More on the Empty Tomb

Crusader slab with a cross
and original stone beneath

More amazing photos are surfacing on the Tomb of Christ. National Geographic had done an article and I believe they'll soon come up with a documentary film as well.  Anyway the most recent published photos show the Crusader marble slab, broken but with a cross incised; and beneath it lime stone rock that is part of the ground ...meaning it is part of the mountain rock, a living rock and hence not added or moved. This is a clear sign that it is original. But more than that, inside the marble walls of the present day Tomb, it was found that this rock rose up to 6 feet in some parts. That is amazing! We have always thought that the cave was totally demolished by Caliph Hakim in 1009 and nothing of it existed except the rock floor. Now the archeological team has proven that it exist up to quite high in height and the "bed" is practically intact .... everything covered over by Crusader and modern (15th century) marble. Utterly amazing. You must read the article on National Geographic.  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/jesus-christ-tomb-burial-church-holy-sepulchre/

The culprits of last week's desecration of Mt. Tabor Basilica have not been caught. And I doubt they ever will be. Such is the justice system here.

We just got news that the 2 orthodox bishops kidnapped by ISIS in Aleppo 2 years ago are still alive. But because of the Syrian army push to chase out ISIS from Aleppo, these bishops might be killed in the process. Pray for them. http://www.pravmir.com/bishops-abducted-syria-2013-alive-currently-raqqa/

We also have news that ISIS in the Sinai peninsular would sooner or later enter the heartlands of Israel. Not surprising. But I'll say that when they do, they'll regret the day they did. The Israeli army and secret service is world re known for its efficiency and ruthlessness. ISIS don't stand a chance here. And above all the local arabs don't want them around ... they'll be the first to suffer if ISIS takes over. http://www.timesofisrael.com/elite-border-cops-train-for-islamic-state-attack-inside-israel/

Tomorrow is All Saints Day ... day of obligation. Don't forget to go to Church ... and pray for the christians in Syria and Iraq who are martyrs of their faith. They are the living saints.

Heroes in Aleppo

Jerusalem Old City still asleep

Sunday morning ... beautiful sunshine and most of Israel was still enjoying an extra hour of sleep. Daylight saving ended last night. Made no difference to me. I was up at 4am as usual with an asthma attack. Not very severe. Buddy heard me wheezing and flew down from his perch (the curtain rail 12 feet high) to sit on my shoulder. He imitates me whenever I sneeze or cough. And he's learned to say "yai yai" ("bad boy"). He's a good companion whenever I'm sick. He keeps me company by refusing to leave my shoulder .... no matter how much you shoo him away.

And I woke up to a wonderful article and video posted on Aleteia ("Truth") catholic network. It's about Fr. Ibrahim Alsabagh, our friar of the Holyland Custody working in Aleppo. Alone in the wartorn city, he gathered the youths to help support the remaining christian community amid the ruins. Youths who before the war, never showed up in church or disdained religion, now risk their lives 24/7 by delivering water and food to home-bound christians and serving the refugees inside our church and school premises. All for Christ. Amazing story that you should share with others. And please know that most of your kind offerings and donations go to help Fr. Ibrahim and other friars and nuns still serving in Syria. Continue your generous help please ... your fellow christians in Syria need to rebuild their lives and ONLY YOU CAN HELP.  http://aleteia.org/2016/10/29/miracles-and-not-just-bombs-and-missiles-are-raining-down-in-syria/?ru=04231f67c1e808c31a7d4426a424e98a

Sunrise today

Well last week is over. It was one of the most hectic weeks I ever had. Last evening when my turn of service was over, I went out for a burger dinner with Matthias (it was also his turn in his community). Nice simple celebration to acknowledge that we did good, serving the community. But thinking of Aleppo and the friars there, their service has little celebration. And their service is so much greater. I wonder if I could go join the friars there.

Sabbat

Clear morning sky after the rain

It's the Sabbath again. The weather has cooled a lot after the rain 2 days back. A lot less dust in the air. And the mornings are very fresh and crispy. Night temp goes down to 13 degrees. Chilly. Tonight we switch from daylight saving to solar time. Clock turns back one hour.

The last 2 days have been hectic with classes; running from one school to another 1 km apart. I feel the exhaustion. In fact during the 2nd class I couldn't remember what I was teaching. Brain dead. Then there were the groups to meet in the evenings ... so overall I work 15 hours a day. Luckily my fainting spells have reduced a lot. And I try to snack on biscuits to keep the energy and sugar level up. And work in the libraries continue in between classes. I'm still thinking of a vacation .... they key word is "thinking".

Work in the Empty Tomb has been completed. It has been reclosed again. Now we're waiting for news of the latest finds. It's so big time suspense!!

Yesterday at a Knesset meeting (parliament), one Israeli member remarked that Israeli University places are being "grabbed" by "illiterate arabs". Now that was nasty ... in fact down right racist. But he'll get away with it. Any other university that would dare use such language on a jewish student would be accused of anti-semitism and be kicked out. http://www.timesofisrael.com/illiterate-arabs-grabbing-israeli-university-slots-mk-claims/

There were several incidents of attempted stabbings but they took place far from Jerusalem ... at the borders of Palestine and Israel. So far things have cooled down a lot. We don't expect problems in winter. It's usually too cold and wet for terrorism.

More on the Holy Sepulchre

Pulling back the present
marble slab to expose the
Crusader period slab

More excitement over the opening of the Tomb of Christ. The archeological team had only 60 hours to do it's investigation so they worked over 2 nights non-stop. What they found beneath the present marble slab was another marble slab dating to the Crusader period some 1000 years back. Pulling off this 2nd slab revealed the rock which was part of the cave tomb.

Patriarchs and religious leaders were waiting eagerly outside the Tomb to see what was inside. The original stone was probably last seen in 1550, or at least the Crusader marble slab was seen. No written records exist to say the original cave Tomb remained because the main belief was that muslim Caliph Hakim destroyed the entire Tomb in 1009. Now it seems that this was not all true. Parts of the Tomb remains ... and now it appears this included the stone bench which Christ's Body was laid. It was covered twice over by marble slabs from the Crusader and modern periods. This discovery is electric. Everyone is very excited ... though they will probably never see it. Plans are to cover it up again to preserve it from damage. However one part of the cave wall will be exposed (in glass?) for the public to see.

The beige stone is modern
and the gray on the right is
Crusader, the brown stone
below is the original
cave rock

I am sure this will draw more pilgrims to come to the Holy Land. This is probably the greatest "discovery" in Christiandom these past 500 years.

Another piece of news hitting our headlines was yesterday's rain. Yes it did rain. Though in Jerusalem it was only for half an hour. But it was quite heavy. Down in Eilat, the seaside resort at the Red Sea, the entire city was inundated. Roads were destroyed, property under water. The whole city is now closed off to the public. Amazing how a little rain can do so much damage in the Middle East. Well for one thing the countries here are never prepared for floods because it seldom if ever happens ... we're a desert region where rain falls only in a months but hardly enough too.

Anyway we;re all waiting for more news on the Holy Sepulchre, more photographs by the archeologists .... and waiting also for more rain to fall. A time of expectancy ... and Advent of sorts.

Original Tomb of Christ exposed under layers of marble

We are still shocked by the desecration of the Eucharist on Mt. Tabor. So far there are no leads. I wonder if we will have to make reparation through penance for this desecration. The last time a desecration took place some 17 years ago I think, we had to fast and pray for forgiveness, going up to Mt. Calvary and kneeling in prayer. That time an Israeli soldier had thrown a hand grenade at the tabernacle, blowing it up with the Eucharist inside. But you never read it in the news.

But Israeli newspapers are not carrying this news about Mt. Tabor. Its more preoccupied with UNESCO's decision that Jewish and Christian heritages have not been mentioned in the document about the Dome of the Rock/Al Aqsa compound (the Temple Mount). To be fair it did not deny the existence of a Jewish Temple on that place 2000 years ago; but silence (no mention of the Temple) can also be very damning politically. In recent days, news articles on archeological finds proving the existence of the Temple have been headlined .... and they are drawing christians to support them.

Removing the marble slab to expose
the rock where Christ's Body was laid

But christians today are more excited over other news: the original tomb of Jesus has been exposed after centuries being covered in marble slabs. With a rare agreement between the Greek Orthodox, Franciscans and Armenian Orthodox churches, repairs on the Tomb have taken place for half a year now. But yesterday the climax of this restoration was when the workers entered the actual burial room and removed the marble slab worked down by centuries of pilgrims' touch and kisses. Inside they found the original stone bench where the Body of Christ was laid out in a shroud. Patriarchs of all the Churches were present at the door of the Tomb to witness the event. It was momentous. After centuries hidden from public view, possibly since Crusader times a thousand years ago, the stone has finally been exposed again. This is the highlight of the Millennium. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos II remarked as he stood outside the Tomb ... "This is joy ... to see Greeks, Franciscans, Armenians, Copts and Syrians, with muslim door-keepers and jewish police all together ... " Yes this is what the Tomb is all about ... not the piece of stone inside but the community gathered outside ... a peaceful group of diverse races and religions encountering in respect and tolerance.

This is the true meaning of the Empty Tomb ... of the Resurrection.

Eucharist desecrated on Mt. Tabor

Consecrated Hosts thrown on the floor

The dreadful crime was committed yesterday on the Mt. of Transfiguration in our Basilica. The tabernacle doors was torn open, consecrated hosts thrown on the floor, ciborium's stolen, icons defaced, offering boxes robbed. It's still not known who did it ... hooligan jews who were holidaying in the park around the Basilica or arabs in the nearby villages. It was a night job.

I heard of the news when I met the Vice Custos coming out of his car in the courtyard. He was sick with the flu, but he looked very worried about something else. He told me about the robbery and desecration. It was horrible.

Tabernacle broken
and Eucharist on
the floor

Will the Israeli Police do something about it? Will anyone be arrested? This news was only reported in one newspaper whereas graffiti on a Mexico synagogue was widely reported.

It's not simply a robbery because icons and mosaics were defaced and had graffiti. It was a hate crime, an anti-christian crime ... plus a robbery in which the gold ciborium's and chalices were also stolen. Yes this is part and parcel of the persecution of the Church in the Middle East.

Old City gypsies

It's Simchat Torah today. Very quiet in the streets as no work is allowed on this last day of Sukkoth. Tomorrow life will return to normal. There's been a lull in violence ... probably because Israel closed the borders to Palestine during Simchat Torah. Let's see what the next few days bring.

Autumn fruit

I went to the Pharmacy to buy more medicine for my asthma. The cool weather is making everyone sick and my asthma has increased in frequency. But while many have the flu, cough and sore-throats, I'm luckily spared from all that as I was inoculated earlier last month. Doc insisted that with every start of the flu season, I must get my vaccinations because I'm generally less resistant to bugs. And then there is the daily maintenance ... which is taking a lot of vitamin C. Autumn is the time for the citrus fruit harvest so natural vitamin C is everywhere. I drink a glass of lemon juice with honey every morning. We have an apiary in the hills of Ein Kerem so our honey is all natural, no chemicals or preservatives. We're very lucky.

There's an article today about a tribe of gypsies living in the Old City. Actually right in our backyard! They're known as the Dor gypsies ... originally from India, which explains their dark complexion compared to the arab neighbours. Another tribe migrated to Europe and has become the Roma gypsies. Apparently they're shunned by the arabs for not being arabs, and ignored by the jews who never even meet them. They're a pretty enclosed group. And the funny thing is I never knew about them even though they lived just meters from us! http://www.haaretz.com/.premium-1.748717

One big news making waves .... Singapore Airlines will start direct flights to Israel in mid-2017. That will bring a lot of groups not only from Singapore but also Malaysia and Indonesia which has seen a huge rise in tourists. That is strange because of the latter are muslim States which do not recognise Israel .... officially. But it's a known fact that Indonesia has more contact with Israel than it will ever admit.