. It was a tough two weeks but one that was so well worth it.

Day twelve was spent walking around the Old City of Jerusalem one last time. I have come to realize that Jerusalem is not a place I would choose to move to and live in. The Old City of Jerusalem is made up of four sections called Quarters. There is the Christian Quarter, The Jewish Quarter, The Armenian Quarter and The Moslem Quarter. The Jewish Quarter is closed on Saturday because of Shabbat, so their Saturday is their Sunday and everything is closed down until after sundown Saturday evening. I have found as I wondered around that the cleanliness was different in every Quarter. The Moslem Quarter seemed to be the dirtiest, stinky (like garbage) and the most crowed. The Christian Quarter was filled with tourists as well but not as many, not as dirty and not as stinky. It was a nice day as we could do what we wanted without a schedule so going with the flow was wonderful. It was also pleasant weather and not too hot. Israel is so close to the shore that there seems to be a gentle breeze all day long. I also enjoyed just observing the different cultures and how they or individuals in the same culture interact with each other. I also saw children just playing in the streets and all dirty which just broke my heart. I couldn’t help but wonder what the school system was like here or if they even have a school system. Just watching has created a list of questions that I will research before I come back again. It was also really, really nice to get off the Kibbutz and have different food. We are served the same food every single day for every meal. Only a few things change daily but not much. They even eat salad for breakfast. I am so sick of tomatoes, cumbers and lettuce….oh, and hard boiled eggs. I can’t wait to get home and have a real cup of coffee and real American food. There is coffee here but I don’t really care for it except for this ice coffee that the lady in the lobby makes for me every afternoon after I am done working. It’s funny but I noticed the other day that I would go for my ice coffee at around 3:00 PM every day and that is the same time I would go during the week at work…..weird. Tomorrow will be my last day and then I fly home at 11:50 PM. I plan on leaving the Kibbutz around noon and heading to Tel Aviv so I could swim in the Mediterranean Sea. I don’t have the logistics worked out yet but I am sure it will work out. I can’t pass Tel Aviv on my way to the airport without getting in the sea.

Days Six, Seven, Eight and Nine

Hello all! I hope all who are reading this at home are to doing well and I miss you all. It has been a very busy and extremely exhausting last 4 days. We have made great headway on the cave dig site and it is actually looking like we may just finish the objective and complete our goal. On Monday I was pretty sure that there was no way we were going to accomplish our goal of completing the excavation by Friday, June 24th but I was wrong. If we stay at the pace that we are working we will get it done! Every layer we peel off the ground the more excited we all get and the more motivated and that makes us all work even harder. I must admit I will be very happy not to dig in the dirt or look at a bucket for a while, although I am considering returning next year but to dig at a different site called Mt. Zion. To learn more about this site please visit - http://digmountzion.com/information/.

This past weekend (the weekend of June 18 and 19) we did a lot of touring as a class. I must say it was exhausting!!!! And there wasn’t any time to stop and reflect for even just a moment as our tour guide, Dr. Tabor, had us running and running and running. By Sunday night we all were so tired which did not help us be productive at 5:00 AM on Monday morning. Needless to say we were all sluggish and since we had a full weekend of lecture our Monday afternoon lecture was canceled and we were all very happy about that. I think everyone of us took naps after working that day. Here are most of the places we toured.

Saturday: We visited Masada and sites along the West Bank.

Masada – pronounced, Metzada: A site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. After the First Jewish-Roman War a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels. For more info visit - http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/masada.html.

Dead Sea: The Dead Sea, one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the whole world. It is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts, hiding wonderful treasures that accumulated throughout thousands of years. The salt content is four times that of most of the world's oceans and you can float in the Dead Sea without even trying. Scientifically speaking, its water contains more than 35 different types of minerals that are essential for the health and care of the body skin including Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Bromine, Sulfur, and Iodine. They are well known for relieving pains and sufferings caused by arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, headache and foot-ache, while nourishing and softening the skin. They also provide the raw materials for the renowned Jordanian Dead Sea bath salts and cosmetic products marketed worldwide. For more info visit - http://www.extremescience.com/zoom/index.php/earth-records/37-dead-sea. Most of us swam, or should I say floated, in the Dead Sea and it was really a funny feeling. It was even difficult to stand up. Only three of us smeared the black mud that is supposed to make your skin soft and beautiful for weeks but unfortunately we didn’t get a picture of us all. It was quite the sight. I am not sure if it was the mud or the water, but our skin did feel really soft and it also helped heal up one of the cuts I have on my right leg.

Qumran: An archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia. The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of John Hyrcanus, 134-104 BCE or somewhat later, and was occupied most of the time until it was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE or shortly after. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. For info visit - http://www.bibleplaces.com/qumran.htm. To learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls visit -http://www.centuryone.com/25dssfacts.html.

Sunday: We toured the Old City of Jerusalem and visited the Israeli Museum at the end of the day.

We started on the Mount of Olives and walked down to the Old City taking the path Jesus rode down on a donkey the day he was betrayed. The Mount of Olives is associated predominantly with Jewish and Christian traditions but also contains several sites important in Islam. The mount has been used as a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years and holds approximately 150,000 graves. For more info visit - http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtolives.htm.

Church of All Nations: Built in 1924 and funded by several nations, this church stands over the traditional site where Jesus prayed on the night of his betrayal. For more info visit-http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-church-of-all-nations.

Church of Dominus Flevit: This Franciscan church marks the spot where Jesus wept over the future destruction of Jerusalem. There is a beautiful view of Temple Mount from here. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-dominus-flevit-church.htm.

Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall): This is all that remains of the Temple that was once the center of Jewish worship. The Western Wall Plaza is a vast, open-air synagogue that is the preferred place to pray for Jews worldwide. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-western-wall.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre: This historic church shelters the holiest site in all Christendom: the tomb where Christ was buried and rose from the dead. It is shared by several denominations. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-church-of-holy-sepulchre.

Last Supper Room: This vaulted room built by Crusaders in the 12th century commemorates the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples in an "upper room." For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-last-supper-room.

Via Dolorosa: This route through the Old City is revered by Christian pilgrims as the route taken by Jesus as he was led to his crucifixion. It is the setting of regular processions. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-via-dolorosa.

Dome of the Rock: Built in the 7th century, this beautiful blue-and-gold shrine houses the rock from which the Prophet took his Night Journey into heaven. The rock is also associated with Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-dome-of-the-rock.

Temple Mount: A holy site to Jews, Muslims, and Christians, the Temple Mount is the historic site of the Jewish Temple and the current site of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. For more info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-temple-mount.

Israel Museum: Opened in 1965, this large museum includes art exhibits, a Judaica Wing, an Archaeological Wing, and the wonderful Shrine of the Book containing the Dead Sea Scrolls. For mor info visit - http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-israel-museum.htm.

To see tons of pictures of my trip so far please visit the below links and Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2112456537562.127640.1430118415&l=c0a07406c6
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Day Three, Four and Five ~ First, Second and third days on the dig sites
Oh My Goodness!!!! Can you say amazing adventure mixed with back breaking work?? Sorry for the delay in my updates but the internet here is not very reliable and is constantly down. It also takes about 7 minutes just to upload one picture. VERY frustrating as I have 100’s of pictures to share with you all. It is already the fifth day into my 24 day adventure but Sunday was the groups first day at one of our dig sites. We worked our butts off. It was a lot of work and we got really, really dirty. The first site we dug at was the Cave of John the Baptist. Let me tell you a little bit about this cave. The cave was discovered by Dr. Shimon Gibson on August 16, 2004, a discovery that he identified with the ministry is the Cave of John the Baptist.
The cave is 7 mi (11 km) west of Jerusalem, on the grounds of Kibbutz Tzuba, and 2½ mi (4 km) from Ein Kerem, the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist. It is actually a stone-carved subterranean structure with a horizontally cut entrance and steps leading to the floor. A niche was carved in the right wall along the steps and at the bottom was a large oval stone with a “right-foot” impression on the top, associated with another niche cut in the sidewall. From the base of the steps a gravel walkway led to a reservoir cut in the floor on the cave’s far end. Cut into the plaster that lined the cave were schematic reliefs depicting a man holding a staff (and wearing an animal skin garment?), a face (disembodied head?) and a cross. Large quantities of Byzantine and Roman pottery were found on and above the structure’s floor.
Dr. Gibson, who heads the Jerusalem Archaeological Field Unit, and Dr. James Tabors private research group, identified the site in 1999 and excavated it over the next 12 years. Both Gibson and Tabor suggest that the “foot-impressioned” stone and accompanying niche were used in a water or oil anointing ritual. The water reservoir at the far end served as an immersion pool. Pottery found within the structure may have been used as part of ritual practices during the early and late Roman periods. Byzantine monks presumably carved the wall reliefs in the cave.
According to Gibson, the Byzantine reliefs depict John the Baptist dressed in an animal skin (Mt 3:4; Mk 1:6) and his disembodied head (Mt 14:10–12; Mk 6:27–29). The presumed connection of water rituals and the proximity of John’s birthplace also associate it with John in the excavator’s opinion. Gibson notes that John arrived at the Jordan River with a full-blown concept of baptism and he believes it was here that John developed his vision. The cave is twenty-four meters long, about four meters wide and four meters deep and was carved in the Iron Age, somewhere between 800 and 500 B.C., by the Israelites who apparently used it as an immersion pool. Dr. Gibson’s theory is that it was adopted by John the Baptist, who wanted a place where he could bring people to undergo their rituals, pertaining to his ideas of baptism. His believers would have walked down 28 stone steps. To their right, they would have discarded their clothes in a niche carved into the wall. At the bottom of the steps, they would have placed the right foot onto a stone with an imprint of a foot for cleansing. A small depression to the right of the imprint would have contained oil, to be poured over the foot. After they are immersed in the water and their foot is cleansed they would break their potter vessel and emerge from the cave a new person. Here is a link to a virtual tour of the cave, http://www.3disrael.com/john_the_baptist_cave/. We are excavating the remaining stairs and the whole left side of the cave. When we arrived on Sunday, our first day at the site, the entire floor of the cave was filled with water and mud. Removing this mud was our first job on the site. We removed bucket, after bucket after bucket by creating a human chain assembly line. It took all day to get the mud out and we had to rotate positions so we wouldn’t get bored or our muscles too tired with certain jobs. Every single person was hurting at the end of that day and we all wondered what the hell we got ourselves into. Day two of the dig was way more fun. Not only did we not have to remove buckets and buckets of mud, water and dirt we actually began real exaction work. First we had to collect all of our data and take measurements and drawings and the work began. I actually uncovered the handle and lip of a water vessel that dated back to the early Roman period. It was amazing to hold these pieces in my hand and even more amazing to unearth them. I obviously was not allowed to keep them but I was told that during our pottery washing class, which is Wednesday, we will be allowed to take a few pieces and I hope I can find them again. It would be way more meaningful to me if they are the pieces that I personally unearthed. I also excavated 3 ancient stone steps that lead to the bottom of the stair case. When we began you couldn’t even see the steps but you knew they had to be there. Day three we spent the entire day at our ancient Tzuba Wine Press I that is located on the Kibbutz. It was another day of back breaking work as the day was spent cleaning up the site and getting it ready for data collection and excavation. We were lucky and very thankful that the weather today was very pleasant so were not dying from the heat. We didn’t find anything but we did see a spider that was as large as a tarantula and I was told they eat mice….yuk! That critter scared the bajebers out of me. I was constantly on the lookout for it and was so afraid it was going to jump off this cliff I was working near onto my head. I also saw a snake that had a gold body and a black head. It was really thin and no one knew what it was so we chased it away into a wooded area. The last critter seen for the day was a small blackish color scorpion and we were told, “…where there is one there are others”, so needless to say we all were on the outlook for them.
The day ended really well. I think I was one of the only ones who did not take a nap when we were done working at the site. I went to the veranda, which seems to be one of my favorite places here at the Kibbutz, and drank an ice coffee and began typing this journal. Then some of the kids came and suggested we hike up to the Belmont Castle. When we were hiking back we decided to grab our wine and go back up and sit on the roof and watch the sunset. It was magnificent and we had a full moon to boot. All in all it was a memorable evening and one I will remember the rest of my life. To learn more about the Belmont Castle please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suba,_Jerusalem.
I am still having issues posting pictures. It seems the best time is in the morning and I get up at 5:00 AM for the dig and do not have time to post before I have to leave for the site. Hopefully I will be able to share them with you all very soon. I have hundreds of them.
Well thanks for reading. Until next time…..

Day Two

Today was a beautiful day. Pretty warm in the sun and extremely pleasant in the shade with a constant gentle breeze. There is hardly a cloud in the sky and I was told that this is their dry season and they don’t see much rain until December. Right now I am sitting on the veranda drinking wine made here on the Kibbutz winery. I have to say I don’t really care for it but it cost me a lot so I will finish it. Prices here are way more than I thought they would be but I haven’t ventured out into Jerusalem yet so I really can’t judge until I get into a populated city. I ventured into the General Store today and got a taste of what other cultures feel when they arrive in America. I couldn’t read a thing. I could tell what a few things were, such as coffee, but I couldn’t read it to see how you make it. I had to ask someone. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for those who visit or immigrate to America and do not know a bit of English.

Let me tell you a little about the Kibbutz. The total name is Kibbutz Palmach Tzuba and is a Cooperative Kibbutz located in the Regional Council “Mateh Yehuda” and belongs to the United Kibbutz Movement – TAKAM. The name Tzuba reflects the heritage of the Palmach and the historic location of the Kibbutz on the remains of a biblical town. It was founded in October of 1948 by Palmach members, Israeli born youth, Holocaust survivors and immigrants from Turkey. The Kibbutz absorbed individuals and families, both sabras (is a term used to describe a Jewish person born in Israeli territory; the term is also usually inclusive of Jews born during the period of the establishment of the state of Israel. The word "sabra" is Arabic and Jewish immigrants to Palestine began using it in the early 1930s.) and new immigrants while some of the second generation chose to continue in their parents path by becoming members.

It also supports a variety of industries and occupations that include: fruit orchards, vineyards and olive groves, and poultry houses. Dairy farming and fields are part of regional corporations operated in lower areas. It has also developed additional sources of income such as the Oran-Palmach-Tzuba a laminated windshield plant that was founded in the early 1980’s, producing various types of safety windshields, and bulletproof glass. Oran is the largest industry in the Kibbutz and even has a branch in the USA. The Tzuba Estate Winery was started in 2005 and the ancient wine press, which we excavate further, next week, dot the Kibbutz landscape and shows they carry on an age old tradition. The Kibbutz is traditionally self sufficient with a professional dental clinic, department store, hairdresser and cosmetic and holistic treatments. Approximately 40% of the Kibbutz members work outside the Kibbutz and all salaries are transferred to the Kibbutz as common income.

The Kibbutz Tzuba sits on a treasure of historical sites and hiking trails, in a breathtaking landscape: Ein Tzuba is a beautiful spring, the main source of water for the founders of the Kibbutz. The spring was renovated and became a magnet for hikers and picnickers. I went there today…more shortly. The Cave of John the Baptist (the reason I am here) is a unique site from the First Temple time, whose walls are incised with the figure of John the Baptist form the Byzantine period. I am very excited about further excavating the cave, which starts tomorrow morning before sunrise.

Today five of us decided that it was the perfect day to venture out on our own since we do not need to work until 4:00 this afternoon (Israeli time). We really didn’t map out a plan and decided to let our feet take us where they lead us and what an adventure we had. We hiked for about 4 or more hours and made ourselves come back as our meals are only served during certain time periods and some of the young ones were hungry. Our group gets along really well and everyone has the same interests and get excited about a lot of the same things. There is another lady that actually gets just as excited as I do over the little things we see. Of course we were immediately labeled the “lollygaggers” as we had to stop and explore every flower or potter shard we found. It is nice to have another such as myself so I don’t feel so guilty keeping others from going at a faster pace. I prefer to take my time and take it all in. Some walk so fast that they don’t really SEE. I want to SEE everything. We also have a person who is brilliant. You know the kind. The one who has so much knowledge I can’t help but wonder how they keep it all in their brains. She just seems to know just about everything we saw today. She is a very sweet person too. Our group has a variety of people and I think that is why we are all going to have a great time together. As I always say, “Everything happens for a reason” so there must be a reason we all were brought together to experience this adventure.

So for our hike, we had quite a few highlights from our hike today. First, I/we crawled into our first ancient tomb. . It was beyond words. Amazing! I was so nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. We didn’t have a guide and we weren’t even sure we were allowed to crawl into it or what dangers we would face once in it but 3 of us were so excited that we couldn’t help ourselves and really didn’t even think. One stayed out because she was a bit scared but she said it was to protect us so she could get help if a viper bit us. She was constantly like, “be careful over there.” “Watch out for vipers” but she was adorable and I don’t think any of us really minded except for one young man named Jordan who told her she had to lighten up and chill out. She said, “I will remind you of that after I take a picture of the snake the bites you so we can save your life”….LOL.
I saw lots and lots of different flowers. Walked through an olive grove…so cool, saw what we thought was an ancient olive tree from the time of Jesus and the Ein Tzuba spring which I mentioned above. The spring was really cool both figuratively and literally. The water was very refreshingly cool. I picked up some pottery shards and I am going to inquire about them when Dr. Tabor emerges from his room. He is writing a book and told us he would be working on that all morning and half the day. I also saw these really cool lizard critters which I took pictures of and will post later. It seems the late afternoon and evening hours are not the best time to work on the net as it is sooooooooooooooooo slow. I am not even going to attempt to post more pics until the morning (my morning, your night time) so check back when you wake up Sunday morning and they will be there.

Well, I need to get ready for work. Bye for now……
Posted by carrieline40 06:03 Comments (6)