Later that day we departed to the Ron Beach Hotel located on the Sea of Galilee where we stayed overnight. The next morning we traveled to the Jordan River.  Rivers come in all shapes and sizes, so I did not know what to expect. What I saw was a beautiful quiet spot. The water was blue-green and gently rippling. The river was rather narrow with tall trees growing on the banks. You could easily see many small fish in the water and there were two ducks swimming near the opposite bank. This area called Yardenit Baptismal site is the place where most Orthodox Christian go to recall there own baptism.  Bishop Peter served the Great Blessing of Water and most of the pilgrims donned white gowns, purchased at the site. Bishop Peter warned us that despite its calm appearance, the river can be dangerous and unpredictable, and that for our safety we should not venture out into the deeper parts. We entered the water in small groups, while singing the troparion: “When Thou wast baptized in the Jordan…”, and immersed ourselves three times. It was spiritually uplifting, and one of the most memorable times of the pilgrimage for me.  After a quick snack and a brief stop at the local gift shop, we were back on the bus. Next on the itinerary was the tour of Galilee: the Greek Church in Tiberius, the Russian Church at the home of St. Mary Magdalene in Magdala, the Mount of the Beatitudes, Tabgha (the site of the multiplication of five loaves and two fishes), the ruins at Capernaum, including the synagogue where Jesus taught, and the Greek Church in Capernaum.

          Afterward we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It lasted about an hour, and was quite pleasant. The sky was clear and sunny (as it was almost every day while we were in the Holy Land) and the water was calm and blue. The boat was a replica of the ones used on the lake in the time of our Lord.  We visited Cana, the site of Jesus’ first reported miracle and drove past Kursi, where the demon-possessed swine drowned in the Sea of Galilee.  The next day we went to the Greek Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth and sang an Akathist to the Mother of God. The following morning, Sunday, we attended Divine Liturgy in Bethlehem, served in Arabic by a Palestinian priest. After the Liturgy, we ate breakfast in Bethlehem and had an opportunity to visit a large shop to buy gifts. Later in the day, we visited the Monastery of St. Theodosius the Great, and then the Lavra of St. Sabbas (Mar Saba).  Women are not allowed inside Mar Saba, so while the men entered the Monastery; the women remained outside its walls. A monk brought us water, hot tea and sweets.  He gave us small bottles of holy oil and water from the Monastery and brought out the Holy relics for us to venerate. Inside the Monastery, the men venerated the incorrupt relics of St. Sabas and other saints.

On Monday, of the second week of our pilgrimage, we visited the monastery of St. George the Hozebite. To get to the Monastery we hiked for about twenty minutes mostly downhill on well-constructed, but at times narrow trails. The Monastery established in the fifth century, is located on a side of a desert mountain above a wadi, and is very picturesque.  Inside we were offered coffee, water and sweets. We venerated icons and relics, leaving spiritually refreshed. We were physically exhausted when we returned to our bus via the same road, this time all uphill.  This, however, prepared us for a shorter, but steeper hike up to the Monastery on the Mount of Temptations outside of Jericho. Many of our more senior pilgrims endured the arduous climbs to visit these holy monasteries. Later, that day we visited the Monastery of St. Gerasim. St. Gerasim lived in the fifth century in this desert monastery. Legend has it, that once a lion with a thorn in his paw came to St. Gerasim, who removed the thorn and cleansed the wound. The lion was so grateful that he became tame and stayed protecting the Saint. 

          Our next stop was the Russian Garden in Jericho.  The nuns prepared lunch for us, and then showed us the garden including citrus, banana, papaya, and pomegranate trees.  On our return to the Mount of Olives’ we stopped at the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on earth. The following day we arrived in the ROCOR Skete of St. Chariton.  It is the world’s oldest monastery still in operation. Located inside a national park it is inaccessible except by foot. Once we arrived at the Monastery, we had to ascend a metal ladder to get to the cave church where Bishop Peter and the clergy served Divine Liturgy.  The ceiling’s and walls’ were black from centuries of candle smoke.  It was wonderful to worship, and to commune in such an ancient church! After Liturgy, all the pilgrims had breakfast prepared by the nuns, and then we went on a tour of the Skete.  On Wednesday, we had a walking tour of the Mount of Olives, the site of our Lord’s Ascension, St. Pelagia’s cave, and the “Pater Noster” Church, the traditional site of the teaching of the “Our Father” by Jesus. At “Pater Noster”, the Lord’s Prayer is written on the walls in many different languages. The following day we attended Divine Liturgy at the Tomb of the Virgin Mary at Gethsemane. In this Church, you see many burning candles practically covering the staircase leading down into the church. Later we stopped at a Catholic basilica with an olive garden next to it where Jesus prayed. Some of these olive trees date to the time of Christ.  We also visited St. Stephen’s Church and the place where he was stoned to death. Large frescoes on the walls of the church depict this event.  That afternoon we had a tour of the Russian Convent on the Mount of Olives, then, Abbess Moisseia invited us to tea. With her permission, some pilgrims climbed to the top platform of the bell tower, where there is a breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem. This bell tower, known as the Russian Candle, is the tallest structure in Jerusalem, and from where, on clear day, it is possible to see as far as the Dead Sea.

Sunday, was the Feast of Dormition and we attended the Divine Liturgy at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene at Gethsemane. The Church and convent there house the relics of Holy Martyrs’ Grand Duchess Elizabeth and nun Barbara. There is a large fresco above the iconostas depicting Mary Magdalene presenting an egg to Emperor Tiberius. After Lunch, at the Convent, we visited the Mt. Zion region in Jerusalem. Here we saw the pool of Siloam where the blind man went to wash after Jesus anointed his eyes. Nearby we saw Caiaphas’ palace, the dungeon where Jesus was held after His arrest, and Galikantu where Apostle Peter denied Christ three times. We then visited the Upper Room, the site of the Last Supper and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

          The following day we attended Divine Liturgy in Bethany, now the site of a girls’ school run by ROCOR nuns from the Ascension Monastery, and the Biblical home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  On the way back from Bethany to the hotel, we stopped and descended into the tomb of St. Lazarus.  There were a few unscheduled blocks of time, and my husband and I returned to Via Dolorosa and to the Church of the Resurrection to spend extra time worshipping at the sites of Christ's crucifixion, burial and Resurrection from the dead. It is hard to describe the awesome feeling of being there.  We walked the impressive stonewall surrounding the Old City, past its gates: St. Stephens or Lion’s gate, Dung gate, Zion gate, Jaffa gate, New gate, Damascus gate, and Herod’s gate, from where we savored the unique atmosphere of Jerusalem. It took us about an hour and a half to complete the circle. We also walked along some of the streets of the Old City and passed many merchants.

At this point, some pilgrims traveled to Mt. Sinai and visited the Monastery of St. Catherine. For others, including my husband and me, the time in the Holy Land ended. It was wonderful and spiritually enriching experience – a complete success! Bishop Peter is extremely knowledgeable concerning every aspect of the Holy Land and every day was precisely scheduled and well organized. Many people in the Holy Land know the Bishop and I felt privileged to be a part of his group. The schedule was full, but there is also time to rest. It was wonderful to meet and to share this experience with Orthodox Christians from all over the United States. We always interacted with each other, but especially at meal times, when we had stimulating conversations about the events of the day. I was very impressed by the hospitality of our Russian monasteries, and by everyone’s friendliness.  For some pilgrims this was not their first time in the Holy Land, but for us it was, and we are so glad we went! I thank God for granting us this opportunity. We brought home souvenirs and many rolls of film. However, we brought home something  even more important, now, when I read the Bible, especially the New Testament, I have a better understanding because I have visited the land where Jesus and His disciples walked and where other biblical events took place. I hope to return soon.

Servant of God Julia