More on our only lion's death

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Last night  I quoted the Biblical Zoo's announcement of the death of Jerusalem's only male lion. 

Tonight The Times of Israel has Lider's death as their top story (well, I mean at the top of the page). 

Please see their article, "Lider, the lion king of Jerusalem, dies at 16."

From it we learn that  Lider "was put to sleep last Thursday after veterinarians and keepers decided that his difficulties in walking and standing, brought on by chronic back pain, were insufferable."

The paper also informs us that 

Asiatic lions are an endangered species, with only around 300 left in the Gir Forest Sanctuary in India and another 330 in captivity.   Zoos around the world are engaged in a breeding program to try and save the faltering species from extinction.

However, with the relatively small number of Asian lions available – by comparison there are over 1,600 African lions in captivity – inbreeding is common and as a result many of the animals have genetic disorders affecting their health. Lider himself was born sterile as a result and an illness that afflicted his nervous system was likely brought on by genetic problems.

The animals in the Lions Fountain  will hopefully live forever.

Germany donated the fountain to Jerusalem in 1989.

The lion of Judah is the official emblem of the City of Jerusalem so we have a special place in our heart for lions, living or dead. 

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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)

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Our Jerusalem lion has died

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If you click a few times on this March 2012 photo you can just about see the lion and his lioness friend.
The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem has just announced his death:

Dear guests, We are sad to inform you of the passing of Leider the Asian lion, who was a long time resident at the Asian lion exhibit.  In recent years, Leider suffered from back pains and found it difficult to move, caused by a degeneration of the nerve system.
Leider was sixteen years old, a ripe old age for Asian lions, and his ailments continued to develop and worsen.  The zoo's veterinary staff worked very hard to treat him. At the beginning of September, he underwent CT scans, and it was discovered that there was no way to alleviate his suffering.

Leider was loved by the visitors and the staff. He came to us at the age of two years and became popular among the visitors and zoo members. He had a happy life and we are all saddened by his passing.

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There are nice photos of Leider at  http://jerusalemzoo.org.il/apage/116138.php
Pictures and tributes will be coming in on Facebook at The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.

Rest in peace, dear old Jerusalem lion.
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PLEASE SEE MY UPDATE WITH NEW INFORMATION.
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(For Camera Critters.)
UPDATE: January 2014: A new lion has come from Sweden to replace Leider.  See the funny video of his first encounter with Israel's bright sun.
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From the lion's mouth

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F is for fountain, the Lion Fountain!

Finally--a photo of the water without any kids playing inside.
It was 8:40 Sunday morning, too early for fun-seekers.
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(A post for ABC Wednesday)

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A psalmist's rage against evil forces

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Robert Geiss at daily athens photo PsalmChallenge has somehow brought us all the way to the 58th Psalm, and a difficult one it is.

1 For the leader; al tashheth. Of David. A michtam.

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?

2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.

4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,

5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be.

6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
LORD, tear out the fangs of those lions!

7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.

8 May they be like a snail that dissolves as it moves along,
like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.

10 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged,
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

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Note:
In his analysis, Rabbi Benjamin Segal writes, "For some, the vindictiveness of Psalm 58 is hard to take . . ."

The rabbi quotes Broyles, who, speaking about the psalmist's desire for vengeance remarks, “These biblical images should at least awaken us who live in the comfortable West to the Bible’s realism about injustice and how victims feel.”

Photos:
1. "The Womb" by Dr. Noni Reina.
2. Statue currently on exhibit at Mamilla by Alexander Metlayev.
3. Snail shells in an old fort on the Roman Road.
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Lurking like a lion

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For Daily Athens' Psalm Challenge, Psalm 10.
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1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
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2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor— let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, "God will not seek it out"; all their thoughts are, "There is no God."
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5 Their ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of their sight; as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, "We shall not be moved; throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity."
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
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8 They sit in ambush in the villages; in hiding places they murder the innocent. Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert; they lurk that they may seize the poor; they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.

10 They stoop, they crouch, and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it."
12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, "You will not call us to account"?
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14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.
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15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.
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17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear

18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,

so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

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Photos:
1. Lion at Beit HaChayal (the Soldier's House), Jerusalem.

2. Memorial naming victims of terrorism in Israel, grouped by years, from 1860 to present. On Mt. Herzl, the mount of remembrance.

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Ethiopian Church exterior

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For That's My World and also ABC Wednesday, E is for Ethiopian Church--exterior.
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If you walk down the narrow lane just outside Jerusalem's Old City  to No. 10 Ethiopia Street,

you will find the (Ethiopian Orthodox)  Ethiopian Church.
It was built in stages between 1874 and 1901. 

The Bible says (I Kings 10:1-6) that the Queen of Sheba traveled to Jerusalem  in a great caravan to visit King Solomon.
According to Ethiopian tradition, the Ethiopian royal dynasty began with a union between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Our symbol, the Lion of Judah, also became the emblem of the Ethiopian kingdom, but with the addition of a cross and crown.

When you come to visit, you may have to ask to have the church unlocked.
Here in the picture a nun smiles as the monk removes his shoes and opens the door for us.
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Please come back tomorrow to see the surprising interior.
It is Jerusalem's only circular church sanctuary.
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Rhodesian Ridgebacks

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Shalom Camera-Critters friends.

Have you ever seen a Rhodesian Ridgeback?

Strangely enough, the dog is characterized by a ridge of hair along its back running in the opposite direction to the rest of its coat.

I had never even heard of a Rhodesian Ridgeback until these three lively puppies were piled on my lap by the neighbors.

The breed began in Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe).

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Wikipedia says

"The breed's history dates back to early in the 18th century, when the first European settlers found dogs domesticated by Khoi-khoi tribes with the hair on the spine turned forward. In the late 19th century, big game hunters needed a hunting dog that was tough, resistant to disease, and intelligent enough to avoid crocodiles and snakes, but brave and fast enough to face a lion. Also important was a tick-repellent smooth coat and tight paw pads to protect against thorns and rough terrain."
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Fortunately Israel no longer has lions roaming wild.

But we used to!

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You will enjoy looking at the BibleWalks.com page about the Dir Hijla/Gerassimos monastery near the Dead Sea.

There is a statue of a lion there and many icons and paintings of a lion and St. Gerassimos with the Mountains of Judea behind them.

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The legend says that the Abbot encountered a lion roaring with pain near the Jordan River. He removed a thorn from the lion's paw.

The lion was so thankful that he became tame and joined the community.

In the Greek Orthodox art he is often depicted with a donkey and a camel, his friends from the monastery.

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Fun in the sun

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Israeli blogger Robin of Around the Island invites us all to share scenes of summer tonight and every Saturday night.
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These young religious girls were having the time of their life singing and splashing in Jerusalem's Lions Fountain!

Even "swimming" in the shallow water!

It was a super-hot day in the city, and I was a bit envious.

The lion is the symbol of Jerusalem. This fountain was a gift from German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to Jerusalem.

The dove of peace perches atop the Tree of Life. In this picture a real bird was drinking water from the statue-bird's mouth.

Sprouts on the tree symbolize the branching of three Abrahamic faiths from a single root. And indeed, you often see Arab kids splashing in the water next to their Jewish "cousins."

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The roar of traffic and lions

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We don't collect only bridges, but also benches--and lions too.

Enlarge to see the Lion of Judah, the municipal emblem of Jerusalem.

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Here is the view from the Calatrava bridge featured in the previous post.

The transparent side is a bit dirty, but believe me . . .

. . . down below are benches and a newly-planted little garden with olive trees.

Under the bridge, in the merciful shade, are more such benches, each with two metal lions rampant.

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Sharing a bench

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Face to face, two felines in Chile Square, Jerusalem.
The lion is the symbol of Jerusalem, while the stray cat can be found everywhere in Israel.

This picture has a shadow for Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot meme, an animal for Camera-Critters, and a bench for bench-collectors RuneE and Vogon Poet.

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When I sat down to drink water, this surprisingly friendly feline proceeded to walk back and forth across my lap.

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An Italian lion in Zion

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The "Jerusalem--The Built Heritage" sign says this corner building, completed in 1936, fuses neo-classicism with modernism and was designed by Marcello Piacentini, a renowned Italian architect of the modern monumentalist style.
It was built by the Italian Generali insurance company. Since the mid 1940s it has housed Israeli government offices and no longer has any connection with Assicurazioni Generali.
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But we still call it the Generali Building and it is a well-loved landmark on Jaffa Road, thanks largely to the sculpted winged lion on the roof.
Enlarge the photo to enjoy the lion with his book!

While reading about the Generali Building today, I was delighted to learn that the symbol of Assicurazioni Generali was derived from the flag of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, (which was dissolved by Napoleon three decades before the company was founded).

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Any Italians or Latin-scholars out there who can tell us what is written in the book?

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Thermal baths, anyone?

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Welcome to RuneE's "Bench on Friday" group.
His bench is under thick snow today; mine is the extreme opposite.
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(Enlarge the pictures to be doubly impressed!)

Have a seat on the bench and watch the diverse groups entering Jerusalem's magnificent Supreme Court building.

Even better, gaze at the mosaic carpet that adorns the entrance.
It was found up in Israel's north, on the border with Jordan, near the border with Syria.

The curative powers of the Hammat Gader hot springs were famous since ancient times.

Among the visitors to the baths during the Roman-Byzantine period were many Jews and also Jewish sages, who mentioned the baths in the Talmud. A synagogue for their use was built nearby.

The dedicatory inscriptions from the synagogue mosaic are interesting.

Here above the original Aramaic is translated into Hebrew and English, readable with a click.

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BibleWalks.com has great photos and info for the old Hammat Gader complex.

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The neighboring kibbutzim have reopened Hammat Gader as a modern hot springs spa.

You will be amazed by the workshops they offer--Tibetan bells, Holistic pulsing, Crystals, Signs of the universe, etc..
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Shadowy lion

The heraldic "lion rampant" is the emblem of the Jerusalem Municipality.
You will find him everywhere, on sewer covers, trash bins . . .

and on this bench which cast the shadow visible in the first photo.
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Shabbat shalom, happy May Day, and happy CDP Theme Day to you all.

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