The first Babel fish?

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Step through this door and you will find doors to many little translation booths.
Or so I trust.
Alas, I lost my nerve after seeing the sign
TRANSLATION BOOTHS -- AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
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Well, I AM (or was) a certified translator, but I was certainly not authorized to be roaming in the big empty convention hall building of The Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.
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The new modern building is on Vatican property near the 19th century Notre Dame pilgrim hostel (see here and here).
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These doors made me think about the Catholic center's need for simultaneous interpreting these days as compared to the Disciples' sudden ability to speak in many languages, a miraculous gift given in Jerusalem's Upper Room on the first Pentecost almost two thousand years ago.
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Today is Pentecost Monday, the Feast of the Holy Spirit.
The dramatic story of the "speaking in tongues" is in Acts 2.
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Some see this as a reversal of the curse of the Tower of Babel, when God confounded the languages.
Acts 2 describes the phenomenon as a miracle of universal translation, enabling people from many parts of the world speaking many different languages to understand the Christian message.
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From the Orthodox Christian liturgy for the day:

Kontakion

When the most High came down and confused the tongues,
He divided the nations;
But when he distributed the tongues of fire
He called all to unity.
Therefore, with one voice, we glorify the All-holy Spirit!

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This post, my last about Pentecost until next year (no, really!), enters into Monday Doorways and That's MyWorld Tuesday.
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Understanding the desert images

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When one needs strength, consolation, encouragement, hope, or help--the 23rd Psalm is the best psalm to know by heart.
Or so I have found in times and places that I was lost.
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Since today's psalm is already so well-known, I want to do something a little different for Robert's weekly PsalmChallenge. I want to recommend a book.

You can enlarge the photo and read a sample.
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The book is a must for those who have never walked Israel's deserts or never herded sheep and goats (I have done both, but I still need this book!).
-- This because so much of the imagery of David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and other prophets and sages assumes an understanding of such things.
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As the dust jacket says

One of the Bible's best-known and best-loved psalms begins with the words of the young David: "The Lord is my shepherd" (23:1). The experiences of David as a shepherd in the Judean Desert affected the imagery of his psalms, his escapes from the pursuit of Saul, and even the judgments he rendered as king.

Each chapter bears the name of a verse from Psalm 23.
For example

Chapter IV "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
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Terrifying cliffs and canyons
. An arid land, a land of the shadow of death
A land of darkness
Cliff and fortress
. Rock of Ages
The shepherd's staff

The late great Nogah Hareuveni, of blessed memory, wrote Desert and Shepherd in Our Biblical Heritage several decades ago.
There are three in his Biblical Heritage series.
He also founded Neot Kedumim, the only Biblical Landscape Reserve in the world.
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Enjoy the Neot Kedumim website.
You can order the book there too. I would be lost without it.
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PSALM 23

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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What's that on your head?

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Tonight the vigil of Pentecost begins.
The happy festival has to be one of the strangest on the Christian calendar.
Or so it appears to this Jew (and probably to quite a few Christians too).
Let's admit it--the mystery and the drama of the Church is fascinating.
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As we said in yesterday's post, Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit.
The symbol of the Holy Spirit is the dove, especially the dove descending.
This dove above a picture of Mary is in the stairway to the Ethiopian chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
And if you can get past the reflection, you can see two angels adjusting Mary's crown. (One of her names is Queen of Heaven.)
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Now we get to the best part!
The Book of Acts says

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

This tall painting in the Latin Patriarchate church actually shows these tongues of fire!
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And here, in Notre Dame de Jerusalem, is a picture of the famous icon of the Feast.
It is known as "The Descent of the Holy Spirit."
Again the tongues of fire, and even their source!

But who is that king below the Apostles and Mary?
The website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America offers the interpretation of the icon and a good explanation of Pentecost (recommended!):

Below the Apostles, a royal figure is seen against a dark background. This is a symbolic figure, Cosmos, representing the people of the world living in darkness and sin, and involved in pagan worship. However, the figure carries in his hands a cloth containing scrolls which represent the teaching of the Apostles. The tradition of the Church holds that the Apostles carried the message of the Gospel to all parts of the world.

If you are one of the millions who celebrate this day, Happy Pentecost!
Thanks to the readers who responded to yesterday's photo with such very touching comments.
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A foretaste of Pentecost

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In the dim recesses of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a priest and his reflection.

Enlarge the photo and you will even see the light reflected in his eyeglasses as well.
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What almost looks like a flame above his head reminds us that this Sunday is Pentecost for some Christians.
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The Book of Acts says that the Apostles were gathered together in one place [the Upper Room] when suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting.
Then tongues of fire appeared and one sat upon each one of Apostles!
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as directed by the Spirit.

The glass in which the priest was reflected shields a mosaic above the glittery bench.
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The large mosaic of the Crucifixion was made in 1970.
It is next to the arched door of the Armenians' sacristy.
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I hope James and the growing group at Weekend Reflections enjoy this dim reflection of inner brightness.
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Like day and night

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Sundown is so welcome here in the Mideast--a sudden relief from the blazing sun.
The welcome, long-awaited cool breeze of night refreshes the body and soul.
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Here, for SkyWatch Friday are tonight's 8:00 pm clouds over the Jerusalem Hills.
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For Shavuot -- faces of Ruth

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Today Jews celebrate Shavuot, also know by its Biblical names Chag HaKatsir, the [wheat] Harvest Festival, and Yom HaBikurim, Day of the First Fruits.
By tradition today also marks the day of King David's birth and death.

But mainly Shavuot is Zman Matan Toratenu, The Season of the Giving of our Torah.
Seven weeks (shavuot) have passed since Passover.
It took 49 (+1) days of wandering in the desert for God and Moses to prepare the People for the the biggest day in history.
In today's morning prayer service Exodus 19-20 is read.
All rise in silent reverence to listen to the Ten Commandments with the feeling that we all are standing at Mount Sinai.
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The scroll of the Book of Ruth is also chanted, in loving memory of David and of Ruth, his Moabite ancestor, the mother of all converts.
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Let's look at some very different portrayals of Ruth, all at the current exhibit of Bible story sculpture at Mamilla in Jerusalem.

The one above is called "Ruth and Naomi, the dialogue."
Sculptor Ruth Agmon quotes the famous passage in Ruth 1:16-17 that widowed Ruth speaks to her mother-in-law Naomi:

And Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;
where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried . . .

"Ruth the Moabitess" by Judith Sudai who quotes Ruth 2:3:

So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

"Ruth" by Cathy Kerner. Ruth 2:2:

Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain . . .

"Ruth and Boaz" by Rachel Levi. Ruth 2:10:

Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”

"Ruth" by Cathy Kerner.
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Notice the crown of future kingship on the boy's head!
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For other aspects of the holiday please click on my label "Shavuot."
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HAPPY SHAVUOT!
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Unexpected underground stream uncovered

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I first posted about this dramatically deep hole a year ago (here and here).
Since then this new tunnel has been started on the southern side of the shaft.
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Here's the northern side.
Someday a high speed train will run between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and it will enter Jerusalem through these tunnels.
The big underground central train station will double as a bomb shelter.
It is between the busy Central Bus Station and Binyanei HaUma convention center.
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Meanwhile, a few days ago (and just in time for ABC Wednesday U-Day), a great discovery hit the news:
An unexpected underground stream was uncovered at a depth of 75 meters, five meters from the planned bottom of the shaft!
"The largest and most impressive underground water sources ever discovered in Israel," scholars say.
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The karstic cave developed as water seeped in from the surface and dissolved the limestone.
It is between a half a meter to a few meters wide, and is a few dozen meters high and at least 200 meters long.
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Prof. Amos Frumkin, Head of the Cave Research Unit at Hebrew University, said the cave also has hydrological significance because it is part of the mountain aquifer, an underground reservoir into which rainwater flows from the surface and that extends all along Israel's central mountain range. "The study of the cave can help us understand the precise mechanism by which water flows through the aquifer in the Jerusalem area."
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TV news showed him and a few lucky colleagues squeezing through nooks and crannies and crawling in mud. Brave explorers they are.
And I imagine the first humans to enter this cave!
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Frumkin says the cave must be protected as a valuable natural phenomenon and that this can be accomplished without impeding construction of the railway station.
That is good news!
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Read more details in the Haaretz article.
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UPDATE: A newer and better article has become available at JPost.
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Shaare Zedek original doors

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These doors do not open in the physical sense.
But the fact that they are mounted on the wall invites us to open ourselves to their history.
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The doors have a new home in the lobby of the new Shaare Zedek Hospital in the Bayit Vagan neighborhood of Jerusalem.
The two plaques on the threshold explain where they came from.

They were the original doors in the first Shaare Zedek Hospital, from when it was built in 1902 until it moved to the new facility in 1979.

There is even a camel caravan going down Jaffa Road in this photo of Shaare Zedek from around 1902!
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I hope you enjoyed your tour for That's My World Tuesday and for Monday Doors.
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Why?

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Sunday is almost over and this post is late. Who knew I'd be spending half the day watching live coverage of the Naksa Day trouble in the Golan Heights.
So good that Robert at Daily Athens keeps us going with a Psalm a week at PsalmChallenge.
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Psalm 22 is a great one.
Even Jesus spoke its first verse on the cross. The 22nd is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament.
Make sure to check the original version if you know any Hebrew at all.

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¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me,
from the words of my groaning?
² O my God, I cry by day,
but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.

³ Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴ In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.

⁵ To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;

⁸ ‘Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’

⁹ Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.

¹⁰ On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

¹² Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³ they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
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¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;

¹⁵ my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shrivelled;
¹⁷ I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸ they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
²¹ Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.

²² I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³ You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,
but heard when I cried to him.

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live for ever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.

²⁸ For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
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³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
³¹ and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
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Photos:
"Job" by Rita Paran, Mamilla Mall exhibit
"Fountain" by Yael Erlichman, Mamilla
Potsherds in situ
Goat (?) spine and pelvis
Women's section, Western Wall
"Our Mother Rachel" by Dalia Edelsburg, Mamilla
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For a limited time only

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Every year at this time the earth comes around to a certain point that makes the setting sun cast a dramatic light on the chapel wall.
Here it looks like the horn of light is devouring the icon!
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The sun is entering through a partly-opened round window.
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Eleven days later it looks slightly different.
It is a matter of May 30 at 5:55 pm compared to June 10 at 6:34 pm for these two photos.
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This summer seasonal play of light and shadow is for Summer Stock Sunday, which Robin here in Israel is starting up again tonight, and for Tracy's Shadow Shot Sunday .
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Dona Tower and a strange tree

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For Weekend Reflections here is a quite new office building with its Hebrew name, Migdal Dona, reflected in mirror image.
It has a nice elliptical shape, eh?
It stands in the far-western Givat Shaul neighborhood of Jerusalem.
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Here it is as seen from a 3rd floor window in Beit Hakerem.
I had to stick my arm out through the bars of a window, point and shoot, and hope for the best.
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Actually it was the tree I was after, with its spiky orange-colored flowers and compound fern-like leaves.
This is the only one of its kind I've ever seen.
Anyone know what kind it is?
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(Other interesting things in Givat Shaul are in three earlier posts.)
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UPDATE: I believe Diane in Australia has solved the mystery!
The tree seems to be a silky oak (or silk oak), Grevillea robusta, a member of the Protea family, a native to Australia.
Nice photo of the unusual flowers here.
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Sky-watching at Chapel of the Ascension

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Sky-watching did not start with our meme SkyWatch Friday.
The apostles were doing it on this day almost two thousand years ago.
The New Testament book of Acts says

He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

- Acts 1:9-11

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Ascension Day fell on the same date this year for both Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
I imagine this place, the Chapel of the Ascension, was full of worshiping pilgrims today.
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This is a drive-by shot and I have not yet walked there but apparently, on the other side of the mosque is a chapel, first built around 390.
It was destroyed and rebuilt by various conquerors many times.
A mosque and minaret were added next to the chapel in 1620 and the entire site remains in Muslim possession.
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The main octagonal edicule surrounds the Ascension rock, said to bear the footprint of Jesus as he ascended, forty days after the resurrection.
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It is on the Mount of Olives, in the Arab neighborhood A-Tur.
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More information and interior photos of the Chapel of the Ascension (Kapelat HaAliya) here:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-chapel-of-ascension
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_of_Jesus
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Written on stone

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"I love Jerusalem."
Actually, this could be the title of my blog.
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It was part of a changing light show projected onto the Damascus Gate last June during the Light Festival.
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I hope you are able to join me in saying "WE love Jerusalem."
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Today we are celebrating Jerusalem Day.
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Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
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Destruction, reconstruction, and construction

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In 1928 Arab entrepreneurs financed the construction of the Palace Hotel on Jerusalem's Agron Street. The hotel was the most luxurious in the Middle East, with elevators, a central heating system, and even private bathrooms – practically unheard-of at the time.
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From 1935 it was leased to civil and military units of the British Mandatory government.
Later, the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade used it.
Eventually it was closed down.
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Now it is being turned into the Waldorf-Astoria Palace Jerusalem Hotel.
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It was gutted and the historic and beautiful facade was preserved.
Enlarge the photo above and marvel at how they dug the construction pit under the outer shell!
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I have been following its progress since 2008.
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See how the shell wraps around three sides and the new construction starts in the middle?
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This shot from last March shows how the old and new walls have been joined together.
The original Arabic inscriptions, intricate stone carvings, and decorative arches are being fully restored.
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For the nitty-gritty on the Palace then and now, read here.
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A similar project is going on for the old Saidoff Houses. See http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-history-meets-luxury.html
and
http://jerusalemhillsdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2010/10/saving-old-stones.html
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And for more about the ubiquitous construction in Jerusalem you can click on my label "construction."
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For ABC Wednesday, T is for Theme Day.
Yes, it is our monthly City Daily Photo group's Theme Day, today about "Under construction."
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.
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Doorway to the Holy Sepulchre

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Louis la Vache in San Francisco recently started posting doorways, and with a nudge from Reader Wil it turned into a new meme, "Monday Doorways."
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This post is also a mini-tour for That's My World Tuesday.
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The grand old portal of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem's Old City.
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It is the only exit/entrance in the huge and often (over-)crowded church and that can be a scary thought.
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When you go out, like these Greek Orthodox clergy were doing yesterday, the bright sunlight almost blinds you after your eyes have been accustomed to the dark interior.
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The Holy Sepulchre was built in 326 and restored and rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century.
It is a world unto itself. I can never be in the Old City without stopping in, just to wander around. There is always an adventure in store.
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UPDATE: Readers who have been there are asking about the locking of the door by the Muslim key-holders. Please see my added info on that in the Comments section.
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A king and his harp

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Our weekly group of Psalm-illustrating bloggers is slowly growing.
Thanks to Robert at Daily Athens PsalmChallenge for getting us started and keeping us going.
You too are welcome to try it once or twice or 150 times.
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Psalm 21

1 In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! 2 You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah) 3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4 He asked you for life; you gave it to him— length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
.8 Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9 You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their children from among humankind. 11 If they plan evil against you, if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. .
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. .
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Photos--
Statues at Mamilla Mall Bible Stories exhibit:
"David" by Avri Regev

"David BaRuach" by Gavriel Ben-Haim, inspired by I Samuel 16:23 -- "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him."
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Shadows in a sunny elevator shaft

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For Shadow Shot Sunday here are strong shadows inside a transparent elevator shaft.

For the first few floors the elevator is inside, but then suddenly it starts facing the outside.

The 17-story building is part of the Technology Park in the Malcha neighborhood of Jerusalem.
(Another post about it here.)

Down below are Teddy Stadium

and more of the Technology Park.
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Across the street you see the train terminal. It and the little train stop at the Biblical Zoo are the only train stations in Jerusalem.
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Do pigeons take a shower?

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I've heard of birdbaths but never bird SHOWERS!

Doesn't it look like the second pigeon is standing under the spewing water?

This rather slimy fountain is in a monastery fishpond.
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Shalom to all the Camera Critters folks.
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A reflection behind bars

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The venerable building reflected in another old, but not so famous, house was once Sha'are Zedek Hospital.
The hospital moved to a larger facility in 1980.
After renovations were completed in 1999, the Israel Broadcasting Authority moved in.
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I took the picture for James' Weekend Reflections.
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Shabbat shalom to all.
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Clouds and soon rain, in MAY??

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For SkyWatch Friday, a cloudy sky over the hills, as seen from Moshav Yad Hashmona.

Israel expects a little rain this weekend. Very strange, this being late May, which is normally well into the dry season.

(We saw other parts of this village and their Biblical Garden in four previous posts. )
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