The Hidden Rebel's Base

The Hidden Rebel's Base, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Monastery of St. George clings to the canyon walls like a fairy-tale castle . Of all the monasteries founded in this spectacularly austere area between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, it is the only survivor. The first monks to settle as hermits in the caves in this part of the wadi were named Prono, Elias, Gannaios, Ainan and Zenon (about 420 AD). The monastery itself, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded by St. John of Thebes (about 480 AD) as a spiritual center for the hermits of the region. Supposedly it was built over a cave where Joachin took refuge to lament the infertility of his wife, Anna. An angel told him to return to Anna, who afterward gave birth to the Virgin Mary. In the 6th century AD the monastery became known as St. George under the leadership of George of Koziba.

Born in Cyprus about 550 AD, George lived for a time in Jordan, but later an intense longing for a more ascetic life brought him to the Wadi Kelt. During the Persian invasion of Palestine in 614 AD, the monastery was destroyed and many of its monks were killed. A Greek-Arabic inscription above the old entrance testifies to its reconstruction by Crusaders in 1179. But most of the present monastery dates back to a 1879-1901 reconstruction by the Greek Orthodox Church. The oldest part of the building is the 6th century AD mosaic floor of the neighboring Church of St. John. The skulls of the monks martyred by the Persians are kept here and a niche contains the tomb of St. George.

www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/wadikelt2.htm

Return from the Mall

Return from the Mall, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

The Monastery of St. George clings to the canyon walls like a fairy-tale castle . Of all the monasteries founded in this spectacularly austere area between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, it is the only survivor. The first monks to settle as hermits in the caves in this part of the wadi were named Prono, Elias, Gannaios, Ainan and Zenon (about 420 AD). The monastery itself, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded by St. John of Thebes (about 480 AD) as a spiritual center for the hermits of the region. Supposedly it was built over a cave where Joachin took refuge to lament the infertility of his wife, Anna. An angel told him to return to Anna, who afterward gave birth to the Virgin Mary. In the 6th century AD the monastery became known as St. George under the leadership of George of Koziba.

Born in Cyprus about 550 AD, George lived for a time in Jordan, but later an intense longing for a more ascetic life brought him to the Wadi Kelt. During the Persian invasion of Palestine in 614 AD, the monastery was destroyed and many of its monks were killed. A Greek-Arabic inscription above the old entrance testifies to its reconstruction by Crusaders in 1179. But most of the present monastery dates back to a 1879-1901 reconstruction by the Greek Orthodox Church. The oldest part of the building is the 6th century AD mosaic floor of the neighboring Church of St. John. The skulls of the monks martyred by the Persians are kept here and a niche contains the tomb of St. George.


www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/wadikelt2.htm




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Torment in Solitude

Torment in Solitude, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Latin: Sanctum Sepulchrum), also called the Church of the Resurrection (Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως, Naos tis Anastaseos; Arabic: كنيسة القيامة‎, Kanīsat al-Qiyāma; Armenian: Սուրբ Հարություն, Surp Harutyun) by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem.

The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha,[1] (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified,[2] and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre

Viewpoints (Church of the Holy Sepulchre)

Viewpoints (Church of the Holy Sepulchre), originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Latin: Sanctum Sepulchrum), also called the Church of the Resurrection (Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως, Naos tis Anastaseos; Arabic: كنيسة القيامة‎, Kanīsat al-Qiyāma; Armenian: Սուրբ Հարություն, Surp Harutyun) by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem.

The site is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha,[1] (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified,[2] and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre

Tribute to Caesar

Tribute to Caesar, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Caesarea was originally called Straton's Tower after its founder Straton, who is believed to have been a ruler of Sidon in the 4th century BCE. In 96 BCE the city was captured by Alexander Yannai and remained in the Hasmonean kingdom until it became an autonomous city by Pompey. After being for some time in the possession of Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt, it was returned by Augustus to Herod.

Once the site of a Phoenician port, over the course of 12 years Herod built Caesarea into the grandest city other than Jerusalem in Palestine, with a deep sea harbor (called Sebastos, i.e., Augustus in Greek), aqueduct, hippodrome and magnificent amphitheater that remain standing today. Herod renamed the city Caesarea in honor of the emperor. The population of Caesarea was half gentile and half Jewish, often causing disputes among the people. In 6 CE, Caesarea became the home of the Roman governors (Procurators) of Judea. The city remained the capital of Roman and Byzantine Palestine.

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Caesarea.html

Simple Pleasures

Simple Pleasures, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro


Taken in a very cool restaurant in Galilee, Israel: the chairs are pillows!

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Mount Arbel

Mount Arbel, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Mount Arbel (Hebrew: הר ארבל‎, Transliteration: Har Arbel) is a mountain in The Lower Galilee near Tiberias in Israel, that has split into two after an earthquake. The other half of is Mt. Nitai. On the mountain there are four settlements: Kfar Zeitim, Arbel, Kfar Hittim, and Mitspeh. The peak, at 282 meters above sea level (481 meters above the surrounding area), dominates the entire surroundings (much of the area is below sea level) and from the lookout atop the mountain, one can see almost all of the Galilee into the Golan Heights including Safed, Tiberias and most of the Sea of Galilee.

Near the mountain remain the ruins of an ancient Jewish settlement including a Synagogue from the fourth century C.E. with extend pews and columns, and dug into the mountain itself are a number of cliff dwellings. The extant cliff dwellings are from the 17th century and were built by the Druze though there are documented Jewish cliff dwellings dating back to the Second Commonwealth in the area. Josephus writes about the Roman conquest of some of the last Hasmonean rebels who dwelt in the cliffs of Mt Arbel.

On the south side, there is a gradual prolonged climb through agricultural and pasture land while on the other, there is a very steep 400 meters drop. At the top of the steeper Northern side, there are metal handholds driven into the rock because the climb is so steep. Below that are a series of switchbacks that eventually lead to the Bedouin village of Hamaam.

In 2008, it was announced that a new golf course resort, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. would be constructed at a cost of $150 million, on land owned by Kfar Hittim on Mount Arbel. The resort which should open in 2011, will cater for between 600-900 people as well as creating 300-400 jobs.[1]

Mt. Arbel, with its 110 meters vertical drop, is the only known mountain in Israel to serve as a base jumping site.[citation needed] The hike to the top of Mount Arbel is included in the Israel National Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Arbel

The "Custom House" - Golan Heights

The "Custom House" - Golan Heights, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Taken in the Golan Heights, in a place called "Custom House",
the place was an heavily fortified Syrian position. There are mine fields surrounding this place lasting from the '60.



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Sunset Hunters

Sunset Hunters, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Taken in the Golan Heights, in a place called "Custom House"



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Suburban Blue Hour (SBH for friends )

Suburban Blue Hour (SBH for friends ), originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Taken under Calatrava String Bridge in Petach Tiqwa, Israel

listen to:
There must be another way

Fill the Gap

Fill the Gap, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Taken in Tel Aviv , Israel

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

a view on Tel Aviv

Waiting for Gadi

Waiting for Gadi, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Taken in Tel Aviv Harbor, Israel

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Waiting for Gadi

Waiting for Gadi, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Taken in Tel Aviv Harbor, Israel

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Over and Over

Over and Over, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Taken in Tel Aviv Harbor, Israel

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Kids playing over and over with skates

Massada North Side

Massada North Side, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Taken in Massada, Israel

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Masada (Hebrew מצדה, pronounced Metzada, from מצודה, metzuda, "fortress") is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, or large mesa, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. After the First Jewish-Roman War (also known as the Great Jewish Revolt) a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of Jewish rebels, who preferred death to surrender.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada

Route 90

Route 90, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Route 90 is the longest road in Israel, at about 480 km, and stretches from Metula and the northern border with Lebanon, along the western side of the Sea of Galilee, through the Jordan River Valley, along the western bank of the Dead Sea (making it the world's lowest road), through the Arabah valley, and until Eilat and the southern border with Egypt on the Red Sea. The road passes through the West Bank near the city of Jericho but does not enter Palestinian Authority controlled areas.

The section of route 90 passing through the Jordan Valley was dedicated as Derekh Gandi (Gandhi's Road) after the late Rehavam Zeevi, an assassinated Israeli Minister of Tourism, who was nicknamed after Mahatma Gandhi.

Desert Temptation

Desert Temptation, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Timna Valley is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the town of Eilat. The area is rich in copper ore, and has been actively mined by humans since the 6th millennium BCE.

Timna Valley Park is a National Park in the Negev desert of Israel, located approximately 30km north of Eilat [1].

The Park is noted for its natural sandstone formations, including King Solomon's Pillars, the "Mushroom", "Arches" and "the Sleeping Lion".

It includes what are believed to be the oldest Copper mines in the world, dating back to at least 4000 BC and worked almost continuously by (among others) the Egyptians, Romans, Nabateans and Ummayads.
markers to Timna Park

Rock carvings, including "the Chariots", and ancient inscriptions are visible as well as mining shafts, the remains of ancient copper furnaces and a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Hathor.[2]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timna_valley
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timna_Valley_Park

Me in Eilat

Me in Eilat, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, a busy port as well as a popular resort, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Eilat. Home to 46,900 people,[1] the city is part of the Southern Negev Desert, at the southern end of the Arava. The city is adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba, to the south, and the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, to the east.

Eilat's arid desert climate is moderated by proximity to a warm sea. Temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in summer, and 18 °C (64 °F) in winter, while water temperatures range between 20 and 26 °C (68-79 °F). The city's beaches, nightlife and desert landscapes make it a popular destination for domestic and international tourism.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilat

The Big Sand Snake

The Big Sand Snake, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro
Listening to:
The Beatles - The Long and Winding Road


Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Monastery of St. George clings to the canyon walls like a fairy-tale castle . Of all the monasteries founded in this spectacularly austere area between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, it is the only survivor. The first monks to settle as hermits in the caves in this part of the wadi were named Prono, Elias, Gannaios, Ainan and Zenon (about 420 AD). The monastery itself, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded by St. John of Thebes (about 480 AD) as a spiritual center for the hermits of the region. Supposedly it was built over a cave where Joachin took refuge to lament the infertility of his wife, Anna. An angel told him to return to Anna, who afterward gave birth to the Virgin Mary. In the 6th century AD the monastery became known as St. George under the leadership of George of Koziba.

Born in Cyprus about 550 AD, George lived for a time in Jordan, but later an intense longing for a more ascetic life brought him to the Wadi Kelt. During the Persian invasion of Palestine in 614 AD, the monastery was destroyed and many of its monks were killed. A Greek-Arabic inscription above the old entrance testifies to its reconstruction by Crusaders in 1179. But most of the present monastery dates back to a 1879-1901 reconstruction by the Greek Orthodox Church. The oldest part of the building is the 6th century AD mosaic floor of the neighboring Church of St. John. The skulls of the monks martyred by the Persians are kept here and a niche contains the tomb of St. George.


www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/wadikelt2.htm

St. George Monastery

St. George Monastery, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Monastery of St. George clings to the canyon walls like a fairy-tale castle . Of all the monasteries founded in this spectacularly austere area between the 4th and 7th centuries AD, it is the only survivor. The first monks to settle as hermits in the caves in this part of the wadi were named Prono, Elias, Gannaios, Ainan and Zenon (about 420 AD). The monastery itself, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded by St. John of Thebes (about 480 AD) as a spiritual center for the hermits of the region. Supposedly it was built over a cave where Joachin took refuge to lament the infertility of his wife, Anna. An angel told him to return to Anna, who afterward gave birth to the Virgin Mary. In the 6th century AD the monastery became known as St. George under the leadership of George of Koziba.

Born in Cyprus about 550 AD, George lived for a time in Jordan, but later an intense longing for a more ascetic life brought him to the Wadi Kelt. During the Persian invasion of Palestine in 614 AD, the monastery was destroyed and many of its monks were killed. A Greek-Arabic inscription above the old entrance testifies to its reconstruction by Crusaders in 1179. But most of the present monastery dates back to a 1879-1901 reconstruction by the Greek Orthodox Church. The oldest part of the building is the 6th century AD mosaic floor of the neighboring Church of St. John. The skulls of the monks martyred by the Persians are kept here and a niche contains the tomb of St. George.

www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/wadikelt2.htm