-Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
-Modern Study of the Second Temple Period
-Hebrew Bible reading tutorial
-Astronomy and Historiography (of the Ancient Near East)
-Bi-Nationalism in Israel/Palestine
-Priestly Law and Holiness Legislation
-Internship--the Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Many of the above classes are graduate-level (I am test-driving Hebrew U's graduate program in Bible and Ancient Near East). I had the opportunity to discuss grad school with a current grad student (and Notre Dame alum!), Joe. At the recommendation of our Hebrew teacher back at ND, Joe and I tried an amazing hummus restaurant in the Old City (see the picture below). Joe also showed me another cool lookout spot, at the top of a convent in the Armenian Quarter.
On Shabbat, a group of us decided to walk to the Mount of Olives, which although it was not particularly far, proved to be a strenuous uphill journey. Our day started at the Shrine of the Ascension, both a Muslim and Christian holy site which marks the spot at which Jesus ascended into heaven, 40 days following his resurrection. Disappointingly, the inside of shrine contained no artwork and was not particularly impressive, but it did preserve a stone on which Jesus' footprint is supposedly visible. The other disappointing thing was that we had to pay to enter. Two pictures (an exterior and an interior) are below. (Is it irreverent for me to thumbs-up here?)
We made our way next to the Church of the Pater Noster, where Jesus delivered the "Our Father" prayer. The complex consisted of a small chapel amidst a huge outdoor courtyard, and on the walls were translations of the "Our Father" into every language imaginable, from Swahili to Gaelic, Syriac to Hebrew brail. As you can see from the pictures, the site was infested with tour groups. The second picture is the English text of the prayer.
In previous blog entries, I posted a couple of pictures of the Mount of Olives, and I mentioned the huge Jewish cemetery that dominates the slope of the hill. Jews (and Christians) believe that the Resurrection of the Dead will take place here, and many opt to be buried as close to the site as possible. It is apparently customary for family members to leave stones on top of the grave markers, instead of flowers. The cemetery provided a fantastic view of the Old City and Dome of the Rock, (second picture below). In the last picture, I'm trying to "pick up" the Dome of the Rock (although I think it looks slightly off).
There is a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church (of St. Mary Magdalene) on the Mount, but it was closed--I shall have to return another time. Instead, we visited the Church of All Nations, also called the Basilica of the Agony. This church is built on top of the Garden of Gethsemane (where Jesus prayed and sweated blood before his betrayal by Judas). The first picture below is of the garden (mostly obstructed by huge olive trees); the second is the altar of the humongous church. The rock beneath it is said to be the original upon which Jesus prayed.
At the bottom of the Mount of Olives, we stumbled upon the Tomb of the Virgin, where some traditions say the Virgin Mary was buried. The Greek Orthodox Church operates the shrine in conjunction with a few other rites (Syriac, Coptic, etc.). The tomb is found at the bottom of an impressive flight of Crusader steps (pictured below). After ducking through a tiny stone opening, pilgrims can see (in the second picture) the stone on which she was laid. Where is the body, you ask? Catholic and (most) Orthodox theologies hold that Mary was assumed into heaven (this doctrine, however, is only a few decades old, although the tradition certainly is much older). It is apparently up for debate whether or not Mary underwent physical death before her assumption.
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