My trip to the Promised Land

I love traveling and seeing many different places around the world. I believe that traveling and exploring new places is the best things you can do, definitely if you can!

Some time ago I participated in the conference that was conducted in Taba (small town in Egypt, I know that Egypt deserves a separate post, but perhaps better next time). Since Taba is bordering Israel I thought it’s a good idea to visit Israel too.

'Welcome to Israel' tells the sign at the Israeli border / View from the sea shore in Taba, Egypt

Egypt-Israel border / View from the Hilton Taba Hotel

What did I know before about Israel? Well, I studied the Holy Bible during my university years, but since it covers some earlier times, I supposed that Israel changed since Moses led the Jewish people from Egypt and Christ was born… I also took some classes of history, so I knew already that the Jews been persecuted all the time, therefore they declared their own Israeli state in 1948 after WWII, and since then Palestinians and Israelis are fighting over land (actually I knew it since I could remember myself).

What I didn’t know or perhaps didn’t fully realized is that Israel is mainly a desert with lack of potable water and harsh climate. So, throughout all my journey I was wondering how this can even can be called ‘promised land’ and why Palestinians and Israelis are fighting over this place on the earth?

Something’s growing, but doesn’t really look viable…

Some lonely tree on the way to Jerusalem

So taking into account all above, you might be very much surprised to know the following facts:

Agriculture in Israel is a highly developed industry: Israel is a major exporter of fresh produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally conducive to agriculture. More than half of the land area is desert, and the climate and lack of water resources do not favor farming. Only 20% of the land area is naturally arable. In 2008 agriculture represented 2.5% of total GDP and 3.6% of exports. While farm workers made up only 3.7% of the work force, Israel produced 95% of its own food requirements, supplementing this with imports of grain, oilseeds, meat, coffee, cocoa and sugar.
(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Israel)

Well, to be honest, sometimes I’ve seen something like this:

A small palm grove near the Dead Sea

What you would really want to see (and feel) is the Dead Sea. How it feels like to swim in the Dead Sea? Technically you can’t swim in the Dead Sea. It’s a stunning feeling, because the water is so much salty (feels really oily) that you simply float, preferably on your back (or the water may harm your eyes). They say also that water (or rather mud) is so rich with minerals and such that it cures many skin diseases. I’m not so sure in the last statement, but other tourists are buying tons of Dead Sea creams or whatever it was substances for skin care.

People standing and laying in the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 429 metres (1,407 ft) below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With 34.2% salinity (in 2011), it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean, and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and its main tributary is the Jordan River. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea)

The Dead Sea shore

After the Dead Sea we proceeded to Jerusalem and then Bethlehem – the place where Christ was born.

Nice fundraising idea from the University of Jerusalem

A view of Jerusalem

To come to Bethlehem one must cross the border between Israel and Palestine. We were not getting off the bus and I don’t remember showing any ID to anyone. Two guys with long hair, machine guns and without too many signs of uniform (to say the least) entered the bus and were staring in the faces of passengers for some time. I was explained by the guide before crossing the border that Israelis are not allowed to enter Bethlehem. It took up to 10 minutes to examine all the faces – I’m not sure how they did it, perhaps these soldiers were coded with some special face recognition program…

Israeli West Bank barrier from the side of Israel

Israeli West Bank barrier from the side of Palestine

Bethlehem is a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank, Palestine, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000 people.It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. The economy is primarily tourist-driven. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem)

When visiting Bethlehem, you will definitely notice that it’s economy is tourist-driven:

All the places are called in the name of King David, King Solomon or simply like this hotel:

I believe that it’s a well know fact that Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. That’s why many people from around the world are coming here at the Christmas time to attend Midnight Mass in Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity.

Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity

The Church of the Nativity inside

The Church of the Nativity is a basilica located in Bethlehem, West Bank. The church was originally commissioned in 327 by Constantine the Great and his mother Helena over the site that is still traditionally considered to be located over the cave that marks the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The Church of the Nativity site's original basilica was completed in 339 and destroyed by fire during the Samaritan Revolts in the 6th century. A new basilica was built 565 by Justinian, the Byzantine Emperor, restoring the architectural tone of the original. The site of the Church of the Nativity has had numerous additions since this second construction, including its prominent bell towers. Due to its cultural and geographical history, the site holds a prominent religious significance to those of both the Christian and Muslim faiths. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity)

In fact there are a lot of places to visit in Bethlehem, but due to the nature of my visit soon I’ve headed to Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Western Wall as the final destination.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre also called the Church of the Resurrection is a church within the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan. The church contains, according to traditions dating back at least to the fourth century, the two holiest sites in Christendom: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, known as "Calvary" in Latin and "Golgotha" in Greek, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected. Within the church proper are the last four (or, by some definitions, five) Stations of the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of Jesus' Passion. The church has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination since its creation in the fourth century, as the traditional site of the Resurrection of Christ, thus its original Greek name, Church of the Anastasis. Today the wider complex accumulated during the centuries around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the church itself is shared between several Christian denominations and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for over 160 years, and some for much longer. The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and to a lesser degree the Egyptian Copts, Syriacs and Ethiopians. Meanwhile, Protestants including Anglicans have no permanent presence in the Church and they generally prefer the Garden Tomb, elsewhere in Jerusalem, as either the true place of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, or at least a more evocative site to commemorate those events. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre)

The Holy Sepulchre: The exact place where miracle of Holy Fire happens each year

Now comes the last stop or my final destination in Israel, The Western Wall:

The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel (or al-Mabka: the Place of Weeping)

People praying by the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Israeli soldiers heading to the Western Wall

The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel (or al-Mabka: the Place of Weeping) is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the "Western Wall". The wall was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple by Herod the Great, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount, in a large rectangular structure topped by a huge flat platform, thus creating more space for the Temple itself and its auxiliary buildings. The Western Wall is considered holy due to its connection to the Temple Mount. Because of the status quo policy, the Wall is the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray, though it is not the holiest site in the Jewish faith, which lies behind it. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall)

Definitely my post doesn’t cover many places you’d visit in Israel. You might want to stay in Eilat – fabulous resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, visit Tel Aviv – a major city in Israel on the Mediterranean coastline, contemplate the Ramon Crater, which is 40 km long and 2-10 km wide, come and see the mountain Fortress of Masada, and have a walk in the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa. There are lots of places to pay a visit to in Israel, though you will need at least a week to explore all these places.

Finally some random facts about Israel:

Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship among women and people over 55 in the entire world.
Israel is only 1/6 of 1% of the landmass of the Middle East.
With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world (apart from the Silicon Valley).
The Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth.
Israel is the only country to revive an unspoken language and establish it as its national tongue.
Israel is one of only nine countries in the world that can launch its own satellites into space.
Israeli engineers and agriculturalists developed a revolutionary drip irrigation system to minimize the amount of water used to grow crops.
Israel is the only country where military service is obligatory for both men and women.
Spondoolies Tech is an Israeli based Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer (here should be an advertisement).

Thanks for reading and have great travels!
Feel free to ask or add anything!