Plans

Okay - I recognize that life is never quite what we expect of it or plan for. Though I don't necessarily agree that God laughs at our plans, sometimes it certainly appears to be the case. :) Obviously I have not lived up to my promise of a new entry a day. To remedy this situation, I will try and do two-a-day for the next week to make up for it, maybe more as I feel up to it. So don't fear. And keep reading!!
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"[God] brought [Abram] outside and said, 'Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he (Abram) believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6


Abraham is a central figure for Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Combined, they are often known as the Abrahamic faiths, and rightly so for all three hold similar heritage and stock in key persons and stories. It also means that there is similar claim to the Holy Land based on that heritage. This is far too complex for me to delve in. Instead, I want to share with you a site that we were so fortunate to visit. And yes, I am a little biased because this was the site I researched for my report on the bus.



The Ibrahimi Mosque, Tomb of the Patriarchs, Cave of Machpelah (it has many names) - this is the site believed to house the burial ground of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. The outer structure was constructed sometime in the 1st century and is believed to be a work of Herod the Great's reign. The outer wall is huge, upwards of 30 feet or so. It protects a maze of caves that have never been properly explored, where the actual burial sites are believed to be.

Instead, above the caves inside the Islamic and Jewish structures are housed six cenotaphs, like giant tombstone markings draped in a heavy cloth. (see picture above)

Throughout history, this site has been in the hands of Byzantine Christians, who constructed a basilica in the 4th century; Muslims who converted that basilica into a mosque; back into the hands of the Crusaders; and again to the Muslim empire, which took it upon itself to ban entry to any Jewish person. Though the site is quite holy for Jews, they were only allowed to walk up to the seventh outer step and touch the wall at that juncture. Tradition had that Jewish pray-ers would also insert small pieces of paper with prayers written, similar to the Western Wall. Thankfully, in the 20th century the ban was lifted. However, the site now is divided - 2/3 Muslim, 1/3 Jewish. Four cenotaphs are located in the Muslim side, two of which are situated in an area that can be seen from the Jewish side (Abraham and Sarah); Jacob and Leah's cenotaphs are in the Jewish side. Save for ten holy days during the religious calendar year, Jews are not allowed on the Muslim side, and vice versa.

This site has also born witness to some very violent responses in recent years, especially in the early 1990's when an Israeli settler set out to massacre during Muslim prayers killing many and injuring a multitude more. For that reason now, to enter this holy site there is a string of metal-detectors for each person to walk through, as well as a gaggle of Israeli military personnel. And, the process is repeated if a tourist goes to both the mosque side and the synagogue side.

While we were in the mosque side, all of us women had to make sure our heads were covered, and many had to put on a "Red Riding Hood" cape of sorts. On the synagogue side, all of the men had to have a head-covering, and yes, kippahs, or yarmulkes, were provided for them. There is a photo somewhere, probably on Facebook, with all of the women standing near Rebekah's cenotaph.

As I stated earlier, the Jewish people were only allowed up to the seventh step until the 20th century. Where they would pray and lay their hands, the wall is darker from so much contact. As well, it is important to note that the corner of the structure where they were allowed is believed to be the closest entry point to the caves, thus making it the closest area to the burial sites themselves. So, many consider that even though there was a ban, the Jewish people were actually closer to the holy site than others.

I could go on and on, and in fact I do for my four-ish page report. That is not for this space. But, I will talk more about the desperate situation of Hebron, the town where this site is located in a later blog entry.


Scripture for Today: Psalm 22:23-31, Genesis 15:1-6, Romans 3:21-31