Israel: The Stories of Old and New

Israel is hard to talk about. There is so much ancient history, and modern politics combined. The people of America are so enmeshed with Israel politically and religiously, that it is hard to get a truly objective look at it without actually going there. I will try to be as objective as possible to avoid conflict or angry letters to the editor. We have been home long enough to have a few Israel conversations already, and I can say that one thing is true for both there and here: Israel is a source of great disagreement.

So, rather than give too many analyses of our experiences, I will just focus on what we did and saw and allow you, the reader, to come to your own conclusions.

When we got to Israel, after the long trip out of India, we were SO glad to be there! We met up with Hadas (who we had met on our flight to Mumbai) and her sister Daphne, and drove to their house in Yuvalim. The first two days, I was so excited I couldn’t stop pointing and exclaiming. It was our first Western country in 6 months, and it felt so different and yet so familiar. We showered, did laundry, ate homemade cake, and went for hummus. Mmm…hummus. I could write a love song.

After a few lovely relaxing days in Yuvalim, we Couchsurfed one week with a fun couple our age named Ariel and Michal. They cooked us tasty food, entertained us with trivia games, and showed us a pleasant hike to a cold river. On one of our last days, we went out for an Israeli dessert called kenafe, a highly rich cheese coated in crumbly noodles and too much sugar. Delicious.

We next went to Ofra in the West Bank with Ofer and Yoni, another Couchsurfing couple, to celebrate Shabbat with Yoni’s parents and siblings. We listened to a lot of singing and praying and Hebrew, and did lots of eating and sleeping and reading, and occasionally took walks at night when it was cool. We went to the synagogue, where the men sat on the main floor near the altar, and the women sat on a second floor balcony looking down through a screen. The family lives the Orthodox life, keeping separate sinks and dishware for dairy and meat foods and dressing modestly with covered heads and arms. They were very kind and interested in our lives, and welcomed us graciously. Their family lives in a Jewish settlement, so we didn’t get the opportunity to meet any Palestinian families while we were there, but we did see some surrounding villages on our walks, and heard stories of other “illegal” settlements in the area.

We parted with Ofer and Yoni and went back to Ariel and Michal’s for another night, went out for bagels and ice cream, and hitched it to Yarok Az. Our final WWOOF location was an eco-tourism campsite-slash-goat farm, with fresh vegetables and goat cheese every day and lots of art projects to keep me happily busy. I began painting a sunflower in the volunteer trailer, which was fun and relaxing. I felt so excited to have some stability and a work schedule after all our travels, and I began waking up at 7am to milk the goats and feed the rabbits and chickens and guinea pigs, and water the trees and be busy again! Busy in a different way from the chaos of travel, what a relief. It would all be perfect if it weren’t so blasted hot outside. It was helpful to get outdoors early to get work done before it got so hot I couldn’t bear my own sweatiness anymore (around 10 am). The goats were curious and eager to interact, always eating my shoelaces and my fingers and rubbing me with their horns. I plan to be an expert milker, perhaps even with my own goats someday. We made yogurt and Labonet cheese with their milk, and pounds of delicious pasta sauce out of the enormous stock of fresh garden tomatoes.

The room we are staying in is mostly mud and wood and linen, and I love it. There is lots of breeze and light shadows and singing frogs outside the window (as well as one infernal rooster).

Our host Avi took us to Nazareth, and we got to see the spot where Jesus leapt from Mount Precipice to Mt. Tabor to escape the Romans (a new story for me). We also saw a beautiful Franciscan church built on top of the cave where Jesus lived with his parents. Then we went to the church of Mount Tabor (the mountain Jesus jumped TO), which was in simple but luminescent Franciscan style and was holding mass with some pleasant a capella singing.

We went to the Sea of Galilee (called the Kineret, meaning Violin), and to the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus. There was a group dressed in white all getting baptized Gopel-style, which, judging by the dramatic baptism photos on the walls of the gift shop, seems to be the favorite style around here.

We went to the construction shop of Avi’s good friend to look at gravel. Avi had helped this friend open a second shop in Avi’s neighborhood, which had caused controversy because the man is an Arab and even secular Jews have a hard time forgetting their old teachings and welcoming non-Jews into the community. The politics are very interesting in this country. It definitely seems like there is this feeling of Jews vs “Arabs” (aka Everyone Else), but the Jews are the favorite children so they get all the good stuff (like paved roads, quality food and water, and other materials/resources, religious freedom and even land that isn’t legally theirs, like the West Bank). Most of the people we meet here make at least one racist comment about Arabs (who are not necessarily Muslim, they are Christian and other ethnicities, too). Ariel did tell us that some of the talk about Arabs not respecting/obeying laws and rules of order is probably true, though not because they are lesser humans. He thinks they are probably just tired of being treated like second-class citizens and they don’t feel compelled to behave like “upstanding members of society” if they already got a bad rap at birth.

Israel is such an interesting place. Only the Arabs are actually from here; the Jews all moved here from mostly Europe, and Hebrew was resurrected with a few modern additions (such as “perfectionist”). It is such a fascinating dynamic, especially since in its short time as a country the people have already started generalizing Israeli mannerisms, ways of phrasing things, and other cultural tidbits as though the people had really birthed, lived, and died here for generations rather than their parents or grandparents moving here 60 years ago. Maybe it is because since coming here, the people have done a lot of living and dying. Israel is a patchwork, a pidgin, a big mix of factors from all sides, and still difficult for everyone to live with. It doesn’t have the smoothness and security of the melting pot, the easy understanding of the creole, but it has a lot of culture coming in—and you’d never hear anyone call the place boring. Every time I talk to someone else about visiting here, no matter where I am or where the person is from, I am always inevitably asked the same question: “Why Israel?” Nobody EVER asks, “Why India?” even though I found myself asking what I was doing there many times during those exhausting train rides. Avi said, “We are a tiny country…We have so many problems…We are so far away from all your other destinations…Why here?” It is strange to me. Why anyplace else? Why leave home at all? And why NOT Israel? Honestly, I can’t remember any of our reasons for choosing ANY of the countries we went to, aside from one or both of us having always wanted to go there, or for practical reasons like money and country hugeness—and Africa is an undertaking all its own. I usually tell people that I have always wanted to see the places that were mentioned so often in the Bible, to get a taste of the Holy Land and see how religion exists there today. I also say something about the frequent news in America about the Israel/Palestine (as well as every other bordering country) conflict, and our alliances here. I want to know more, to see it firsthand.  

We visited the Bah’ai Gardens as our last adventure with Avi before leaving for Jerusalem. The Bah’ai religion is one of the many ancient religions throughout Israel, and one that believes in harmony through differences. The garden is totally symmetrical and decorated with plants of contrasting colors (red and green, purple and yellow) in order to display the beauty that comes from the union of opposites. It is amazing the level of spirituality that exists in this country, as well as the extreme religious strife. It is a little hard to understand why the Holy Land cannot be shared among all of these religions at once, rather than torn down over their differences, but of course I don’t live here, so I can only assume the issue is a little more complex than that. Ethnic disparity and religious intolerance is never a simple issue.

We said goodbye to Yarok Az, took the bus to Jerusalem (with the driver lipsynching opera and waving his arm dramatically), and found Daphna. She took us out for Belgian waffles and beers our first night, and the next day we toured the Old City of Jerusalem with her tour-guide friend Yael. We walked the ramparts and looked out over the land in the early part of the day before it got too hot. Then we visited the Holy Sepulchre, supposedly the site of Jesus’ crucifixion but now a patchwork of building styles on the outside and a super neat cave-slash-four-part church inside. The church is owned by four different sects of Christianity who don’t even get along enough to decide who can take down the work ladder outside. I saw the slab Jesus was lain on after being taken off the cross, and I touched it. I saw the Dome of the Rock from afar, but not up close yet. We walked through the narrow covered streets with markets filling the spaces on both sides, and went to the Arab part of town for lunch. The food was so good—salads and pita and hummus and fries and falafel and leftovers! Then to the market for zahar spice, grapes, and some delicious chocolate pastries.

We went to the Israel Museum all the next day, and saw exhibits on Hasidic Jews; the Greeks, Romans, and other origins of religion and philosophy; as well as the Dead Sea scrolls. Jerusalem is very cultural and diverse; a place I hope to return to, though I’m not certain it will be the same when I get back.

We met up with my college friend, Yarden, in Tel-Aviv. He took us to the beach, gave us a tour of the city, and joined us for hors d’oeuvres. Neal and I ventured out on our own to brave the heat and the difficult transportation system, seeking a few last adventures before returning home. I was ready for “a vacation from the vacation,” as Michal put it, but I was also anxious about returning to the normalcy of life at home. “Am I ready?” We walked to the beach and had our last ocean swim of the international portion of our trip.

We met Roya, a German-Iranian girl who came to Israel in response to a big “Israel Loves Iran” movement within Facebook. It’s very uplifting to see such an act of love and I hope it does some good for bringing peace to this region. I also see some Americans getting involved. We were both interviewed, showing up on You Tube! Famous.

On our last day in Israel, we took a bus to the Dead Sea. It was super hot when we got there (44 Celsius), but still packed with people. We ate lunch, and then got into the water. WOAH! What a mind bender. It takes effort to keep your body from bobbing up and spread-eagling on the surface, and it is SO salty that any contact with orifices (especially mouth and eyes) leads to extreme discomfort. We had a ball, practicing our ridiculous poses and gathering salt deposits and beautiful rocks near the shore. We set up our tent just before dark, and spent some quality time reflecting on our trip and sharing our feelings and expectations about the future until the bats began to swoop around our heads. We decided we just had to go for one more soak in the darkness, so we tumbled down the slippery slope to the water, guided only by our hands on the railing and the dim red light of the clock. Even after dark, it was 41 degrees Celsius. The wind had picked up since we left, and the big water was full of rolling waves. It was like being in a sensory deprivation tank, with no light or sensation and the low hum of the moving water. We actually had to be careful to pay attention and stay close to shore, because it would have been very easy to be pulled out too far and get in big trouble. But wow, it was worth it. It was beautiful and mystical and deep and dangerously comforting and EXTREMELY painful when I got a good amount of salt water in my eye. We stayed as long as our already over-salted bodies could handle it, lying on our backs to see the stars and occasionally gently bobbing into each other.

We went back up, showered and went to bed. It was quickly obvious that the inside of the tent was too hot, so we moved outside, occasionally waking to see the moon a little higher in the sky. What a wonderful way to conclude an epic journey like this one (even though the adventure still feels far from over). I woke up early with the sun, and the heat soon followed, along with the flies, and the cackles of crows. We packed up our tent, waited for the bus, and went home for our last meal abroad. Yarden and I made shakshuka omelets for dinner, and we chatted with him and his friend from France. She talked about how she has been traveling almost constantly for the past 5 years and she is trying to make herself settle down a little. She says she loves travel—the exploration of new cultures and people, the adventure, the constantly opening doors of opportunity. But it spreads her mind out too much, making it hard for her to find that one interest to pursue more permanently. She keeps moving, saying, “Maybe this next town will be the perfect place to settle down and live for awhile.” But life is rarely that obvious, so she is going back to France to find her bearings and do something with herself. I understand that. Travel has defined me but not directed me. It opens it all up, which is fantastic and frustrating at once.

We took a plane to Madrid, and sat in the beautiful airport watching all the Americans be American, trying to get ready for a whole country full of them. I felt like a glass that is too full of water but the tap is still dripping into it and it begins to quietly overflow. The world is an expansive and engulfing experience, and I expect it will take me years to discover the many ways that it has become me, and vice versa. Before we left, Avi told me, “You are young. Your life is ahead of you. Mine is behind me, and I am glad for that.”  I think he is wise. The experience of life is tumultuous and exciting and overwhelming at times, and sometimes it is a gift to be able to look back on one’s experiences and be grateful that it happened just the way it did. Now my only job is to reap the benefits of all my past experiences, and to be grateful for the chance to go home.

Israel, A Long History

While we were in Israel we went to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. We spent the whole day there, and by the end we were both exhausted. We learned of Hasidic Judaism, saw multiple art exhibits, saw the Dead Sea Scrolls, and learned a lot about the history of that region of the world. It was extremely fascinating to me to learn about how humans have evolved over the past 250,000 years.  The most interesting time period, for me, was between 6,000 to 15,000 years ago. This was basically the dawn of modern civilization, social structure, and religion as we know it today.

The following sections are taken directly from the museum’s explanations of different exhibits.

Stone Age/ Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic Periods

250,000 – 14,500 years ago

“Overtime, societies appeared whose economy and lifestyle were based on gathering plants and hunting wild animals. Improvement in hunting skills occurred in parallel with advances in the manufacture of stone tools, especially points, which were used for making spears.”

“These hunter gatherers lived under harsh climatic conditions. Better control of fire enabled them to inhabit caves for long periods of the year. At these sites, the earliest evidence has been found for the beginnings of certain social behaviors and for activities other than those that satisfied immediate needs.”

“As bands of our species, Homo sapiens, spread out all over the world, cultural change known as the “Great Leap Forward” took place. This revolution included the extinction of other human species and the appearance of modern humans. These were people like us: they invented new tools, engaged in art and ornamentation, sought spiritual meaning in their lives, and left behind customs that accompany us to this day.”

Copper Age/ Chalcolithic Period

6,500 – 5,500 years ago

“The social and economic developments that appeared at the end of the Stone Age came to fruition in Chalcolithic times, a thousand-year period of peace, stability, and prosperity. People began producing a much wider range of foods, and the population of villages increased dramatically as a result. Most importantly, people discovered how to extract copper and gold from rock and developed the technology to work it. The name for the period, comes from the Greek words chalcos, meaning copper, and lithos, meaning stone, because these were the first people to use metals even as they continued working with stone.”

“The discovery of metalworking had profound social and cultural implications. Those responsible for making the metal objects came to occupy an important position in society. Together with the emergence of sanctuaries and the appearance of a priestly class, complex social hierarchies arose.”

“The remarkable richness of Chalcolithic culture suggests that this society was more advanced than any of its predecessors. Yet as suddenly as it appeared, so it disappeared, for reasons that remain a mystery today.”

Early Bronze Age

3,500 – 2,300 BCE

“The first cities were established in the second half of the 4^th millennium BCE along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in Mesopotamia and along the Nile in Egypt. Soon after, cities appeared in Canaan as well. The Process of Urbanization was a social revolution of utmost importance. It led to greater institutionalization of religion and rule, advances in the arts, and the growth of international trade.”

“The first cities in Canaan, such as Arad in the Negev, were well planned units that dominated their agricultural environs. They were surrounded by defensive walls and contained palaces, sanctuaries, residential neighborhoods, industrial districts, and marketplaces. These facilities served a hierarchical society of farmers, shepherds, craftsmen, and priests, under the central leadership of a ruler.”

Middle and Late Bronze Age

2,000 – 1,200 BCE

“During the first half of the 2^nd millennium BCE, a rich urban culture reappeared in Canaan. Numerous city-states arose, such as Hazor in the north, which dominated their rural surroundings and were fortified by massive walls. This period, the Middle Bronze Age, has also yielded the first evidence of alphabetic writing: proto-Canaanite script, the forerunner of the Hebrew alphabet.”

“The mid 16^th century BCE marks the beginning of the Late Bronze Age. For most of this time, Canaan was under Egyptian rule. Nevertheless, the Canaanites maintained a distinct material culture and religion, and, in fact, reached a peak. International trade flourished, and Canaan played a key role in this arena thanks to its important position along major land and sea routes.”

“In the second half of the 13^th century BCE, the balance of power between the empires surrounding Canaan shifted, and the Hittite Kingdom (Turkey), Mycenae (Greece), and centers in northern Syria and Canaan collapsed. Egypt lost much of its power, and around 1200 BCE its influence over Canaan began to wane, clearing the stage for the entry of new cultural entities. A new period – the Iron Age – began.”

“Some scholars have suggested that this period, during which pastoral, tribal societies lived on the outskirts of Canaan’s large cities, should be seen as the backdrop for the biblical stories of the Patriarchs.”

“The Canaanites worshiped many gods, who were responsible for all aspects of life and the forces of nature. At the head of the panteon was El, father of the gods, and his wife Asherah, their mother. The chief god, however, was the storm god Baal, responsible for fertility and growth. The main goddesses were Anat and Astarte, symbols of beauty, fertility, and war.”

“Though the Canaanites had entered a period of decline, they continued to preserve many aspects of their culture, including religious practices and beliefs. Powerful symbols such as the lion, the bull, and the Tree of Life still served as images of protection and fertility. This deep rooted Canaanite style continued into the early days of the Israelite monarchy.”

“Within a few hundred years, most of the Canaanites assimilated into the other populations of the land. Those living in the norther coastal plain, however, retained many Canaanite cultural features. They came to be known as Phoenicians.”

Early Iron Age

1,200 – 1,000 BCE

“In the wake of the destruction, the Canaanites managed to restore cities in the northern valleys. Meanwhile, a new people – the Israelites – appeared in the barren hill country, and another group – the Philistines – arrived from Greek islands or Cyprus, ultimately settling in the southern coastal plain.”

“The following hundred years saw the gradual expansion of groups of Israelites and Philistines into Canaanite territory. These peoples fought frequently for dominion, as many biblical stories relate. Yet archaeology reveals that they also influenced each other greatly.”

Late Iron Age

“Beginning with the decline of the great powers of the Ancient East around 1,200 BCE, it lasted over six hundred years, until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Bible records many of the important events of these times.”

“The Israelites began as a loosely organized, rural society. Over time, they succeeded in establishing a kingdom. The heart of the kingdom was its capital, Jerusalem; the heart of Jerusalem was the Temple. Not long after the kingdom formed, however, struggles for succession divided it into two: the Kingdom of Israel in the north and Kingdom of Judah in the south.”

“The Assyrians destroyed the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. About 130 years later, Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, sent his army to Judah to subdue a rebellious Jerusalem. The city was destroyed, and the Temple was put to the torch. The Babylonians sent a significant part of the population into exile.”

“Babylonia fell to Cyrus, King of Persia, in 539 BCE. Shortly thereafter, the new ruler allowed the exiles to return to the Land and rebuild their Temple. Judah, now called Yehud, became a Persian province, until it was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE.”

Well, I think that is enough for this history lesson. Trust me, there is so much more.