Saturday 26 September: day trip to Jericho. First stop was in the middle of the desert in the area where there was a pathway (Wadi Kelt) from Jerusalem to Jericho. Resonances of great wilderness: "dry weary land without water". John the Baptist spent time in the desert, as did Jesus. Amazingly quiet and peaceful, but who could survive in this kind of desert? When we arrived there was a group of Bedouin people selling their wares, hence my arabian head-dress! It came in useful because Jericho is the lowest city in the world (260km below sea level - sweltering heat) and also the oldest city in the world (first occupied in 8000 BC!). Continued on to Jericho itself. It's in the West Bank but no wall around it, only a moat and a checkpoint. Very spectacular trip on a cable car to a Russian Orthodox Monastery built very high on the side of the mountain: "Mount of Temptations" - keeping the memory of Jesus being taken up to a mountain top and promised all the kingdoms etc. Even after getting off the cable car, there was still a steep climb up steps to the monastery proper. We had a bit of time afterwards, and had refreshments in the "Temptation Restaurant"!!! Continued on to Jericho itself. Small enough city/town; quite poor; people very friendly; small town atmosphere. Nice just to stroll around for a while.
