Scariest part of trip to Israel? Getting there and back

It is obvious -- especially after the recent tragic terrorist attack at Mercaz Harav Yeshiva (a Jewish seminary) -- that Israel is on high alert and the Middle East is in disarray. I must admit I had a little anxiety before my plane landed in Ben Gurion Airport just outside of Tel Aviv, but what the news shows and what I experienced in Israel are two different tales.

After arriving in Tel Aviv, I toured the city along the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. One man practiced Capoeira (a type of martial arts blended with contemporary dance) on the shore, while another man did his best to satisfy the hungry gullets of several dozen pigeons. About a quarter-mile down the beach, a couple sat on a cliff near the end of the tide and just held each. Any anxiety I experienced prior to landing was now extinct.

Day two included a tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. I was extremely impressed with the local resident's knowledge of the city's history. Muslims recited Christian and/or Jewish traditions with finesse. Likewise the Christians and Jews narrated stories of Mohammed. There truly is a sense of tolerance and cooperation among the three different religions.

The first stop was the Tomb of David; yes the giant-killer himself. Just outside of the tomb, an Orthodox Jew chanted prayers as every man who entered the area covered his head with a yarmulke or hat.

The next stop was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Catholics profess that the church is on top of the mount where the crucifixion of Jesus Christ occurred. The walls are covered with colorful mosaics that portray the New Testament events. There is a spot where tourists can bring their souvenirs and receive a blessing upon their newly acquired material goods.

The final stop within the city was the Via Dolorosa (painful road). This path begins at the exact place where Pilate condemned Jesus to death. From this point, the path eventually leads to Calvary. Part of the road contains actual stones upon which Jesus walked while carrying his cross.

After passing through a metal detector station overseen by armed Israeli soldiers I saw the Western or Wailing Wall.

A fellow tourist in the group said, "Well, that makes sense they would have a metal detector here because the Jews aren't blowing themselves up."

I finished the first day in Jerusalem at the Yad Vashem. In a particular section of the memorial, some 1.5 million children's names are recited in German, Hebrew and the child's home language over a repeated recorder.

Day two consisted of a tour to the Dead Sea and Masada. The tour bus started down the highway that leads to Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. The highway also runs right past the city of Jericho. After descending 1,310 feet (over a quarter-mile) below sea level I arrived at the Dead Sea. I relished in my opportunity to bathe in sulfur hot springs, mineral mud, and the sea itself.

Albert, the tour guide, said I would never forget the feeling of floating in the Dead Sea which is three times more salty than the Great Salt Lake. After the experience I believe Albert is right. I tried to sink myself in the sea to no avail.

Masada is a fortress built by Herod in the first century within a series of plateaus. The Zealot Jews used the fortress as a means to defend themselves against the Romans in 73 C.E. without success.

My final day in Jerusalem was without a tour bus, only taxis and my size-12 feet. First to the Garden Tomb: a place that Protestants and Latter-day Saints revere as the spot where Jesus died on the cross and overcame that death.

The location of the crucifixion is now a bus station, but the tomb is impressively preserved. It is a man-made tomb carved out of mountain that bears skull-like features.

A winepress and a cistern are at the base of the mountain which shows that the tomb most likely belonged to a rich man such as Joseph of Arimathea.

After a walk through Damascus Gate into the old city, I saw the birth place of the Virgin Mary. It is her childhood home and also her parent's tomb. It is owned by the Russian Orthodox Church. Priests from the church walk through the home and recite prayers every day.

Then I crossed the Kidron Valley over to the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was closed, but the gatekeeper was easily persuaded to open it up after I flaunted a crisp Abe Lincoln. The garden contains at least two olive trees that carbon date back more than 2,000 years.

There is also a stone statue of Jesus at the point where he suffered in the garden. The apostle Luke writes, "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will , but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Then after a quick glance at the Herodian Quarters, the Tower of David and a huge golden menorah, I returned to Tel Aviv.

So what would I say the most dangerous part of the trip was? It would definitely be flying standby. Due to long flights, missing flights, spending a night in the Houston airport and driving back from Las Vegas it took me three entire days to get from Tel Aviv to Ogden. Jetlag and exhaustion threatened my safety, not bullets or bombs.

MS
MS