For We Are Jolly Good Fellows!

I had a low key birthday celebration a today - aka Drinko de Mayo. I spent most of the day working and am halfway through my book. My husband surprised me by sending a dozen roses (while pretending to forget it was my birthday) and after dinner, a bunch of us (Matt, Karen, Yours Truly, Anne, Ed [and Ben taking the photo!] went to the American Colony Hotel - a very old hotel where a lot of embassy and media types go - and had cosmopolitans.

Samaritan Passover: The Silence of the Lambs

Today we went to Mt. Gerizim in the region of Samaria, in the west bank, in the north, to view the Samaritan Passover. While graphic, I have chosen not to post the most graphic photos. The Samaritans are a sect claiming descent from the northern kingdom of Israel, and carry out a ritual sacrifice of sheep that follows ancient traditions. At 3 pm there is a fire lighting ceremoney in 5, deep, plaster lined pits and these fires are kept burning for about 5 hours in advance of the cooking. Each pit is lit separately with chanting. About an hour before the sacrifice there is more chanting and prayer. The chanting is rhythmic and becomes more intense leading up to the sacrifice. The sacrifice involves the killing of about 30 sheep. They drain the blood into a channel, prepare the sheep, then cook the offal and skins separately as a sacrifice, then cook the whole sheep on a spit, with 5-6 sheep in a fire pit. It was one of the most intense and amazing things I've ever witnessed. Hundreds of people watched in bleachers like the kind you see at a football game. I counted at least 15 tour buses in the village! Right after they made the first cut, a guy fainted about 4 rows behind me! I had to take off all my clothes when I got home to wash and take a shower to get the smell of burning lamb out of my hair. We couldn't eat any leavened bread or prepared food in front of the Samaritans because it goes against their beliefs. I had a big lunch before I left the Albright, and I didn't really feel like eating last night after what I saw and I didn't really feel like eating the next day! Although Australia has the best lamb I've ever tasted, I don't plan on eating any of it for a while. Although I enjoyed the experience, I did not really even want to look at my photos for a few days.

Tel Aviv Hash, Aussie Run 680: Yaqum, South of Netanya

The following description of the run, is an edited version of what the hares (Fer Fox Sake and Russian Bride) wrote:
Strewth Cobbers , how do you make the warm amber taste used for down downs better than an abo's jockstrap? Simple you add the greatest bonzer known food to it - even mothers milk does taste better with a savoury spread, made from an extract of brewers yeast, eaten on sandwiches and toast. or from a spoon in conjunction with the amber fluid.

So there we were standing around like shags on rock waiting for any more hashers to turn up , a motley bunch of four decided to run along with the hares, the hares gave the ducks guts and it was "on On" - what was real beaut woz that Goldo had to check it out more times than she has ever done because there were so few on the trail. Richo, Clair and Up the Duff Pausey also ran around looking chooks with no heads trying to find the start of the trail.

Eventually we went over the bridge next to the servo and thru the sand where all the whingers thought they were on a dead cert until the drongos realised that there were two trails but they did not chuck a spaz. At the next hold like a bunch of derros, the hashers took forever to find the trail and then again thru the sand we hit the cliffs where luckily and for a bloody change there were no poofters on the beach swinging their wedding tackle around ,

Setting off again down to the never never, we thought that the hashers would chuck a spaz, and with no seppo's on the run, the hashers were flat out like lizards drinking trying to find the trail. We eventaully got to the half way and introduced the all time international classic "C'mon on Aussie C'mon" complete with a Mexican wave.

The second half gave the option for the most daft short cut option, just run accross Hwy 2 or continue on. They continued on to right till we got to a tunnel under the road where some noggin had decided to drop a bondi cigar at the entrance in between setting the hash and running it.

Well Goldo and Up the Duff Pausey spat the dummy and decided to LONG CUT and run over the bridge ahead. What nongs. Then again tempting fate, we ran back down the side of the bloody Hwy

The servo could have been seen but the hares wanted to cheese off the pack a bit more so went to the back of beyond and woop woop before the on in.

Back at the circle the walkers waited and drank amber fluid as the pack ran in. Fer Fox Sake sharing a Sheila moment complained that with his shaved legs (done for sporting reasons to make him go faster) that he now has sympathy with the other sheilas that running thru scrub scratches your legs more when they a softer than a rug rats bum.

Now to continue the Anzac Spirit with each down down the hasher had to first lick a spoon of vegemite (think vegemite shooter) before doing the down down , and fair suck of the sav bottle not one wanker did not like the taste it made warm beer taste better

Achziv and Akko Trip

Today we went to the archaeological sites of Achziv and Acco in the north. Achziv is a largely unexcavated coastal site within view of the Lebanese border (waves) with 11th c. chamber tombs cut into the bedrock. Acco was an important Bronze Age through Crusader site, and is interesting to me because of a portable ship’s alter found there with ship graffiti on it like you see at Kition in Cyprus.

Die Zauberfloete: Mozart’s Da Vinci Code

Tonight I went to see the Mozart’s Opera, The Magic Flute, at the Palestinian National Theater. It was performed by a touring group from England, so of course it was in English, although one of the production people was with the music program at Melbourne Uni! The sets were minimal, which reminded me of the way the way the RSC performs.
I’ve always wanted to see the Magic Flute ever since I taught a course on Black Athena because Mozart was a mason and there are many coded references to Masonic philosophy, Egypt and Enlightenment in the opera. I thoroughly enjoyed it - especially at the price of 20 sheckels (about 5 dollars), which is less than a sandwich costs in Melbourne. Maybe Dan Brown will write his version!

Ani Lomedet Ivrit!

Which means: I study Hebrew. Yes, the symbols make more sense than this Nabatean rock art from the Wadi Rum. I can read street signs now and know about 100 words, which is about 90 more than I knew when I got here. However, some of the signs look a lot like Greek letters, but have different values. When I'm tired (like today) I start to read them that way and they don't make much sense. I swam almost a mile earlier today before Hebrew and Arabic. We pay for the Arabic lessons by the month and I'm dropping them after today, because it's too much and I need to finish the book I'm writing.

If There's Global Warming, Why Is It So Cold?

I was going to go to the hash in Tel Aviv today, but ended up not going because it was cold and rain was predicted. It has not really rained here, but I just decided I didn't want to be stuck there trying to get to the bus station in the rain, like 2 weeks ago, when I slipped and hurt my knee. There was supposed to be a Jerusalem hash today, but no one showed up for it. I think I'll give up on them. I ended up just going for a run on my own. I am soooo over being cold, although at least my room isn't unbearably cold anymore.

Tribulations

Some of the American Expats in Oz think things are difficult, but consider what happened to me yesterday. I always keep my laptop locked to something and 2 days ago my lock just fell apart. The Office Depot in Jerusalem does not carry computer locks and I had to visit 20 stores (both in Palestinian east Jerusalem and in Jewish west Jerusalem) before finding one in the Christian quarter of the Old City. Last night I had pretty much given up and ordered a Kensington lock on E-Bay. Even with the shipping it came out a dollar cheaper than what I paid in Jerusalem.

April 7, 2007: The 300

I went with my friend Dalit tonight to see the 300 - about the Spartans fighting the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae. It was based on the Graphic novel by Frank Miller (Robocop & Sin City). The dialog and the movie was a little hokey in parts, (I don't think Leonidas ever had to fight an Orc!), but I still really enjoyed it. Dalit and I were among just a handful of females at the movie.
Earlier today I ran 5 miles and went with 2 of the other fellows into the Old City and we had lunch at the Austrian Hospice. I bought some Nike socks there - just 15 sheckels for 3 pairs - about the cost of 1 pair in Australia.

Completing Our Pilgrimage

Part of the pilgrimage experience is to record the completion of the successful pilgrimage, which is what we’ve done here. Being a pilgrim works up a powerful appetite, so we went to Abu Shukri for hommous afterward!

Ascending the Via Dolorosa

The more serious pilgrims slowly make their way up the Via Dolorosa or way of sorrows toward the final stations in the church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Jesus is Korean!

Starting off a bit later, and behind the pilgrims was this group, made up of visitors from California (of course) and Korea, who re-enacted Jesus' last hours. Instead of the corn-fed Midwestern type that dressed as Jesus when I was here 6 years ago, a Korean pilgrim played the role of Jesus, wearing a wig, splattered with fake blood, wearing a crown of thorns and burdened by a cross. He was escorted by other pilgrims dressed as Roman centurions, including the same skinny old guy I remembered from 6 years ago, yelling, “come on, Jesus”. There were also some Korean interpretive dancers wearing sparkly outfits befitting the guest alien of the week on Star Trek and a woman with a mike I dubbed Kareoke Mary.

Megalo Paraskevi: Stations of the Cross

At 12:30 we began the official stations of the cross led by the Franciscan Friars through the Old City of Jerusalem. Good Friday (or big Friday in Greek) is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar for many because it marks the time of Jesus crucifixion and death.

April 1, 2007: Triumphant Entry into the Old City

The day ended for us with our entry into the Old City through the Lion Gate and from there we made a beeline for the Austrian Hospice and some hearty Austrian fare including schnitzel, potato salad, and a torte. Tomorrow also marks the beginning of Pesach (Passover) celebrating Moses delivery of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

April 1, 2007: Palm Sunday Procession

Today, a group of us participated in the Palm Sunday Procession from the Mt. of Olives to the Church of the Virgin Mary in the Old City. I reckon there were about 5000 people - groups of nuns, pilgrims, and priests from all over the world, many marching troops of boy and girl scouts, the Patriarch of J’lem and a Papal Nuncio.

April 1, 2007: Spontaneous Singing

Everyone carried palm fronds or olive branches (I tried to sell mine to small children for 5 sheckels), and various small groups were spontaneously singing and dancing throughout the route. The narrowness of the roads made for a long slow procession of several hours and I was stiff from my run/fall of the previous day. I saw many students from my Hebrew class along the way.

March 31, 2007: Tel Aviv Bus Station

Although I enjoy hashing, coping with the filth of the Tel Aviv bus station gets to be a bit much. Photo’s don’t capture the extent of the filth and just walking through there is enough to make you want to take a shower afterwards, although it doesn’t require wading boots like the toilet in the Damascus bus station - an indelible memory. In addition, there was a crazy person in the bus station and a 2nd one in the mini-bus ride back to J’lem. As soon as he got out the entire bus gave a collective sigh of relief. It was raining on the walk back to the Albright and I slipped and injured my knee by bending it a bit farther than is natural, but I think it will be OK.

March 31, 2007: Hash in Old Jaffa

Daylight savings time began on Friday, the beginning of the weekend. The hash began at 4 pm on the beach near Jaffo, the Old city of Tel Aviv. I was a bit late, and picked up the trail after the run started. I was a very long run. After the obligatory down downs, I had a nice dinner at a fish restaurant on the beach.

March 28, 2007: Qumran Cave 1

There are 250 caves in the area, but only 11 contained the scrolls. Some are very fragmentary and others are in better shape. They include some of the oldest biblical texts including a complete scroll of Isaiah and rules for living in the community, which was located below the caves. One of the rules is the order of prayer, which is similar to the order of prayer used by Jesus and his disciples. So, they are important for Judaism and Christianity. The most famous is Cave 1, a difficult climb with entry originally through a small hole in the top. A Bedouin threw a small stone through this hole and struck 1 of 11 jars lined up, which formed the main library of the Qumran community.

March 28, 2007: Qumran, Halleluja!

Scholars assigned texts from the scrolls came from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, and worked in relative isolation. This combined with problems of ownership and personality quirks make the history of their study as interesting as the scrolls themselves. One preacher came to Qumran with jackhammers and paying volunteers claiming he would find the Ark of the Covenant. Qumran and other Biblical Period sites exert a powerful hold on the public imagination. This Nigerian priest walked barefoot into the caves and broke into spontaneous prayer.

March 28, 2007: Qumran, Group Photo

We went to Qumran today at 7 am and spent half the day climbing around caves. It was very interesting, but a bit more taxing than the hike up Masada and I had a great time, but didn't feel awake till about 10 am. Ben, our trip coordinator, almost fell down a hill, but managed to catch himself after sliding about 20 feet and losing his hat. Past trips to Qumran were plagued by killer bees and mud slides, so we were quite lucky. Of course, Qumran is famous as the site of where the Dead Sea scrolls were found.

March 24, 2007: Tel Aviv Hash

I went to Tel Aviv today for the hash and managed to get back to J’lem in time for dinner. As the buses don’t run on Shabbat, I go in mini-vans or service-taxis that leave when full. I can now read the signs on the mini-vans, so I know where they are going without having to ask. Although, when I get tired I start to confuse the Hebrew characters with Greek ones. For example the Hey looks like a Pi and the Gimel looks like a Lamda. The run was about an hour on the outskirts of down town Tel Aviv. Although Brian only met these folks once, he seems to have endeared himself to them. I gave one person there an account of one of his recent mishaps and they said that 'it sounds like Mr. Bean.' The photo was taken a couple of days ago in front of the Umayyad (7th c. CE) fortress at Caesarea. Here, I’m wearing my keffiyah Yisrael.

March 21, 2007: My Own Armageddon

Today, we went to Megiddo for a tour by my friend Norma Franklin, of Tel Aviv U. This was my 4th time to the site. Norma is the volunteer coordinator for the dig there and gave me a private 4 hour tour 6 years ago. Megiddo is interesting for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with it’s infamous reputation. For me, the big interest is in the fact that there are mason’s marks there that may have a connection to earlier Aegean marks based on the possible use of Carian mason’s there.

When we arrived at Megiddo, I got 2 of my fingers stuck in the car door. Besides the pain, I was very worried at first as the last time this happened, so much blood built up under the nail, that I had to go to the emergency room and they made a tiny hole in the nail to release the blood. Fortunately, this did not happen and we were able to continue our site tours with a trip to Caesarea after Megiddo. After 12 hours of site visits, I went to the last half of my Hebrew class. I was so tired when I got home, I could barely eat.

The photo shows the so-called north stables at Megiddo. Another group are sometimes called the stables of Solomon. It is unlikely that they were either, but instead are large, 3 aisle warehouses supported by rows of stone pillars and linked with trade. Similar 3 aisled storage buildings occur on Cyprus.

March 19, 2007: J’lem 10 km

Today I ran the J’lem 10 km, but it was fairly slow going as I was sick for about a month and still have a cough. I partially walked and partially jogged, taking about 1 1/2 hours to finish. This may be one of my worst times for running this distance, but getting back in shape has to start somewhere. Asta has gone to stay with our friends Grant and Mandy till I get home, where she can also get more activity. I miss little Asta.

March 17, 2007: St. Patty's In J'lem

In LA, I always spent St Patty's at Tom Bergin's House of Irish Coffee, the oldest Irish bar in the city - a cozy wood panelled inn, where regular's including your's truly have a shamrock with their name on it, on the wall. I've been going there since I was old enough to drink and Mike the bartender and Harold the bouncer always let in all of my underage friends. For that we gave them enough generous tips to buy a Swiss chalet. Alas, Mike and Harold are gone, but Bergins is still there.

Thanks to one of my students, Dave Collard, we found an adequate substitute in Melbourne - the Dan O'Connell. They don't make Irish coffee like Bergins but they pull a good pint of Guiness and on St. Patty's they rope off the entire parking lot, with a rock band outside and a traditional Irish band inside, as well as good Aussie sausages. And, it's within staggering range of our house, just 2 blocks away.

Alas, being here, it was not to be this year. We went to a pub in west J'lem called the Dublin. It had a good ambience and all of the right Irish beers and whiskeys - drinking a litre of Guiness and a shot of Bushmill's was de riguer to get the obligatory promotional Guiness T-shirt. I've rarely missed celebrating St Patty's, so this was better than nothing, but it's not quite the same when all the signs are in Hebrew and the only Irish to be seen were on the tacky Riverdance videos being screened on the TV's placed all over the pub. The Guiness was also not the best, as it became a bit syripy as it warmed up. Still, I was grateful to be able to celebrate St Patty's here in the Middle East- after the 7 pillars, comes the 7 pints, and then the wisdom (thanks Sue).

Race for the Grail & Snow in Amman

We got back to Petra from Wadi Rum by 3;15 and I reckoned that I still had time to jog the 2.5 km into Petra to see the “Treasury,” one of two spectacular Nabatean tombs, and be out by the time we had to leave at 4, although to see everything, takes a couple of days. At 4:30, we headed back to Amman for a final half-day of site-seeing, before returning to Jerusalem, although our final day was cancelled by large storm coming down from Turkey, which resulted in 4 inches of snow in Amman. It was still a great trip.

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom

I found out from my guide, that it takes a full day in a jeep or 4-5 days by camel to see all of Wadi Rum, and that the best time to do a camel trek is in summer when the storms are finished and the nights are warm. This remains an ambition for me, but I’m satisfied that I got a good idea of it and took over 100 photographs, including one of the famous Hejaz railway, which is now reduced to transporting phosphate to Aqaba. Here I'm standing at the 7 Pillars Rock, named for the famous book by T.E. Lawrence.

Today, You'll Dine With Me In Wadi Rum

In the midst of our jeep tour we met up with the cousin and brother of my guide Mustapha. The young man on the right is the Jeep driver. They were preparing lunch for a group of German hikers and we stopped to eat a stew and ‘shrub chai (drink tea) with them.

Blowing Off Petra

At the hotel, there was information regarding tours to the Wadi Rum and I decided to go on one instead of going to Petra as I had been there 6 years ago and I have always wanted to go there. My tour began at 8:30 with the 1 1/2 hour drive to Wadi Rum, followed by a 3 hour jeep tour around the Wadi Rum, then back to Petra by 3 as we were leaving at 4. My interest in it again derives from the fact that it’s from there that Lawrence planned the attack on the Turkish held port of Aqaba on the Red Sea and much of the Arab revolt from encampments in and around the this area. It’s also very beautiful with red sand, large dunes, spectacular rock formations, and Nabatean rock art and water systems.

The Bridge at Wadi Rum

I’ve talked to counselors and lords
Whose words were as no blunted swords
I’ve known 6 emperors and 3 kings
And 5 who’ve had mens’ worshippings
I’ve ridden with horsemen of the east
And sat with scholars at their feast
Known some the masters of their hours
To whom the years were as pressed flowers
Still as I go, this thought endures
No place to great to be made yours

Crusader Castles & Drinks at Petra

Today was spent visiting the Crusader Castles of Kerak and Shobak. Other castles I’ve visited in the past include Belvoir and Nimrod in Israel, Kolossi in Cyprus, and Krak de Chevalier and Sala ed’Din’s castle in Syria. Although Shobak was more dramatically situated on top of a steep hill, Kerak was more impressive, occupying a long, narrow plateau and protecting several obvious routes. At both castles we explored tunnels, arches, vaults and cross-vaults creating an intricate series of rooms, which also contained Arabic inscriptions carved in relief. By evening, we reached Petra, 3 hours south of Amman, and went for drinks at the Moevinpick Hotel.

In the Footsteps of El 'awrence

The third of the four castles we visted today was al Azrak, built entirely of black basalt. It was a large fort with a plain, black basalt mosque in the center as well as many fragments of carved reliefs. Also interesting was a stone double door preserved in the original sockets and a gaming board pecked into the threshold as these are features also found in the Bronze Age.
The most exciting thing about the site, however, is this is the place where T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) spent the winter of 1917, when he was leading the Arab Revolt against the Turkish Empire in WWI. It was personally exciting for me as Lawrence is my hero and the reason I got into archaeology to begin with.

This is the Desert

Today we visited 4 desert castles from the Islamic period. I had studied these in the Islamic art courses I took at UCLA, but never got to see them. Three of them included: Qasr al Khrannh, Qasr al Omra, and Qasr al Khallabat. al-Khrannh was very military in appearance with 4 round towers, a grand hall flanked by 2 half-domes supported by pendentives, and the courtyard in the centre had a pool for collecting water. Afterward we had tea and coffee in a beduoin tent. One of the girls in our group, Heather, was trying on keffiyeh's and the guys in the tent were flirting with her. They kept asking her if she was married and I told them in Arabic that she was single and available - this resulted in a fair bit of hilarity at poor Heather's expense. There were 2 camel saddles in the tent for leaning on while drinking tea. Heather offered to buy one and she was satisfied to bargain them down from 15 to 12 Dinar. I decided to get the other one and bought it for 11. Now, I just have to figure out how to get it home. Qasr al Omra is famous for containing a Roman style bath house decorated with paintings of people and animals, something unusual but not unheard of in Islamic art - except for the nudity. Qasr al Khallabat was the least photogenic as it's undergoing restoration, but there were many Greek inscriptions carved in black basalt blocks that were re-used in the construction and some interesting mosaics.

On to Jerash, hut hut hut

By 3:30 in the afternoon we reached Jerash, another city in the Roman Decapolis. Jerash is easily accessible, just off the road from Amman to Damascus. I last visited there 6 years ago when I got stranded in Amman for the day en route from Beirut to Tel Aviv. Jerash is spectacular, but not as dramatic as Petra or Palmyra, and not as big as Baalbeck or Didyma.
We took photos of the triple arch of Hadrian, theaters, roads, oval colonnade, nymphaeum, tetrapylons, temples of Baal and Artemis, and early Christian churches. Thus far, I've managed to remain safe from the real dangers of the Middle East - I haven't bought one thing from a pleading child, no matter how insistent.
We are spending 2 nights at ACOR - the American Center for Oriental Research in Amman, and tommorow, we are off to see some desert castles.

Ummm Qais

Today we left the Albright in Jerusalem at 7:30 A.M. for the 2 hour drive to the Sheikh Hussein Bridge to cross into Jordan. It took another couple of hours to cross. First, the exit visa, then passport control, then customs, then waiting for the shuttle bus to drive us across the border, then the same drill again. At the border crossing in Jordan they now take a thumb print and a digital photo. I left Israel/entered Jordan on my Oz passport. I' m going to keep my US passport for exclusive use in Arabic countries.
It was close to noon before we made our first site at Umm Qais, the Roman decapolis city of Gadera, in the hills overlooking the lush Jordan river valley and the Sea of Galilee. There we saw a long Decumanus (main Roman street), nymphaeum (fountain house), theater, and Roman shops, mostly built of striking black basalt. Our visit lasted only an hour as we had to leave for the 2 hour drive to Jerash, en route to Amman.
Hut Hut Hut

Off to Jordan....

Tomorrow we're off to Jordan for a 5 day trip to visit Petra and the dersert castles. Last night we got psyched up by having a screening of my all time favorite movie, Lawrence of Arabia.

Hashing & Purim

I spent Saturday doing a lot of writing, especially on the site of Tel Dor, which has an important early monumental building. I also ran the J'lem hash. It was sooo dull - it even makes the Melbourne hashes seem fun and exciting. It was a good run trail, but short. The problem is that many of the hashers are inexperienced. They not only don't know many songs, but they are not well-versed in hash traditions, such as hash crimes, charges from the audience, etc. So, the circle does not last very long. In fact, it even seems like more of an inconvenience than enjoyment for some, who seem to be glad when it’s over. The hash started at 2:30 pm and I was back at the Albright by 4:30. Apparently, the Jerusalem hash has been running every 2 weeks, but they could not be bothered to send out announcements to their e-mail list or update the web site. I gave one of the Melbourne hash T-shirts Brian left here to Woody, who is about the most dedicated hasher here. I also met a really nice woman from North Carolina who works for the US Embassy and is an archaeologist. She joined the FS just about the time I was trying to. She is still working on her PhD in the states. Unfortunately for me, she is just about to get shipped back to DC for her next posting as she has already done her "hardship" post here.
Last night I went to a club for Purim with a friend, Dalit, who I knew from my time here before. Purim is a bit like Haloween in that you have to dress up, but with a lot of drinking. In fact, it is a mitzvah to drink, which is odd, because you get orthodox individuals who never drink, getting absolutely blottoed. I’m not planning to do that, but it was still fun. This is definitely a holiday we need to start celebrating when I get back. It involves 2 days of wearing costumes, partying and getting drunk. The party we went to had dancing in one room and a cuban-music band in the other. I got in around 3 am and today I was zonked. I wasn't much good in either my Arabic or Hebrew class today, but still, I feel I'm starting to get the hang of it. On my way back, I stopped to listen to the live band playing outdoors downtown for the 2nd night of Purim. It reminds me of a cross between Halloween and Mardi-Gras. I didn't stick around too long, however, as the weather has turned chilly again and I felt tired. Still, I enjoyed the festive atmosphere. The photo is from the run I did at Megiddo about a month ago.

A Victim of My Own Success :-)

I presented a workshop today based on my project here, which was a modified version of the article I spent substantial time revising for a journal publication. It had the biggest turnout all year with about 45 people attending. It was a BIG success, with numerous scholars here telling me how much they liked it. In fact, it was so well received, I've been asked to do a 2nd workshop even though we're only required to do one. I've also been asked to give similar talks at Hebrew University and Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv. In addition, several fellows have asked me to show them how to do powerpoint animations. Imagine that! Me giving technical info to other people. At the moment, I just feel wiped out. I need to make a few notes on the basis of my talk, and then I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the evening. The photo shows a lighter moment in the form of a visit to the Elvis cafe.

Hebrew Lessons and A Big Day Tomorrow

Although I’m much better, I'm a bit congested from the really bad cold I had. It's been raining a lot, which means staying in doors a lot with a pile of books for company, but I'm also learning a lot. I just started a Hebrew class this week and my brain is still sweating from it, but I can write the script and my name in Hebrew or Ivrit. The class is really diverse including 3 Palistinians, a Dutch woman, a Finish woman, 5 Americans, as well as people from Japan, Korea, Poland, and New Zealand. It will be an interesting experience.
I miss my dog, Asta, and apparently she really misses me too. Brian says that she always stops at my room and he put her on the phone to hear me and she got really excited when she heard my voice. She's a little smarty. My other 2 WFT's never could recognize me over the phone and they to care if I was gone. One of them, Brigand, would actually forget who I was in about the space of a week!
Tomorrow I’m giving a public lecture (called a workshop), which is based on my research here and 47 people have rsvp’d to attend. This is the biggest attendance at an Albright lecture so far this year. The photo shows me at a special exhibit on the Philistines at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. This Photo was taken at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv at the Exhibit on Philistine Cult Stands when we went to Tel Qasile on Feb. 14.

Colorful Ramallah

I couldn't resist posting this picture of a Jiddi (Grandad) selling spices and basketry on a street corner. Naturally, I didn't buy any of his spices or basketry as Australian customs would have a field day with me. Most Palestinians dress much like the rest of us, but I am always drawn to the the older folks with such great character in their faces.

Checking In at Ramallah

Today I went to Ramallah in the West Bank. The separation wall is just 10 minutes from east Jerusalem, but it's another 30 mins to the city center after crossing the checkpoint. So, it's very close. This photo is from the visit to Samaria farther to the north, but it gives an idea of what the separation wall looks like.

It was a warm, pleasant day - 68F/20C, more like winter in Los Angeles, then the cold, grey Melbourne winter. I met with Adel Yahya, who directs the Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange. PACE is an NGO, which creates tourist guides, protects some archaeological sites in the West Bank, and works to revive local crafts and sell the products of local craftsmen. He showed me around the area including the remains of a church said to be on the site where Jesus preached and the place where Arafat is buried. Then, we had lunch at his brother's restaurant.

Afterward, I spent some time on my own walking around downtown Ramallah - it's a crowded and lively city wtih an amazing array of all kinds of stuff for sale. Strangely enough you can buy an number of American foods here that aren't available in Australia.

Antiquities Authority and Monastery

Today I went with Matt, a student from my alma mater of UCLA, to visit the storerooms of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. These are the most well-organized archaeology storerooms I've seen with great attention given to every category of artifact such as neatly categorized drawers of Islamic glass bracelets and Turkish pipes as well as tidy shelves of early ossuaries (bone boxes) and Canaanite amphorae. Most of the collections are also entered into a computer data base.

The antiquities authority is located near the site of Beit Shemesh, which is in turn, near the convent and monastery of Beit Gemial. The monastery was founded by Don Bosco and both the convent and monastery sell handicrafts including wine, olive oil, honey, and pottery. The sisters actually built their own chapel including the woodwork and masonry, and they make their own pottery and honey (pictured here), which they are very proud of. Anna Vincennes (left) who works on Islamic pottery was our guide.

Valentines Day: I Love the Philistines

Our trip to Megiddo, originally scheduled for today, was post-poned yesterday because of weather, but it was actually fairly mild and sunny. We ended up doing something else instead. There is an exhibit of decorated Philistine cult stands in Tel Aviv that is ending Saturday, so we went to see that instead along with the Philistine Temple at Tel Qasile, which is on the grounds of the Eretz Israel Museum. The stands were interesting: they were broken and deposited in a votive pit and resembled architectural models. Many of them were decorated with trees, women, and bulls - common themes here, in Mesopotamia, and in the Aegean. I gave a brief presentation to the group on Tel Qasile (pictured here) because it has similarities to Canaanite, Minoan, and Mycenaean shrines, which makes it important to my research. You can see that it includes a rectangular hall with 2 worked column bases and also included benches and a platform for the placement of offerings. The temple itself is covered, but associated buildings are uncovered and are eroding away - a problem for architecture everywhere.

Another Kind of Pilgrimage

I felt like crap for much of the last week. I caught the communal Albright cold and it progressed from the sore throat stage into the hacking cough. I got some codine over the counter (gotta love the Middle East!) at the drug store next to the Albright and have been sleeping a lot. I won't take it during the day as I don't want to feel drowsy and I don't like the feeling it gives after prolonged periods. I'm also taking 3000 mg of vitamin C a day spread over 2 doses at the Director's suggestion. It seems to have worked because I'm not feeling perfect, but I am feeling better.
One of the other fellows, Christine - who is a UCLA student, and I went to the American Colony Hotel earlier on Sunday evening for a drink - I hadn't been there since Brian left. I haven't posted for a while as I've been working away on the lecture I'm required to give here on March 1 and now it's finished. The lecture will deal with mechanisms for the transfer of architectural styles and techniques, their significance, and the problems involved in studying these issues.
Have any of you dear readers heard about the riots here? The Israeli's are repairing the ramp that goes up to the Dome of the Rock and doing a little excavating along with it. They claim it was damaged in the snow storm (wouldn't surprise me) and the Muslims claim they are going to damage the mosque, so there were riots to go along with the Friday prayers. We knew something was going on yesterday, but since no one goes out much, they weren't sure what. It's funny to have something going on practically on our doorstep but to have to read about it on the Internet. I knew a bit more than others, because I made a pilgrimmage to the Christian liquor store to get a bottle of Arak to take to Trude's and a bottle of scotch for me - it's even more expensive here than in Australia. This required passing through 3 or 4 pedestrian checkpoints and the road in front of the Damascus Gate of the Old City was blocked to traffic. It's a good thing we visited the Dome of the Rock when we did as it is once again closed to tourists. This building activity by the Israeli's could trigger a 3rd intifada and security in the area has been increased.
I also hosted the first of a monthly happy hour in my apartment - the Albright paid, all I had to do was set it up and host it. That's the kind of party I like - one that someone else pays for. After dinner, I went to Trude's house and another archaeologist, Sharon Zuckerman from Hebrew U was there and we ate, drank, and talked architecture for about 3 hours. Trude is the famous Israeli archaeologist, Trude Dothan.
Last Saturday morning I went on a tour of Ein Karim sponsored by Al Quds University. This is a village in the hills just outside of J'lem - reminiscent of the foothills of the Troodos in Cyprus - with a bunch of churches, including the Church of the Annunciation. We also visited the convent of Notre Dame of Sion - which was a convent founded to teach orphans and has nothing to do with the Da Vinci Code - but they make great mandarin orange marmalade. It was nice to get out and get some fresh air. As alluded to above, a lot of people here have colds here, so I decided to forego the hash.
Now that I have finished my talk, I plan to continue research on my project as well as other things.

Back In Action - Sort Of

Saturday was a nice warm day - the kind of winter day that makes Los Angeles a great place to live. I'm feeling better and went to the Hash in Herzilya, a beach area just north of Tel Aviv. I still have a bit of a cough - which stayed with me nearly till the end of March, so I just walked and afterwards it was so pleasant and warm, we stood around drinking beer after the run ended. The picture here is from the 666 run at Megiddo and shows me running in a field near the site.
On Sunday, I went to a Pilates class and got back into my project. I've been reading a lot about Tel Dor - a big coastal site near Haifa that was inhabited from the Bronze Age through the Classical Period. It's very interesting as its a northern Sea Peoples site, with a tradition that is distinct from the Philistines in the south.
Today we went to see the Islamic Museum in J'lem that had some nice pottery, but the person who led us around lectured a bit beneath us. Tomorrow I'm going to Ramallah and on Weds I'm staring a Hebrew class.

Omride Kingdom of Samaria

I am exhausted. We left at 7 am today to visit the sites of Samaria and Mt. Gerizim, the town of the Jewish sect known as Samaritans. It was not part of the regularly scheduled program, but was being visited by a production team staying here who will be making a doco on Biblical archaeology. Samaria is a site I have been very interested in seeing as it is an important site with ashlar masonry and going there last time wasn't possible because of the intifada. Getting there was a bit tricky as it is in the occupied territories and near the separation wall. We visited the site in an armored vehicle with a military escort. It was an interesting experience and a beautiful site, but the masonry was badly eroded. My friend Norma Franklin who works on the architecture and mason's marks at Megiddo and Samaria is discussing the early remains at Samaria in the photo.

It's Not Always A Picnic!

After leaving Samaria, we went to Mt Gerizim which was also quite beautiful, but cold as you see. The archaeology was less interesting to me than meeting the son of the chief priest, but Karen Britt, who took this photo was excited to see this octagonal church. Gerizim is the home of the Samaritain sect of Judaism and they carry out a number of practices that are no longer undertaken in the modern religion. Among these is that each Passover they slaughter a bunch of sheep and cook them in fire pits. Seeing the place where they did this was very interesting. Although the facilities were modern, they reminded me a lot of what one sees in 13th c. Cyprus. Earlier this week I spent 2 relaxing days at the Dead Sea with a friend I went to school with at UCLA, who now teaches at Beer Sheva University.